TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The North Carolina Central University football program returns to action this Saturday, hitting the road to take on former conference rival Florida A&M at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m.

The game will air live on HBCUGo.

The Match-Up: This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2019, when FAMU defeated the Eagles 28-21 in Tallahassee, Fla. Dating back to 2011, the Rattlers lead the series 4-3 and have won two straight. FAMU leads the all-time series, dating back to 1939, 8-4-1.

NCCU vs. The SWAC: Since rejoining the MEAC in 2010, the Eagles are 5-3 against teams from the SWAC. Oliver is 5-1 against teams from the SWAC, following the Eagles' 31-14 win over Southern in the season opener. This record doesn't include prior games against Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman, when both schools were still MEAC members. This will be the Eagles' second contest against a SWAC program this season.

NCCU on the Road: NCCU is 15-16 on the road under Oliver, 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 (4-2) won its third straight on Saturday, Sept. 27, holding on for a 50-42 win over East Texas A&M. It marked the third straight game in which the Eagles recorded at least 45 points. Quarterback Walker Harris threw two more touchdown passes, giving him eight in the last three games. He finished the night with 288 yards through the air. Running back Arthur Rodgers found the end zone twice. Kicker Kaleb Robison kicked multiple field goals in a game for the third time in the last four; he was good from 20 and 24 yards. Wide receiver Chauncey Spikes recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game, going for 133 yards on six catches. With 457 yards of total offense, the Eagles have racked up at least 450 yards in each of the last three games.

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 at East Texas A&M, Harris has thrown eight touchdown passes in the last three games. Through six contests, he ranks fifth in FCS in passing yards and t-19th in passing touchdowns. He is the MEAC's top passer, and the only quarterback in the conference to eclipse the 1,500-yard mark. Harris 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. After accounting for five touchdowns against North Carolina A&T, Mosley currently leads the MEAC (and sits sixth nationally) in all-purpose yards and is second in both rushing yards (where he ranks ninth in the nation) and rushing yards per game (14th 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 12th in all of FCS in sacks, and he also leads the MEAC (and ranks t-35th nationally) in tackles for loss.

Scouting Florida A&M: The Rattlers sit at 1-3 coming into this weekend's contest, in their second season under head coach James Colzie III. FAMU is also coming off a bye week, having dropped its SWAC opener on Saturday, Sept. 27, 42-14 to Alabama State. The Rattlers' lone win of the season so far came on Sept. 13, a 33-25 triumph over Albany State. FAMU was picked to finish second in the SWAC East division this season, behind Jackson State, and the Rattlers had eight named Preseason All-SWAC – including six First Team honorees. Thad Franklin, Jr., is the team's top rusher, averaging 61.5 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback RJ Johnson III is averaging just over 202 yards per game through the air, with five touchdowns and no interceptions in four games. Linebacker Jason Riles is the team's leading tackler, with 26 total stops, and 3.0 tackles for loss so far this season.

Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 22-14 in non-conference games under Oliver after defeating East Texas A&M 50-42 on Sept. 27. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Eagles are 19-6 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 will face opponents from the SWAC, CAA Football, the Sun Belt, the CIAA and the Southland Conference. NCCU also faced one FBS opponent this season in Old Dominion. The Eagles went 4-2 in non-conference play in 2024.

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.