Complete Game Notes (PDF)   |   Press Conference Video    

THE GAME    
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" vs. Morgan State University "Bears"

THE KICKOFF    
Saturday, October 22, 2016 – Kickoff at 1:00 p.m. 

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

THE RECORDS    
N.C. Central (5-2 overall, 4-0 MEAC); Morgan State (2-3 overall, 2-1 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE    
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 12:30 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play).
Video: MorganStateBears.com.
Live Statistics: MorganStateBears.com.

QUICK HITS    
•    Saturday is Morgan State University's homecoming game.
•    The last time MSU hosted NCCU for homecoming (Oct. 18, 2014), the visiting Eagles held a 20-7 fourth-quarter lead before the Bears rallied for a 21-20 victory. That loss kept NCCU from an outright MEAC Championship, while the win helped propel Morgan State to the FCS playoffs as the winner of the conference tiebreaker.
•    Saturday will be the 41st meeting between the Eagles and the Bears since the teams first met on Nov. 15, 1930.
•    Morgan State leads the series 24-14-2 over NCCU. The Bears have won seven of the past 10 meetings, including two of the last three contests.
•    Three of the last four clashes between NCCU and Morgan State (2015, 2014, 2012) have been decided with less than seven minutes left in the game.
•    Morgan State's game at Savannah State on Oct. 8 was postponed to Nov. 26 due to Hurricane Matthew.
•    NCCU owns a 17-3 record against MEAC opponents in the last three seasons under head coach Jerry Mack.
•    NCCU has won 12 consecutive games against non-FBS opponents, including 11 in-a-row versus MEAC teams.
•    With a win over Savannah State, NCCU's Jerry Mack earned his 20th victory in his 30th game as a head coach.
•    Quarterback Malcolm Bell tops the MEAC and ranks 14th nationally (FCS) in points responsible for with 96 (11 passing, 5 rushing touchdowns).
•    With 325 yards of total offense at Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 1, NCCU redshirt senior quarterback Malcolm Bell became just the third Eagle in school history to surpass 6,000 yards of total offense. The Richmond, Virginia native now has 6,572 total yards and trails only Gerald Fraylon (1981-84; 6,620 yards) and Earl Harvey (1985-88; 10,667 yards).
•    NCCU is one of only four FCS teams that have scored in every trip to the red zone. The Eagles have 16 touchdowns and seven field goals on 23 appearances inside the 20-yard line.
•    Since the start of the 2012 season, NCCU has scored 22 special teams touchdowns, including 13 trips to the end zone on punt returns.
•    NCCU received six votes in this week's STATS FCS Top 25 poll, adding two votes from last week.

2016 HIGHLIGHTS    
•    NCCU beat Bethune-Cookman 31-14 on Oct. 1 for the Eagles' first win in the series with the Wildcats since 1994, ending a six-game losing skid.
•    NCCU broke a school record with 32 first downs versus St. Augustine's on Sept. 17. 
•    NCCU's 676 yards of total offense versus St. Augustine's ranks second only to the 684 total yards amassed by the 1982 Eagles against Bowie State. The 414 passing yards against the Falcons places fourth in the NCCU record books and are the most by the Eagles since 1988.
•    NCCU's 21 points against Western Michigan are the most scored by the Eagles in nine contests against FBS competition.
•    NCCU's five fumble recoveries versus Duke on Sept. 3 are the most by the Eagles since 2010. 

FLASHBACK TO 2015    
•    NCCU repeated as co-champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with a 7-1 conference record.
•    The Eagles posted the most wins as a NCAA Division I-FCS program with an 8-3 overall record.
•    The Eagles earned the program's second win over a nationally-ranked FCS opponent by defeating No. 13/16 North Carolina A&T in the final game of the season on Nov. 21, 2015.
•    NCCU closed out season on a seven-game winning streak.
•    NCCU ranked No. 1 in the nation (FCS) in fourth down conversion percentage defense (8.3%) - allowing only one fourth down conversion all season (12 attempts) - and fourth down conversion percentage offense (81.8%/9 of 11).

THE SERIES    
This will be the 41st gridiron meeting between NCCU and Morgan State since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930. The MSU Bears hold a 24-14-2 advantage in the series. The Bears won the first five contests, then rolled off another five-game win streak from 1964-68, out-scoring 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 seven of the past 10 meetings. Three of the last four match-ups have been decided with less than seven minutes left in the contest.

Last 10 Meetings:
Oct. 24, 2015 - NCCU 20, MSU 17 (Durham, N.C.)
Oct. 18, 2014 - MSU 21, NCCU 20 (Baltimore, Md.)
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.)

THE LAST MEETING    
(NCCU 20, MSU 17 - Durham, N.C. - Oct. 24, 2015) NCCU took advantage of a late Morgan State turnover by kicking the game-winning field goal with 6:19 remaining in the contest to celebrate head coach Jerry Mack's 35th birthday with a 20-17 victory.

THE LAST TRIP TO BALTIMORE    
(Oct. 18, 2014 in Baltimore, Md. - Morgan State 21, NCCU 20) NCCU held a 20-7 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest, but Morgan State scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner coming with 32 seconds left, to stun the Eagles, 21-20.

