North Carolina Central University

FOOTBALL

THE GAME: Fayetteville State University "Broncos" at North Carolina Central University “Eagles” 

THE KICKOFF: Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007 – Kickoff at 4:00 p.m. 

THE SITE: O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium – Durham, N.C. (10,000)

2007 RECORDS:  Fayetteville State (0-1 overall, 0-0 CIAA); North Carolina Central (0-1 overall) 

THE EVENT: The 2007 edition of the annual “Labor Day Classic.” Sunday’s match-up features two teams coming off of difficult, last-second losses. NCCU had the potential game-tying touchdown pass swatted down in the end zone on the final play of the contest at Albany State University, as the Rams held on for a 16-10 victory. Fayetteville State moved the ball to the opposition’s 5-yard line on the final drive with a chance to tie the score, but could not punch it in and lost to Wingate University, 34-28.

THE SERIES: This will be the 31st meeting between NCCU and FSU since 1936. NCCU leads the all-time series 22-8. FSU won four games in-a-row from 2001-2004, but the Eagles have won the past two contests.

LAST MEETING: (Oct. 14, 2006 – NCCU 49, FSU 6) North Carolina Central University held Fayetteville State University to just 203 total yards of offense and forced six turnovers, as the Eagles defeated the preseason pick to win the CIAA's Western Division, 49-6, at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C. NCCU amassed 390 yards of total offense en route to its seventh straight win to open the season. NCCU defensive back Craig Amos intercepted FSU QB Jonathan Autry's pass on the second play from scrimmage. Amos returned it 37 yards which led to a five-yard Corey Brown touchdown. Eagles place-kicker Brandon Gilbert connected on his 54th straight extra-point kick to make the score NCCU 7-0 with 12:22 remaining in the first quarter. With 8:40 remaining in the second quarter, NCCU safety Andre George stepped in front of a pass by FSU quarterback Ryan Horton and returned the interception 60 yards for an NCCU defensive touchdown. Gilbert connected on the extra point giving NCCU a 14-0 cushion.  The NCCU defense held FSU to just 99 yards passing. Horton finished the contest 9-of-21 for 79 yards and three interceptions. The Eagles also recorded three sacks and eight tackles for loss. After NCCU defensive coordinator Cliff Yoshida's unit forced a three-and-out, NCCU linebacker Derrick Ray recovered a Horton fumble to give his offense the ball at the FSU 14-yard line. Three plays later, Eagles quarterback Stadford Brown hit freshman fullback Saeed Abdul-Azeez on the right side of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. The touchdown, which was the first of Abdul-Azeez's career, coupled with a Gilbert extra point put NCCU up 21-0 with 5:22 remaining in the first half. FSU wide receiver/running back Amir Holding capped a five-play, 58-yard drive with a two-yard scamper into the end zone, giving FSU its' only points of the game, and making the score 21-6 with just 2:13 remaining in the first half. Only six plays later, NCCU wide receiver Charles Futrell, playing in his hometown of Fayetteville, N.C., caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Brown 23 seconds before halftime to give NCCU a 28-6 lead at intermission. NCCU blanked FSU in the second half and scored 21 points, a 3-yard touchdown run by Brown in the third quarter, a 4-yard run by sophomore running back Jeff Toliver and a 25-yard run and the first career touchdown of freshman running back Antonio Fuller, to win the game 49-6. The win at FSU's Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium was the first for NCCU since a 35-27 win in Fayetteville, N.C. on October 7, 2000. The win was NCCU's biggest win over Fayetteville State since a 55-0 shutout on October 5, 1996 in Fayetteville, N.C., under former NCCU head coach Larry Little. NCCU's defense was paced by defensive tackle Greg Peterson, who recorded four tackles, including three for a loss of 10 yards with two sacks for a loss of nine yards, and a forced fumble. Linebacker D.J. Fretwell added a game-high 10 total tackles (six solo) and one hit for a loss of 16 yards, while George had two interceptions, one returned 60 yards for a touchdown, and three tackles. Eagles defensive tackle Courtney Coard amassed seven takedowns (five solo), including one for a loss of a yard and Ray tallied five tackles and fumble recovery.

