Complete Game Notes    

THE GAME                                                                                                                                
Bethune-Cookman University “Wildcats” vs. North Carolina Central Univ. “Eagles”

THE KICKOFF                                                                                                                          
Saturday, October 29, 2011 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m. 

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

2011 RECORDS                                                                                                                      
Bethune-Cookman (4-3 overall, 2-2 MEAC); N.C. Central (1-6 overall, 0-4 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE                                                                                                                
Radio: WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount, N.C.); WARR 1520 AM (Warrenton, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst; Danielle Johnson-Webb, sideline)

Video: NCCUEaglePride.com features “GameCentral” by Stretch Internet ($8.95 per game). Starts at 1:45 p.m.

QUICK HITS                                                                                                                             
•   North Carolina Central University hosts Bethune-Cookman University for Homecoming.
•   The Eagles have a 58-17-2 record (.766) on Homecoming since 1931. NCCU has won five straight Homecoming games.
•   NCCU is on a five-game losing skid, while Bethune-Cookman has won its last two contests, including a win over No. 24 Norfolk State.
•   The gridiron series between NCCU and B-CU is tied at 1-1, with both teams winning on the road.
•   NCCU quarterback Michael Johnson needs two passing yards to become the fifth passer in school history to throw for 5,000 career yards.
•   Bethune-Cookman boasts the top offense in the MEAC, averaging 403.1 yards of total offense per contest.

THE SERIES                                                                                                                             
This will be the third football meeting between North Carolina Central University and Bethune-Cookman University since the teams first met in 1994. In that first match-up on Sept. 24, 1994, the Eagles captured a 24-5 road victory in Daytona Beach, Fla. Last season on Oct. 23, 2010, B-CU, as the 14th ranked team in the nation, earned a 23-10 win in Durham, N.C.

10/23/2010 - B-CU 23, NCCU 10 (Durham, N.C.)
9/24/1994 - NCCU 24, B-CU 5 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

