THE GAME
North Carolina Central University “Eagles” vs. Morgan State University “Bears”
THE KICKOFF
Saturday, October 13, 2012 – Kickoff at 1:00 p.m.
THE SITE
Hughes Stadium (10,000 capacity/Synthetic Grass) - Baltimore, Md.
THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (3-2 overall, 2-0 MEAC); Morgan State (3-2 overall, 2-0 MEAC)
MEDIA COVERAGE
Radio: WNCU 90.7 FM (Durham, N.C.); “
GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Starts at 12:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst)
QUICK HITS
• Both teams enter the contest with identical records of 3-2 overall and 2-0 in MEAC.
• This is Morgan State University’s homecoming football game.
• This is the fifth straight road game for NCCU.
• Morgan State has outscored the Eagles 101-10 in the last two match-ups.
• A victory would provide NCCU with its first three-game win streak since 2007.
• Henry Frazier will be coaching in his home state for the first time since 2003.
THE SERIES
This will be the 37th gridiron meeting between NCCU and Morgan State since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930. The MSU Bears hold a 22-12-2 advantage in the series. The Bears won the first five contests, then rolled off another five-game win streak from 1964-68, outscoring the Eagles 125-7 during that stretch, including four straight shutouts. NCCU has posted two three-game win streaks, first from 1957-59 and also from 1972-74. MSU has won five of the past six meetings, including a 52-3 victory in the last meeting on Oct. 15, 2011, in Durham, N.C.
Last 10 Meetings:
Oct. 15, 2011 - MSU 52, NCCU 3 (Durham, N.C.)
Sept. 13, 2008 - MSU 49, NCCU 7 (Baltimore, Md.)
Oct. 16, 1982 - NCCU 27, MSU 7 (Baltimore, Md.)
Oct. 10, 1981 - MSU 35, NCCU 27 (Durham, N.C.)
Oct. 11, 1980 - MSU 14, NCCU 7 (Baltimore, Md.)
Sept. 29, 1979 - MSU 20, NCCU 6 (Durham, N.C.)
Sept. 30, 1978 - NCCU 14, MSU 0 (Baltimore, Md.)
Oct. 1, 1977 - MSU 35, NCCU 25 (Durham, N.C.)
Oct. 2, 1976 - MSU 12, NCCU 10 (Baltimore, Md.)
Oct. 4, 1975 - (Tie) MSU 20, NCCU 20 (Durham, N.C.)
THE LAST MEETING
(Oct. 15, 2011 - Morgan State 52, NCCU 3) North Carolina Central fumbled eight times and committed five total turnovers, while Morgan State University amassed 42 first half points and cruised to a 52-3 road victory at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Morgan State scored early and often, as the Bears found the end zone on six of their seven first-half possessions. NCCU, on the other hand, had five first-half possessions that ended in three plays or less. With a 42-3 cushion at intermission, Morgan State outgained the Eagles 284 total yards to 52 in the opening 30 minutes. In fact, NCCU went into the locker room with negative-17 yards rushing. MSU junior running back Travis Davidson sparked a dominant Bears’ running attack with 142 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. As a team, the Baltimore visitors piled up 259 total ground yards as part of 415 yards of total offense. Freshman quarterback Seth Higgins completed 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two scores for the Bears, with touchdown strikes to sophomore receiver Chuka Okakpu and junior tight end Jorge Young. NCCU starting quarterback Michael Johnson completed 5 of 11 passes for 69 yards and was sacked twice, all in the first half. Sophomore Jordan Reid, who played the entire second half, came off bench to throw for 61 yards on 6-of-12 passing and was sacked three times. Redshirt freshman Idreis Augustus topped the Eagles with 43 yards rushing, while the team finished with just 38 total ground yards after being tackled behind the line of scrimmage nine times. NCCU senior linebacker Brandon Outlaw recorded a game-high 12 tackles, including 1.5 hits for a loss. Junior defensive lineman Stephen Young contributed three takedowns with 1.5 sacks, while redshirt freshman linebacker Ty Brown added three hits and an interception. In Morgan State’s first visit to NCCU in 30 years, the Bears handed the Eagles their worst home loss in 60 years (Dec. 1, 1951 – Florida A&M 67, NCCU 6).
ABOUT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1867, Morgan State University boasts an enrollment of 8,100. Notable alumni include Visanthe Shiancoe (Minnesota Vikings), Willie Lanier (former Kansas City Chief), Joe Black (former Brooklyn Dodger) and William C. Rhoden (sports columnist). The Bears 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).
Morgan State: Donald Hill-Eley became the 18th head football coach in Morgan State history on Feb. 8, 2002. Hill is now in his 11th season as head coach of the Morgan State Bears and in his 21st season of coaching overall. With career coaching record of 54-63 - all at Morgan State - Hill is the third winningest coach in MSU history – behind Eddie P. Hurt and Earl C. Banks. Hill has guided Morgan State to four winning seasons and is the school’s winningest coach in Div. I-AA (FCS) history.
