(Complete Game Notes as PDF)

Video:  NCCU Football Weekly Press Conference (Morgan State):  http://youtu.be/lRALffN5mfU

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" at Morgan State University "Bears"

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, October 18, 2014 – Kickoff at 1:00 p.m.

THE SITE
Hughes Stadium (10,000 capacity/Synthetic Grass) - Baltimore, Md.

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (3-3 overall, 2-0 MEAC); Morgan State (3-3 overall, 2-1 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 12:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Kyle Serba, color analyst).

QUICK HITS
• With a 2-0 conference record, NCCU is tied atop the MEAC standings with 2013 co-champion Bethune-Cookman.
• Saturday is Morgan State University's homecoming game.
• The Eagles spoiled Morgan State's homecoming in 2012 by scoring a late touchdown for a 24-20 road win.
• The contest pins two first-year head coaches, NCCU's Jerry Mack and MSU's Lee Hull, against each other with identical 3-3 career records.
• Morgan State boasts the MEAC's No. 1 rushing attack with an average of 252.2 ground yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry. MSU sophomore running back Herb Walker, Jr., tops the conference with 152.5 rushing yards per game (8 TDs).
• NCCU has the second-ranked pass offense in the MEAC with an average of 227.3 passing yards per game, while Morgan State has the second-best pass defense in the league by allowing just 140.0 passing yards per contest.
• NCCU junior receiver and return specialist Adrian Wilkins ranks sixth in the nation (FCS) with an average of 181.6 all-purpose yards per game. Wilkins also leads the MEAC in receptions per game (6.6) and receiving yards per game (88.2).
• NCCU senior running back Andre Clarke ranks eighth in the nation (FCS) and is tied for the MEAC lead with nine rushing touchdowns.
• NCCU tops the MEAC and ranks fifth in the nation (FCS) in punt returns with an average of 21.6 yards per return.
• NCCU's turnover margin (+3) ranks second in the MEAC, while Morgan State has only turned the ball over four times all season (4 fumbles), without throwing an interception.
• Next week (Oct. 25), NCCU returns home to host Savannah State University for the Prince Hall Shriners Diabetes Classic in Durham at 2:00 p.m.

THE SERIES
This will be the 39th gridiron meeting between NCCU and Morgan State since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930. The MSU Bears hold a 23-13-2 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 six of the past eight meetings. In the last meeting in Baltimore, 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. 19, 2013 - MSU 34, NCCU 22 (Durham, N.C.)
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.)

THE LAST MEETING
(Morgan State 34, NCCU 22) Morgan State University dominated the first quarter of play then held off a persistent NCCU squad the rest of the way as the visiting Bears spoiled the Eagles' homecoming celebration with a 34-22 road win in front of a sellout crowd of 11,763 fans packed inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Oct. 19, 2013. 

LAST WEEK
(NCCU 48, S.C. State 35) NCCU amassed 517 yards of total offense, including 290 yards rushing, during a 48-35 victory at South Carolina State. NCCU senior running back Andre Clarke ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns to earn MEAC Offensive Player of the Week. The 48 points scored by the Eagles are the most by a conference opponent against the Bulldogs in head coach Buddy Pough's 13-year tenure at SC State.

(Morgan State idle) Morgan State did not play last week. The previous week (Oct. 4), the Bears beat Florida A&M 24-9 in Tallahassee, Florida.

THE COACHES
NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his first season as a college head coach. At age 33, he boasts 10 years of coaching experience, including stints with five NCAA Division I programs and two conference championship teams. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Mack has held positions as wide receivers coach at the University of South Alabama (2012-13) and the University of Memphis (2011), as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2010), as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at the University of Central Arkansas (2008-09), as wide receivers and tight ends coach at Jackson State University (2006-07), and as an offensive graduate assistant at Delta State University (2004-05). Mack began his collegiate playing career at Jackson State before transferring after one season (1999) to Arkansas State University.  He lettered three years at Arkansas State (2001-03) before earning his bachelor's degree in management information systems in 2003. Mack completed his master's degree in physical education from Delta State in 2006.

Morgan State: Lee Hull was introduced as the 19th head football coach in Morgan State history on Jan. 9, 2014. Hull comes to MSU after spending the past six seasons (2008-13) with the University of Maryland as wide receivers coach. He also spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Oregon State and another five years (1998-2002) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross. Hull was a standout wide receiver at Holy Cross from 1984-87. The Crusaders posted a 21-1 record his last two years and were ranked No. 1 in Division I-AA in 1987. Holy Cross also won the Colonial League title and the Lambert Cup that season. He went on to play professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL (1990-92). He also played for Toronto in 1992. Hull earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Holy Cross in 1988 and a master's in secondary education from Worcester State in 1995.