THE LAST MEETING                                                                                                              
Bethune-Cookman 23, NCCU 10 (Oct. 23, 2010 - Durham, N.C.): North Carolina Central University’s upset bid of nationally-ranked and undefeated Bethune-Cookman University fell short Saturday, as the No. 14 Wildcats took advantage of four turnovers to defeat the Eagles 23-10 inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C. In the debut of NCCU interim head coach Darryl Bullock, the Eagles defense held the nation’s most potent offense to 20 points fewer than its season average and 137 yards less than its average of 507 yards of total offense per outing. Bethune-Cookman ranks No. 1 among Division I-FCS programs in both scoring offense (43.8 points per game) and total offense (507.0 yards per game). In spite of NCCU’s stifling defensive effort, the Eagles turned the ball over four times, including three fumbles lost and an interception returned for a touchdown. Bethune-Cookman took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards on nine plays to paydirt on a 7-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Isidore Jackson just three minutes and 36 seconds into the contest. The key play on the scoring drive was a 25-yard scramble by senior quarterback Matt Johnson to convert on third down and 15 yards to go. On NCCU’s first possession, the Eagles moved the pigskin to the B-CU 38-yard line before a pass by junior quarterback Keon Williams was intercepted by junior linebacker Ryan Lewis, who returned the pick 67 yards for a touchdown. The extra-point kick by Kory Kowalski provided B-CU with a 14-0 cushion at 7:52 of the first quarter. The two MEAC squads exchanged scoreless possessions in a defensive duel until just before the halftime break. On an NCCU drive that was extended due to a roughing the punter penalty against the Wildcats on a fourth-and-11 play, the Eagles lit the scoreboard courtesy of a 42-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Frankie Cardelle with 1:56 left in the opening half. Bethune-Cookman held a 14-3 halftime advantage. NCCU scored first in the second half when sophomore running back Arthur Goforth capped a 71-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown scamper. Cardelle’s extra-point kick pulled the Eagles to within 14-10 at 6:01 of the third quarter. Just when the Eagles gained momentum and the NCCU faithful rose to their feet, Bethune-Cookman responded quickly. On the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage, Johnson connected with senior receiver Jevaughn Reams for a 50-yard reception down to the NCCU 12-yard line. Three plays later, Johnson completed a 7-yard pass to rookie receiver Eddie Poole for a touchdown. The extra-point try failed, but the Wildcats managed to silence the crowd by taking a 20-10 lead at the 4:27 mark of the third quarter. The next time B-CU had the ball, the Wildcats converted twice on third down and 10, and again on third down and 13, setting up a 27-yard field goal by Sven Hurd with 11:06 remaining in the contest. Needing two touchdowns, NCCU fumbled the ensuing kickoff and lost the ball to the Wildcats. On NCCU’s four fourth quarter possessions, the Eagles fumbled twice and failed to convert on a pair of fourth down plays. Bethune-Cookman held on for the 23-10 victory to remain unbeaten at 7-0. Johnson topped B-CU with 238 yards of total offense, including 167 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-25 passing along with a team-high 71 rushing yards. Lewis sparked the Wildcats’ defense with a team-best seven tackles with a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and an interception return for a touchdown. A resilient NCCU defense was paced by junior linebacker Roger Stewart with seven tackles and two sacks, while senior linebacker Kenneth Campbell also tallied seven stops with 1.5 hits for a loss and a pass break-up. Senior defensive lineman Teryl White added five tackles, including 2.0 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage with a sack for the Eagles. NCCU out-rushed the Wildcats 153 to 143. Combined with 124 passing yards, the Eagles amassed 277 yards of total offense. Goforth highlighted the NCCU ground attack with a career-high 65 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries. Goforth added 73 kickoff return yards and 18 punt return yards for a total of 156 all-purpose yards. Senior running back Tim Shankle contributed 42 rushing yards to move into fifth place on the Eagles’ career rushing leaders list with 2,295 yards. Williams, who started under center for the Eagles and shared time with fellow junior signal caller Michael Johnson, threw for 70 yards on 8-of-15 passing. Johnson completed 6-of-13 passes for 54 yards. NCCU sophomore receiver Geovonie Irvine was on the receiving end of six passes for a team-high 54 yards.

ABOUT BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY                                                                  
Founded in 1904 by Mary McLeod Bethune, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) offers baccalaureate degrees in 35 majors through seven academic schools and maintains intercollegiate athletic programs and instrumental and choral groups that have achieved national recognition.  Under the direction of President Trudie Kibbe Reed, the school achieved University status in 2007 with the launch of a master’s degree program in transformative leadership.  Located in Daytona Beach, B-CU is one of three private historically black colleges in the state of Florida.  The institution boasts a diverse and international faculty and student body of more than 3,600. Notable alumni include Larry Little, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former NCCU football coach; John Chaney, former men’s basketball coach at Temple University; and Kevin Ferguson (a.k.a. Kimbo Slice), a mixed martial arts fighter. The Wildcats compete on the NCAA Division I (FCS) level as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

THE COACHES                                                                                                                       
North Carolina Central: Henry Frazier III (Bowie State, 1993) is in his first season as head coach at NCCU. Prior to his arrival in Durham, N.C., Frazier spent seven seasons (2004-10) at the helm of the Prairie View A&M University Panthers football team. He took over a program that experienced the nation’s longest losing streak, dropping 80 straight contests from 1989-98, and transformed the Panthers into SWAC champions in 2009. Among his many coaching honors is the 2009 Eddie Robinson National FCS Coach of the Year award. Frazier also served as head coach at his alma mater, Bowie State University (1999-2003).

