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THE GAME
Delaware State University “Hornets” vs. North Carolina Central University “Eagles”

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, November 3, 2012 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.

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

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (5-3 overall, 4-1 MEAC); Delaware State (5-3 overall, 4-1 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Radio: WNCU 90.7 FM (Durham, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio/video internet stream). Starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst)

QUICK HITS
• NCCU celebrates homecoming; trying to remain unbeaten at home this season.
• Match-up of the two second-place teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• The Eagles and Hornets have identical 5-3 overall and 4-1 MEAC records.
• Contest features the top scoring offense in the MEAC, with NCCU averaging 31.0 points per game, against the league’s top passing offense, with DSU averaging 243.2 yards through the air.
• With a win, NCCU clinches its first winning regular-season since 2007.

THE SERIES
This will be the 21st meeting in the series between the Eagles and the Hornets since the teams first played in 1945. NCCU leads the series against Delaware State, 14-6. The Eagles have won five of the last six contests with wins in 2011, 2004, 2003, 1996 and 1979, while DSU won the 2010 meeting 29-7.

11/5/2011 - NCCU 14, DSU 7 (Dover, Del.)
11/6/2010 - DSU 29, NCCU 7 (Dover, Del.)
9/11/2004 - NCCU 26, DSU 23 (Dover, Del.)
9/20/2003 - NCCU 21, DSU 14 (Durham, N.C.)
9/21/1996 - NCCU 21, DSU 16 (Atlantic City, N.J.)
10/13/1979 - NCCU 31, DSU 26 (Durham, N.C.)
10/14/1978 - DSU 16, NCCU 13 (Dover, Del.)
10/15/1977 - DSU 23, NCCU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
10/16/1976 - NCCU 27, DSU 6 (Dover, Del.)
10/18/1975 - NCCU 16, DSU 14 (Durham, N.C.)
10/19/1974 - NCCU 7, DSU 0 (Dover, Del.)
10/13/1973 - NCCU 32, DSU 7 (Durham, N.C.)
10/14/1972 - DSU 14, NCCU 10 (Dover, Del.)
10/16/1971 - NCCU 34, DSU 3 (Durham, N.C.)
10/7/1950 - NCC 13, DSU 0 (Dover, Del.)
10/22/1949 - NCC 27, DSU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
9/25/1948 - NCC 14, DSU 0 (Dover, Del.)
9/27/1947 - DSU 7, NCC 0 (Durham, N.C.)
9/28/1946 - NCC 32, DSU 6 (Durham, N.C.)
9/29/1945 - DSU 13, NCC 12 (Durham, N.C.)

HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED
Last year when NCCU and Delaware State met on the gridiron in Dover, Del., the struggling programs were battling for the first conference win of the season in early November. The Eagles finished the 2011 campaign at 2-9 with a 1-7 record in the MEAC, while the Hornets posted records of 3-8 overall and 1-7 in conference play. Things sure have changed. NCCU and Delaware State enter this year’s contest with identical records of 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the MEAC, and are tied for second in the league standings. NCCU boasts the MEAC’s top-scoring offense, averaging 31.0 points per game, while Delaware State ranks second in the league in passing with an average of 243.2 yards per contest.

