Complete Game Notes (PDF)
THE GAME
North Carolina Central University “Eagles” vs. Bethune-Cookman University “Wildcats”
THE KICKOFF
Saturday, October 27, 2012 – Kickoff at 4:00 p.m.
THE SITE
Municipal Stadium (10,000 capacity/Artificial Turf) - Daytona Beach, Fla.
THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (5-2 overall, 4-0 MEAC); Bethune-Cookman (5-2 overall, 4-0 MEAC)
MEDIA COVERAGE
Radio: WNCU 90.7 FM (Durham, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Starts at 3:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst)
QUICK HITS
• Match-up of the top two teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
• The Eagles and Wildcats have identical 5-2 overall and 4-0 MEAC records.
• Contest features the top two scoring offenses in the MEAC, as well as NCCU’s league-leading run defense against B-CU’s conference-leading rushing offense.
• NCCU is looking for its first five-game win streak since 2006.
• NCCU’s first trip to Daytona Beach, Fla., since Sept. 24, 1994, when the Eagles captured their lone win in the three-game series.
• The visiting team has won each contest in the three-game series.
THE SERIES
This will be the fourth 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. Two years ago on Oct. 23, 2010, B-CU, as the 14th ranked team in the nation, earned a 23-10 win in Durham, N.C. Last season, the Wildcats amassed 525 yards during a 34-6 victory to spoil NCCU’s homecoming on Oct. 29, 2011.
10/29/2011 - B-CU 34, NCCU 6 (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
(Oct. 29, 2011 - B-CU 34, NCCU 6) Bethune-Cookman University quarterback Jackie Wilson passed for 183 yards and ran for another 113 yards to spark the Wildcats to 525 total yards and a 34-6 victory over North Carolina Central University inside a packed O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium celebrating NCCU’s homecoming. Wilson completed 12-of-15 passes for 183 yards and an 11-yard touchdown strike to Patrick Harris in the third quarter. His team-high 113 ground yards came on just nine carries, including a 3-yard touchdown scamper right before halftime. B-CU sophomore running back Isidore Jackson also surpassed the century mark with 108 rushing yards, while Anthony Jordan found the end zone twice and Rodney Scott had 57 rushing yards and a score. As a team, the Wildcats rushed for 333 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. NCCU finished the contest with 295 yards of total offense. Junior receiver and return specialist Geovonie Irvine paced the Eagles with 188 all-purpose yards, including 80 yards on a team-best six catches and 108 yards on five kickoff returns. Senior Michael Johnson completed 20-of-31 passes for 181 yards. After punting on its first possession, Bethune-Cookman then scored touchdowns on five of the next six times with the ball. The Wildcats posted scoring drives of 73, 99, 45, 39 and 80 yards. The only time B-CU did not score during that stretch was due to a fumble to end a 90-yard drive. The visiting Wildcats compiled 207 yards of total offense in the first quarter, while holding the Eagles to 17 yards on seven plays. B-CU closed out the first 30 minutes of play with 344 total yards and took a 20-0 cushion into the locker room at intermission. B-CU posted two more touchdowns on the scoreboard for a 34-0 advantage with 4:50 remaining in the third quarter. The only scoring in the final quarter was by NCCU when redshirt freshman running back Andre Clarke capped a 12-play, 70-yard drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone with 13:17 left in the contest.
