Complete Game Notes (PDF)

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University “Eagles” vs. Savannah State University “Tigers”

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, November 13, 2010 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.

THE SITE
Memorial Stadium (10,000 capacity / Natural Grass) - Savannah, Georgia

2010 RECORDS
North Carolina Central (3-6 overall); Savannah State (0-9 overall)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network - flagship station WRJD 1410 AM (Durham), WHNC 890 AM (Henderson), WELS 1010 AM (Kinston), WYRN 1480 AM (Louisburg), WCBQ 1340 AM (Oxford), WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount), WXKL 1290 AM (Sanford); WARR 1520 AM (Warrenton); NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 1:30 p.m.

THE EVENT
North Carolina Central University hits the road for the fourth and final time this season, travelling to Savannah, Ga., to take on fellow MEAC member Savannah State University. The Eagles have not lost to the SSU Tigers in five prior gridiron meetings (4-0-1). This will be NCCU’s only game played on natural grass this season.

THE SERIES
This will be the sixth football meeting between Savannah State University and North Carolina Central University. NCCU leads the series 4-0-1. In the first contest between the Tigers and Eagles, the two teams played to a 0-0 tie to open the 1974 season (Sept. 14, 1974) in Savannah, Ga. The following year in Durham, N.C., NCCU defeated the Tigers 30-0 in another season-opener on Sept. 13, 1975. Three years ago, NCCU earned a 30-14 road victory over Savannah State on Oct. 20, 2007. On Nov. 22, 2008, NCCU edged the Tigers 10-7 in Durham, N.C. Last season, the Eagles celebrated senior day with a 35-14 win over SSU in Durham, N.C.

THE LAST MEETING
(NCCU 35, Savannah State 14 - Nov. 21, 2009 in Durham, N.C.): North Carolina Central University’s seniors stole the show on Senior Day, leading the Eagles to a 35-14 season-ending win over Savannah State University at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C. The victory was the fourth in the last five games for NCCU, as the Eagles complete their third season of Division I competition with a 4-7 record. NCCU senior receiver Will Scott caught seven passes for 120 yards and equaled a career-best with three touchdowns. Among the school’s leading receivers, Scott finished his career ranked eighth with 121 receptions, sixth with 1,975 receiving yards and tied for fifth with 19 touchdown catches. Senior safety Derek Harvey amassed a career-high 15 tackles, more than any other Eagle in the past two-and-a-half seasons, while adding an assisted sack. Senior linebacker Alex Winters also had a career day with 11 tackles, including takedown behind the line of scrimmage. Two other seniors playing in their final college game, offensive tackle Gabriel Manns and fullback Saeed Abdul-Azeez, helped pave the way for NCCU to record 416 yards of total offense. Three NCCU juniors also had big performances on defense. Linebacker Donald Laster seemed to be in the Tiger backfield all day, recording 11 tackles (6 solo), including 2.5 hits for a loss with 1.5 sacks, and an astounding five quarterback hurries. Fellow linebacker Calvin Hillie added eight stops, while defensive tackle Teryl White had eight tackles with 2.0 hits for a loss. NCCU red-shirt sophomore quarterback Michael Johnson completed 15-of-22 passes for 233 yards and a career-high four touchdowns against the Tigers to finish his second season under center with 1,931 passing yards. Only four other NCCU quarterbacks (Earl Harvey, Stadford Brown, Brad McAdams and Adrian Warren) have thrown for more yards in a single season. Savannah State was led by sophomore quarterback Kurvin Curry with 254 yards of total offense, including 173 yards and a touchdown through the air and 81 yards and another score on the ground. NCCU wasted little time lighting the scoreboard, as Michael Johnson connected with sophomore receiver Andrew Johnson on a 69-yard touchdown pass on the team’s first offensive play of the game. Freshman kicker Frankie Cardelle’s extra-point kick made the score 7-0 at 8:13 of the first quarter. SSU responded on its next possession, driving 80 yards on 12 plays with Curry running eight yards for the game-tying score at 2:48 of the opening stanza. Scott caught the first of his three touchdown passes from 12 yards out at 12:17 of the second quarter to give the Eagles a 14-7 advantage at intermission. Four plays into the second half, Michael Johnson completed a 56-yard bomb to Scott to give the home team a two-touchdown cushion at 13:18 of the third quarter. The visiting Tigers narrowed the gap to 21-14 with 4:29 left in the third quarter when Curry hit Deleon Hollinger in the end zone for a 17-yard score. On NCCU’s first snap of the fourth quarter, junior running back Tony McCord broke through the SSU defense and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. The game-changing run was the longest by an Eagle in 13 years (89-yard TD scamper by Shawn Gibbs on Oct. 5, 1996) and the longest offensive play from scrimmage since Darrell Sanders caught an 81-yard pass from Brandon Roberson on Oct. 30, 1999. More importantly, McCord’s trip to the end zone put the Eagles up by two touchdowns with 11:34 remaining in the contest. NCCU sealed the victory with 5:37 on the clock when Scott hauled in a 24-yard pass for his third touchdown of the game. Cardelle’s fifth successful PAT kick made the final score 35-14.

