North Carolina Central opened its MEAC schedule in impressive fashion, defeating Delaware State 31-12 on Friday, October 23, at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Delaware.
Freshman running back Gino Addison delivered a career night, rushing for 214 net yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. Quarterback Cobey Thompkins completed 15 of 18 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, while the Eagles’ defense recorded two interceptions and three sacks.
NCCU finished with 427 total yards, including 272 on the ground, and controlled possession for 37 minutes and 18 seconds. Delaware State managed 257 total yards and converted just one of eight third-down opportunities.
The victory moved the Eagles to 1-0 in MEAC play, while the Hornets fell to 0-1 in conference action.
How the Game Unfolded
First Quarter: Eagles Answer Delaware State’s Early Score
Delaware State opened the scoring with a touchdown but missed the extra point, leaving the Hornets with a 6-0 lead. North Carolina Central responded with a touchdown of its own to take a 7-6 advantage.
The opening quarter established the competitive tone, but NCCU began to find its rhythm on offense behind its rushing attack.
Second Quarter: NCCU Extends Its Lead
The Eagles added a field goal in the second quarter to take a 10-6 lead into halftime.
North Carolina Central’s defense also began to make a difference, with quarterback Jayden Sauray throwing two interceptions in the first half. Delaware State struggled to turn its opportunities into points, leaving the Hornets trailing by four at the break.
Third Quarter: Addison Delivers the Turning Point
North Carolina Central opened the second half with a lengthy scoring drive that effectively changed the game’s momentum.
The Eagles marched 16 plays over more than eight minutes before Addison capped the possession with a six-yard touchdown run. The successful extra point extended NCCU’s lead to 17-6.
Delaware State attempted to respond, but kicker Patrick Fisher-Butler missed a 47-yard field goal later in the quarter. The Hornets entered the fourth quarter trailing by 11.
Fourth Quarter: Eagles Pull Away
North Carolina Central added two touchdowns in the final quarter to finish with 14 points and secure the 31-12 victory.
Delaware State managed a touchdown in the fourth but couldn’t close the gap. NCCU’s ground game and control of possession helped the Eagles finish the contest without allowing the Hornets to mount a serious comeback.
Scoring Summary
The following table reflects the confirmed quarter-by-quarter scoring. Individual touchdown times and every scoring play have not been independently verified, so they are not assigned speculative timestamps.
| Quarter | North Carolina Central | Delaware State |
| First | Touchdown (7 points) | Touchdown, missed extra point (6 points) |
| Second | Field goal (3 points) | No score |
| Third | Gino Addison, 6-yard rushing TD; extra point (7 points) | No score |
| Fourth | Two touchdowns, with successful extra points (14 points) | Touchdown (6 points) |
| Final | 31 | 12 |
The confirmed scoring sequence shows NCCU taking a 7-6 first-quarter lead, extending it to 10-6 at halftime, moving ahead 17-6 in the third and finishing with a 14-point fourth quarter.
Gino Addison Powers the Eagles
Addison was the standout performer, finishing with 31 carries for 214 net yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry and recorded a long run of 22 yards.
Zion Dobson provided additional production with 57 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. Together, the two backs accounted for 271 net rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Thompkins efficiently directed the passing game, completing 83.3% of his passes for 155 yards and a touchdown without an interception.
North Carolina Central offensive leaders
| Player | Performance |
| Gino Addison | 31 carries, 214 yards, 2 TDs |
| Zion Dobson | 11 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD |
| Cobey Thompkins | 15-of-18 passing, 155 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs |
| Mehki Wall | 3 receptions, 49 yards |
| Reginald Lancaster | 3 receptions, 38 yards |
| Luke Bracey | 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD |
Delaware State’s Offensive Leaders
The Hornets rotated quarterbacks but couldn’t generate consistent offense. Ui Ale completed nine of 10 passes for 74 yards, while Jayden Sauray completed two of seven attempts for 50 yards and threw two interceptions.
Kyrie Benton rushed for 35 net yards on two attempts and scored a touchdown. Marqui Adams added 24 net rushing yards and a touchdown.
Jaylin Terzado led Delaware State’s receiving corps with two catches for 65 yards, including a long reception of 46 yards.
Delaware State offensive leaders
| Player | Performance |
| Ui Ale | 9-of-10 passing, 74 yards |
| Jayden Sauray | 2-of-7 passing, 50 yards, 2 INTs |
| Kyrie Benton | 2 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD |
| Marqui Adams | 24 net rushing yards, 1 TD |
| Jaylin Terzado | 2 receptions, 65 yards |
| Nathan Stewart | 3 receptions, 24 yards |
Team Statistics
| Statistic | NCCU | Delaware State |
| First downs | 28 | 14 |
| Total yards | 427 | 257 |
| Rushing attempts | 52 | 26 |
| Rushing yards | 272 | 117 |
| Passing yards | 155 | 140 |
| Total plays | 71 | 46 |
| Yards per play | 6.01 | 5.59 |
| Time of possession | 37:18 | 22:42 |
| Third-down conversions | 5-of-12 | 1-of-8 |
| Fourth-down conversions | 2-of-2 | 1-of-1 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties | 5-35 | 7-75 |
North Carolina Central’s advantage in rushing production, first downs and time of possession proved decisive. The Eagles also capitalized on Delaware State’s passing mistakes and limited the Hornets’ ability to sustain drives.
What’s Next?
North Carolina Central turns its attention to Howard as it looks to continue its strong start in conference play. Delaware State will look to rebound against Norfolk State.
