DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University football team will be back in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday, as the Eagles look to get back into the win column against Fayetteville State.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.

The Match-Up: This will be the 34th meeting between the two teams, with Eagles holding a 24-9 edge in the series. The two teams last met in 2012, when the Eagles won 54-31 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. NCCU has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.

NCCU vs. The CIAA: The Eagles are no strangers to the CIAA, having previously been members of the conference on two separate occasions (1928-70; 1980-2007). NCCU won eight combined CIAA football titles, including back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006. NCCU made three NCAA Div. II playoff appearances while CIAA members: 1988, 2005 and 2006. Head coach Trei Oliver is 4-0 against teams from the CIAA, including three wins over Winston-Salem State. NCCU last faced a CIAA squad in 2023, opening the season with a 47-21 win over Winston-Salem State.

NCCU at Home: North Carolina Central is 18-7 at home under head coach Trei Oliver, despite dropping its home opener two weeks ago against New Hampshire. 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 (1-2) dropped its first true home game of the season, falling 54-6 to Old Dominion. Sophomore kicker Kaleb Robison kicked two field goals for the Eagles, including a career-best 39-yarder. This marked Robison's first career game with multiple made field goals. ODU held the Eagles to just 224 yards of total offense on the night and 14 first downs. NCCU turned the ball over three times.

Mosley Starting Strong: Running back Chris Mosley has come out of the gates strong in the Eagles' first two 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. Averaging just over 117 yards a game on the ground, Mosley is currently second in the MEAC in rushing.

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.

Scouting Fayetteville State: The Broncos, in their ninth season under head coach Richard Hayes, Jr., enter this weekend's game at 0-2 following losses to Benedict and UNC Pembroke. Fayetteville State was picked to finish fourth in the CIAA this season, behind Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith and Virginia State. Three Broncos were named Preseason All-CIAA: redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Benjamin Hicks, graduate linebacker Jamari Slade and redshirt junior defensive back Keyshawn Monk. The Broncos went 4-5 overall last season, 3-4 in CIAA action. The campaign broke a string of six straight winning seasons for Fayetteville State.

Non-Conference Success: N.C. Central is 19-14 in non-conference games under Oliver after this past weekend's loss at Old Dominion. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Eagles are 16-6 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 will face 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.