LAST MEETING IN DURHAM:  (Oct. 8, 2005 – NCCU 17, FSU 12) North Carolina Central University ran for a season-high 251 yards and had a host of big special teams plays en route to a 17-12 victory over Fayetteville State University at NCCU's O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, NC. With the win, the Eagles snap a four-game losing streak to the Broncos and stay in the hunt for the CIAA Western Division crown with a 3-1 conference record and a 6-1 overall mark. FSU, the three-time defending division champion, falls to 1-3 in league play and 3-4 overall. NCCU's season-best ground attack was paced by junior transfer Corey Brown, who rushed for a season-high 127 yards on 24 carries to reach to century mark for the fourth time this season. NCCU junior Charles Futrell, who replaced quarterback Adrian Warren in the middle of the second quarter after he aggravated a shoulder injury during a sack, accounted for 122 total yards, including 72 yards on the ground and 50 yards on 3-of-11 passing. Senior Torey Ross, the league's leading receiver, topped the Eagles with four catches for 68 yards. Special teams sparked the Eagles early and often. It began when sophomore Brandon Alston returned FSU's first punt 63 yards for a touchdown to put NCCU on top 7-0 at 10:35 of the first quarter. When the Broncos answered with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Jay Autry to Veon McHam at the 6:42 mark of the first quarter, NCCU sophomore Craig Amos blocked the extra-point kick to keep the Eagles ahead 7-6. Amos blocked his second kick of the game on a 43-yard field goal attempt by FSU kicker Robert Munoz with 3:29 left in the first half. Two minutes into the second half, the Eagles started a 15-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 6 minutes, 58 seconds and was capped by a 4-yard run by wide receiver Brad Hinton to give NCCU a 14-6 lead at 6:15 of the third quarter. On its next possession, NCCU capped a 12-play, 64-yard drive with a 32-yard field goal by sophomore Brandon Gilbert at 14:56 of the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 17-6 cushion. FSU narrowed the gap with 4:36 remaining when Autry connected with Charles Nieves on a 9-yard touchdown pass, but the 2-point pass attempt was dropped to make the score 17-12. The Broncos had two more opportunities to score, but Autry was intercepted by junior Andre George on the first possession and the last try resulted in a turnover-on-downs. Autry finished with 201 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-42 passing with an interception. McHam caught six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, while Nieves added five catches for 63 yards and a score. Four Broncos amassed double-digits in tackles, topped by Eric Portley with a game-high 19 takedowns. Along with two blocked kicks, Amos led NCCU with seven tackles (five solo).

LAST WEEK: (Aug. 25, 2007 – Albany State 16, North Carolina Central 10): Albany State controlled the line of scrimmage and took advantage of turnovers during a 16-10 season-opening victory over North Carolina Central, the defending Black College National Champions, at Albany, Ga. Albany State (1-0) dominated most of the game, but North Carolina Central (0-1) still had a chance to win. On the last play of the contest, NCCU quarterback Stadford Brown’s pass across the field and into the end zone was swatted away by the Rams’ defense. On the first play of the game from the line of scrimmage, ASU quarterback Kisan Flakes fumbled the ball and it was recovered by NCCU senior end Xavier Joe at the Rams’ 37-yard line. On the Eagles’ ensuing possession, NCCU senior kicker Brandon Gilbert watched his 48-yard field goal attempt hit the cross-bar and fall short. ASU fell victim to the goal post as well, as rookie kicker Tory Torstenson hit the right pole on a 30-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter. With less than a minute to go in the opening stanza, ASU converted on a fourth-and-four play with a 18-yard completion to Lamont Williams, moving the ball to the Eagles’ 17-yard line. The Eagles’ defense, however, sent the Rams backwards and kept the game scoreless. NCCU was held without a first down until 11:31 of the second quarter. With 1:57 left before the break, Brown threw an interception to defensive lineman Jason Marshall, giving the Rams the ball inside the Eagles’ red-zone at the 13-yard line. ASU was able to take advantage of the NCCU turnover with a 9-yard touchdown connection from Flakes to sophomore receiver Nick Kyles, who out-leaped the Eagles’ secondary in the back of the end zone to put the Rams on top 7-0 with just 41.3 seconds left in the second quarter. Trying to answer before halftime, NCCU’s Brown threw his second pick of the game attempting to strike deep with 12 seconds remaining, as ASU sophomore Terry McGhee intercepted the pass in the end zone to keep the score 7-0 at intermission in favor of the home team. NCCU thought they had evened the game up on its first possession of the second half, but after ruling a touchdown catch by tight end Christopher Edwards as a completion, the officials gathered and changed the call to incomplete. The Eagles settled for a 31-yard field goal by Gilbert to narrow the deficit to 7-3 at 8:40 of the third quarter. ASU pushed the cushion to 10-3 on a 28-yard field goal by Torstenson with 14:06 left in the contest. On the ensuing possession, NCCU moved the pigskin to its own 49-yard line, but was stopped by a stingy ASU defense on a fourth-and-one run play. With 6:15 left, NCCU linebacker Derrick Ray stripped the ball from running back LiRonnie Davis and it was recovered by Eagle lineman Courtney Coard, giving NCCU new life. However, on the next play, NCCU attempted a pass to the end zone, but the result was Brown’s third interception of the night. On the very next play, ASU seemingly sealed the victory with a 60-yard touchdown scamper by Brian Porter to make the score 16-3 with 5:43 remaining. NCCU managed to narrow the gap to 16-10 on a 26-yard pass from Brown to junior receiver Wayne Blackwell with 2:01 left in the contest. After the NCCU defense forced a punt, the Eagles pushed the ball as deep as the 20-yard line in ASU territory, but on the final play of the game Brown’s pass across the field into the end zone was swatted away by the Rams. NCCU suffered its first regular-season loss since Oct. 1, 2005, and the Eagles’ first road defeat since Oct. 9, 2004. NCCU managed 240 yards of total offense, but ASU amassed 312 total yards, including 239 on the ground.

