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THE GAME    
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" vs. Duke University "Blue Devils"

THE KICKOFF    
Saturday, September 12, 2015 – Kickoff at 6:04 p.m. 

THE SITE    
Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941 capacity/Natural Grass) - Durham, N.C.

THE RECORDS    
N.C. Central (1-0 overall, 0-0 MEAC); Duke (1-0 overall, 0-0 ACC)

MEDIA COVERAGE    
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 5:30 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).
Video: ESPN3 - Broadcast starts at 6:00 p.m. (Alex Faust, play-by-play; Stan Lewter, color analyst). #NCCUvsDUKE

TICKETS    
Special ticket packages available. Visit GoDuke.com for details.

QUICK HITS    
•    Saturday will be the fourth meeting between Durham foes NCCU and Duke (2009, 2012, 2013).
•    Both NCCU and Duke are coming off big season-opening victories. The Eagles blanked Saint Augustine's 72-0, while the Blue Devils hit the road to rip Tulane 37-7.
•    This will be the first home game for Duke inside newly-renovated Wallace Wade Stadium.
•    NCCU received two votes in this week's STATS FCS Top 25 poll.
•    NCCU's 72 points scored in week one are the most by an FCS team this season and ranks second in school history. (85 points vs. Fort Jackson, Sept. 21, 1946)
•    NCCU's 72-0 win over Saint Augustine's is the first shutout by the Eagles since a 59-0 victory against Johnson C. Smith on Sept. 2, 2010.
•    NCCU junior Mike Jones broke the single-game school record with 145 punt return yards on five attempts during the Eagles' season-opener versus Saint Augustine's. 
•    In the past 35 games (start of 2012 season), NCCU has scored 26 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including two already in 2015.

FLASHBACK TO 2014    
•    NCCU won a share of the MEAC Championship with a 6-2 conference record.
•    The Eagles posted the most wins as a NCAA Division I-FCS program with a 7-5 overall record.
•    The Eagles earned the program's first win over a nationally-ranked FCS opponent by defeating No. 24 North Carolina A&T in the final game of the season on Nov. 22.
•    NCCU broke the school record for completions in a season with 227, topping the mark set by the 2011 Eagles of 210.
•    The Eagles ranked third in the nation (FCS) in turnover margin at +12.0.
•    NCCU sophomore Malcolm Bell passed for 1,982 yards with 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions, completing 177 of 286 passes. 

THE SERIES    
This will be the fourth meeting between the Eagles of NCCU and the Blue Devils of Duke University. Duke leads the series 3-0 after a 49-14 win on Sept. 26, 2009, a 54-17 victory on Sept. 15, 2012 and a 45-0 triumph on Aug. 31, 2013, all played inside Wallace Wade Stadium.  The Blue Devils have out-scored the Eagles 148-31 in the three match-ups.

THE LAST MEETING    
(Aug. 31, 2013 - 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. 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.

THE COACHES    
NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his second 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.

Duke: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) was named Duke University's 21st head football coach on December 15, 2007. Cutcliffe, born September 16, 1954, came to Duke after serving the previous two seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee. His head coaching experience includes a six-year stint at the University of Mississippi from 1999-2004, where he compiled a 44-29 (.603) ledger with five winning seasons, five bowl game appearances and a share of the SEC Western Division championship in 2003. Cutcliffe was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2003 after leading the Rebels to a 10-3 record, including a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. Cutcliffe has participated in 22 bowl games including the 1982 Peach, 1983 Florida Citrus, 1984 Sun, 1986 Sugar, 1986 Liberty, 1988 Peach, 1990 Cotton, 1991 Sugar, 1992 Fiesta, 1993 Hall of Fame, 1994 Florida Citrus, 1994 Gator, 1996 Florida Citrus, 1997 Florida Citrus, 1998 Orange, 1998 Independence, 1999 Independence, 2000 Music City, 2002 Independence, 2004 Cotton, 2007 Outback, 2008 Outback and 2012 Belk. He owns a 4-2 record as a head coach in bowl tilts with victories over Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. As a member of the coaching staff at Tennessee from 1982-98, Cutcliffe helped the Volunteers to four SEC championships, 16 bowl games in 17 seasons and the national title in 1998. His first tenure with the Vols featured the mentoring of quarterbacks Andy Kelly, Heath Shuler, Tee Martin and Peyton Manning.