LAST WEEK
(NCCU 40, SC State 10) An aggressive defensive effort by North Carolina Central University forced five turnovers that resulted in 24 points during a 40-10 victory over South Carolina State University in the 29th annual Circle City Classic inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, NCCU exploded for 30 points in the second quarter, a school record for second-quarter scoring, sparked by the defense. After a career-long 43-yard field goal by sophomore Oleg Parent tied the score at 3-3, an interception by redshirt senior Malik Cromartie set up a 13-yard touchdown run by senior Arthur Goforth, giving the Eagles a 10-3 lead at 10:30 of the second stanza. On the next SCSU drive, NCCU senior safety Rickie Hubbard stripped Caleb Davis of the football and junior linebacker Tazmon Foster scooped up the pigskin and raced 32 yards to the end zone, extending the Eagles’ advantage to 17-3 at the 8:28 mark. After a 29-yard touchdown run by SCSU’s Julius Pendergrass, NCCU responded with an eight-play, 66-yard scoring drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown scamper by redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Reid with just 38 seconds remaining before the halftime show. The Eagles were not done, though. On the Bulldogs’ first play of the ensuing drive, SCSU quarterback Richard Cue faced heavy pressure and heaved a pass downfield into the hands of NCCU’s Cromartie for his second interception of the quarter. Cromartie returned the pick 46 yards to the 9-yard line. On the Eagles’ first play, Reid threw a strike to tight end Detwan Robinson in the end zone for the fourth touchdown of the quarter. NCCU took a commanding 30-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Eagles’ stifling defensive play continued in the second half. NCCU blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt and then held SCSU to a turnover-on-downs. Six plays later, NCCU sophomore running back Andre Clarke blasted through the middle for a 40-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 37-10 with 1:28 left in the third quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, NCCU sophomore DeMario Johnson knocked the ball away from Lennel Elmore at NCCU sophomore Anthony McIntyre recovered the fumble and moved it to the SCSU 23-yard line. The turnover resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Parent to cap the scoring at 40-10 at 13:36 of the fourth quarter. NCCU senior defensive back Marc Lewis intercepted at Derrick Wiley pass in the end zone with 2:10 remaining to seal the victory. Hubbard topped the NCCU defense with a game-high 15 tackles. Foster finished with 12 stops, including a tackle for a loss. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Ty Brown contributed seven tackles, including 1.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage, along with a forced fumble. Reid was an efficient 8-of-15 passing for 93 yards with a touchdown toss and an interception, while also rushing for a score. Clarke finished with 73 rushing yards, while Goforth amassed 176 all-purpose yards with 59 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving on five catches and 56 kickoff return yards. The win snaps a seven-game losing skid to the Bulldogs and is the Eagles’ first win over SCSU since 1975. NCCU also improves its record inside NFL stadiums to 5-1 since 2000.
(Morgan State 45, Savannah State 6) Travis Davidson rushed for three touchdowns and gained 125 yards, and Morgan State had a second-half explosion to beat Savannah State 45-6 on Saturday in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest. Robert Council, making his first career start, completed 6-of-10 passes for 71 yards and rushed for 23 yards for Morgan State (3-2, 2-0), which hasn’t gotten off to a start this good in conference play since 2009. The Bears finished the night with 368 total yards, 272 yards on the ground, while Savannah State posted 248 total yards. MSU outscored the Tigers 31-0 in the second half.
NCCU BOASTS TOP-SCORING OFFENSE IN CONFERENCE
After back-to-back 40-point performances, NCCU now boasts the No. 1 scoring offense in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and ranks 20th among NCAA Division I-FCS teams. The Eagles average 34.0 points per game, and have scored 85 points in the last two contests.
NCCU RUN DEFENSE TOPS IN MEAC, AMONG BEST IN NATION
Through five games, the NCCU defense has allowed 109.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks first in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and 20th among the statistical leaders of the NCAA Division I-FCS. The Eagles also rank 13th in the nation (FCS) in tackles for loss with an average of 7.6 per contest. In last season’s meeting against Morgan State, the Bears rushed for 259 yards, an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
PUNT RETURN PROWESS
NCCU leads the MEAC and ranks fourth among NCAA Division I-FCS programs with a punt return average of 23.4 yards. The Eagles have returned nine punts for 211 yards and they are the only FCS team with three punt return touchdowns.
IRVINE APPROACHING 3,000 CAREER ALL-PURPOSE YARDS
NCCU redshirt senior Geovonie Irvine needs 64 yards to become the seventh Eagle in NCCU history to reach 3,000 career 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), Greg Pruitt, Jr. (2004-06) and current teammate Arthur Goforth (2009-12).
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 2,052 career receiving yards to rank fifth on the school’s all-time list. Irvine needs 78 receiving yards to pass Terrence McNeill (1983-86; 2,129 yards) into the fourth spot.
IRVINE RANKS FOURTH AMONG NCCU RECEIVERS
Senior receiver Geovonie Irvine ranks as NCCU’s fourth all-time leading receiver with 146 career catches for 2,052 yards and 15 trips to the end zone. Up next on the list in the third spot is Antoine Calloway (1993-96) with 153 receptions for 1,920 yards and 17 touchdowns. Robert Clark (1983-86) is NCCU’s career leader in receptions with 210 for 4,231 yards and 38 touchdowns.
PIN-POINT PLACEMENT BY NCCU PUNTER CORNELIUS
Dating back to the Elon game in 2011, NCCU punter Matthew Cornelius (R-Jr., 6-0, 163, Charlotte, N.C.) has placed 23 punts inside the 20-yard line without a touchback. In 91 punts during his NCCU career, Cornelius has knocked 29 punts inside the 20-yard line with only one touchback. He also has blasted five punts 50 yards or better with a career-long boot of 66 yards.
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 passed Montez Patterson (1998-2001 / 1,658 kickoff return yards) into second place on the Eagles’ career kickoff return yards list with 1,830 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 3,227 all-purpose yards (685 rushing, 232 receiving, 480 punt return, 1,830 kickoff return).
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 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.
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.
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.). He also led the Eagles with 47 receptions for 580 yards and five touchdowns. Irvine enters his final season as NCCU’s fourth all-time leading receiver with 138 career catches for 1,920 yards and 13 trips to the end zone. 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
Under the direction of second-year head coach Henry Frazier III, North Carolina Central University has been 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.
