Lost in Fulton's surge to 3-0 has been the amount of reps - or lack thereof - that the Hornets' first-team offense and defense needed to get there.
Huge halftime leads in back-to-back games mean that Fulton starters have played four total quarters the last two weeks.
Consequently, the Hornets' top players across the depth chart will be fresh when Fulton travels to Moberly for tonight's North Central Missouri Conference opener against the Spartans. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
Fulton enters conference play after mauling the Missouri Military Academy Colonels 69-0 at home last week. The Hornets' defense allowed a barely perceptible 2 total yards to M.M.A., while Fulton drummed up 55 first-half points and called it an early night for the starters.
Head coach Pat Kelley, though, isn't sure if the light loads mean much going forward for the Hornets.
"I don't know," Kelley said during practice Monday morning. "I think we've talked about how we have to have a great week of preparation."
What's easy to see is that the Hornets are performing at optimal levels in all three phases of the game thus far. The outburst against M.M.A. - coupled with a 55-22 win at Versailles in the second week - have Fulton's offense humming to the tune of 52 points and 393 yards per game through the first third of the regular season.
Senior running back Travis Dean has eight touchdowns through three games, including six in the last two weeks.
Junior quarterback Devin Masek has tossed seven touchdowns, with five different Hornets on the receiving end.
Kelley attributes the early success to offensive-line play. The Hornets have created sizable holes up front for Dean and other Fulton ballcarriers, while pass protection has given Masek ample opportunity to make his reads.
"We do a lot of things in the middle (of the offensive line) where we're chipping and climbing, and our tackles do a nice job when we run wide, they do a nice job running and sealing that outside edge," Kelley said.
"We're doing a nice job of blocking up front. ... The big thing is our pass protection has been outstanding all three games and our run-blocking has gotten better every game."
As productive as the Fulton offense has been, it's the defensive side for the Hornets that has been in a groove since the second half of a 33-21, season-opening triumph over School of the Osage. Fulton has allowed just 22 points and registered three defensive scores in that span.
The Hornets sacked M.M.A. quarterbacks three times, collected 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and limited the Colonels to less than one yard on 15 offensive plays.
"We're big and strong up front, and (the defensive line) stays in our gaps and a lot of those (tackles for loss), we're not trying to make plays - that's not their job - they're just in the right place at the right time," Kelley said. "The linebackers are doing a great job scraping off blocks, getting in the gaps and making plays."
Moberly (1-2) shut out the Kirksville Tigers 16-0 in their NCMC opener last week to pick up the first career victory for new head coach Cody McDowell.
"They do a nice job defensively," Kelley said. "They fly to the ball, they give you a lot of different looks, they try to confuse you and we're going to have to be ready for that."
The Spartans are also entering tonight's conference clash with defensive momentum. Moberly downed Kirksville with a pair of fourth-quarter scores, while its 3-5-3 defensive scheme turned back the Tigers' late threats.
Kelley said there are some similarities between the Spartans' defensive alignment and the one Fulton faced in the opener against Osage, but with one major difference - Moberly will blitz.
The Spartans bring pressure from all directions, something Kelley noticed bothered Kirksville.
"They're bring guys from everywhere," Kelley said. "... You look at them the first two weeks and they were really getting after it (with blitzes), and against Kirksville they were a little bit more selective."
Moberly runs a shotgun-pistol offense that shares similar traits with the one the Hornets operate. Junior quarterback Drake Davidson guides the Spartans and is adept at throwing the ball or pulling it back on an option keeper.
Moberly's running attack is by committee and adds another element of deception to its overall offensive look.
"They're balanced," Kelley said. "... They've got two or three guys back there that can run really well; their quarterback runs really well and he does a good job of hiding the ball and pulling the ball.
"When they throw, it's high-percentage, short passes and they'll try to lull you to sleep and then go downfield. We're going to have to be ready."
The Hornets' 23-13 win against Moberly in Fulton last season was their first victory against the Spartans since 2009. The start of conference play means the beginning of a rough-and-tumble stretch for the Hornets.
"We know it steps up in competition and we're looking forward to conference play," Kelley said. "They are excited about that part of it."
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