Complete Game Notes (PDF)          VIDEO: Press Conference with Head Coach Jerry Mack    

THE GAME    
Howard University "Bison" at North Carolina Central University "Eagles"

THE KICKOFF    
Saturday, October 4, 2014 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.

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

THE RECORDS    
Howard (1-4 overall, 0-2 MEAC); N.C. Central (1-3 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).
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 begins the first of eight straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games.
•    Saturday will be Howard's first visit to the Bull City since 1994. 
•    The Eagles beat Howard last season in the nation's capital, but the Bison still hold a 9-8-1 series advantage.
•    Howard senior quarterback Greg McGhee was named the 2013 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and the 2014 MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He currently ranks second in the league with an average of 170.2 passing yards per game, and leads the Bison in rushing with 72.6 ground yards per game and eight rushing touchdowns.
•    NCCU leads the nation in third down conversion defense, holding opponents to just 10 first downs on 47 third down attempts (.213).
•    NCCU junior receiver and return specialist Adrian Wilkins ranks third in the nation with an average of 202.7 all-purpose yards per game. Wilkins also leads the MEAC in receptions per game (6.3) and receiving yards per game (82.0).
•    Next week (Oct. 11), NCCU visits South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff.

THE SERIES    
This will be the 19th meeting between the Eagles and the Bison. Howard leads the series with NCCU, 9-8-1. The last meeting was on Oct. 5, 2013 in Washington, D.C., with NCCU beating the Bison 37-28.

THE LAST MEETING    
(Oct. 5, 2013, in Washington, D.C.) North Carolina Central University used two special teams touchdowns and a season-high 215 rushing yards to earn a 37-28 road conference victory over Howard University inside Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C. NCCU special teams scored 17 unanswered points to turn a three-point, second-quarter deficit into a 30-14 lead going into the fourth quarter. It started when NCCU junior kicker Oleg Parent blasted a career-long 48-yard field goal on the last play of the second quarter to put the Eagles ahead 16-14 at halftime. NCCU's first two scores were touchdown runs by Idreis Augustus (6 yards) and Dequadis Tucker (17 yards). After intermission, NCCU sophomore Adrian Wilkins returned a Bison punt 89 yards for a touchdown, marking the second-longest punt return in school history. Later in the third quarter, NCCU junior Sayyid Muhammad blocked a field goal try and wisely swatted the ball away from the Bison, allowing teammate Tim Thaniel to scoop up the pigskin and race 50 yards for a touchdown. Howard gained some momentum with the third touchdown pass by quarterback Greg McGhee at the start of the fourth quarter to trim the Bison deficit to 30-20. However, NCCU quarterback Jordan Reid responded by calling his own number on third-and-one, finding a seam and sprinting 54 yards to the end zone to seal the victory. Reid's 54-yard scamper is the longest by an Eagle in 36 games, dating back to Sept. 11, 2010, when Tony McCord broke off a 93-yard touchdown run versus Winston-Salem State. With less than two minutes left in the contest, McGhee threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day and his third to receiver Jonathan Booker to make the final score 37-27 in favor of the visiting Eagles. NCCU finished with a season-best 215 ground yards, topped by Reid's 94 yards and followed by Augustus with 82 yards. Reid also completed 9-of-19 passes for 54 yards. McGhee amassed 328 passing yards and 48 rushing yards to help the Bison accumulate 467 yards of total offense. NCCU senior linebacker Tazmon Foster, the leading tackler in the MEAC, collected 12 tackles, while junior safety C.J. Moore also tallied 12 stops. Senior linebacker Tyriqe Williams contributed six takedowns and freshman Michael Jones added five tackles and three passes defended to increase his conference-high season total to 10.

LAST WEEK    
NCCU did not play last week. In their last outing, the Eagles dropped to 1-3 on the season after a 31-20 loss at Towson University. 

(North Carolina A&T 38, Howard 22) Howard scored first, but then surrendered 28 unanswered points, which proved too much to overcome in a 38-22 home loss against North Carolina A&T.

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.

Howard: Gary "Flea" Harrell (Howard, 1994), became the head football coach at his alma mater in 2011. In his first season, he guided the Bison to a 5-6 record, exceeding the win total from the three previous seasons combined. In 2012, Harrell guided Howard to a 7-4 record and a 6-2 mark in the MEAC, the first winning season for the Bison in a decade. A native of Miami, Fla., Harrell made his coaching debut as wide receivers coach at Howard in 2002. After two seasons with Howard, he had coaching stints at Texas Southern, Florida A&M, Morgan State and Bowie State. Harrell is the all-time leading receiver in Howard history and ranks among the tops in MEAC history. He played professionally with the New York Giants, the Frankfurt Galaxy and the Montreal Alouettes.

NCCU DEFENSE TOUGHEST IN NATION ON THIRD DOWN    
When NCCU opponents have the ball on third down, there is a good chance their punter will be jogging onto the field. A 79 percent change, in fact. NCCU leads the NCAA Division I-FCS ranks in third down conversion percentage defense, limiting opponents to just 10 first downs on 47 third down attempts (.213). Tennessee State is second on the list at 22.0 percent (18-of-82).

EAGLES TOP MEAC, RANK SECOND 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 second in the country with an average punt return of 27.3 yards, which leads the MEAC. 

MEAC'S TOP RECEIVER IS NCCU'S WILKINS    
NCCU junior Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) leads the MEAC in receptions per game (6.3) and receiving yards per game (82.0), ranking 19th and 30th in the NCAA Division I-FCS, respectively. The receiver and return specialist also ranks third in the nation (FCS) with an average of 202.7 all-purpose yards per game. 

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 27 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 OPENS MEAC PLAY    
Since becoming eligible to compete for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in 2011, NCCU has a conference record of 9-15. The Eagles posted league marks of 1-7 in 2011, 5-3 in 2012 and 3-5 in 2013. 

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. 

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. 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.