LAST WEEK
(Delaware State 29, NCCU 7) Delaware State University amassed season-highs of 172 rushing yards and 416 total yards en route to a 29-7 victory over North Carolina Central University on Saturday in Dover, Del. And while the host Hornets were cruising offensively, their swarming defense held the visitors to season lows. In fact, NCCU’s 134 yards of total offense was the lowest offensive output since Nov. 8, 2008, when the Eagles gained 123 total yards at No. 3 Cal Poly. NCCU also managed only 21 rushing yards on 34 carries, the Eagles weakest ground game since Oct. 10, 2009, at No. 9 Appalachian State. The two MEAC foes were knotted at 7-7 after the opening 15 minutes of play, but Delaware State made two visits to the end zone in the second quarter to take a 16-7 lead at the break. The Hornets scored two more times in the third to put the game out of reach. NCCU sophomore receiver Geovonie Irvine accounted for the lone Eagles score, catching a 14-yard pass from junior signal caller Michael Johnson at 5:53 of the first quarter. Johnson, who was sacked four times, completed 6-of-13 passes for 94 yards with a touchdown toss and an interception. Redshirt freshman Jordan Reid spelled Johnson late in the second half, throwing for 19 yards on 2-of-5 passing and he was sacked twice. NCCU senior defensive lineman Teryl White was a bright light on an otherwise dim day for the Eagles. He was in on a team-best eight stops, including a tackle for a loss, with a blocked kick. Seniors Calvin Hillie and JaQuez Canty collected seven takedowns each. Senior quarterback Anthony Glaud led Delaware State with 264 yards of total offense and was responsible for two scores. He completed 16-of-20 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown without an interception, while rushing for 40 yards and a trip to the end zone. DSU sophomore Justin Wilson was on the receiving end of eight passes for 129 yards, while junior Darius Jackson had four receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore James Rosseau topped a productive Hornets ground attack with 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 rushes, while junior Jaashawn Jones added 49 yards on just six carries. The Delaware State defense was charged by sophomore lineman Olusegun Ayanbiola with eight tackles, including 4.5 hits for a loss with 3.5 sacks. As a team, the Hornets sacked NCCU quarterbacks six times on the day. NCCU turned the ball over three times, while the Hornets made only one miscue. The Eagles converted only 2-of-11 third down plays compared to a 7-of-13 success rate for DSU (2-7). The DSU win ends a four-game drought against the Eagles, who still lead the series 13-6.