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 second 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 third 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. He followed that effort with an 8-3 campaign in 2011. 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
(NCCU 37, Hampton 20) A near capacity crowd inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium and an ESPNU national television audience watched North Carolina Central University win its fourth game in a row with a 37-20 victory over Hampton University on Thursday night. The Eagles remain unbeaten in the MEAC with a 4-0 record and improve their overall tally to 5-2. The win also ends NCCU’s eight-game losing skid against the Pirates, as the Eagles dropped Hampton for the first time since Sept. 24, 1983. NCCU scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams. And the Eagles chipped in a field goal for good measure. An overpowering NCCU defense forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries) and tackled 12 Hampton ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage, including eight quarterback sacks. The defensive play of the night, which was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10, was turned in by junior linebacker Tazmon Foster, who intercepted a pass and broke three tackles on the way to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown. Foster added a fumble recovery and tied for the team lead with eight takedowns. Fellow NCCU linebacker Ty Brown also recorded eight tackles, including 2.5 hits for a loss with a sack. Linebacker Matt Willison collected seven stops with a forced fumble, while safety Ryan Smith posted seven tackles with an interception and a fumble recovery. A staunch defensive front was anchored by seniors Xavier Proctor, Stephen Young and John Drew. Proctor recorded six takedowns (five solo) with 3.5 hits for a loss with 2.5 sacks, Young added four stops with a pair of sacks, and Drew contributed four tackles with a takedown behind the line of scrimmage. NCCU junior quarterback Jordan Reid threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns on 11-for-22 passing. He found senior receiver Geovonie Irvine four times for 99 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown connection that provided the Eagles with a 20-3 halftime advantage. A 20-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Oleg Parent increased the lead to 23-3 midway through the third quarter. However, Hampton made the game interesting with 17 unanswered points to trim the deficit to 23-20 on a 38-yard touchdown scamper by Pirates’ running back Jeremiah Schwartz, who finished the contest with 129 ground yards and a pair of scores. On the ensuing kickoff, NCCU senior play-maker Arthur Goforth electrified the crowd of 9,648 with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to slam the momentum back into the Eagles’ favor with 9:09 remaining in the contest. A 20-yard touchdown pass from Reid to senior running back Gary Douglas sealed the victory.
(Bethune-Cookman 48, Norfolk State 3) Bethune-Cookman’s offense roared to a season-high offensive output Saturday as the Wildcats downed Norfolk State, 48-3, before a crowd of 6,243 at Municipal Stadium. Isidore Jackson scored two touchdowns and Quentin Williams threw two touchdown passes for the Wildcats. This was B-CU’s ninth consecutive MEAC triumph. B-CU scored on five of its six first half possessions, and racked up 271 total yards in the first half against the defending champion Spartans’ defense that entered the game ranked third in FCS with an average of 272 yards allowed per game.
NCCU RUN DEFENSE TOPS IN MEAC, AMONG BEST IN NATION
Through seven games, the NCCU defense has allowed 109.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks first in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and 15th among the statistical leaders of the NCAA Division I-FCS. The Eagles also rank seventh in the nation (FCS) in tackles for loss with an average of 8.1 per contest. Bethune-Cookman boasts the best running attack in the MEAC with an average of 229.6 rushing yards per outing.
NCCU BOASTS TOP-RANKED SCORING OFFENSE IN CONFERENCE
NCCU boasts the top-ranked scoring offense in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and ranks 20th among NCAA Division I-FCS teams. The Eagles average 33.0 points per game, and have scored 146 points in the last four contests. Bethune-Cookman ranks second in the league in scoring with 29.0 points per game.
PUNT RETURN PROWESS
NCCU leads the MEAC and ranks second among NCAA Division I-FCS programs with a punt return average of 23.5 yards. The Eagles have returned 11 punts for 258 yards and they are the only FCS team with three punt return touchdowns. The only other NCAA Division I program with three punt return touchdowns in Missouri.
CLARKE IS A TOUCHDOWN MAKER
NCCU redshirt sophomore running back Andre Clarke (5-10, 232) has rushed for at least one touchdown in every game this season. He ranks second in the MEAC with an average of 7.7 points per contest with nine total touchdowns.
EAGLES SCORE SEVEN NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
Through seven games, NCCU has scored seven touchdowns on defense and special teams. The Eagles have made trips to the end zone on three punt returns, a kickoff return, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
NCCU’S ALL-PURPOSE DUO
Two of the seven Eagles to ever reach the 3,000-yard milestone in career all-purpose yards are currently on the NCCU squad. NCCU senior Arthur Goforth (5-8, 171) boasts 3,535 all-purpose yards and redshirt senior Geovonie Irvine (5-7, 161) has 3,208 all-purpose yards. The other Eagles to have accomplished that feat are Robert Clark (1983-86), Anthony Cooley (1988-91), Joe Simmons (1990-93), Monte Southerland (1993-96), and Greg Pruitt, Jr. (2004-06).
IRVINE RANKS SECOND AMONG NCCU RECEIVERS
Senior receiver Geovonie Irvine ranks as NCCU’s fourth all-time leading receiver with 156 career catches for 2,209 yards and 16 trips to the end zone. Robert Clark (1983-86) is NCCU’s career leader in receptions with 210 for 4,231 yards and 38 touchdowns.
