FULTON, Mo. - The Fulton Hornets didn't need to review the entirety of their first loss of the season.
In fact, Fulton head coach Pat Kelley limited his team's weekly film session to just 30 plays. The Hornets replayed their 15 best plays and 15 worst from last week's humbling 62-13 North Central Missouri Conference setback at state-ranked Class 4 Hannibal.
"We watched Hannibal for about 35 minutes and then we were done," Kelley said Tuesday. "You can't get last Friday night back. ... But going forward we know we have to play better."
What's next for Fulton is tonight's Homecoming matchup with the Boonville Pirates at Robert E. Fisher Jr. Stadium. The NCMC clash kicks off at 7 p.m.
Asked what distinguished the good from the bad against Hannibal, Kelley said it all came down to lack of consistency.
"There were times (on defense) where we played the veer to perfection, and everyone did their jobs, and we didn't do that consistently," Kelley said. "On offense, there were times where we had a hat on everybody and we just didn't do it consistently."
The Hornets (5-1, 2-1) compiled a season-low 319 yards of total offense against Hannibal, and fits of stop-and-go ball movement prevented that unit from establishing any sort of rhythm.
Coming off a season-high 580-yard outburst in a 53-35 NCMC home win against Marshall, the lapse disappointed Kelley.
"We couldn't sustain anything and you give (Hannibal) credit," Kelley said. "When you're playing good teams, you can't make the mistakes we made and sustain drives."
Defensively, a Fulton unit that was stout through the first five games couldn't do much to slow Hannibal's vaunted veer-option attack. The Pirates piled up 471 yards rushing, picking up nearly 10 yards per carry.
Kelley admitted Hannibal looked better than even he expected, but also noted the Hornets weren't effective at the point of attack.
"They were more physical than we were," Kelley said. "They kind of took us out of it early with how physical they were.
"And it's what I told the kids: You watch a team on tape and you watch a team on tape, and you look for weaknesses and you formulate your game plan, and we got out there and - quite honestly - they were bigger, faster, stronger than I thought they were."
The Hornets face another Pirate team tonight, though a mascot and conference affiliation might be all that Boonville (2-4, 1-2) shares with Hannibal.
Boonville enter tonight after notching a 17-15 conference win at Kirksville last week to snap a four-game losing skid. The Hornets got a look at Boonville during the Jamboree in August, but neither coach showed too much.
"We've talked about getting our confidence back and getting our mojo back a little bit, and going back to the things we do well," Kelley said. "... This week, we've got to practice better than we have all year."
Kelley has gathered much more from the Pirates' recent footage and noticed, first and foremost, a tenacious defense.
After allowing 46 points per game during its four-game slide, Boonville bounced back to pitch a first-half shutout against Kirksville.
Boonville mixes defensive fronts, according to Kelley, but won't hesitate to send the blitz. Fulton dealt with a pressure-happy Moberly team three weeks ago and responded with 420 yards of offense in a 35-6 NCMC victory.
"They stunt a lot, they're very aggressive and we're going to have to match that aggressiveness from the first whistle," Kelley said. "No matter what, we know they're going to bring pressure, so we'll have to pick up those blitzes."
A key component in the Hornets' pass protection returns this week in senior offensive tackle Zach Benner. Benner - who had started 16 straight games on the outside - sat out last week after an ejection late in the first half against Marshall.
"Physicality is what Zach brings," Kelley said. "He's a very physical football player so when you lose that, you are going to lose something, so having him back will be nice on defense, but it will on offense, too."
Benner is one of Fulton's most active defenders from his end spot. His four tackles for loss and two sacks are tied for second on the team, and they will be welcomed back against a Boonville offense directed by junior quarterback Nick Zeitlow.
Zeitlow presents an athletic, big frame at 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, and Kelley compares him to Marshall's Zack Maupin. Zeitlow has connected on just 44 percent of his passes (52-of-118) for 610 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions this season.
"He's really matured as an athlete. ... That's (Maupin) who he reminds me of a lot," Kelley said. "They run some under center, but they're mostly out of the (shotgun)."
Senior Jordan Weaver (5-7, 180) has gained 182 yards on 74 carries (2.5 average) as the Pirates have rushed for slightly more than 94 yards per game.
"They run a lot of option out of two-back sets, so hopefully after last week we're a little bit better at that," Kelley said. "It's a different look, so to speak, but it's still option football."
Fulton fell out of the top spot in the Class 3 District 6 standings with the loss at Hannibal, but can still host the first two rounds of district play if it advances that far.
But the Hornets can't think that far ahead. They'll look to come out the gate fast tonight in hopes of avoiding another shortened film session.
"The way schedules work out, we're going to have to get awful lucky to get the first seed, but if we get the second seed, the first one is at home and if we're fortunate enough to win that one, the second one will be at home," Kelley said. "... So that's where we are right now, but most important is to get off to a good start (tonight)."
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