LAST WEEK    
(NCCU 33, Savannah State 3 - Durham, N.C.) North Carolina Central University amassed 422 yards of total offence and recorded a season-best six sacks during a 33-3 homecoming victory over Savannah State University on Saturday inside a packed O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium with a crowd of 12,966 fans. A dominant defensive effort by the Eagles resulted in 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and just 141 total yards by the visiting Tigers. Junior defensive lineman Ja'Quan Smith and senior linebacker LeGrande Harley topped NCCU with eight takedowns each, with Smith contributing 1.5 hits for a loss and a sack. Linebacker Reggie Hunter and end Frederick Henry-Ajudua each collected seven tackles and 2.5 hits for a loss, while Henry-Ajudua added 1.5 sacks with a safety to increase his MEAC-leading sack total to 5.5. NCCU's lone takeaway came via an interception by senior Ronald Conyers, his first career pick. Senior quarterback Malcolm Bell topped NCCU's offensive attack with 388 yards of total offense, including 336 yards and two touchdowns through the air and 52 yards and another score on the ground. Bell connected on receptions to nine different teammates, but his favorite target on this day was sophomore Jalen Wilkes, who finished with six catches for 105 yards and a 28-yard touchdown. Four other Eagles had four receptions apiece, including Khalil Stinson (57 yards), LaVontis Smith (43 yards), Ramone Simpson (37 yards) and Jacen Murphy (30 yards). Special teams was also a homecoming force. Nathaniel Tilque averaged 44.5 yards per punt, including a downed kick at the 1-yard line that resulted in a safety. Brandon McLaren accounted for seven points with a 21-yard field goal and four extra-point kicks. LaVontis Smith broke off a 45-yard kickoff return to finish the contest with 133 all-purpose yards. And junior Mike Jones returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown, the first score of his career. Jones's touchdown is NCCU's 22nd special teams touchdown since the start of the 2012 season, including 13 trips to the end zone on punt returns.

(Hampton 21, Morgan State 12 - Hampton, Va.) Morgan State out-gained Hampton with 290 yards of total offense compared to 253 total yards by the Pirates, but Hampton took advantage of a botched punt snap and an interception to earn a 21-12 victory.

THE COACHES    
NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his third season as a college head coach. He boasts 11 years of coaching experience, including stints with five NCAA Division I programs and three conference championship teams. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, 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.

MSU: Fred Farrier (Holy Cross, 1994) is in his first season as Morgan State's interim head football coach/offensive coordinator. His appointment to the position in February came as a result of former head coach Lee Hull accepting an assistant coaching job with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Farrier had been on the Bears' staff since Lee Hull arrived in 2014. Farrier served four seasons as head coach of Kentucky State (2005-09).

BELL ACHIEVES PASSING, TOTAL OFFENSE MILESTONES    
Among NCCU career leaders, redshirt-senior quarterback Malcolm Bell (Richmond, Va.) ranks third in total offense yards (6,572) and fifth in passing yards (5,376) in his four-year career (2013-16). The dual-threat quarterback is the first Eagle in school history to amass 1,000 rushing yards (1,196) and 5,000 passing yards in a career. He is currently the school's 16th all-time leading rusher behind Lawrence Fuller (2000-03) with 1,261 career ground yards.

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 53 games, NCCU has scored 31 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including one in 2016, six 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 13 punt returns, six kickoff returns, three blocked field goal returns, seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries. 

MACK OFF TO FAST START AS NCCU HEAD COACH    
Jerry Mack is the first NCCU football head coach to win 15 games in his first two seasons. Willie Smith won 14 in 1973 (7-4) and 1974 (7-2-2). After the Eagles went 7-5 in Mack's first season for a share of the MEAC title, his squad posted an 8-3 record in 2015 to earn a second straight conference co-championship. 

TEN EAGLES EARN PRESEASON ALL-MEAC HONORS    
Ten NCCU Eagles were voted to the 2016 Preseason All-MEAC Football Team. Leading the way for NCCU on the All-MEAC First Team are senior quarterback Malcolm Bell (Richmond, Va.), senior center Carl Jones (Nashville, Tenn.), senior offensive lineman Desmond Cooper (Stafford, Va.) and senior linebacker Jeremy Miles (Durham, N.C.). All-MEAC Second Team distinction was awarded to sophomore running back Dorrel McClain (Cary, N.C.), senior offensive lineman Tarrance Wells (Oxon Hill,, Md.), junior defensive lineman Antonio Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.), sophomore defensive back Davanta Reynolds (Tucker, Ga.) and senior return specialist LaVontis Smith (Maben, Miss.). Junior defensive lineman Ja'Quan Smith (Miramar, Fla.) rounded out NCCU's selections on the All-MEAC Third Team.

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL    
North Carolina Central University is in its sixth season of full NCAA Division I (FCS) athletic competition as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles have won 12 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, 2015), 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 136 all-conference selections, 65 all-Americans, 41 NFL draft picks, 12 conference championships and two Black College National Championships. 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. 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 Ryan Smith, who was chosen by the Buccaneers in the fourth round in 2016. 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. 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.