title image via Doug Burt
Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletics
52
Winner NCC
10
DSU
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCC | 21 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 52 |
| DSU | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
The North Carolina Central University football team wrapped up the 2024 regular season with a dominant 52-10 win over Delaware State at a blustery Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles finished 8-3 on the campaign, going 4-1 in MEAC play for the fourth straight season.
Freshman quarterback Josh Jones accounted for four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) in the victory.
The Eagles got on the board by taking the opening drive down the field before freshman quarterback Joshua Jones ran it in from six yards out to give N.C. Central a 7-0 lead with 11:20 left in the opening frame.
Jones added a 2-yard rushing score at the 8:19 mark to put the Eagles up 14-0.
On the ensuing possession, the Eagles’ defense got in on the act. Eric Adams picked off Hornets quarterback C.J. Henry and returned it 63 yards to give N.C. Central a 21-0 lead with 6:33 left in the quarter.
Delaware State (1-11, 0-5 MEAC) got on the board with 2:02 left in the first after a 30-yard field goal from Nathan Wilson cut the lead to 21-3.
Running back J’Mari Taylor got in on the fun at the 12:15 mark of the second quarter, finding the end zone from three yards out to put the Eagles up 28-3.
Late in the quarter, the Eagles picked up their second defensive score of the day, when Isaiah Norris picked off Henry and went 37 yards the other way to put the Eagles up 35-3.
That score held at the half.
Jones’ best game as an Eagle got even better in the third quarter; he racked up his third rushing touchdown of the day with a 2-yard run at the 4:46 mark, before throwing a touchdown pass to Chance Peterson, from 42 yards out, with 56 seconds left in the quarter.
Jones threw for 200 yards, with a touchdown, and ran for 57 more.
Heading into the fourth, the Eagles led 49-3.
Kicker Juan Velarde kicked his way into the Eagle history books in the fourth quarter, booming a school-record 53-yard field goal to put N.C. Central up 52-3.
Hornets running back Jaden Sutton scored from seven yards out with 5:54 remaining, cutting N.C. Central’s lead to 52-10. It was the first touchdown the Eagles had given up since the third quarter against South Carolina State on Oct. 31.
N.C. Central racked up 427 total yards – 228 on the ground. This was their fourth 200-yard rushing game of the season, and their sixth 400-yard game overall.
For the seventh time this season, the Eagles held an opponent to under 300 total yards; the Hornets had 284 yards on the day. This was also the fifth time the Eagles held an opponent to 10 points or fewer – all within the last seven games.
The Eagles defense forced a season-high five turnovers on Saturday, three INTs and two fumble recoveries.
