DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University football team will return to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday to square off against Virginia University of Lynchburg.

The game will kick off at 2 p.m., live on ESPN+.

Series History: This will be the second all-time meeting between the Eagles and the Dragons. N.C. Central won the first meeting on Sept. 24, 2022, defeating VUL 59-14 after racking up 465 yards of total offense.

Last Time Out: The Eagles (4-2, 1-0 MEAC) won their third straight game this past Saturday, defeating Campbell 45-14 in Buies Creel, N.C. Quarterback Walker Harris threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, and N.C. Central held the Camels to just 281 yards of total offense.

VUL (0-6) has lost nine straight games, dating back to the 2023 season. This includes a 28-10 loss at Texas Southern this past weekend, a game in which the Dragons recorded their highest point total of the season.

Non-Conference Success: N.C. Central is 17-12 in non-conference games under head coach Trei Oliver (3-2 this season). This weekend's game against UVL will be the non-conference finale for the Eagles. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Eagles are 14-4--which includes wins over three top 25 teams (No. 25 Elon [2023], No. 25 New Hampshire [2022], and No. 5 Jackson State [2022]). 

Taylor Made: N.C. Central has been known for producing some great running backs, and J'Mari Taylor is cut from the same fabric as the others. He has recorded 540 yards and eight touchdowns to average 90 rushing yards per game. He has 14 receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown as well. He has scored at least one touchdown running the ball in every game he has played in this season. Taylor leads the team and the MEAC in scoring with 54 points. He is currently sixth in NCAA FCS in total touchdowns with nine, ninth in the NCAA in rushing touchdowns with eight and nine scoring overall.  

Quick on the Uptake: In the games against North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State, Markell Quick had a combined nine receptions for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Over that same span, he recorded two catches of 60 yards or more. Against North Carolina A&T, Quick had four catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, and against Norfolk State, he had five catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. It marked his first 100-yard receiving game, and the first multi-touchdown game of his career. 

The Coaches: Trei Oliver (N.C. Central, 1998) is in his fifth season as a college head coach. With 24 years of college coaching experience that includes five conference championships and three Black college football national titles, Oliver returned to his alma mater as North Carolina Central University's 24th head football coach in December 2018. A native of Yorktown, Va., Oliver earned all-conference and all-region honors as a defensive back and punter during his four-year playing career at NCCU from 1994-97. The 1998 graduate later returned to NCCU as an assistant coach from 2003-06, helping the Eagles to back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships in 2005 and 2006.

Coaching VUL, Tim Newman's football journey took off as an electrifying athlete at Olympic High School. The multi-sport athlete is a Charlotte, N.C., native, where his versatility on the field earned him recognition with an all-county selection. Continuing his athletic pursuits at Johnson C. Smith University, Newman's dominance as a running back was unparalleled. He secured three consecutive selections for the CIAA AllConference recognition and unanimously claimed the offensive MVP title for three consecutive years with the Golden Bulls.Newman's aspirations led him to the NFL, where he realized his dream by signing with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1986. Following his NFL career, he displayed his talents with the Las Vegas Aces in the World Indoor Football League.

NCCU the MEAC Favorite: The 2022 MEAC champion and HBCU national champion Eagles were selected as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for the second straight season.

Four Eagles made the preseason first team: Trevon Humphrey (OL), Jaden Taylor (DL), Kole Jones (DB) and Juan Velarde (P/K). Four more Eagles were on the second team list: J'Mari Taylor (RB), Joaquin Davis (WR), Ja'Quan Sprinkle (OL), and Max U'Ren (LB).

Nationally, NCCU is receiving votes in both the Stats Perform FCS and AFCA Coaches polls.

Youth Movement: Underclassmen have played a significant role with the Eagles during the first six games this season, and that shows just how much youth is on this team. There are 56 underclassmen on the roster (freshman or sophomore), and they continue to play snaps for the Eagles. Five games into the season, 40 of the 56 underclassmen have seen playing time.

A North Carolina State of Mind: NCCU's emphasis on recruiting talent in North Carolina is demonstrated with 63 Eagles calling the Tar Heel state their home out of the 110 student-athletes on the team's season-opening roster (63%).

A North Carolina State of Mind, Part Two: Oliver has made a point of playing schools from the state of North Carolina, and there are four on the schedule this year (Elon, North Carolina, North Carolina A&T and Campbell). There have been at least two teams from the Tar Heel State on the schedule each year since Oliver took over as head coach. 

Since 2011, the Eagles are 20-21 against teams from North Carolina and Oliver has an 8-6 advantage. The Eagles went 4-0 against teams from North Carolina just a year ago, and they are 6-3 over the last two-plus seasons. This season, the Eagles are 0-2 against in-state opponents with North Carolina A&T and Campbell left to play.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.