(Complete Game Notes as PDF)

Video:  NCCU Football Weekly Press Conference:  http://youtu.be/aslpd4I0d8Q

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" at #20 Bethune-Cookman University "Wildcats"

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, November 1, 2014 – Kickoff at 4:00 p.m.

THE SITE
Municipal Stadium (9,601 capacity) - Daytona Beach, Fla.

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (4-4 overall, 3-1 MEAC); #20 Bethune-Cookman (6-2 overall, 3-1 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 3:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).
Video: BCUathletics.com (pay-per-view video internet stream/$7.95). Broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m.

QUICK HITS
• Saturday's match-up features the MEAC's No. 1 offense (NCCU at 394.8 total yards per game) against the league's top defense (B-CU at 249.1 total yards allowed per game).
• With a 6-2 overall record, Bethune-Cookman is ranked No. 20 in the latest NCAA FCS Coaches' poll, falling from the 13th spot after a loss at South Carolina State on Saturday (Oct. 25). The Wildcats are also ranked No. 21 in the latest Sports Network FCS Top-25 poll.
• NCCU is 0-8 against nationally-ranked FCS opponents since the start of the transition to NCAA Division I-FCS in 2007. The Eagles have been out-scored 335-98 (41.9-12.3 avg.) in those contests.
• NCCU sophomore quarterback Malcolm Bell has thrown for more than 200 yards and a touchdown in six consecutive games.
• NCCU and Bethune-Cookman are the two most penalized teams in the MEAC. The Eagles rank 10th in the conference with an average of 81.0 penalty yards per game, while B-CU is last in the league at 108.4 penalty yards per game.
• Bethune-Cookman leads the nation (FCS) in rushing defense, holding opponents to just 73.6 ground yards per contest. The Wildcats also rank second in the FCS in total defense (248.8 total yards allowed per game).
• Next week (Nov. 8), NCCU returns home to host Hampton for Homecoming in Durham, North Carolina, for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff.

THE SERIES
This will be the sixth football meeting between NCCU and Bethune-Cookman since the teams first met in 1994. Bethune-Cookman leads the series 4-1, including four straight victories. In that first match-up on Sept. 24, 1994, the Eagles captured a 24-5 road victory in Daytona Beach, Fla. Four years ago on Oct. 23, 2010, B-CU, as the 14th ranked team in the nation, earned a 23-10 win in Durham, N.C. Three years ago, the Wildcats amassed 525 yards during a 34-6 victory to spoil NCCU's homecoming on Oct. 29, 2011. Two years ago, B-CU scored 28 unanswered points to overcome a three-point second-half deficit en route to a 42-17 win on Oct. 27, 2012. Last season, the 13th-ranked Wildcats pounded out 436 rushing yards to beat the Eagles 38-14 on Nov. 2, 2013, in Durham.
11/2/2013 - B-CU 38, NCCU 14 (Durham, N.C.)
10/27/2012 - B-CU 42, NCCU 17 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
10/29/2011 - B-CU 34, NCCU 6 (Durham, N.C.)
10/23/2010 - B-CU 23, NCCU 10 (Durham, N.C.)
9/24/1994 - NCCU 24, B-CU 5 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

THE LAST MEETING
(Nov. 2, 2013, in Durham, N.C. - B-CU 38, NCCU 14) The No. 13 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats pounded out 436 rushing yards, powered by senior running back Isidore Jackson's 182 ground yards to become the program's all-time leading rusher, during a convincing 38-14 win over North Carolina Central University inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C.  Bethune-Cookman overcame 24 penalties for 232 yards by amassing 594 yards of total offense. The Wildcats also held NCCU to only 137 total yards, including negative-1 yard rushing. NCCU was held scoreless until 12:16 left in the contest when senior Thomas Dixon returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. 

THE LAST MEETING IN DAYTONA BEACH
(Oct. 27, 2012 - B-CU 42, NCCU 17)  NCCU held a slim three-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Bethune-Cookman scored 28 unanswered points to end the Eagles' four-game win streak with a 42-17 victory inside Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. NCCU quarterback Jordan Reid threw touchdown passes to Detwan Robinson and Decona Roberts in the first half to go into the locker room with the score tied at 14-14. On the first drive of the second half, the Eagles moved the ball inside the B-CU 1-yard line, but committed a false start penalty on third down and had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Oleg Parent to give NCCU a 17-14 edge at 7:23 of the third quarter. Bethune-Cookman responded by moving the pigskin 63 yards on five consecutive run plays, capped by a 8-yard scamper by Rodney Scott, to take a 21-17 advantage at 5:28 of the third quarter. After the Wildcats forced an NCCU punt, B-CU running back Isidore Jackson took the first play 93 yards to the end zone to put the home team up 28-17. NCCU posted a 12-play, 52-yard drive in an attempt to answer the challenge, but Parent's 36-yard field goal try was blocked to keep the gap at 11 points. With less than six minutes remaining in the game and needing two scores, NCCU had to force the action, which resulted in two interceptions and a fumble by the Eagles in their final three possessions. Jackson scored his second touchdown of the game with 4:14 remaining to put the Wildcats up 35-17, then B-CU opted to post more points on the scoreboard with a 1-yard touchdown run by Angelo Cabrera with 58 seconds remaining. 