NCCU'S CLARKE, GILES EARN WEEKLY MEAC AWARDS
Two North Carolina Central University Eagles, running back Andre Clarke and guard Zachary Giles, received weekly awards from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for their play during a 48-35 win at South Carolina State on Saturday (Oct. 11). Clarke (Mauldin, S.C.) was selected as the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 144 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.3 yards per carry. Giles (Durham, N.C.) was chosen as the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week after grading out at 95 percent of his blocking assignments against the Bulldogs, anchoring an offensive line that paved the way for 517 yards of total offense by the Eagles, including 290 yards on the ground. He tallied four pancake blocks and did not allow a sack or record a penalty in NCCU's second conference victory.

WILKINS TOPS MEAC IN RECPTIONS, RECEIVING YARDS
NCCU junior Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) leads the MEAC in receptions per game (6.6) and receiving yards per game (88.2). The receiver and return specialist also ranks sixth in the nation (FCS) with an average of 181.6 all-purpose yards per game. 

CLARKE APPROACHING CAREER RUSHING STANDARD
Redshirt senior running back Andre Clarke (Mauldin, S.C.) needs five rushing yards to become the 12th Eagle in school history to rush for 1,500 career yards. Clarke's 24 career rushing touchdowns rank third at NCCU, behind Joe Simmons (1990-93) with 28 and Gerald Fraylon (1981-84) with 31. With one more touchdown this season, Clarke will be the fourth Eagle to reach double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season. Joe Simmons holds the NCCU single-season record with 16 rushing touchdowns in 1993, followed by Benjamin Tate with 11 in 1982 and Greg Pruitt, Jr., with 10 in 2005.

EAGLES TOP MEAC, RANK FIFTH NATIONALLY IN PUNT RETURNS
NCCU's special teams play continues to be special. After leading the nation (NCAA Division I-FCS) in kickoff returns (26.5 yards/return) and kickoff return touchdowns (4) in 2013 and punt returns (24.5 yards/return) and punt return touchdowns (5) in 2012, the Eagles are once again near the top of the FCS ranks in punt returns. NCCU is fifth in the country with an average punt return of 21.6 yards, which leads the MEAC. 

NCCU TIED ATOP MEAC STANDINGS
With a 2-0 league mark, NCCU is tied atop the MEAC standings with 2013 co-champion Bethune-Cookman. Since becoming eligible to compete for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in 2011, NCCU has a conference record of 11-15. The Eagles posted league marks of 1-7 in 2011, 5-3 in 2012 and 3-5 in 2013. 

EAGLES TURN 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 29 games, NCCU has scored 21 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including C.J. Moore's fumble return in the 2014 opener and Jeremy Thompson's interception return against Charlotte, nine in 2013 and 10 in 2012. In that time, the Eagles have made trips to the end zone on seven punt returns, five kickoff returns, three blocked field goal returns, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. NCCU's 12 kick return touchdowns (both punt and kickoff) in the 2012-13 seasons (7 PR, 5 KOR) were more than the amount by the Eagles in the previous nine seasons combined (11 from 2003-11), and were more than any other team in the NCAA Division I-FCS.

NCCU PICKED TO FINISH EIGHTH IN MEAC
The Eagles, under the direction of first-year head coach Jerry Mack, are predicted to finish eighth in the MEAC standings, according to a poll of the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Last season, NCCU tied for eighth place with Norfolk State after finishing with a 3-5 conference record and a 5-7 overall mark. 

SIX EAGLES EARN PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
NCCU redshirt junior Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) and sophomore Michael Jones (Baltimore, Md.) topped six Eagles that were announced to the Preseason All-MEAC Teams. Wilkins was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team as a return specialist. A multiple preseason all-America recipient, Wilkins returned five kicks (three kickoffs and two punts) for touchdowns during an all-American campaign in 2013. Jones accomplished Preseason All-MEAC First Team recognition as a defensive back. During his rookie year in 2013, Jones ranked third in the conference with four interceptions and fourth in the league with 12 total passes defended. Four other Eagles received preseason All-MEAC recognition. Senior offensive lineman Christopher Pressley (Upper Marlboro, Md.) was named to the Second Team, while redshirt junior tight end Nathan Scruggs (Jacksonville, Fla.), junior offensive lineman Clevonne Davis (Miramar, Fla.) and redshirt junior defensive back Ryan Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) garnered Third Team honors.

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University is in its fourth 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 132 all-conference selections, 65 all-Americans, 40 NFL draft picks, 10 conference championships and two Black College National Championships.