NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina Central University football program will hit the road this Saturday, traveling to William "Dick" Price Stadium to square off against the Spartans of Norfolk State.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.

The Match-Up: This will be the 23rd meeting between the Eagles and the Spartans. NCCU leads the all-time series 15-7. In all, the Eagles have won five straight and 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams after defeating the Spartans 31-28 last season. As head coach, Trei Oliver is 5-1 against Norfolk State.

Last Time Out: NCCU shut out Howard University 34-0 this past Saturday at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium to remain unbeaten in MEAC play. The Eagles recorded their first shutout since defeating Virginia Lynchburg 68-0 in the 2024 season. Quarterback Jousha Jones accounted for three touchdowns — two passing and one rushing. Jones threw for 189 yards and ran for 32. Freshman kicker Riley Daniels hit two field goals in the second quarter, giving him four games this season with multiple made field goals. The Eagles had two more interceptions on defense, giving them 12 for the season. The 114 yards the Eagles allowed on Saturday are a season low. NCCU also held Howard to 44 passing yards, another season low.

Eagles on the Road: NCCU is 19-19 on the road under head coach Trei Oliver following a 31-12 win over Delaware State on Oct. 23. The Eagles have been .500 or better on the road in each of the last three seasons. The Eagles were 5-1 on the road last season. They 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.

Eagles vs. The MEAC: Since Oliver took over as head coach, the Eagles are 24-11 in MEAC play. That includes a stretch from 2021-24 in which NCCU went 4-1 in league play each season. The Eagles were 3-2 in the MEAC in 2025. NCCU won the MEAC title in 2022, before defeating Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl.

Scouting Norfolk State: Norfolk State is 4-5 on the season, already a marked improvement from the 2025 campaign that was head coach Michael Vick's first with the program. The Spartans are 0-2 in MEAC play after falling to Delaware State on a last-second field goal at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia this past Saturday. Norfolk State was picked to finish fifth in the MEAC this season, picking up a first-place vote in the poll conducted by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. The Spartans had nine players recognized in the Preseason All-MEAC teams, highlighted by First Team selections Ryan Nolan (OL) and Jaylen Williams (DL). Norfolk State ranks second in the MEAC on both sides of the ball, on both scoring offense and defense and total offense and defense. Jalyn Daniels is the MEAC's third-leading rusher, averaging 75.6 yards per game on the ground. Wide receiver Elyjah Mitchell is third in the conference in receiving, with just over 55 yards per game. Josiah Davis has picked off three passes on the season, second-most in the MEAC.

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. He is one win shy of 50 for his head coaching career.

Michael Vick is in his second season as head football coach at Norfolk State. A native of Newport News, Va., he returned to the Hampton Roads region in 2025 to lead the revival of the Spartan football program, bringing with him a wealth of experience as both a professional athlete and mentor. In his inaugural season at the helm, Vick guided Norfolk State through a competitive 2025 transition season, where the Spartans either won or were within one touchdown of winning in seven of its games, highlighted by a thrilling 34-31 overtime victory over Virginia State in the annual Labor Day Classic.

Defense Getting Greedy: Through nine games, NCCU's defense is tied for the FCS lead with 20 turnovers, including eight recovered fumbles and 12 interceptions. That includes four turnovers 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 seventh in FCS with two fumble recoveries. The Eagles have 12 interceptions on the season after recording two against the Bison, and they are tied for third in FCS in that category.

Addison Running Wild: Freshman running back Gino Addison has 100-yard rushing games in two of his last three games, including his career-high 214-yard performance at Delaware State. Against the Hornets, Addison ran 31 times for those 214 yards, finding the end zone twice. He celebrated Homecoming with 169 rushing yards against William & Mary. For the season, Addison is second in the MEAC with 76.6 yards per game on the ground. He has 536 yards on 83 carries for the season, with three touchdowns.

Kicking Up a Storm: Freshman kicker Riley Daniels is 13-for-16 in field goals through his first nine games as an Eagle. Daniels kicked a season-long 47-yard field goal against Campbell. It's the longest field goal for NCCU since Kaleb Robison nailed a 48-yarder against Norfolk State last season. After kicking two field goals against Howard, Daniels had multiple made field goals in four games on the season.

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