image via Doug Burt
Courtesy North Carolina Central Athletics
The North Carolina Central University football program survived a late comeback attempt Saturday evening at Memorial Stadium, holding on to defeat East Texas A&M 50-42.
The Eagles improved to 4-2 on the season.
Kicker Kaleb Robison kicked a 24-yard field goal, his second of the night, with 4:20 left to play, putting the Eagles ahead 50-28. But the Lions responded with an 8-play, 75 yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass with less than two minutes to go, cutting the lead to 50-35.
East Texas A&M then recovered the onside kick, before marching 47 yards in eight plays to cut the lead to 50-42 with 51 seconds remaining.
But when the Eagles recovered the second onside kick of the quarter, running back Chris Mosley rushed three straight times to get a first down and ice NCCU’s third straight win.
The Lions got on the board first on a 73-yard connection from quarterback Ron Peace to Tanner Harrison to put East Texas A&M (1-0) up 7-0 in the game’s first minute. But the Eagles answered on the ensuing drive, when Walker Harris hit receiver Chance Peterson on a slant for 22 yards.
The Eagles’ next score came on a third-and-long play, when Harris threw his second touchdown pass of the quarter. This time, he hit Chauncey Spikes for a 32-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive to put NCCU up 14-7.
NCCU added another score to start the second quarter when Mosley ran around the left edge from three yards out to extend the lead to 21-7.
The Lions answered with a score of their own when EJ Oakmon ran it in from the 3-yard line to make it 21-14 with 11:30 left in the half. Eagles running back Arthur Rodgers got in on the scoring on the ensuing drive, running in from three yards out to extend the lead to 28-14 at the 6:22 mark.
Devin Matthews scored on a 59-yard reception to pull the Lions back within a score, 28-21, late in the second quarter, before Robison made it 31-21 with 17 seconds left in the half with a 20-yard field goal.
The Eagles held that score at the half.
NCCU opened the second half with a 52-yard kickoff return from Mehki Wall, before Harris capped a 10-play, 44-yard drive from 1 yard out to grow the lead to 38-21.
The Eagles defense then got into the act, as Donquarius Parker sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble that resulted in a safety, extending the lead to 40-21.
It marked the second straight game in which NCCU recorded a safety.
Rodgers picked up his second rushing touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run with 2:59 left in the quarter to make it a 26-point lead at 47-21.
The Eagles are heading into their first bye week; they will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 11, when they head to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on former MEAC rival Florida A&M.
With the Win…
- Head coach Trei Oliver has won 41 games in his tenure, nine shy of 50 for his career.
- The Eagles got their first win in the state of Texas under Oliver.
- NCCU recorded its first win over a program from the Southland Conference.
- NCCU has won back-to-back road games, and three overall.
- NCCU is now 15-16 in true road games under Oliver.
- The Eagles are now 22-14 in non-conference games during Oliver’s tenure, including a 19-6 mark in the last two-plus seasons.
Game Notes
- Wide receiver Chance Peterson caught his first touchdown pass of the season, while converting all five of his targets into receptions.
- Wide receiver Chauncey Spikes recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game, going for 113 yards in six catches.
- Defensive back Tomondrey Braxton recorded his second interception of the season.
- Running back Arthur Rodgers recorded two touchdowns in the game.
- Quarterback Walker Harris threw two more touchdown passes, giving him eight in the last three games.
- Kicker Kaleb Robison hit multiple field goals in a game for the third time in four games.
- NCCU has scored at least 30 points in four of six games so far this season.
- The Eagles defense recorded a safety for the second straight game; they had two of them against North Carolina A&T.
- The Eagles held their second straight opponent to fewer than 50 yards rushing, as the Lions only recorded 34 yards on the ground.