HARD TIMES AGAINST FBS OPPONENTS    
Since departing the NCAA Division II ranks at the end of the 2006 season, the Eagles have lined up against a NCAA Division I-FBS opponent five times, all resulting in losses.
Aug. 30, 2014 at East Carolina (7-52 L)
Aug. 31, 2013 at Duke (0-45 L)
Sept. 15, 2012 at Duke (17-54 L)
Sept. 1, 2011 at Rutgers (0-48 L)
Sept. 26, 2009 at Duke (14-49 L)

NCCU EAGLES NO STRANGERS TO WALLACE WADE STADUIM    
Durham neighbors North Carolina Central University and Duke University will meet on the gridiron for just the fourth time on Saturday inside Wallace Wade Stadium, but the Eagles are no strangers to Duke's home field. NCCU has played football contests at Wallace Wade Stadium on six occasions, boasting a record of 2-4. The Eagles made their first known appearance at Wallace Wade Stadium on Nov. 18, 1972, in a game against rival North Carolina A&T that determined the MEAC championship. NCCU edged the Aggies 9-7. Two weeks later (Dec. 2, 1972), NCCU returned to Wallace Wade Stadium for the first Pelican Bowl against Grambling, in an event that was tagged as the National Black Championship game. The Tigers cruised to a 56-6 victory. On Nov. 23, 1974, the Eagles once again defeated rival North Carolina A&T, this time by a score of 29-18. NCCU faced Duke for the first time inside Wallace Wade Stadium on Sept. 26, 2009, and since in 2012 and 2013.

NCCU'S HISTORIC 72 POINTS IN WEEK ONE ARE MOST IN FCS    
The 72 points scored by NCCU in its season-opening shutout of Saint Augustine's University are the most tallied by any team in NCAA Division I-FCS in the first week of the season. The scoring output ranks second in school history, trailing an 85-point explosion by the 1946 Eagles against Fort Jackson (Sept. 21, 1946).

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 35 games, NCCU has scored 26 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including two in 2015, five in 2014, nine in 2013 and 10 in 2012. In that time, the Eagles have made trips to the end zone on 10 punt returns, six kickoff returns, three blocked field goal returns, five interceptions and two fumble recoveries. 

JONES BREAKS SCHOOL PUNT RETURN RECORD    
During a season-opening win over Saint Augustine's (Sept. 5), NCCU junior Mike Jones (Baltimore, Md.) broke a 46-year-old single-game school record with 145 punt return yards on only five attempts. The previous record was held by Moses Bryant with 140 punt return yards against Livingstone on Sept. 27, 1969. Last season, Jones earned First Team All-MEAC and FCS All-America honors as a punt returner with a 19.1-yard average. He is currently average 21.6 yards per punt return during his NCCU career (20 punt returns, 432 yards).

NCCU PICKED TO FINISH FORTH IN MEAC    
Coming off a season with the most wins during the Division I-FCS era with a 7-5 record and a share of the MEAC Championship, NCCU was predicted to finish fourth and received four first-place votes from the league's football head coaches and sports information directors.

EIGHT EAGLES EARN PRESEASON ALL-MEAC HONORS    
Eight NCCU Eagles earned a place on the 2015 Preseason All-MEAC Football Teams. NCCU representatives on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are junior quarterback Malcolm Bell (Richmond, Va.), senior offensive lineman Clevonne Davis (Miramar, Fla.) and junior Mike Jones (Baltimore, Md.), who claimed two spots as a defensive back and a return specialist. Garnering second-team honors for the Eagles are senior wide receiver Quentin Atkinson (Raleigh, N.C.), junior center Carl Jones (Nashville, Tenn.) and senior defensive back C.J. Moore (Raleigh, N.C.). On the third team are junior linebacker Jeremy Thompson (Durham, N.C.) and sophomore tight end Jvon Simmons (La Plata, Md.).

FUMBLE!  EAGLES RANK SECOND IN NATION IN FUMBLES RECOVERED    
NCCU recovered 19 fumbles during the 2014 season, which ranked second in the NCAA Division I-FCS behind Albany-NY (20). NCCU senior defensive end Felix Small (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was the national FCS leader with seven forced fumbles, which is an NCCU single-season record. Linebacker Jordan Miles (Woodbridge, Va.) recovered four fumbles, while safeties C.J. Moore (Raleigh, N.C.) and Theo Livingston (Fayetteville, N.C.) collected three fumble recoveries each.

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL    
North Carolina Central University is in its fifth season of full NCAA Division I (FCS) athletic competition as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles have won 11 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, 2014), 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, 11 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.