(Old Dominion 57, Savannah State 9) Thomas Demarco passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lift Old Dominion to a 57-9 win over Savannah State at Foreman Field before 19,782 fans. The win gives the Monarchs a 6-3 record, while SSU falls to 0-9. For the game, ODU rolled up 489 yards while the Tigers had 240. Antonio Bostick, who was sacked four times, passed for 127 yards and a interception for SSU. Sheldon Barnes ran for 69 yards and Simon Heyward caught 6 passes for 55 yards. Darren Hunter had 9 tackles and CJ Smith had a interception for the defense.

WHAT’S THIS GREEN STUFF?
NCCU has played nine games this season, all on artificial turf. Saturday’s visit to Memorial Stadium in Savannah, Ga., will be the first and only time this season the Eagles will play on natural grass.

SHANKLE SEVENTH EAGLE TO RUSH FOR 2,000 YARDS
NCCU senior running back Tim Shankle ran for 86 yards and a touchdown against rival North Carolina A&T (Sept. 25) to become the seventh Eagle in school history to rush for 2,000 career yards. The Gainesville, Fla., native has amassed 2,320 yards during his NCCU career, including 541 yards in the first seven games of 2010. Shankle needs 74 yards to pass James Smith for fourth on the NCCU career rushing list.

JOHNSON REACHES CAREER MILESTONE OF 3,000 PASSING YARDS
NCCU red-shirt junior quarterback Michael Johnson threw for 134 yards versus Hampton (Oct. 9) to become the 10th Eagle in school history to throw for 3,000 career yards. The Durham, N.C., native has amassed 3,431 yards during his three-year NCCU career, including 983 yards through the air in seven games this season. Johnson needs eight yards to pass Garvin Stone for seventh on the NCCU career passing list.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
The Eagles have found a way to share the load this season. Through nine games, 13 different student-athletes have carried the ball, 16 have caught passes, four have thrown passes, and 14 have posted points on the scoreboard.

SHANKLE FIRST EAGLE TO RUSH FOR 100 YARDS SINCE 2007
On Oct. 9 against Hampton, NCCU senior running back Tim Shankle led the way with 107 rushing yards on 26 carries, marking the first time an Eagle has reached the 100-yard rushing milestone since Shankle ran for 127 yards at Western Kentucky on Oct. 27, 2007. Shankle’s only other 100-yard effort came on Sept. 15, 2007, against Elizabeth City State inside Giants Stadium, when he posted 116 yards on 24 carries. The last Eagle not named Shankle to rush for 100 or more yards in a game was Greg Pruitt, Jr., who accounted for 117 ground yards in the 2006 CIAA Championship Game versus Elizabeth City State (Nov. 11, 2006).

GOFORTH MAKES SCHOOL HISTORY AS KICKOFF RETURNER
NCCU sophomore return specialist Arthur Goforth made school history on Sept. 18 at Appalachian State by becoming the first Eagle to post two kickoff returns of 92 yards or more during a career. Amazingly, Goforth accomplished the feat in back-to-back weeks. On Sept. 11 versus Winston-Salem State, the Columbia, S.C., native returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to equal the third-longest return in the NCCU record books. On Sept. 18 at Appalachian State, he raced 92 yards for a score to make Eagle history.

EAGLES MAKE BIG PLAYS IN ALL THREE PHASES
In the first three games of the 2010 season, the Eagles posted four of the biggest plays in NCCU gridiron history. Against Johnson C. Smith on Sept. 2, junior linebacker Roger Stewart intercepted a pass and raced 83 yards for a touchdown, matching the ninth-longest interception return in school history. On Sept. 11 versus Winston-Salem State, sophomore Arthur Goforth returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to equal the third-longest kickoff return in the NCCU record books, followed by senior running back Tony McCord’s 93-yard touchdown scamper to set a new school record for the longest run from scrimmage. Goforth struck again in week three at Appalachian State with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