Fayetteville State moved the ball to the opposition’s 5-yard line on the final drive with a chance to tie the score, but could not punch it in and lost to Wingate University, 34-28.

THE COACHES:  Mose Rison enters his second season at NCCU, but assumes the role of head coach for the first time in his 25-year coaching career. Former NCCU Chancellor James H. Ammons announced Rison as the school’s 19th head football coach on Feb. 6, 2007. Rison served as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the Eagles historic 11-1 campaign in 2006. He will continue calling plays as the offensive coordinator and working with the quarterbacks. With Rison directing NCCU’s offense, the 2006 Eagles scored 371 points (30.9 per game), the most in school history. Under Rison’s tutelage, freshman quarterback Stadford Brown was named as the “SBN Sports Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year,” the 2006 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie of the Year. A 1978 graduate of Central Michigan University, Rison spent the 2005 season as the Quarterbacks Coach/Passing Coordinator at Davidson College, where the Wildcats averaged more than 200 yards passing per game running a West Coast offensive system. He has also held positions at Livingstone College (Offensive Coordinator, 2004), the University of Arizona (Wide Receivers/Passing Coordinator, 2003), Stanford University (Wide Receivers, 1995-2000), Rutgers University (Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, 1991-94), the U.S. Naval Academy (Wide Receivers, 1988-90), and Central Michigan University (Wide Receivers, 1981-87). During his tenure at Stanford, Rison coached in three bowl games, including the 2000 Rose Bowl. Rison, the cousin of five-time NFL All-Pro receiver Andre Rison, spent two seasons (2001-02) in the National Football League coaching ranks as the wide receivers coach with the New York Jets, helping to develop Laveranues Coles and Santana Moss. He has also held NFL summer internships with the Baltimore Ravens (2000), Chicago Bears (1999), New York Jets (1993) and Detroit Lions (1988). A standout running back for Central Michigan from 1974-77, Rison helped the Chippewas to a 13-1 record and a Division II national title as a freshman. He rushed for 1,283 yards and scored 12 touchdowns as a senior to earn all-conference and team MVP honors. Rison and his wife, Marilynn, have two children, Dominique (21) and Tara (18). Dominique lives in Charlotte, N.C. and attends Johnson & Wales University. Tara is a freshman at North Carolina Central University, majoring in business. 

Fayetteville State head coach Kenny Phillips is in his ninth year as head coach with the Broncos and boasts an overall record of 44-33. He has guided FSU to three of the last five CIAA Western Division titles, including conference championships in 2002 and 2003. His 2002 team captured the school’s first-ever conference championship in football and made the school’s first appearance in the NCAA Football Playoffs, finishing with a 10-2 overall record. Phillips was voted as the 2002 CIAA Coach of the Year. The 2003 team repeated as CIAA Champions. A native of Greenville, NC, Phillips graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in Physical Education from East Carolina University in 1985, and went on to earn a master's degree in Education Administration from East Carolina in 1987. Phillips played linebacker for the Pirates, and was selected team M.V.P. as a senior. He served as an assistant coach at North Carolina State (1997-99), Ohio University (1995-97), North Carolina A&T (1989-95), Catawba College (1987-88), and East Carolina (1984-87). 

THE STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH: 
North Carolina Central University – 
 #2 - QB - Stadford Brown (So., 6-1, 201) – 15-of-29 passing, 139 yards, TD, 3 INT at ASU.
 #4 - LB - Derrick Ray (Sr., 6-0, 215) – Recorded 7 tackles, 3 TFL, forced fumble at ASU.
 #11 - LB - Eric Ray (Sr., 6-0, 235) – Collected 11 tackles at ASU.
 #22 - RB - Jeff Toliver (Sr., 5-9, 207) – Rushed for 45 yards on 19 carries at ASU. 
 #56 - LB - D.J. Fretwell (Sr., 6-1, 243) – Team-high 14 tackles with 2 TFL at ASU.
 #87 - WR - Wayne Blackwell (Jr., 6-2, 204) – 6 catches for 94 yards and a TD at ASU. 

 Fayetteville State University – 
 #2 - QB - Bryan Hardy (Jr., 6-2, 200) – 17-of-29 passing for 180 yards vs. Wingate.
 #13 - FS - Jeff Gowdy (So., 6-0, 180) – Team-high 9 tackles (7 solo) vs. Wingate.
 #16 - PK - Eric Lamoureux (Sr., 6-0, 188) – 4-of-5 FGs, 2-of-2 PATs (14 pts.) vs. Wingate.
 #19 - WR - Darryl Barnett (Sr., 6-4, 197) – 151 all-purpose yards vs. Wingate.
 #22 - RB - Richard Medlin (Fr., 5-11, 212) – Ran for 94 yards and a TD vs. Wingate.
 #48 - LB - Anthony Wall (So., 6-2, 197) – Recorded 8 tackles (6 solo), sack vs. Wingate.
 #84 - WR - Bobby Wilder (Jr., 6-2, 185) – 9 catches for 97 yards vs. Wingate.

TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON:

Category	NCCU	FSU
Scoring Offense:	10.0 pts/gm	26.0 pts/gm
Scoring Defense:	16.0 pts/gm	34.0 pts/gm
Total Offense:	240.0 yds/gm	375.0 yds/gm
Total Defense:	312.0 yds/gm	377.0 yds/gm
Rushing Offense:	101.0 yds/gm	126.0 yds/gm
Rushing Defense:	239.0 yds/gm	141.0 yds/gm
Passing Offense:	139.0 yds/gm	249.0 yds/gm
Passing Defense:	73.0 yds/gm	236.0 yds/gm

GILBERT FOUR POINTS SHY OF SCHOOL SCORING RECORD:  NCCU senior place-kicker Brandon Gilbert needs four points to become the school’s all-time career scoring leader. Gilbert currently has 229 points and is second on the Eagles’ career scoring list. He trails only wide receiver Robert Clark, who amassed 232 career points with 38 touchdowns and two extra-point conversions from 1983-86.

GILBERT CONTINUES EXTRA POINT STREAK:  NCCU senior place-kicker Brandon Gilbert has made 81 consecutive extra-point kicks, dating back to Sept. 5, 2005 versus North Carolina A&T when a celebration penalty forced a lengthy try. In fact, Gilbert has not missed an extra-point kick against a Division II opponent during his collegiate career. He is 124-of-126 in PAT kicks, with both misses coming against Division I-AA teams (at Delaware State on Sept. 11, 2004, vs. North Carolina A&T on Sept. 5, 2005).

LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL VIA THE INTERNET:  Every game of the 2007 North Carolina Central University Eagles football season will be covered by WRJD 1410 AM. Fans may also listen to the broadcast via the internet by visiting the NCCU Athletics web site at http://ariel.acc.nccu.edu/athletics/audio.html . 

QUOTES FROM WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE BY NCCU HEAD COACH MOSE RISON:
On last week’s loss at Albany State:  “I thought the defense played well. They flew to the ball and gave the offense some chances that we did not take advantage of. We did not play well on offense.”
On individuals that stood out during the Albany State game:  “First, (senior linebacker) Derrick Ray was outstanding. He made some incredible individual plays on Saturday. He is an outstanding football player that wreaks havoc on opposing offenses. Also, (freshman wide receiver) Deshawn Spears was a bright spot for us. When he gets the ball, he can make some exciting things happen for us, and he showed some flashes of that on Saturday.”
On how the Eagles battled back against Albany State:  “When they scored that touchdown to go up 16-3 with around five minutes left in the game, we could have gone in the tank, but we didn’t. So I am proud of this football team.”
On Fayetteville State’s football team:  “Fayetteville State is a good football team. They fly around to the ball and have outstanding team speed on defense. They are very balanced and sound offensively. They are a well-coached football team.”
On his expectations for this weekend:  “We are going through some growing pains right now, so it is going to take some time, but these guys are giving great effort. I think we will come back this weekend and play with extreme confidence.”

SPORTS INFORMATION CONTACTS: 
NCCU: Kyle Serba (919) 530-7054 
Fayetteville State: Marion Crowe (910) 672-1349