THE LAST MEETING
(Nov. 5, 2011 - NCCU 14, DSU 7) Redshirt freshmen running backs Idreis Augustus and Andre Clarke led the North Carolina Central University offense and junior cornerback Malik Cromartie was the Eagles’ defensive hero as NCCU earned its first MEAC victory with a 14-7 win over Delaware State University at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Del. Augustus reached the century mark on the ground for the second time in the last three games, amassing 161 rushing yards on 24 carries for an average of 6.7 yards per attempt. Clarke added 34 ground yards and scored both touchdowns for NCCU. Clarke bulled his way into the end zone with just 1:14 left in the first half to tie the score at 7-7, then powered in from a yard out with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter for the eventual game-winning score. Cromartie began his heroics by blocking a 38-yard field goal in the first quarter to keep the game scoreless. Then with DSU driving late in the second quarter, the junior intercepted a pass to the end zone to prevent a go-ahead touchdown, as the Eagles and Hornets were knotted at 7-7 at halftime. Cromartie’s second interception of the afternoon was also inside the Eagles’ 5-yard line to end a DSU scoring threat. He added a pass break-up and six solo tackles on the day. Junior safety Marc Lewis topped the NCCU defense with eight tackles and a pass deflection. Of the Eagles seven sacks of DSU quarterback Nick Elko, junior lineman Stephen Young had 2.5 sacks, while fellow junior lineman Xavier Proctor added 1.5 sacks. NCCU senior quarterback Michael Johnson completed 18 of 29 passes for 161 yards. When Johnson’s favorite target, Geovonie Irvine, left the game with an injury, junior Decona Roberts filled in admirably with a team-best six catches for 38 yards. As a team, NCCU amassed 366 yards of total offense, including 205 yards rushing. Delaware State accumulated 302 total yards, but scored only once in five trips inside the NCCU 35-yard line. DSU’s Elko threw for 244 yards on 22-for-36 passing, including an 11-yard touchdown connection with Justin Wilson at 10:04 of the second quarter. Travis Tarpley caught half of Elko’s completions for 162 yards.

ABOUT DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1891 as the State College for Colored Students, DSU takes pride in its heritage as one of the country’s first land-grant educational institutions, rooted early on in agriculture and education. DSU currently offers 52 undergraduate degree options, 25 master’s degree programs and five doctoral degree programs in areas such as interdisciplinary applied mathematics/mathematical physics and educational leadership. The Hornets 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).

Delaware State: Kermit Blount, now in his second season as head coach of the Hornets, boasts 29 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 16 as the head football coach for Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. During his tenure at WSSU, Blount had a career record of 91-87-3, which included his final 2009 season with the Rams in which he led the team to an 8-2 record. He guided the Rams to two Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championships and a total of three CIAA Championship game appearances. Blount is the winningest coach in the history of the Winston-Salem State football program. He has also led the Rams to 25 percent of their conference championships, directing WSSU to two of its eight conference titles as a head coach and to two more conference titles as a quarterback on the team’s 1977 and 1978 squads. Blount was honored as the CIAA Coach of the Year and as the Washington D.C. Pigskin Coach of the Year, as well as the 100% Wrong Club Coach of the Year - each award in both 1999 and 2000. In 1983 he became a graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach at East Carolina University where he would begin his collegiate coaching career. Following his stint with the Pirates, Blount joined the staff at Howard University, where he assumed the responsibilities of offensive coordinator from 1984-89 under Bison head coach Willie Jeffries, whom he followed to South Carolina State for four seasons. A 1980 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, Blount enjoyed a fruitful playing career as a Ram. As a four-year starter at quarterback at WSSU, Blount guided the Rams to back-to-back CIAA titles in 1977 and 1978 earning all-conference and All-America honors along the way. The 1978 All-American sat atop the WSSU record books for more than 25 years before his 3,330 career passing yards were surpassed in 2004. A native of Richmond, Va., Blount has a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Winston-Salem State University.

LAST WEEK
(Bethune-Cookman 42, NCCU 17) North Carolina Central University held a slim three-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Bethune-Cookman University scored 28 unanswered points to end the Eagles’ four-game win streak with a 42-17 victory inside Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. NCCU redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Reid threw touchdown passes to Detwan Robinson and Decona Roberts in the first half to go into the locker room with the score tied at 14-14. On the first drive of the second half, the Eagles moved the ball inside the B-CU 1-yard line, but committed a false start penalty on third down and had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by sophomore Oleg Parent to give NCCU a 17-14 edge at 7:23 of the third quarter. Bethune-Cookman responded by moving the pigskin 63 yards on five consecutive run plays, capped by a 8-yard scamper by Rodney Scott, to take a 21-17 advantage at 5:28 of the third quarter. After the Wildcats forced an NCCU punt, B-CU running back Isidore Jackson took the first play 93 yards to the end zone to put the home team up 28-17. NCCU posted a 12-play, 52-yard drive in an attempt to answer the challenge, but Parent’s 36-yard field goal try was blocked to keep the gap at 11 points. With less than six minutes remaining in the game and needing two scores, NCCU had to force the action, which resulted in two interceptions and a fumble by the Eagles in their final three possessions. Jackson scored his second touchdown of the game with 4:14 remaining to put the Wildcats up 35-17, then B-CU opted to post more points on the scoreboard with a 1-yard touchdown run by Angelo Cabrera with 58 seconds remaining. Jackson finished the evening with 158 rushing yards to help the Wildcats amass 443 yards of total offense, including 274 yards on the ground. NCCU recorded 234 total yards, including 154 yards through the air by Reid on 15-of-28 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Running back Arthur Goforth collected 142 all-purpose yards, including a team-high 43 rushing yards, 28 receiving yards on a team-best four catches, and 71 kickoff return yards. Redshirt freshman safety Ryan Smith tallied at game-high 12 tackles (8 solo) and a fumble recovery to lead the Eagles. NCCU senior lineman Stephen Young and junior linebacker Tazmon Foster contributed nine tackles each, including a shared sack. Young, who entered the contest ranked fifth in NCAA Division I-FCS in tackles for loss, added 2.5 more to his season total, which now stands at 13.0 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage.  Malik Cromartie chipped in seven stops and an interception for the Eagles.

(Delaware State 28, Morgan State 23) Nick Elko completed 33- of- 43 passes for a career-high 398 yards and two touchdowns to lead Delaware State to a 28-23 MEAC win over Morgan State in a nationally televised contest (ESPNU) at Hughes Stadium Thursday (Oct. 25). The Hornets won their fourth straight game to improve to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the MEAC. The win streak is DSU’s longest since an eight-game run during its MEAC championship season in 2007. Elko, a former Maryland high school star, set a school record with 17 straight completions in the first half. His passing yardage total was the third highest in team history. Elko’s previous high passing game was 339 yards vs. Norfolk State in 2011. He is third on the Hornets’ career list with 4,876 passing yards. Travis Tarpley had 12 catches, for 143 yards and two touchdowns, while Justin Wilson had eight catches for 100 yards. The Hornets racked up a season high 502 yards, the most since amassing 562 against St. Francis in 2006.

NCCU TOPS MEAC IN TACKLES FOR A LOSS, AMONG BEST IN NATION
Through eight games, the NCCU defense ranks fifth in the NCAA Division I-FCS in tackles for loss with a MEAC-high average of 8.5 per contest. The Eagles have allowed 129.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and 26th among the statistical leaders of the nation (FCS). NCCU senior lineman Stephen Young tops the Eagles, ranks second in the league and is tied for second in the nation (FCS) with 13.0 tackles for a loss, an average of 1.86 per game.

PUNT RETURN PROWESS 
NCCU leads the MEAC and ranks second among NCAA Division I-FCS programs with a punt return average of 21.2 yards. The Eagles have returned 12 punts for 254 yards and they are the only FCS team with three punt return touchdowns. The only other NCAA Division I programs with three punt return touchdowns are Missouri and Florida State.

NCCU BOASTS TOP-RANKED SCORING OFFENSE IN CONFERENCE
NCCU boasts the top-ranked scoring offense in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and ranks 26th among NCAA Division I-FCS teams. The Eagles average 31.0 points per game.

EAGLES SCORE SEVEN NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
Through eight 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 3,677 all-purpose yards and redshirt senior Geovonie Irvine (5-7, 161) has 3,226 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 157 career catches for 2,231 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 2,231 career receiving yards to rank fourth on the school’s all-time list. Irvine needs 79 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 2,061 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 3,677 all-purpose yards (816 rushing, 320 receiving, 480 punt return, 2,061 kickoff return).

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.

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University is in 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL ON WNCU 90.7 FM
Thanks to a new partnership between WNCU 90.7 FM and the North Carolina Central University Department of Athletics, the 50,000-watt Durham radio station will air the broadcast of NCCU football games during the 2012 season. The 90.7 FM signal encompasses a coverage area of more than 100 miles, reaching listeners in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill and beyond.