THE COACHES
Darryl Bullock was elevated from assistant head coach to interim head coach at NCCU on Oct. 18. He began as offensive line coach at NCCU prior to the 2007 gridiron season. Following the 2007 campaign, he was promoted to the rank of assistant head coach, while also retaining his duties with the offensive line. Bullock, who has been coaching football since 1989, joined the Eagles after serving as offensive line/tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Tennessee State University for two seasons (2005-06). In that time, Bullock’s offensive frontline paved the way for a sophomore running back to gain 1,233 ground yards. During the previous four seasons, Bullock served as defensive line coach at Elon University (2004), East Tennessee State University (2003) and Gardner-Webb University (2001-02). In his last season at Gardner-Webb, he coached three All-Big South Conference linemen. As offensive line coach at the University of New Hampshire (located in Durham, N.H.), five of Bullock’s student-athletes claimed all-conference honors in just two seasons (1999-2000). He spent the spring of 1999 as defensive coordinator and assistant general manager of the Dayton Skyhawks of the Indoor Football League, prior to a three-year stint as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line and tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator at Morgan State University (1996-98). Bullock served as head football coach at Immokalee (Fla.) High School during the 1995 campaign, guiding his squad to the 4A playoffs with some help from an All-American and future N.F.L. standout named Edgerrin James. Prior to his high school head coaching debut, Bullock was a defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator at Morehead State University (1994). He has also held graduate assistant coaching positions at Penn State University (1992-93) and the University of Michigan (1990-91), where he earned a master’s degree in kinesiology in 1992. Bullock received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 1990 from Pennsylvania State University, where he played defensive tackle. As a player for Penn State, he was a part of two consecutive trips to national championship games, including a loss to Oklahoma followed by a victory over the University of Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to win the national title. Bullock has also worked summer N.F.L. internships with the Dallas Cowboys (2009), Cleveland Browns (2001), Miami Dolphins (2000) and New England Patriots (1998). He and his wife, Elaine, are the proud parents of a son, Luther.

Julius Dixon is in his first season as interim head football coach at Savannah State University. The last two seasons he served as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at SSU. Dixon comes to SSU from Presbyterian College where, in 2007, he was the defensive coordinator and helped coached the team to a 6-5 record in their first year of Division I competition. Prior to that, he spent 14 years as an assistant with Furman University; first as defensive line coach for three years, and then he served as the defensive backs coach for 11 years. Dixon got his start in coaching at Camden High School (S.C.). He served as an assistant coach for four years, from 1988-92. During his first year as an assistant, Camden went 15-0 and won the South Carolina AAA State Championship. Dixon, a native of Toccoa, Ga., earned his bachelor’s in political science in 1990 from Furman University. As a star cornerback for Furman, Dixon was one of four freshmen to letter in his first year, and was a member of the 1985 NCAA I-AA runner-up team that finished with a 12-2 record and a Southern Conference championship. As a senior, he earned first team all-conference honors, and was the captain of the 1988 NCAA I-AA national championship team. That year, the Paladins compiled a 13-2 record, a conference championship, and earned the nation’s top scoring defense holding opponents to 9.5 ppg. During his four-year span, the Paladins recorded a 40-10-2 record.

LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL ON WRJD 1410 AM OR VIA THE INTERNET
Every game of the 2010 North Carolina Central University Eagles football season will be broadcasted by the NCCU Sports Network, including the flagship station WRJD 1410 AM in Durham, N.C. Play-by-play announcer Chris Hooks will call all of the live action, starting with “Eagle Gameday” a half-hour prior to kickoff. Fans may also listen to the broadcast via the internet by visiting the NCCU Athletics web site at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.

LAST SEASON (NCCU)
In 2009, NCCU’s high level of competition and determination did not translate into victories during the first half of the season. The Eagles were ahead at Hampton with less than two minutes remaining, held a second-half lead at nationally-ranked Liberty, dropped two contests in overtime, and took an advantage into the second quarter against three-time national champion Appalachian State. Battered but not defeated, NCCU responded by winning four of the final five games of the season to finish the campaign with a 4-7 record. Even in the lone setback during the season-ending run, the Eagles amazingly rallied from a 28-0 second-half deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter.