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

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, September 22, 2018 – Kickoff at 3:30 p.m.

THE SITE
Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium (40,004 capacity/natural grass) - Durham, N.C.

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (1-1 overall, 0-0 MEAC); Duke  (3-0 overall, 0-0 ACC)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (internet stream). Broadcast starts at 3:10 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, analyst).
Video: ACC Network Extra.

QUICK HITS
• Saturday will be the seventh meeting between Durham foes NCCU and Duke (2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017).
• NCCU's 21 points against Western Michigan (Sept. 10, 2016) are the most scored by the Eagles in 10 contests against FBS competition.
• Of the 22 college football players around the country selected to the distinguished 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, two will be on Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday: NCCU offensive lineman Nick Leverett and Duke wide receiver Johnathan Lloyd.
• In just two games, NCCU senior defensive lineman Darius Royster already has more tackles for loss than last season's team leaders (Roderick Harris and Antonio Brown with 8.5). Royster's 9.0 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage tops the FCS.
• North Carolina Central University is under the direction of first-year head coach Granville Eastman, who accepted the interim role after Jerry Mack left to be the offensive coordinator at Rice.
• NCCU senior safety Davanta Reynolds is the Preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team (Second Team) after recording six interceptions last year.
• In 2017, NCCU's defense ranked second in NCAA Division I-FCS and topped the MEAC in third-down conversion percentage defense (24.5%). The Eagles are currently second in that category again (14.3%), behind Dartmouth.
• Since the start of the 2012 season, NCCU has scored 37 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including three defensive scores last year and one this season.
• NCCU received votes in the STATS FCS Top 25 preseason poll, after finishing last season with a 7-4 overall record.
• NCCU returns just nine starters (6 offense, 3 defense), but boasts nine members of the Preseason All-MEAC Team: First Team - DB Davanta Reynolds, RB Isaiah Totten, OL Nick Leverett, DL Kawuan Cox; Second Team - TE Josh McCoy, OL Andrew Dale, DL Randy Anyanwu; Third Team - WR Xavier McKoy, and DB De'Mario Evans.

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
NCCU won three consecutive MEAC championships from 2014-16, and represented the MEAC in the 2016 Celebration Bowl versus Grambling in the Georgia Dome.
NCCU Recent Records:
2017: 7-4 overall, 5-3 MEAC
2016: 9-3 overall, 8-0 MEAC – MEAC champions
2015: 8-3 overall, 7-1 MEAC – MEAC co-champions
2014: 7-5 overall, 6-2 MEAC – MEAC co-champions

THE SERIES
This will be the seventh meeting between the Eagles of NCCU and the Blue Devils of Duke University. Duke leads the series 6-0 after a 49-14 win on Sept. 26, 2009, a 54-17 victory on Sept. 15, 2012, a 45-0 shutout on Aug. 31, 2013, a 55-0 win on Sept. 12, 2015, a 49-6 victory on Sept. 3, 2016, and a 60-7 triumph on Sept. 2, 2017, all played inside Wallace Wade Stadium.  The Blue Devils have out-scored the Eagles 312-44 in the six match-ups.

THE LAST MEETING
Duke 60, NCCU 7 (Sept. 2, 2017): An 81-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Totten highlighted NCCU's performance in a 60-7 setback against ACC opponent Duke University during the sixth "Bull City Gridiron Classic" at Wallace Wade Stadium.

LAST WEEK
NCCU's scheduled road contest against conference foe South Carolina State was postponed due to inclement weather. The contest is rescheduled for Nov. 24.

Duke 40, Baylor 27 (Waco, Texas) - Quentin Harris threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start for Duke, and the Blue Devils won 40-27 at Baylor.

THE COACHES
NCCU: Granville Eastman (Saint Mary's, 1992) is in his first season as a college head coach. With 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to his credit, Eastman joined the NCCU staff in January 2014, serving as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and safeties coach until his promotion to interim head coach on Dec. 8, 2017. Prior to joining NCCU, Eastman spent nine seasons (2005-13) as the defensive coordinator at Austin Peay State University in Clarkesville, Tennessee. During his 11 total seasons at APSU, he coached defensive backs and linebackers, and also served as special teams coordinator (2003-04) and interim head coach (winter 2013). Eastman coached four seasons (1999-2002) at Tiffin University in Ohio, including the last three seasons as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, while working with defensive backs and defensive line during his tenure. A native of Toronto, Canada, Eastman secured his first coaching position at York University in his hometown, where he spent two seasons (1994-95) working with defensive backs. He then served as a defensive graduate assistant for three seasons (1996-98) at Arkansas State University, earning a master's degree in sociology in 1999. Eastman was a two-time all-city defensive back at Stephen Leacock High School in Toronto before attending Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where he was a three-year letterman as a defensive back. Twice Saint Mary's played in national title games while he was there. Eastman earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's University in 1992.
Duke: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) was named Duke University's 21st head football coach on December 15, 2007. Cutcliffe 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. He owns a 6-2 record as a head coach in bowl tilts with victories over Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Indiana and Northern Illinois.

NCCU TIGHT END McLEOD NAMED MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
NCCU tight end Sherman McLeod has been named the MEAC Football Rookie of the Week for his performance during a 51-14 win over Saint Augustine's, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced Monday. McLeod, a redshirt freshman out of Raleigh, North Carolina, caught three passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns against the Falcons. The Southeast Raleigh High School product scored on first-half receptions of 13 and 10 yards, while adding a 31-yard grab.

NINE NCCU EAGLES VOTED TO PRESEASON ALL-MEAC TEAMS
Nine NCCU Eagles were voted to the Preseason All-MEAC Football Teams. Earning All-MEAC First Team honors for NCCU are Preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year senior defensive back Davanta Reynolds, sophomore running back Isaiah Totten, junior offensive lineman Nick Leverett, and junior defensive lineman Kawuan Cox. Three NCCU Eagles on the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team are senior tight end Josh McCoy, sophomore offensive lineman Andrew Dale, and senior defensive lineman Randy Anyanwu. Receiving Preseason All-MEAC Third Team honors are junior wide receiver Xavier McKoy and senior defensive back De'Mario Evans.

THREE NCCU EAGLES ON HBCU PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Three NCCU Eagles – senior safety Davanta Reynolds, sophomore running back Isaiah Totten and freshman running back Jamal Currie-Elliott - are among the 52 student-athletes from 25 different HBCUs to be named to the 2018 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award, the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced Wednesday. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University. The winner of the 2018 Black College Football Player of the Year Award will be honored with the Deacon Jones Trophy during the Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which takes place on Feb. 16, 2019 in Atlanta. Four finalists will be unveiled on Nov. 29.

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 71 games, NCCU has scored 37 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including one this season, three in 2017, three 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 14 punt returns, six kickoff returns, three blocked field goal returns, 11 interceptions and three fumble recoveries. 

FOUR EAGLES ALREADY EARNED UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
Four NCCU student-athletes on this season's football team have already earned their undergraduate degrees: OL Nick Leverett, LB King Kiaku, DB Jamarcus Johnson, and WR Marvin Zanders (graduate transfer from Missouri).

LEVERETT RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
NCCU offensive lineman Nick Leverett is one of only 22 college football players selected for distinguished recognition on the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, as announced by Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been one of the most esteemed honors in college football for more than 25 years, celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of college football student-athletes on the field, in the classroom and in the community. A native of Concord, North Carolina, Leverett is a two-time All-MEAC offensive lineman and team captain, a three-year graduate with a degree in criminal justice and a 3.37 overall grade point average, a campus leader, and an active participant in community service. Two other NCCU football student-athletes have earned distinction on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® in recent years, Jordan Reid (current NCCU running backs coach) in 2013 and Carl Jones in 2016.

LONG SNAPPER SCHLECKER EARNS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONOR
NCCU senior long snapper Erik Schlecker was named to the HERO Sports 2018 FCS Preseason All-American Team. A native of Sunrise, Florida, Schlecker earned a spot on the FCS Preseason All-American Third Team for achieving a 99 percent success rate on his snaps with only one errant snap in the past two seasons at NCCU. The transfer from ASA College also boasts a snap time average of 0.75 seconds. To his credit, each NCCU teammate Schlecker has snapped for during the 2016 and 2017 seasons – two placekickers and a punter – has garnered all-conference recognition.

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 seventh 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 nine occasions, boasting a record of 2-7. 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, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

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 10 times, all resulting in losses.
Sept. 2, 2017 at Duke (7-60 L)
Sept. 10, 2016 at Western Michigan (21-70 L)
Sept. 3, 2016 at Duke (6-49 L)
Sept. 19, 2015 at FIU (14-39 L)
Sept. 12, 2015 at Duke (0-55 L)
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)

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University is in its eighth season of full NCAA Division I (FCS) athletics competition as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles have won 13 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, 2016), 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 140 all-conference selections (first team), 67 all-Americans, 41 NFL draft picks, 13 conference championships and two Black College National Championships (1954, 2006). 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. 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.