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THE GAME
Winston-Salem State Univ. “Rams” vs. North Carolina Central Univ. “Eagles”

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, September 11, 2010 – Kickoff at 6:00 p.m.

THE SITE
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity / Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.

2010 RECORDS
North Carolina Central (1-0 overall); Winston-Salem State (2-0 overall)

THE EVENT
The continued rivalry between the Eagles of North Carolina Central University and the Rams of Winston-Salem State University features the two winningest HBCU football programs in North Carolina. One of these teams will suffer its first loss of the season, while the other will remain undefeated, as both NCCU (1-0) and WSSU (2-0) enter the contest with unblemished records.

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); NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 5:30 p.m.

Video: NCCUEaglePride.com features GameCentral by Stretch Internet ($8.95). Starts at 5:45 p.m.

THE SERIES
This will be the 44th meeting between NCCU and WSSU since the two teams first met in 1945. The Eagles hold a narrow advantage in the series 22-21. NCCU has won four of the last five contests, including last season’s 18-10 victory in Winston-Salem. WSSU last defeated the Eagles 35-10 on Nov. 10, 2007. NCCU snapped WSSU’s six-game win streak in 2004 when the Eagles scored on the final play of the game for a 35-33 victory in Durham. In 2005, NCCU scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:38 remaining to defeat the Rams 20-17 in Winston-Salem. On Nov. 10, 2007, WSSU ended the Eagles’ first Division I season with a bitter taste, handing NCCU a 35-10 setback. Two years ago, on Nov. 15, 2008, NCCU took advantage of four WSSU turnovers and a special teams miscue to defeat the Rams 23-16 in Durham, N.C. Last season, on Nov. 14, 2009, NCCU forced four turnovers for the second straight time against the Rams, leading to an 18-10 victory in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Eagles started the series by winning the first 10 games, but the Rams have won 17 of the last 26 match-ups.

TOP TWO HBCU FOOTBALL PROGRAMS IN THE STATE
Since the Eagles and Rams first squared off on the gridiron in 1945, these two football programs boast the highest winning percentages among Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the state of North Carolina. In that time, NCCU has won 57.4 percent (363-267-19) of its games, while WSSU has a winning percentage of 54.9 percent (343-280-21).

THE LAST MEETING
(Nov. 14, 2009 – NCCU 18, WSSU 10 – Winston-Salem, N.C.) North Carolina Central University scored both of its touchdowns following Winston-Salem State University turnovers during an 18-10 victory in front of 11,232 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. An aggressive NCCU defense forced four WSSU turnovers (two interceptions, two fumble recoveries) and chased the Rams’ top two quarterbacks from the game with injuries. Sophomore linebacker Roger Stewart topped the Eagles with 10 tackles, including 2.0 hits for a loss. However, it was junior linebacker Donald Laster who caught the Rams’ attention with eight stops, including 2.5 tackles for a loss with 1.5 sacks, and his first career interception.

LAST WEEK
NCCU posted its second biggest victory in school history and the largest since 1946 with a 59-0 win over former CIAA foe Johnson C. Smith on Thursday, Sept. 2, inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. A near capacity crowd of 9,257 took part in NCCU’s first Thursday night football game in 44 years. The host Eagles took advantage of five Johnson C. Smith University turnovers to record the first shutout in three seasons (Sept. 8, 2007 – NCCU def. St. Augustine’s 6-0) and the biggest margin of victory since an 85-0 win over Fort Jackson to open the 1946 campaign (Sept. 21, 1946). The Eagles amassed 362 yards of total offense, including 239 yards on the ground. NCCU junior quarterback Keon Williams, who entered the contest with one career touchdown pass, threw four touchdown strikes on 14-of-22 passing for 110 yards on Thursday. Junior fullback Justin Manning caught the first two passes of his Eagle career and he took both to the end zone. Junior tight end Earthan Ward and sophomore receiver Lamar Whidbee also caught touchdown passes, while senior Tim Shankle and sophomore Arthur Goforth scored on the ground. NCCU’s vicious defense kept the Golden Bulls out of the red zone and held the visitors to 46 rushing yards as part of 233 total yards. A balanced defensive effort was paced by senior linebacker Calvin Hillie with six tackles, including 3.0 hits for a loss with a sack. Safeties Ja’Quez Canty and Marc Lewis added five stops each, while senior linebacker Rakeem Vick contributed four takedowns and a fumble recovery. The Eagles defense also got offensive, accounting for 14 points. Senior linebacker Anthony Sharp sacked JCSU quarterback Ryan Carter for a safety in the third quarter. The last two NCCU scores came courtesy of a James Reese 9-yard fumble recovery and an 83-yard interception return by linebacker Roger Stewart. Sophomore kicker Frankie Cardelle added to the tally with a 35-yard field goal and six extra-point kicks. JCSU (0-2) was led by Carter, who completed 14-of-34 passes for 173 yards and rushed for 35 yards. Senior receiver Jeremy Franklin caught four passes for 77 yards, while junior running back Joshua James recorded 56 yards on nine carries. Senior defensive back Girard Miller collected a game-high nine tackles to pace the Golden Bulls defensive effort.

