BALTIMORE – The North Carolina Central University football program will wrap up the 2025 season on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Bears of Morgan State at Hughes Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.

The Match-Up: This will be the 46th meeting on the gridiron between NCCU and Morgan State since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930. The Bears hold a 23-20-2 advantage in the all-time series. NCCU is currently riding a seven-game win streak in the series, dating back to 2015. 

NCCU vs. the MEAC: Since taking over as head coach before the 2019 season, head coach Trei Oliver is 21-11 in MEAC games following this past week's loss to South Carolina 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 58-44 in conference games.

NCCU on the Road: NCCU is 17-16 on the road under Oliver after the Eagles' win at Howard on Nov. 1, and the Eagles have been .500 or better on the road in each of the last three seasons. The Eagles are 4-1 on the road this season. They 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 (7-4, 2-2 MEAC) saw its late comeback fall short on Friday, Nov. 14, as South Carolina State defeated the Eagles 34-27 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The Eagles have lost multiple conference games in a season for the first time since 2019. Running back Chris Mosley has five 100-yard rushing games on the season after running for 105 yards against the Bulldogs. Mosley is 171 yards away from 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Quarterback Walker Harris has thrown 20 touchdown passes in his last eight games. Wide receiver Mekhi Wall racked up a season-high 88 receiving yards on five catches, and he recorded his fourth score of the season. Kicker Kaleb Robison kicked multiple field goals in a game for the fifth time this season, and defensive back Jelani Vassell set a new career high with 12 tackles.

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 a score against South Carolina State, Harris has thrown 20 touchdown passes in the last eight games. Through 11 contests, he ranks fourth in FCS in passing yards and t-11th in passing touchdowns. He is the MEAC's top passer, and the only quarterback in the conference to eclipse the 2,500-yard mark. With 2,950 passing yards so far this season, Harris has the second highest single-season passing total in program history. He is 50 yards shy of becoming just the second Eagle ever to pass for 3,000 yards in a season. 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. Having recorded five 100-yard rushing games so far this season, Mosley currently leads the MEAC (and sits 13th nationally) in all-purpose yards and is second in both rushing yards (where he ranks t-16th in the nation) and rushing yards per game (16th in FCS).

Oliver High on Johnson: Oliver expected 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, who has at least one sack in the last three games, currently sits seventh in all of FCS in sacks, leading the MEAC, and he also sits second in the MEAC (and ranks t-12th nationally) in tackles for loss.

Scouting Morgan State: The Bears are 4-7 overall and 1-3 in MEAC play following a 35-28 win over Norfolk State this past weekend. Morgan snapped a three-game losing streak with the win. Morgan State ranks second in the MEAC in rushing offense, averaging 170.5 yards per game on the ground. The Bears are third in the MEAC in scoring defense (26.0 ppg) and total defense (351.2 ypg). Running back Randall Nauden is the MEAC's fifth leading rusher this season, averaging 51.0 yards per game. He has 561 yards on 112 attempts this season, with six touchdowns. Linebacker Erick Hunter is the MEAC's leading tackler. He's racked up 91 stops on the season, an average of 8.3 a contest, and he ranks third in the league with 47 tackles for loss. Linebacker Jianni Woodson-Brooks is fifth in the MEAC in tackles, with 66.

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.