Bethune-Cookman: Brian Jenkins is in his second season with the Bethune-Cookman University football program. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native led the Wildcats to a 10-2 record, a share of the MEAC championship and a spot in the NCAA playoffs in his first season as a college head coach in 2010. Jenkins was an assistant coach at Rutgers University in the 2009 season as wide receivers coach on Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights’ team that was the St. Petersburg Bowl champions. Prior to Rutgers, Jenkins served as running backs coach and special team’s coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette for seven seasons (2002-2008). Jenkins joined UL from the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe. Prior to his stint in NFL-Europe, Jenkins was the running backs coach at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Before joining the BGSU Falcons, Jenkins spent five seasons with Eastern Illinois University. From 1995-98 he served as running backs coach and was named the receivers coach in 1999. In 1994, he was the receivers coach at Western Kentucky University. Jenkins played college football as both a wide receiver and running back at the University of Cincinnati. He was the Bearcat record holder for kickoff return yards in a season and in a career before those records were surpassed in 2009. He graduated in 1993 with an associate’s degree in education and bachelor’s degree in social work.

LAST WEEK                                                                                                                             
Hampton 30, NCCU 27 - overtime: North Carolina Central University thought its losing streak was over. After kicking a field goal on their possession in overtime, the Eagles started celebrating a victory after an official indicated that NCCU recovered a Hampton University fumble, which would have ended the game. However, other officials uncovered the pile of players and indicated that Hampton had the ball. The Pirates took advantage of the new life, scoring the game-winning touchdown five plays later on a 1-yard run by Jeremiah Schwartz. Hampton’s homecoming crowd erupted and started its own celebration with a 30-27 overtime victory at Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va. It was just one of those days for the visiting Eagles. Hampton fumbled three times, but all went back to the home team. NCCU fumbled twice, both going to the Pirates and leading to scores. And just when NCCU seemed in control of the contest - scoring on a seven-play, 85-yard drive to take a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 8-yard touchdown scamper by redshirt freshman Idreis Augustus - a bouncing snap from center on a punt attempt gave the Pirates the ball just five yards away from the go-ahead touchdown. Still, after NCCU senior wide receiver Jonathan Nicely hauled in a 36-yard bomb from senior quarterback Michael Johnson to tie the score at 24-24 with just 1:54 left in the fourth quarter, it seemed as if the Eagles would overcome those setbacks. The NCCU defense even thwarted a last-second charge by the Pirates when senior cornerback Brian Frierson refused the let a Hampton ball carrier get out of bounds to stop the clock, as the final seconds ticked away before the Pirates’ field goal unit could execute a play. So after a 60-minute roller coaster ride, the victor came down to one possession for each squad. Hampton won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense first. NCCU pushed the pigskin to the 11-yard line, but had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by rookie kicker Oleg Parent. On Hampton’s first offensive play in overtime, NCCU lineman Chase Tripp knocked the ball away from running back Antwon Chisholm and safety Marc Lewis appeared to recover the loose ball for the Eagles. But when a mass of bodies cleared, it was Hampton offensive lineman Jamal Wilson who was holding the game in his hands. Five plays later, a pass interference call against NCCU put the Pirates on the 2-yard line with first down and goal to go.  Schwartz ended the drama with his 1-yard touchdown plunge, giving Hampton its eighth straight win in the series with the Eagles. NCCU amassed 381 yards of total offense, but Hampton surpassed that effort with 450 total yards for an average of 5.5 yards per play. Hampton quarterback David Legree completed 26 of 35 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury in the second half. Chisholm ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns, while Dyrri McCain collected eight receptions for 143 yards and a score for the Pirates. Johnson threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns on 22-for-45 passing for the Eagles. Demario Lackey tallied a team-high six catches for 100 yards, while Nicely found the end zone on two of his three receptions for 62 yards. Augustus finished the day with 113 yards and a score on 21 carries. Linebackers Tyriqe Williams and Brandon Outlaw topped the NCCU defense with nine tackles apiece, while James Reese contributed eight stops and Rickie Hubbard added seven takedowns.

