DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University football program will return to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium this Saturday, taking on the Spartans of Norfolk State.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+. The Eagles will also take the occasion to celebrate the seniors who will be playing their next-to-last home game.

The Match-Up: This will be the 22nd meeting between the Eagles and the Spartans. NCCU leads the all-time series 14-7. In all, the Eagles have won four straight and nine of the last 11 meetings between the two teams. As head coach, Trei Oliver is 4-1 against Norfolk State.

NCCU vs. the MEAC: Since taking over as head coach before the 2019 season, Oliver is 20-10 in MEAC games following this past Saturday's win at Howard. 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 57-43 in conference games.

NCCU at Home: The Eagles are 19-8 at home under Oliver, after falling to Delaware State, 35-26 on Oct. 25. The Eagles are 1-2 at home so far this season. The Eagles have finished with a winning home record in each of the last four seasons, including undefeated home campaigns in 2022 (4-0) and 2023 (5-0). The Eagles went 4-1 at home last season.

Last Time Out: NCCU (6-3, 1-1 MEAC) bounced back with a 35-14 win on the road over Howard University this past Saturday, a game in which quarterback Walker Harris threw for four touchdown passes, and wide receiver Chauncey Spikes had a career day. Spikes caught nine passes for a career-high 208 yards and three touchdowns. It was his second triple-digit receiving game of the season, and Spikes recorded the fifth highest single-game receiving total in program history. Harris' four touchdown passes were a season high, and he has thrown 16 touchdowns in the last six games. Running back Arthur Rodgers recorded his second 100-yard game of the season, rushing 15 times for a team-high 126 yards. Zarion Walters and Mekhi Bigelow led the Eagles' defense with seven tackles each. Walters added two tackles for loss, and Thomas Johnson had two sacks for the Eagles. With 478 total yards, the Eagles have recorded at least 450 yards of total offense in six straight games. NCCU's defense held the Bison to just 174 total yards, the second time the Eagles have held an opponent under 200 yards this season.

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 four scores at Howard, Harris has thrown 16 touchdown passes in the last six games. Through nine contests, he ranks fourth in FCS in passing yards and t-12th in passing touchdowns. He is the MEAC's top passer, and the only quarterback in the conference to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. With 2,467 passing yards so far this season, Harris is 33 yards shy of becoming just the fifth quarterback in Eagles history to pass for 2,500 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 four 100-yard rushing games so far this season, Mosley currently leads the MEAC (and sits ninth nationally) in all-purpose yards and is second in both rushing yards (where he ranks 12th in the nation) and rushing yards per game (15th 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 had two sacks against Howard, currently sits tied for sixth in all of FCS in sacks, and he also sits second in the MEAC (and ranks t-17th nationally) in tackles for loss.

Scouting Norfolk State: The Spartans are 1-8 overall and 0-2 in MEAC play in their first season under head coach Michael Vick. Norfolk State dropped its last game on Thursday, Oct. 30, falling 27-20 to Delaware State at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Norfolk State's lone win of the season came on Sept. 6, when they defeated Virginia State 34-30 in overtime. Quarterback Otto Kuhns is second in the MEAC in passing, averaging nearly 211 yards per game through the air. He has thrown for 1,896 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. The Spartans also have two receivers ranked in the top five in the conference in receiving yards: DreSean Kendrick is fourth in the MEAC with 64.0 receiving yards per game, while Kam'Ryn Thomas is fifth with 59.0 yards per contest. Norfolk State ranks third in the MEAC in passing offense, averaging nearly 225 yards per game. Terique Miles and Major Dillard each have 58 tackles to lead the Spartans defense, the second-highest total in the conference.

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.