DURHAM, N.C. — Home cooking was just what the North Carolina Central University football program needed on Saturday, as the Eagles defeated Elizabeth City State 27-6 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
In winning its home opener, NCCU improves to 1-1 on the season.
The Eagles got going late in the first quarter, when freshman quarterback Nelson Layne connected with Chance Peterson down the right sideline for a 74-yard touchdown, capping a 2-play, 89-yard drive to take an early 7-0 lead.
Freshman running back Gino Addison recorded his first touchdown of the season from one yard out late in the first quarter to extend that lead to 14-0.
Layne recorded his second passing touchdown of the game in the second quarter, this time connecting with Brendon Wyatt for a 11-yard touchdown with 1:50 left on the clock.
The Eagles went into the half with a 21-0 lead over the Vikings.
That lead grew to 24-0 roughly midway through the third quarter, when Riley Daniels capped an 11-play, 50-yard drive with a 29-yard field goal.
ECSU (0-2) got on the board late in the third quarter after a short punt by the Eagles, followed by an 8-yard touchdown run from Josef Manley. The PAT failed, cutting NCCU's lead to 24-6.
Daniels connected again, this time from 24 yards out, with 10:26 left in the game to push the contest to its final margin.
The Eagles racked up 326 yards of total offense, while holding the Vikings to just 145. Just 39 of those yards came on the ground for ECSU.
Layne was 12-for-18 in the air for 160 yards and two scores. Peterson, the MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, caught five of those passes for 109 yards, his first 100-yard game of the season.
Defensive lineman Zarion Walters led the Eagles defense with eight stops, a sack and a fumble recovery.
The Eagles will again be at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, for the annual Aggie-Eagle Classic against North Carolina A&T. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.
For more on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
Game Notes
- With two field goals Saturday night, kicker Riley Daniels is 5-for-5 on the season.
- Quarterback Nelson Layne has three touchdown passes in his first two games as an Eagle.
- Wide receiver Chance Peterson has three career 100-yard games after racking up 109 yards on five catches Saturday.
- The Eagles held an opponent under 200 yards of total offense since holding Howard to 174 total yards last season.
- The last time NCCU held an opponent under 150 total yards: Howard in 2024 (121 yards).
- Elizabeth City State's 39 rushing yards are the fewest the Eagles have allowed since they held Florida A&M to 43 rushing yards last season (which wrapped up a stretch of three straight games in which NCCU held an opponent under 50 yards on the ground).
With the win…
- Head coach Trei Oliver is now four wins shy of 50 for his career.
- The Eagles snap a two-game skid in home openers and have won 12 of their last 14 home debuts.
- Oliver is undefeated against teams from the CIAA, going 6-0.
- NCCU is now 24-15 under Oliver in non-conference games.
- Oliver is 13-6 as head coach against teams from North Carolina, 10-3 over the last three-plus seasons.
