GREENSBORO, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University football team will hit the road for its annual rivalry game against North Carolina A&T State University, the Aggie/Eagle Classic, on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Truist Stadium, and the game will air live on FloFootball.

The Match-Up: This will be the 97th meeting all-time between the two teams, with the Aggies leading 54-37-5. But the Eagles have won each of the last three meetings, including a 66-24 victory in Durham last season. NCCU is 13-25-4 all-time against the Aggies in Greensboro. Head coach Trei Oliver is 3-2 against the Aggies.

NCCU vs. CAA Football: Since his arrival, Oliver holds a 5-4 mark against teams from the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA, formerly Colonial Athletic Association), with wins over New Hampshire, North Carolina A&T, Campbell and Elon. This will be NCCU's second game of the season against a team from the CAA. The Eagles played host to New Hampshire in Week 2, falling 27-10.

NCCU on the Road: North Carolina Central is 13-16 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 (2-2) got back into the win column this past Saturday with a 49-19 victory over Fayetteville State in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Quarterback Walker Harris threw for a career-high 387 yards and three touchdowns. He connected at least twice with eight different receivers. The Eagles notched 499 yards of total offense, their highest total since racking up 563 last season against Howard. Thomas Johnson led the Eagles defense with five tackles, all solo, and two sacks.

Harris Busts Out: This past Saturday against Fayetteville State, Harris threw for a career-high 387 yards and three touchdowns. He was named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week, as well as Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Week. Through four games, Harris ranks fifth in the NCAA in passing yards. He also leads the MEAC in passing yards, passing yards per game and passing touchdowns. 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 (Centennial HS) 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. Mosley currently leads the MEAC in all-purpose yards, rushing yards (where he ranks fifth in the nation) and rushing yards per game.

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. With five tackles and two sacks this past Saturday against Fayetteville State, Johnson was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week. He has at least one sack in every game so far this season. Johnson currently sits third in all of FCS in sacks, and he also leads the MEAC (and ranks 19th nationally) in tackles for loss.

Scouting North Carolina A&T: The Aggies are in their first season under head coach Shawn Gibbs, and they picked up their first-ever CAA Football win this past Saturday, defeating Hampton 33-30 in double overtime. NCAT is 1-2 on the season, with a 1-0 mark in league play. NCAT, which finished 1-11 and 0-8 in the CAA last season, was picked to finish 14th out of 14 teams in the CAA this season. Offensive lineman Korion Sharpe was named Preseason All-CAA, while returner Aaron Harris earned honorable mention preseason accolades. Running back Wesley Graves is the Aggies' best offensive weapon so far this season, rushing for 175 yards and two touchdowns in three games.

Aggie-Eagle Connections: There will be no shortage of connections on the sidelines for this year's Aggie-Eagle Classic. Oliver coached with current Aggies head coach Shawn Gibbs when the Eagles won their CIAA titles in 2005 and 2006. In addition, two former NCCU assistant coaches are now on Gibbs' staff in Greensboro: assistant head coach/defensive line coach Courtney Coard, and defensive backs coach Tony McRae. Coard was on Oliver's staff for three seasons, including as defensive coordinator in 2024, and McRae also served the Eagles for three seasons. McRae played his college ball for the Aggies, and Oliver was one of his coaches.

Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 20-14 in non-conference games under Oliver after this past weekend's win over Fayetteville State. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Eagles are 17-6 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. 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.