WASHINGTON, D.C. – The North Carolina Central University football program will hit the road for the fourth time in five games this Saturday, taking on the Bison of Howard University at Greene Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.

The Match-Up: This will be the 29th meeting between the Eagles and the Bison. N.C. Central leads the series 17-10-1. Prior to the 2023 season, the Eagles had won 10 in a row against Howard. In all, the Eagles have won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams. As head coach, Trei Oliver is 4-1 against Howard.

NCCU vs. the MEAC: Since taking over as head coach before the 2019 season, head coach Trei Oliver is 19-10 in MEAC games following this past Saturday's loss to Delaware State. This includes a 4-1 mark in conference play in each of the last four seasons. 2019 was NCCU's last losing season in MEAC play, when the Eagles went 3-5. Since rejoining the MEAC in 2011, the Eagles are 56-43 in conference games.

NCCU on the Road: North Carolina Central is 16-16 on the road under Oliver after the Eagles' win at Florida A&M, and the Eagles have been .500 or better on the road in each of the last three seasons. The Eagles went 2-2 on the road in 2024, and 3-3 in 2023. In 2022, when NCCU won the MEAC title, the Eagles were 4-2 on the road.

Last Time Out: NCCU (5-3, 0-1 MEAC) dropped its MEAC opener this past Saturday, falling 35-26 to Delaware State at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The loss snapped the Eagles' four-game winning streak. Quarterback Walker Harris led the way with 354 passing yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Chance Peterson caught six passes for 134 yards, his second straight 100-yard game. Wide receiver Nasim Cosby caught his first touchdown of the season, and his first as an Eagle. Three Eagles recorded double-digit tackles: defensive back Jelani Vassell had a career-high 11, while defensive back Isaiah Lawson and linebacker Max U'Ren each added 10. NCCU's defense has recorded four safeties this season; the Eagles also had two against North Carolina A&T and one against East Texas A&M.

Harris Busts Out: Harris followed up his career performance against Fayetteville State with another fantastic game, passing for 380 yards and three touchdowns against North Carolina A&T. After throwing for two scores against Delaware State, Harris has thrown 12 touchdown passes in the last five games. Through eight contests, he ranks fourth in FCS in passing yards and t-18th in passing touchdowns. He is the MEAC's top passer, and the only quarterback in the conference to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. Harris, who has thrown 10 touchdown passes in the last four games, came into the season as a Preseason First Team All-MEAC honoree and one of the players on Stats Perform's HBCU Player of the Year Watch List. He was also named to the 2025 Black College Football Player of the Year Watch List.

Mosley Starting Strong: Running back Chris Mosley has come out of the gates strong in the Eagles' first six games. He ran for a game-high 182 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against Southern, en route to being named the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kick-Off MVP. The performance was the first 100-yard rushing game of Mosley's collegiate career; Mosley recorded another 100-yard rushing effort against New Hampshire, going for 106 yards on 19 carries. Having recorded four 100-yard rushing games so far this season, Mosley currently leads the MEAC (and sits sixth nationally) in all-purpose yards and is second in both rushing yards (where he ranks 11th in the nation) and rushing yards per game (13th in FCS).

Oliver High on Johnson: Oliver expects big things out of defensive lineman Thomas Johnson this season, his fourth with the program. Johnson, a senior from Lawndale, Calif., has played in 25 career games to this point. In 2024, Johnson had 11 tackles in three games, including five tackles for loss and four sacks. Johnson was strong in the season opener against Southern, with seven tackles (two for loss), a sack, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He added six tackles and 1.5 sacks against New Hampshire. Johnson currently sits tied for 14th in all of FCS in sacks, and he also sits second in the MEAC (and ranks t-30th nationally) in tackles for loss.

Scouting Howard: The Bison are 4-4 on the season, sitting 1-0 in MEAC play after defeating Morgan State 33-27 in overtime this past Saturday. Howard went 3-4 in non-conference play, with wins over Florida A&M, Hampton and Morehouse College. Anthony Reagan, Jr., is the team's leading rusher with 509 yards and seven touchdowns. He is averaging just over 63 yards on the ground. Quarterback Tyriq Starks has thrown for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. Howard boasts the best scoring defense (22.1 ppg) and total defense (308.5 ypg) in the MEAC. The Bison also have the conference's best passing defense, holding opponents to just 142.5 yards per game through the air. Defensive back Kedrick Green leads the Bison defense with 38 total tackles, and he is one of three Howard defenders with an interception this season. Three Bison have at least three sacks on the year: linebacker Ja'Quavion Smith, as well as defensive linemen Noah Miles and CJ Wesley.

Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 23-14 in non-conference games under Oliver after defeating Florida A&M 45-7 on Oct. 11. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Eagles are 20-6 against opponents from outside the MEAC. This includes wins over three top 25 teams (No. 25 Elon [2023], No. 25 New Hampshire [2022], and No. 5 Jackson State [2022]). This season, the Eagles faced opponents from the SWAC, CAA Football, the Sun Belt, the CIAA and the Southland Conference this season, and NCCU also faced one FBS opponent this season in Old Dominion.

Watch Out Now: Three Eagles are on the Stats Perform HBCU Player of the Year Watchlist heading into the 2025 season: quarterback Walker Harris, defensive back Malcolm Reed and offensive lineman Trevon Humphrey. All three are Preseason First Team All-MEAC honorees, and Reed is also a Stats Perform Preseason All-American.

Continuity Up Front: NCCU will have a remarkable level of experience along the offensive front, which is uncommon in college football these days, especially in the FCS. In addition to returning quarterback Walker Harris and tight end Luke Bracey, the Eagles are returning starters at all five offensive line positions. That includes Preseason All-MEAC honorees Noah McKinney and Trevon Humphrey.

For more information on NCCU athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.