DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University football program will celebrate Homecoming on Saturday, wrapping up the non-conference slate against The College of William & Mary.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.

The Match-Up: This will be the first-ever meeting between the Eagles and the Tribe.

Last Time Out: NCCU's comeback attempt fell short this past Saturday at home against Campbell, as the nationally-ranked Fighting Camels scored the lone touchdown of the fourth quarter for a 38-31 win. This marks the first time since 2021 that the Eagles (2-4) have lost three games in a row. Freshman kicker Riley Daniels kicked a season-long 47-yard field goal, and wide receiver Chance Peterson caught a team-high 10 passes for 84 yards. Running back Zion Dobson led the Eagles with 80 rushing yards — 63 of which came on his third-quarter touchdown run. Defensive lineman Zarion Walters and defensive back Joshua Truesdale led the Eagles defense with eight tackles each. Walters also recorded a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Eagles at Home: NCCU is 22-10 at home under head coach Trei Oliver following a 38-31 loss to nationally-ranked Campbell this past weekend. 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).

Eagles' Homecoming: The Eagles are 64-23-2 in Homecoming games since they have been recorded in the NCCU football record book. Since Oliver's arrival, the Eagles are 4-2 in Homecoming games, having won four of the last five despite last season's loss to Delaware State. North Carolina Central has scored a total of 168 points in its last five Homecoming games with wins over Howard, Norfolk State and Morgan State.

Scouting William & Mary: William & Mary is in its first season as a member of the Patriot League, after a long tenure with CAA Football. The Tribe is in its eighth season under head coach Mike London. The Tribe is 2-4 overall and 1-3 in league play after falling 41-14 to Holy Cross this past weekend. William & Mary has lost four in a row after opening the season with back-to-back wins. The Tribe was picked to finish in a tie for third in the Patriot League this season. Four W&M players earned Preseason All-Patriot League honors: tight end Sean McElwain, defensive lineman Davin Dzidzienyo, defensive back Bryce Barnes and special teams non-specialist Stephon Hicks. Running back Andrew King is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season, while quarterback Winston Watkins has seven touchdown passes and just one interception in six games. Linebacker Harrison Johnson ranks tied for 19th in FCS in tackles with 49.

Eagles vs. Patriot League: Saturday's game will be just the second game for NCCU against a team currently in the Patriot League. The first contest was a 49-27 loss to Richmond in the first round of the 2023 NCAA FCS Playoffs.

Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 25-18 in non-conference games under Oliver. Over the last three-plus seasons, the Eagles are 22-10 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 have faced opponents from the SWAC, CAA Football, the OVC, the American and the CIAA, and they will play just their second game against a Patriot League opponent this Saturday.

The Coaches: Oliver 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. A native of Yorktown, Va., Oliver earned all-conference and all-region honors as a defensive back and punter during his four-year playing career at NCCU from 1994-97. The 1998 graduate later returned to NCCU as an assistant coach from 2003-06, helping the Eagles to back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships in 2005 and 2006.

After leading the William & Mary football team to five consecutive winning campaigns for the first time in nearly three decades, head coach Mike London returns for his eighth season at the helm of the Tribe. In just seven seasons, London has already established himself as one of the most successful head coaches in the program's 132-year history. In addition to ranking as the third-winningest head coach at W&M (43) and earning 105 career victories, he has helped the Tribe break into the national rankings four of the past five seasons. Additionally, W&M ascended into the nation's top 10 three of the last four years.

Defense Getting Greedy: Through six games, NCCU is tied for second in FCS with 14 turnovers, including eight recovered fumbles. That includes four turnovers at East Carolina – a game in which the Eagles recovered three fumbles and one interception. The Eagles recorded at least one turnover per game this season, and have forced four turnovers in a game twice: vs. North Carolina A&T and at East Carolina. Walters is tied for the national lead with two fumble recoveries.

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