WSSU scored with less than one minute remaining to defeat rival North Carolina A&T, 21-14, and improve to 2-0 on the season.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES
On Thursday, Sept. 2 against Johnson C. Smith, two Eagles in particular had breakout performances. NCCU junior quarterback Keon Williams, who entered the contest with one career touchdown pass, threw four touchdown strikes on 14-of-22 passing for 110 yards. Junior fullback Justin Manning caught the first two passes of his Eagle career and he took both into the end zone.

WSSU RAM HAS A NOSE FOR THE FOOTBALL
Talk about a nose for the football... WSSU senior defensive lineman Juan Corders (Durham, N.C./Hillside H.S.) has recovered all of the Rams’ five fumble recoveries in their first two games.

THE COACHES
Mose Rison is in his fourth season as head coach at NCCU with an overall record of 15-18. Rison was announced as the school’s 19th head football coach on Feb. 6, 2007, assuming the role of head coach for the first time in his 25-year coaching career. Rison served as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the Eagles historic 11-1 campaign in 2006. With Rison directing NCCU’s offense, the 2006 Eagles scored 371 points (30.9 per game), the most in school history. Under Rison’s tutelage, freshman quarterback Stadford Brown was named as the “SBN Sports Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year,” the 2006 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie of the Year. A 1978 graduate of Central Michigan University, Rison spent the 2005 season as the Quarterbacks Coach/Passing Coordinator at Davidson College, where the Wildcats averaged more than 200 yards passing per game running a West Coast offensive system. He has also held positions at Livingstone College (Offensive Coordinator, 2004), the University of Arizona (Wide Receivers/Passing Coordinator, 2003), Stanford University (Wide Receivers, 1995-2000), Rutgers University (Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, 1991-94), the U.S. Naval Academy (Wide Receivers, 1988-90), and Central Michigan University (Wide Receivers, 1981-87). During his tenure at Stanford, Rison coached in three bowl games, including the 2000 Rose Bowl. Rison, the cousin of five-time NFL All-Pro receiver Andre Rison, spent two seasons (2001-02) in the National Football League coaching ranks as the wide receivers coach with the New York Jets, helping to develop Laveranues Coles and Santana Moss. He has also held NFL summer internships with the Baltimore Ravens (2000), Chicago Bears (1999), New York Jets (1993) and Detroit Lions (1988). A standout running back for Central Michigan from 1974-77, Rison helped the Chippewas to a 13-1 record and a Division II national title as a freshman. He rushed for 1,283 yards and scored 12 touchdowns as a senior to earn all-conference and team MVP honors. Rison and his wife, Marilynn, have two daughters, Dominique and Tara.

