COMMERCE, Texas – The North Carolina Central University football team will hit the road again this weekend, squaring off against East Texas A&M at Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will air live on ESPN+.
The Match-Up: This will be the first ever meeting between the two teams.
NCCU vs. The Southland: Saturday's game will mark the Eagles' first game against a team from the Southland Conference. The Southland Conference is made up of 10 institutions: East Texas A&M, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, McNeese State, New Orleans, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Texas Rio Grande Valley.
NCCU on the Road: North Carolina Central is 14-16 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 (3-2) dismantled North Carolina A&T 62-20 this past Saturday for its second straight win overall and fourth straight in the rivalry. The Eagles racked up a program-record 745 yards of total offense, 346 on the ground, and running back Chris Mosley accounted for five touchdowns (three rushing, two receiving). Quarterback Walker Harris threw for three scores and 380 yards, and running back Arthur Rodgers added a pair of rushing touchdowns. Defensively, NCCU held its second straight opponent under 300 yards, as the Aggies only recorded 294 total yards.
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. Through five games, Harris ranks second in FCS in passing yards and 10th in passing touchdowns. He is the MEAC's top passer, and the only quarterback in the conference to eclipse the 1,000-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 five 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 – earning MEAC and national player of the week honors – Mosley leads the MEAC in all-purpose yards, rushing yards (where he ranks third 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. Johnson currently sits 11th in all of FCS in sacks, and he also leads the MEAC (and ranks 29th nationally) in tackles for loss.
Scouting East Texas A&M: The Lions are in their third season under head coach Clint Dolezel, and they come into this matchup 0-3 after this past Saturday's 31-28 loss at Grambling State. East Texas A&M was picked to finish seventh, tied with Houston Christian, in the Southland Conference this season. Two of the Lions' first three games have come against FBS opponents. They opened the season at SMU, before taking on Florida State. Quarterback Eric Rodriguez is averaging just over 150 yards a game through the air, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions in three games. Running back KJ Shankle leads the team in rushing, averaging 35 yards a game on the ground. Defensive back Kaleb Miles (22 tackles) and linebacker Koby-Sebasyen King (21) are the Lions' leaders on defense.
Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 21-14 in non-conference games under Oliver after this past weekend's win over North Carolina A&T. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Eagles are 18-6 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.