LAST WEEK
(NCCU 42, Savannah State 14) Sophomore quarterback Malcolm Bell accounted for five touchdowns and 359 yards of total offense to lead NCCU to a 42-14 win over Savannah State. Junior receiver Anas Hasic finished with 10 catches for a MEAC season-high 174 yards and three touchdowns. As a team, the Eagles amassed 498 total yards, including 311 through the air. Bell completed 23-of-32 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 72 yards and two scores. Senior defensive end Felix Small collected 3.0 sacks to spark NCCU defensively.

(South Carolina State 20, Bethune-Cookman 14) In a match-up of the 2013 MEAC co-champions, nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman tied the score at 14-14 on a fumble recovery for a touchdown with just 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter. But South Carolina State responded with a game-winning 49-yard touchdown pass with 33 seconds remaining. The two teams combined for 304 yards of total offense (B-CU 175, SCSU 129). Wildcats quarterback Quentin Williams threw three interceptions and was sacked nine times by the Bulldogs.

THE COACHES
NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his first season as a college head coach. At age 34, 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.

Bethune-Cookman: Brian Jenkins is in his fifth season with the Bethune-Cookman University football program. The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, native led the Wildcats to a 10-2 record, a share of the MEAC championship and a spot in the NCAA playoffs in his first season as a college head coach in 2010. He followed that effort with an 8-3 campaign in 2011. In 2012, B-CU posted a 9-3 overall record, including an 8-0 mark in the league to win the conference title and advance to the NCAA playoffs. In 2013, the Wildcats went 10-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference for a share of the MEAC title and a spot in the NCAA playoffs for the third time in four years. Jenkins was an assistant coach at Rutgers University in the 2009 season as wide receivers coach on Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights' team that was the St. Petersburg Bowl champions. Prior to Rutgers, Jenkins served as running backs coach and special team's coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette for seven seasons (2002-2008). Jenkins joined UL from the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe. Prior to his stint in NFL-Europe, Jenkins was the running backs coach at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Before joining the BGSU Falcons, Jenkins spent five seasons with Eastern Illinois University. From 1995-98 he served as running backs coach and was named the receivers coach in 1999. In 1994, he was the receivers coach at Western Kentucky University. Jenkins played college football as both a wide receiver and running back at the University of Cincinnati. He was the Bearcat record holder for kickoff return yards in a season and in a career before those records were surpassed in 2009. He graduated in 1993 with an associate's degree in education and bachelor's degree in social work.

EAGLES AGAINST NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPOSITION
Since the start of the transition to NCAA Division I-FCS in 2007, NCCU is 0-8 against nationally-ranked FCS opponents. The Eagles have been out-scored 335-98 (41.9-12.3 avg.) in those contests.
11/2/2013 - #13 Bethune-Cookman 14-38 L
9/21/2013 - #4 Towson - 17-35 L
10/23/2010 - #14 Bethune-Cookman - 10-23 L
9/18/2010 - at #1 Appalachian State - 16-44 L
10/10/2009 - at #9 Appalachian State - 21-55 L
9/12/2009 - at #24 Liberty - 10-35 L
11/8/2008 - at #3 Cal Poly - 3-49 L
9/6/2008 - at #8 James Madison - 7-56 L

TWO EAGLES EARN MEAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
North Carolina Central University sophomore quarterback Malcolm Bell and sophomore center Carl Jones have been honored by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for their performances during the Eagles' 42-14 win over Savannah State on Saturday (Oct. 25). On Monday, the league office announced Bell (Richmond, Va.) as the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week and Jones (Nashville, Tenn.) as the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Bell accounted for five touchdowns and 359 yards of total offense against the Tigers. He completed 23-of-32 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing 18 times for 72 yards and two trips to the end zone. This is Bell's second MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honor this season, as he also earned the award after NCCU's 27-22 win over Howard on Oct. 4. Jones graded out at 93 percent of his blocking assignments as he helped pave the way for the Eagles to amass 498 yards of total offense and 42 points. He recorded four pancake blocks with no penalties and did not allow a sack on Saturday. Jones is the third NCCU offensive lineman to capture the league's weekly honor in 2014.

WILKINS TOPS MEAC IN RECPTIONS, RECEIVING YARDS
NCCU junior Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) leads the MEAC in receptions per game (5.9) and receiving yards per game (70.3).  

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 1,619 career rushing yards. Clarke's 25 career rushing touchdowns rank third at NCCU, behind Joe Simmons (1990-93) with 28 and Gerald Fraylon (1981-84) with 31. Clarke is 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 HOLDS AT NO. 1 IN MEAC IN TOTAL OFFENSE
With 498 yards of total offense against Savannah State, NCCU increased its hold at the top of the MEAC rankings in total offense with 394.8 yards per game. 

EAGLES TOP MEAC, RANK FOURTH 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 fourth in the country with an average punt return of 19.0 yards, which leads the MEAC. 

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 31 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.