Bethune-Cookman 14, Norfolk State 6: The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats won out a gritty defensive struggle Thursday night with a 14-6 victory over No. 24 Norfolk State before 10,053 at Dick Price Stadium in an ESPNU matchup. The Wildcat defense held Norfolk State, the MEAC’s top passing offense to just 97 yards in the air and 249 yards total offense.  NSU quarterback Chris Walley, one of the FCS’ top rated passers, was held to a season-low 88 yards. Though NSU had given up just seven sacks in the first seven games, B-CU collected five on the night against the Spartans. Ryan Davis had a monster night, notching 11 tackles, including 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss. The senior also forced one fumble and recovered another caused by Jarkevis Fields, who led the team with 12 tackles. Offensively, the Wildcats tallied 333 yards, including 245 rushing. It was the fifth time in seven games B-CU has rushed for over 200 yards. Isidore Jackson led the Wildcats on the ground, recording B-CU’s ninth program 200-yard rushing game with 206 yards -- the eighth highest single total in school history. Jackie Wilson completed 8-of-16 passes for 88 yards and rushed for 14 more, while Maurice Francois extended his reception streak to 11 games while leading the team with 56 yards on three catches and Eddie Poole’s streak is now 19 games after catching two passes for 20 yards.

LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL VIA THE INTERNET                                                        
Every game of the 2011 North Carolina Central University Eagles football season will be broadcasted by the NCCU Sports Network. Play-by-play announcer Chris Hooks and NCCU Athletic Hall of Famer Joe Simmons will call all of the live action, starting with “Eagle Gameday” a half-hour prior to kickoff. To listen to the broadcast via the internet, visit the NCCU Athletics web site at www.NCCUEaglePride.com and click on “GameCentral.”

NCCU PICKED TO FINISH SEVENTH IN THE MEAC                                                     
Under the direction of new head coach Henry Frazier III, conference rookie North Carolina Central University has been picked to finish seventh during the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football season, according to a poll of league head football coaches and sports information directors. The Eagles were selected ahead of four squads with Delaware State picked eighth, North Carolina A&T ninth, Howard 10th and fellow conference newcomer Savannah State at the bottom in 11th. South Carolina State was announced as the MEAC favorite for the fourth straight year, while last season’s co-champions, Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, are slated to finish second and third, respectively. Rounding out the preseason poll are Hampton in fourth, Norfolk State in fifth and Morgan State in sixth.

EAGLES EQUAL SCORING STANDARD IN SECOND QUARTER                               
On Sept. 10 versus Central State, NCCU tied a school record by scoring 28 points in the second quarter, the most points tallied in the second stanza by the Eagles since Nov. 13, 1971, against Howard University. The record for most points scored in a quarter is 39, posted in the first quarter against Virginia Union on Nov. 16, 1968.

LAST SEASON                                                                                                                         
North Carolina Central:  NCCU finished its fourth season of Division I-FCS competition with a 3-8 overall record. NCCU stormed out of the gates with a dominating 59-0 season-opening win over Johnson C. Smith. The Eagles also tasted sweet victory against long-time rival North Carolina A&T and celebrated a homecoming win versus Edward Waters. But the Eagles also had their share of troubles. They lost a heart-breaker to Winston-Salem State, fell victim to the No. 1-ranked team in the nation in Appalachian State and suffered an overtime setback at Georgia State. After opening the campaign with a 2-4 record, NCCU head coach Mose Rison was replaced by assistant head coach Darryl Bullock, who led the Eagles the rest of the season. Unfortunately for the maroon and gray faithful, the results were about the same. NCCU went 1-4 during that stretch, including its first-ever loss against Savannah State.

RARE OFFENSIVE OUTPUT VERSUS THREE-PEAT MEAC CHAMPS                     
NCCU’s 38-point offensive output on Saturday marks the most points scored against South Carolina State by a MEAC opponent since Bethune-Cookman posted 45 points against the Bulldogs in 2006.