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Complete Game Notes (PDF)Â Â Â Â
THE GAME
Saint Augustine's University "Falcons" vs. North Carolina Central University "Eagles"
THE KICKOFF
Saturday, September 7, 2013 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.
THE SITE
O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity/Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.
THE RECORDS
Saint Augustine's (0-0 overall, 0-0 CIAA); N.C. Central (0-1 overall, 0-0 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; Anthony Sharp, sideline reporter)
Video: "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com - $8.95 pay-per-view video stream
QUICK HITS
• Saturday will be the 30th meeting between NCCU and Saint Augustine's.
• The Eagles and Falcons last met on the gridiron in 2007, a 6-0 NCCU win.
• Saint Augustine's is a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the conference NCCU left to move to NCAA Division I (FCS) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• NCCU senior linebacker Tazmon Foster is tied for the MEAC lead with 13 tackles.
• NCCU posted a 3-1 record at home in 2012.
THE SERIES
This will be the 30th meeting between NCCU and St. Augustine's, since the first contest in 1924. The Eagles hold a 26-2-1 overall advantage in the series. NCCU has won the last two match-ups, but the Falcons beat the Eagles in Durham in 2005 and 2003.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS:
Sept. 8, 2007 – NCCU 6, SAC 0 (Durham, N.C.)
Oct. 7, 2006 – NCCU 27, SAC 18 (Raleigh, NC)
Oct. 1, 2005 – SAC 22, NCCU 8 (Durham, NC)
Oct. 2, 2004 – NCCU 10, SAC 7 (Raleigh, NC)
Oct. 11, 2003 – SAC 34, NCCU 31 (Durham, NC)
THE LAST MEETING
(Sept. 8, 2007 - NCCU 6, SAC 0) The North Carolina Central University defense pitched its second consecutive shutout of the season during a 6-0 victory over Saint Augustine's at NCCU's O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The Eagles' defense forced two turnovers, held the Falcons to 226 total yards and, more importantly, kept the opposition out of the end zone. St. Augustine's, however, made things interesting with a last-ditch 12-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 16-yard run by third-string quarterback Kevin Williams to the NCCU 12-yard line on the game's final play. NCCU's offense, which was held to zero yards of total offense on 24 plays in the first half, posted 148 total yards after intermission, including 123 through the air. The lone score of the contest came with 10:08 left in the third quarter when NCCU sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown connected with junior receiver Wayne Blackwell for a 21-yard touchdown strike. The extra-point conversion failed after a low snap from center and a rush attempt by the holder Craig Amos. The St. Augustine's offense, which crossed midfield only four times, pushed the pigskin into the red zone only once - on the final play of the game.
ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University enters its third 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 131 all-conference selections, 64 all-Americans, 40 NFL draft picks, 10 conference championships and two Black College National Championships.
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.
Saint Augustine's: Michael Costa enters his 12th season at Saint Augustine's University as one of the most respected head coaches in the CIAA. The 2003 and 2005 CIAA football coach of the year, Costa is the Falcons' only head coach since the school revived football in 2002. During his tenure at St. Aug, Costa has produced five All-Americans (Kevin Jones, Alex Hall, Marcus Kennedy, Tyron Laughinghouse, Walter Sanders) and 46 All-CIAA picks including 21 first-team selections. The Falcons have achieved many noteworthy accomplishments during Costa's reign. In 2010, the Falcons were ranked as high as 19th nationally in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 poll with their nine wins setting a modern school season record. The Falcons capped the 2010 season by topping nationally-ranked Fort Valley State 20-9 for the Pioneer Bowl title. His first head football coaching job was at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. He coached at Cheyney for five seasons from 1985 to 1990. After Cheyney, Costa coached at Virginia Union University, Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University and Miami Central High School in various roles as an assistant before coming to Saint Augustine's University. Costa received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from Norfolk State University. He graduated with a Master's of Education degree in Health and Physical Education from West Chester State University of Pennsylvania. Costa also holds a Master's of Education degree in Educational Administration from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