Connell Maynor, a veteran of more than 20 years of football experience both as a player and coach - and most recently as the offensive architect of the 2009 CIAA Champion Fayetteville State University Broncos offense, serving as both Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach - was named the eighth head football coach at Winston-Salem State University on Dec. 15, 2009. A former standout football student-athlete at both Winston-Salem State University and North Carolina A&T State University, Maynor is the proud owner of 10 championships, six as a player and four as a coach. In addition to his collegiate coaching responsibilities, Maynor served as the Offensive Coordinator for the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul from 2006-2008 where he helped to lead the Soul to the Arena Bowl XXII World Championship in 2008. The starting quarterback for the Rams’ 1987 CIAA championship football team under then-head coach and current-WSSU Director of Athletics William “Bill” Hayes, Maynor was named to the All-CIAA team as a freshman after passing for 1,071 yards. After following Hayes to North Carolina A&T State University, Maynor was named First-Team All-MEAC in both 1990 and 1991. In addition to All-MEAC honors Maynor was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and was honored as the 100% Wrong Club Player of the Year in both 1990 and 1991 en route to leading the Aggies to the 1991 MEAC Championship. A veteran of 12 years in the Arena Football League (AFL), Maynor is a four-time AFL World Champion having led the Tampa Bay Storm to the 1993 and 1994 World Championships in addition to quarterbacking the Orlando Predators to the 1998 and 2000 World Championship titles. For his effort, Maynor was named the Arena Bowl Most Valuable Player in 2000. Maynor’s athletic prowess extends not only to intercollegiate and professional football but earned him two appearances in major motion pictures as he appeared in Warner Bros. Pictures “Any Given Sunday” and Buena Vista Pictures “Remember the Titans.” A 1995 graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor of arts in Recreation Administration, Maynor is currently enrolled at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke where he is pursuing a master of arts in physical education with and anticipated graduation date in 2012. Maynor is married to the former Meryl Carter and the couple have a nine-year-old daughter, Nicole.

THREE EAGLES EARN NATIONAL FOOTBALL PERFORMER OF THE WEEK HONORABLE MENTION
Three North Carolina Central University Eagles – quarterback Keon Williams, linebacker Calvin Hillie and linebacker Roger Stewart – have been recognized by College Football Performance Awards as Division I-FCS National Performers of the Week, as the trio earned honorable mention at their respective positions for their efforts during a 59-0 victory over Johnson C. Smith on Sept. 2. Williams, a redshirt junior from Charlotte, N.C., completed 14-of-22 passes for 110 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions or sacks. He also rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries (10.3 avg. per rush). Hillie, a senior from Concord, N.C., topped the Eagles with six tackles (four solo), including 3.0 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage and a sack. Stewart, a junior from Charlotte, N.C., collected two solo stops, including a tackle for a loss, and returned an interception 83 yards for a touchdown. His 83-yard interception return equals the ninth-longest in school history. College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) is a Division I Football awards organization that recognizes weekly, annual, and career trophy recipients. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. CFPA also strives to eliminate the politics in the awards process, promote scientific literacy, foster rational discourse, and establish a culture of objectivity and fairness in college football. For more information, visit http://collegefootballperformance.com.

FAMILIAR FACES RETURNING TO O’KELLY-RIDDICK STADIUM
There will be some familiar faces on the Winston-Salem State University sideline this Saturday. Two WSSU assistant coaches are former coaches on the NCCU staff. Kienus “Perez” Boulware spent seven seasons as an NCCU assistant coach (1999-2005) and is now the defensive coordinator at WSSU. The Rams’ defensive backs coach Daren Hart served in the same capacity at NCCU in 2005 and 2006. In addition, WSSU’s new director of strength and conditioning, Kerry Harbor, played four seasons (1993-96) as an offensive lineman at NCCU under head coach Larry Little, earning All-America honors as a senior in 1996.

VIDEO STREAM OF GAME AT NCCUEAGLEPRIDE.COM
Fans will have the opportunity to watch Saturday’s gridiron contest between North Carolina Central University and Winston-Salem State University through an internet video stream at www.NCCUEaglePride.com. The audio portion of the broadcast remains a free service, while the video stream will cost viewers $8.95. To access the streaming broadcasts on GameCentral (by Stretch Internet), visit NCCUEaglePride.com and select the Video/Audio graphic at the bottom right side of the home page. Audio broadcasts are slated to begin 30 minutes prior to kickoff, while the video portion will start 15 minutes before kickoff.

Complete Game Notes (PDF)