(Complete Game Notes as PDF)

THE GAME    
Savannah State University "Tigers" at North Carolina Central University "Eagles"

THE KICKOFF    
Saturday, October 25, 2014 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.

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

THE RECORDS    
N.C. Central (3-4 overall, 2-1 MEAC); Savannah State (0-7 overall, 0-4 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 hosts MEAC foe Savannah State for the "Prince Hall Shriners Diabetes Classic."
•    The Eagles look to bounce back after suffering their first conference loss of the season on Saturday at Morgan State, 21-20.
•    NCCU has won the last two meetings with the SSU Tigers, both in Georgia, to push its series advantage to 6-2-1.
•    In the last match-up in Durham in 2011, Savannah State edged the Eagles 33-30.
•    NCCU boasts the No. 1 offense in the MEAC, averaging 379.3 yards of total offense per game, while Savannah State ranks last in the conference in total defense, allowing an average of 454.7 total yards per outing.
•    Next week (Nov. 1), NCCU visits Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida, for a 4:00 p.m. kickoff.

THE SERIES    
This will be the 10th football meeting between Savannah State University and North Carolina Central University. NCCU leads the series 6-2-1, but the Tigers have won two of the last four games. In the first contest between the Tigers and Eagles, the two teams played to a 0-0 tie to open the 1974 season (Sept. 14, 1974) in Savannah, Ga. NCCU then won four straight match-ups with the Tigers between 1975-2009. On Nov. 13, 2010, the Tigers captured their first series win over NCCU with a 28-21 victory in Savannah, Ga., and made it two straight on Sept. 24, 2011 by edging the Eagles 33-30 in Durham, N.C.  Last year, NCCU out-scored the Tigers 24-10 in Savannah, Ga.
Oct. 26, 2013 - NCCU 24, SSU 10 (Savannah, Ga.)
Sept. 22, 2012 - NCCU 45, SSU 33 (Savannah, Ga.)
Sept. 24, 2011 - SSU 33, NCCU 30 (Durham, N.C.)
Nov. 13, 2010 - SSU 28, NCCU 21 (Savannah, Ga.)
Nov. 21, 2009 - NCCU 35, SSU 14 (Durham, N.C.)
Nov. 22, 2008 - NCCU 10, SSU 7 (Durham, N.C.)
Oct. 20, 2007 - NCCU 30, SSU 14 (Savannah, Ga.)
Sept. 13, 1975 - NCCU 30, SSU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
Sept. 14, 1974 - NCCU 0, SSU 0 (Savannah, Ga.)

THE LAST MEETING    
(Oct. 26, 2013, in Savannah, Ga. - NCCU 24, Savannah State 10) North Carolina Central University sophomore Adrian Wilkins amassed 241 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including a 73-yard punt return touchdown late in the second quarter to put the Eagles on top and sap the energy from the Savannah State Tigers and their homecoming crowd.  NCCU held the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way to snap a two-game losing skid with a 24-10 road victory inside Ted Wright Stadium in Savannah, Ga.  A sophomore out of Forest City, N.C., Wilkins caught nine passes for 105 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown from redshirt-freshman quarterback Malcolm Bell in the third quarter, while also tallying 82 punt return yards and 54 kickoff return yards. Bell, making his first career start under center, completed 14-of-30 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, while also running for 33 yards with a 6-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter. NCCU junior Andre Clarke pounded out 140 ground yards on 20 carries. In the first half, Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostick threw for 209 yards and a score on 22-of-31 passing. He was just 2-of-18 for 10 yards with two interceptions after intermission. NCCU recorded 411 yards of total offense, including 237 yards rushing. Savannah State finished with 382 total yards, but only 90 of those yards came in the second half.

LAST WEEK    
(Morgan State 21, NCCU 20) NCCU scored just two touchdowns on five visits to the red zone and missed three field goals, allowing Morgan State to rally from a 20-7 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Eagles 21-20. NCCU amassed 405 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers on defense, but the Bears scored two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes, including the game-winner with 32 seconds remaining.

(#16/#14 Bethune-Cookman 48, Savannah State 20) Nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman amassed 543 yards of total offense, including 289 rushing yards, while holding the Tigers to just 202 total yards as the Wildcats cruised to a 48-20 win at Savannah State.

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.

Savannah State: Earnest Wilson III was hired as Savannah State's 24th head football coach on June 7, 2013.  In his 24th year of coaching, came to SSU from fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member Hampton University, where he has served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2012. Wilson has also worked at Jackson State University (2010-12), New Mexico State (2005-09), Benedict College (2003-04), Oberlin College (1998-99), Elizabeth City State University, Alabama A&M (1994-96), Penn State (1993), the University of Maine, and Allegheny College (1990-92). Wilson's coaching background also includes a stint as the head coach and director of football operations for the Carolina Rhinos (2001-02) and Jacksonville Tomcats (1999-2001) of Arena League Football 2 (AFL2). Wilson also served as the head coach of the Dayton Skyhawks of the Indoor Football League (1999). Wilson played football while receiving both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Texas Tech University. He earned a bachelor of science in recreation in 1989 and a master of education in sports administration in 1990.

WILKINS TOPS MEAC IN RECPTIONS, RECEIVING YARDS    
NCCU junior Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) leads the MEAC in receptions per game (6.5) and receiving yards per game (79.5). The receiver and return specialist also ranks 12th in the nation (FCS) with an average of 159.3 all-purpose yards per game.

CLARKE REACHES CAREER RUSHING STANDARD    
Redshirt senior running back Andre Clarke (Mauldin, S.C.) collected 67 rushing yards at Morgan State (Oct. 18) to become the 12th Eagle in school history to rush for 1,500 career yards. He currently ranks 11th at NCCU with 1,562 career rushing 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.

NCCU MOVES TO NO. 1 IN MEAC IN TOTAL OFFENSE    
With 405 yards of total offense at Morgan State, NCCU moved to the top of the MEAC rankings in total offense with 379.3 yards per game.

EAGLES TOP MEAC, RANK SIXTH 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 sixth in the country with an average punt return of 19.2 yards, which leads the MEAC.