IRVINE IS SIXTH EAGLE WITH 2,000 RECEIVING YARDS
After tallying 53 receiving yards at Elon, senior Geovonie Irvine became just the sixth Eagle in NCCU history to record 2,000 receiving yards. The redshirt senior now has 2,209 career receiving yards to rank fourth on the school’s all-time list. Irvine needs 101 receiving yards to pass Robert Green (1983-86; 2,309 yards) into the third spot.
ARTHUR GOING FORTH IN KICKOFF RETURN YARDAGE
NCCU senior running back and return specialist Arthur Goforth (Sr., 5-8, 171, Columbia, S.C.) has moved past Montez Patterson (1998-2001 / 1,658 kickoff return yards) into second place on the Eagles’ career kickoff return yards list with 1,990 yards. Goforth boasts two of the longest kickoff returns in NCCU history, ranking third with a 97-yard score against Winston-Salem State on Sept. 11, 2010, and eighth with a 92-yard trip to the end zone at Appalachian State on Sept. 18, 2010. During his career as an Eagle, he has amassed 3,535 all-purpose yards (773 rushing, 292 receiving, 480 punt return, 1,990 kickoff return).
EAGLES RECEIVE VOTES IN NATIONAL FCS POLL
For the second straight week and the first time in since making the transition to NCAA Division I-FCS competition in 2007, NCCU has received votes in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 Poll, garnering 25 points this week with a 5-2 overall record and a four-game win streak.
EAGLES ACHIEVE RECORD-SCORING QUARTERS
The 2012 Eagles have either tied or broken an NCCU record for scoring in a quarter twice this season. Against Savannah State, NCCU scored 28 points after intermission to tie the school record for points scored in the third quarter. In the team’s next outing (after a bye week), the Eagles set a new NCCU standard by scoring a school record 30 points in the second quarter. The NCCU record for points scored in any quarter is 39, posted in the first quarter against Virginia Union on Nov. 16, 1968.
NCCU RECEIVER NICELY PULLS DOUBLE-DUTY
NCCU senior receiver Jonathan Nicely (R-Sr., 6-4, 197, Augusta, Ga.) is also a forward on the NCCU men’s basketball team. Nicely, who was also a two-sport standout at Evans High School (Ga.), came off the Eagles bench in 17 games during the 2011-12 season, averaging 1.9 minutes of action. As a sophomore in 2010-11, he appeared in 27 contests, averaging 6.8 minutes per game.
ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University enters its second season of full NCAA Division I (FCS) athletic competition as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles won back-to-back football conference championships and a Black College National Championship in their final two years in the Division II ranks (2005 and 2006) before starting the transition to Division I in 2007. During its storied gridiron tradition, NCCU has produced 129 all-conference selections, 63 all-Americans, 40 NFL draft picks, 10 conference championships and two Black College National Championships.
NCCU’S IRVINE, PROCTOR EARN PRESEASON HONORS
NCCU seniors Geovonie Irvine and Xavier Proctor were selected to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Football Team. Irvine, a 5-7, 161-pound native of Durham, N.C., was named to the All-MEAC First Team as a return specialist. Last season Irvine garnered All-MEAC Second Team recognition in the postseason after returning 18 kickoffs for 400 yards (22.2 avg.), including an 81-yard touchdown scamper, and six punts for 54 yards (9.0 avg.). Proctor, a 6-6, 272-pound native of Ellicott City, Md., earned All-MEAC Second Team honors as a defensive lineman. In 2011, he tallied 37 tackles with 7.5 hits for a loss and 3.5 sacks, along with two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
NCCU PICKED TO FINISH NINTH IN THE MEAC
NCCU was picked to finish ninth in the 11-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, according to a poll of league head football coaches and sports information directors. In its first season back in the MEAC, NCCU placed 10th during the 2011 campaign with a 1-7 conference record and an overall mark of 2-9.
PRESEASON INJURIES HURT NCCU
NCCU’s offense took a hit in the preseason with two season-ending injuries. The Eagles’ leading rusher Idreis Augustus and veteran redshirt senior receiver Andrew Johnson are out of action for 2012 after suffering knee injuries.
