DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University football program will return to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday, looking to get back into the win column and squaring off against No. 18/24 Campbell.

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

The Match-Up: This will be the fourth meeting all-time between the Eagles and the Camels, with NCCU leading the series 2-1. The Eagles have won each of the last two meetings, including a 45-14 victory in Buies Creek, N.C., in 2024. The two teams last met in Durham in 2023, with NCCU winning 49-48 in overtime.

Eagles at Home: NCCU is 22-9 at home under head coach Trei Oliver following a 30-22 victory over North Carolina A&T on Sept. 12. The Eagles were 2-3 at home in 2025. The Eagles have finished with a winning home record in four of the last five seasons, including undefeated home campaigns in 2022 (4-0) and 2023 (5-0).

Last Time Out: NCCU (2-3) fell on the road to East Carolina this past Saturday, falling 42-9 despite the Eagles defense forcing four turnovers. The Eagles recorded four turnovers on defense for the second time this season; the first occasion was on Sept. 12 against North Carolina A&T. Freshman kicker Riley Daniels now has at least one made field goal in all five games so far this season. Daniels' 39-yard field goal on Saturday was his longest of the season. Senior linebacker Joshua Maxwell recorded his first interception of the season. Senior defensive back Brandon Sanders forced and recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore defensive back Joshua Truesdale led the Eagles defense with eight tackles and a pass breakup.

Scouting Campbell: Campbell is 4-1 on the season after a 44-20 win over Hampton this past Saturday. The Fighting Camels are 2-0 in conference play, with wins over the Pirates and North Carolina A&T. The Fighting Camels' lone loss of the season was to SEC power Florida. Campbell is ranked No. 18 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, and it's making its first appearance in the AFCA Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 24. Campbell was picked to finish eighth in the CAA this season, and linebacker DaVonyae Pettis earned Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA honors. Running back JJ Cowan is averaging 6.4 yards per carry so far this season, while quarterback Kamden Sixkiller has thrown for 1,449 yards and 13 touchdowns in five games. Sixkiller ranks third in FCS in total passing yards, and he's tied for third in touchdown passes. Campbell is eighth in FCS in total offense, averaging 472 yards per game.

The Coaches: Trei Oliver (NCCU, 1998) is in his seventh season as a college head coach. With 24 years of college coaching experience that includes five conference championships and three Black college football national titles, Oliver returned to his alma mater as North Carolina Central University's 24th head football coach in December 2018, and he is three wins shy of 50 for his head coaching career.

Braxton Harris is in his third season as head coach of the Fighting Camels. In his second stint in Buies Creek, Harris previously spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons on staff at Campbell, returning to Buies Creek after spending 2023 as head coach at FCS Southland Conference member Houston Christian. The third head coach in Campbell's modern football history (since 2008), has reshaped the roster and culture of the program since returning to campus.

Eagles vs. CAA Football: Since his arrival, Oliver holds a 7-4 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 took on rival North Carolina A&T on Sept. 12, winning 30-22 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 25-17 in non-conference games under Oliver. Over the last three-plus seasons, the Eagles are 22-9 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 OVC, the American, the CIAA and the Patriot League. The Eagles went 5-2 in non-conference play last season, after going 4-2 in 2024.

North Carolina State of Mind: Oliver has made a point of playing schools from the state of North Carolina, and there are five on the schedule this year (Elizabeth City State, North Carolina A&T, Gardner-Webb, East Carolina and Campbell). Those five games will be played all in a row. So far this season, the Eagles have defeated both Elizabeth City State and North Carolina A&T, before falling to Gardner-Webb and East Carolina. There have been at least two teams from the Tar Heel State on the schedule each year since Oliver took over as head coach. Since 2011, the Eagles are 26-22 against teams from North Carolina, and Oliver has a 13-8 advantage.

Defense Getting Greedy: Through five games, NCCU is tied for second in FCS with 13 turnovers, including eight recovered fumbles. That includes four turnovers this past Saturday at East Carolina – a game in which the Eagles recovered three fumbles and one interception. The Eagles have forced four turnovers in a game twice this season: vs. North Carolina A&T and at East Carolina. Junior defensive lineman Zarion Walters is tied for the national lead with two fumble recoveries.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.