Complete Game Notes as PDF:
http://nccueaglepride.com/documents/2013/10/15/FB2013_1019vsMSU.pdf
Press Conference Interview with NCCU coach Dwayne Foster:
http://youtu.be/ckrRYsNt3Zw
THE GAME
Morgan State University "Bears" vs. North Carolina Central University "Eagles"
THE KICKOFF
Saturday, October 19, 2013 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.
THE SITE
O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity/Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.
THE RECORDS
Morgan State (1-5 overall, 1-1 MEAC); N.C. Central (3-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC)
MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network mobile app (iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Kindle Fire HD); "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).
Video: "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (pay-per-view video internet stream/$8.95). Broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).
QUICK HITS
• NCCU celebrates homecoming. The Eagles have a 59-18-2 record (.759 winning percentage) on homecoming since 1931.
• The Eagles spoiled Morgan State's homecoming in 2012 by scoring a late touchdown for a 24-20 road win. Detwan Robinson, who broke three tackles on his way to the end zone for the game-winning score last season, is now a student assistant with NCCU.
• Two years ago, in Morgan State's first visit to NCCU in 30 years, the Bears handed the Eagles their worst home loss in 60 years with a 52-3 rout.
• NCCU true freshman cornerback Michael Jones (Baltimore, Md.) is tied as the national FCS leader with four interceptions and leads the MEAC with 10 total passes defended.
• NCCU senior linebacker Tazmon Foster (Henderson, N.C.), who amassed 80 tackles in eight games last season, leads the MEAC with 68 tackles (5th in FCS).
• On Thursday, Oct. 10, NCCU senior Jordan Reid (High Point, N.C.) became the 11th quarterback in school history to pass for 3,000 career yards. He now has 3,004 passing yards.
THE SERIES
This will be the 38th gridiron meeting between NCCU and Morgan State since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930. The MSU Bears hold a 22-13-2 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 seven meetings, including a 52-3 victory on Oct. 15, 2011, in Durham, N.C. In the last meeting, NCCU scored a touchdown on a fourth-down play with less than a minute remaining for a 24-20 win in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 13, 2012.
Last 10 Meetings:
Oct. 13, 2012 - NCCU 24, MSU 20 (Baltimore, Md.)
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.)
THE LAST MEETING
(Oct. 13, 2012 - NCCU 24, MSU 20) With his team trailing and less than a minute remaining in the contest, North Carolina Central University senior tight end Detwan Robinson caught a short pass then broke three tackles on his way to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, as the visiting Eagles spoiled Morgan State University's homecoming with a 24-20 victory inside Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, Md. The home team held a 20-17 advantage when NCCU senior Geovonie Irvine returned a punt 20 yards to set the Eagles up with good field position at the Morgan State 47-yard line. NCCU redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Reid was sacked back to the NCCU 47-yard line. Reid then completed four straight passes – two to Robinson and two to senior running back Arthur Goforth – to move the Eagles to the 26-yard line. After Reid's only incomplete pass of the drive, a throw-away to avoid a sack on third down, NCCU faced fourth down with two yards to go. NCCU head coach Henry Frazier, coaching in his home state for the first time since he was coaching his alma mater Bowie State in 2003, decided to go for the first down and the win. Robinson caught a short pass with enough yards for the first down, then powered his way through three tackles, spun away from a bunch of defenders and raced into the blue-and-orange end zone for the game-winner with 25 seconds left on the clock. Robinson finished the day with four receptions for 48 yards. Reid, who completed 17-of-20 passes for 133 yards in the second half, threw for 261 yards on 29-of-38 passing with a touchdown and an interception. Goforth amassed 189 all-purpose yards with a team-high 74 rushing yards, including a 10-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter, 45 receiving yards on a team-best eight catches, and 70 kickoff return yards on three attempts. NCCU's defensive effort was topped by junior linebacker Tazmon Foster with 11 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Ty Brown recorded nine takedowns (eight solo), including 3.0 hits for a loss with a pair of sacks, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. NCCU compiled 334 yards of total offense, while Morgan State collected 258 total yards, including 167 yards on the ground. MSU running back Travis Davidson ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while leading the Bears with three catches for 60 yards.