LAST WEEK
(Duke 45, NCCU 0) North Carolina Central University's lone trip to the end zone against Duke University, a second-quarter fumble return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Tazmon Foster, was overturned by instant replay. It was that kind of day for the Eagles. NCCU's offense crossed midfield just once with Duke earning its first shutout since 1989, as the Blue Devils cruised to a 45-0 win during the Bull City Gridiron Classic inside Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday (Aug. 31). Six different Blue Devils scored touchdowns as Duke amassed 488 yards of total offense, including 257 rushing yards on 49 carries. NCCU posted 184 yards of total offense with 103 yards coming through the air. Duke moved the chains 27 times, while the Eagles managed nine first downs. In NCCU's best drive of the game, the Eagles pushed the ball 51 yards in 11 plays to the Duke 24-yard line at the end of the second quarter, but junior kicker Oleg Parent missed the 41-yard field goal try wide left. Duke led 28-0 at halftime. NCCU senior quarterback Jordan Reid completed 11-of-22 passes for 87 yards. Sophomore running back Idreis Augustus rushed for 50 yards on nine carries, while senior receiver Marvin Poole caught four passes for 27 yards. Foster topped the Eagles' defense with a game-high 13 tackles, including two assisted hits for a loss. Fellow senior linebacker Tyriqe Williams collected eight takedowns, while senior lineman Aaron Wallace and redshirt-freshman linebacker Jordan Miles contributed seven stops each. Sophomore linebacker Neil Williams accounted for NCCU's lone turnover with an interception to go along with two tackles. "We kept fighting," said NCCU interim head coach Dwayne Foster. "Although we did not come out on top, we didn't hang our heads and quit. I thought we played extremely hard. We are going to use that as a positive and build off of it."
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.
FIVE EAGLES EARN PRESEASON ALL-MEAC HONORS
Five NCCU Eagles were named to the preseason all-conference team, as voted by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors. The five Eagles named to the All-MEAC Second Team are senior quarterback Jordan Reid, senior offensive tackle Charles Goodwin, sophomore safety Ryan Smith, senior punter Matthew Cornelius and junior kicker Oleg Parent.
• Reid (High Point, N.C.) threw for 1,594 yards and 13 touchdowns, while breaking the NCCU single-season record by completing 62.3 percent of his pass attempts.
• Goodwin (High Point, N.C.) started every game at left tackle for the Eagles last season, while recording an average grade of 89 percent with 19 pancake blocks and 28 knockdowns in 11 games.
• Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) finished his rookie season as NCCU's second-leading tackler with 65 total takedowns. He also ranked second on the team with three interceptions and third on the squad with eight passes defended (three interceptions, five pass break-ups), while leading the MEAC and tying for second among NCAA-FCS leaders with four fumble recoveries.
• Cornelius (Charlotte, N.C.) averaged 35.9 yards per punt with a long of 58 yards. He also placed 16 punts inside the 20-yard line with only two touchbacks.
• Parent (Lake Forest, Calif.) was the No. 1 scoring kicker in the MEAC last year with an average of 6.2 points per game. He converted 11 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 40 yards or beyond with a career-long boot of 46 yards.
2012: NCCU LEADS NATION IN PUNT RETURNS The 2012 Eagles boasted the No. 1 punt return average in the NCAA Division I-FCS with an average of 24.5 yards per punt return (16 punt returns, 392 yards, 5 TDs). That average ranks as the highest in the Division I-FCS record books (records listed since 1992). NCCU also led the nation with five punt return touchdowns, which is the most by an FCS team since Florida A&M also had five in 2009.
2012: EAGLES SCORE 10 NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS The 2012 Eagles had a knack for finding the end zone when the offense was off the field. NCCU scored 10 touchdowns on defense and special teams. The Eagles made trips to the end zone on five punt returns, a kickoff return, a blocked field goal return, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
2012: REID SETS NEW NCCU STANDARD FOR PASSING ACCURACY Redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Reid completed 154 of his 247 pass attempts in 2012, breaking NCCU's 43-year-old single-season record by completing 62.3 percent of his pass attempts. Reid removed Herman Mathews (61.1% in 1969) from the top spot. Reid finished the season by passing for 1,594 yards and 13 touchdowns.
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.