MORGAN STATE'S LAST VISIT TO DURHAM
(Oct. 15, 2011 - MSU 52, NCCU 3) North Carolina Central fumbled eight times and committed five total turnovers, while Morgan State 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. The Baltimore visitors piled up 259 total ground yards as part of 415 yards of total offense on the day. NCCU finished with just 38 total ground yards after being tackled behind the line of scrimmage nine times. 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).
LAST WEEK
(S.C. State 44, NCCU 3) South Carolina State pounded out 232 yards rushing and shut down NCCU's ground game to cruise to a 44-3 victory over the Eagles in a Thursday night ESPNU contest inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. SCSU tallied 476 yards of total offense, while NCCU finished with 105 yards of total offense and was held to negative-11 yards rushing. Quarterback Jordan Reid faced pressure from the SCSU defense most of the night, completing just 9-of-25 passes for 116 yards and being sacked five times.
(Bye Week) Morgan State is coming off of a bye week. In the Bears' last outing, they beat Florida A&M 34-21 during MSU's homecoming on Oct. 5.
THE COACHES
North Carolina Central: Dwayne Foster (Delaware State, 1993) joined NCCU in 2011 as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach, before being elevated to interim head coach prior to the 2013 season. Previously, he served as running backs coach at Prairie View A&M University (2005-10), tight ends and running backs coach at Catholic University (2004), and offensive line coach at Bowie State University (2003). Foster made his name on the high school level in Washington, D.C., as the head coach of Archbishop Carroll High School from 1997-2003. At Archbishop, Foster received coach of the year honors by the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Committee in 1998. Foster played college football at Delaware State University from 1989-93 and helped the Hornets capture two MEAC Championships during his freshmen and junior seasons before graduating in 1993. Foster is a member of the Black Coaches and American Football Coaches Associations, was part of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program in 2010 with the Buffalo Bills and in 2012 with the Cincinnati Bengals, and participated in the NCAA Men's Football Coaching Academy in Indianapolis, Ind., in June 2006.
Morgan State: Donald Hill-Eley became the 18th head football coach in Morgan State history on Feb. 8, 2002. Hill is now in his 12th season as head coach of the Morgan State Bears and in his 21st season of coaching overall. With career coaching record of 55-74 - 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.
NCCU ROOKIE JONES TIED AS NATIONAL FCS INTERCEPTIONS LEADER
NCCU true freshman cornerback Michael Jones collected two interceptions against Charlotte and another versus No. 4 Towson to increase his season total to four picks, giving the Baltimore, Md., native a share of the No. 1 spot in the NCAA Division I-FCS ranks. Jones also tops the MEAC with 10 passes defended (4 INTs, 6 PBUs).
NCCU'S FOSTER TOPS CONFERENCE IN TACKLES
NCCU senior linebacker Tazmon Foster leads the MEAC with an average of 11.2 tackles per game (67 total tackles). A 5-10, 215-pound native of Henderson, N.C., Foster amassed a career-high 17 tackles (eight solo) along with a forced fumble against No. 4 Towson. In just 14 games with the Eagles, the linebacker has totaled 147 tackles and has two touchdowns to his credit with fumble and interception returns to the end zone.
WILKINS TOPS MEAC IN ALL-PURPOSE YARDS; KNACK FOR BIG PLAYS
NCCU sophomore receiver and return specialist Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) leads the MEAC with an average of 123.8 all-purpose yards per game. He is the only student-athlete in the conference to average more than 100 all-purpose yards per contest. Wilkins has a knack for making big plays. He owns the second-longest kickoff return (100 yards at Charlotte, Sept. 14, 2013) and punt return (89 yards at Howard, Oct. 5, 2013) in school history. As a receiver, Wilkins has caught 17 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. He is the only Eagle in the NCCU record books with a kickoff return touchdown, a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same season.
EAGLES TURNING DEFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS INTO POINTS
Since the start of the 2012 season, the Eagles have demonstrated a knack for finding the end zone when the offense is off the field. In the past 17 games, NCCU has scored 14 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including four this season and 10 in 2012. In that time, the Eagles have made trips to the end zone on six punt returns, two kickoff returns, two blocked field goal returns, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. NCCU's eight special teams touchdowns in the past two seasons (6 PR, 2 KOR) equal the amount by the Eagles in the previous seven seasons (2005-11).
ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University is in its third season of full NCAA Division I (FCS) athletic competition as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles have won 10 conference championships as members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1953, 1954, 1956, 1961, 1963, 1980, 2005, 2006) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (1972, 1973), and have made three appearances in the NCAA playoffs (1988, 2005, 2006). 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 131 all-conference selections, 64 all-Americans, 40 NFL draft picks, 10 conference championships and two Black College National Championships. The first Eagle selected in the NFL Draft was Matt Boone, who was taken by the Giants with the eighth pick in the 18th round in 1956. The latest Eagle announced during the NFL Draft was Greg Peterson, who was chosen by the Buccaneers in the fifth round in 2007. NCCU's highest draft pick was Doug Wilkerson, who was selected in the first round with the 14th overall pick of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Oilers. The Eagles have also had three second-round NFL draft picks, including Robert Massey in 1989 by the Saints, Charles Smith in 1975 by the Broncos and Chuck Hinton in 1962 by the Browns. Two Eagles have represented NCCU on the National Football League's grandest stage - the Super Bowl. The first NCCU Eagle to make a Super Bowl appearance was Richard Sligh, who was a reserve tackle with the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 14, 1968. Sligh, who holds the distinction as the tallest player in NFL history (7'0"), played at NCCU from 1962-64 and was later drafted by the Raiders in the 10th round of the 1967 NFL draft. On Jan. 24, 1982, former NCCU Eagle Louis Breeden was a starting cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI against the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier in the season (Nov. 8, 1981), Breeden intercepted a pass thrown by San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts and returned it a team-record 102 yards for a touchdown. The following year, he was selected as a First-Team All-Pro. A two-time all-conference pick during his NCCU career from 1973-76, Breeden was chosen by the Bengals in the seventh round of the 1977 NFL draft. He completed his 10-year NFL career with 33 interceptions for 558 return yards and two touchdowns. HBCU football pioneer John Brown, who represented NCCU (then North Carolina College) on the gridiron in the 1940s, was one of the first to play professional football out of a historically black college or university. Brown shares the honor with Ezzret Anderson of Kentucky State and Elmore Harris of Morgan State, who all began their professional football careers in 1947. Brown and Anderson were teammates on the Los Angeles Dons, while Harris was a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. According to NCCU records, Brown was the first of the three to sign a professional football contract. He played center and linebacker with the Dons from 1947-49, before moving to the Canadian Football League.
NCCU PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN THE MEAC
NCCU was picked to finish the upcoming season in fourth place in the 11-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, according to a poll of league head football coaches and sports information directors. NCCU is coming off its first winning season since 2007 with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-3 conference mark. The Eagles tied for third place in the MEAC standings a year ago. With a fourth place prediction for 2013, NCCU is listed behind No. 3 North Carolina A&T, No. 2 South Carolina State and No. 1 Bethune-Cookman, the defending conference champion, on the preseason predicted order of finish.
LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL ON NCCU SPORTS NETWORK MOBILE APP
For fans interested in listening to North Carolina Central University athletic events on their mobile device, there is an app for that. The NCCU Department of Athletics has partnered with StepLeader, a digital solutions provider located in Raleigh, N.C., to create an app that is available as a free download on iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and Android (including the popular Kindle Fire HD) platforms through the App Store or Google Play (search for "NCCU"). "Our fans no longer have to be tied to their radio or computer to listen to our live game broadcasts," said NCCU sports information director Kyle Serba. "The app allows fans to take the NCCU Sports Network broadcasts with them wherever they go." Besides live audio game broadcasts, the app offers recorded interviews with NCCU coaches and student-athletes, and provides news updates, schedules, results and team rosters. The app also encourages fan interaction by integrating the primary social media outlets used by NCCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as a feature to submit fan photos. "Our mobile products are designed to service local communities by providing timely and relevant news stories, including audio and video, so partnering with NCCU, who produces very rich sports content, was a very natural fit," said Brian Handly, StepLeader CEO. "Thousands of students and alumni will now be able to access sports information from their smartphone or tablet, and we're excited about the opportunity to work with other universities in the future." The NCCU Sports Network app was officially unveiled at halftime of the NCCU men's basketball game against South Carolina State University on March 4.
