North Carolina Central University

FOOTBALL

THE GAME: Bowie State University "Bulldogs" vs. North Carolina Central University "Eagles" 

THE KICKOFF: Saturday, September 24, 2005 - Kickoff at 4:00 p.m. 

THE SITE:  O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity) - Durham, NC 

2005 RECORDS:  Bowie State (1-0 CIAA, 4-0 overall); North Carolina Central (1-0 CIAA, 4-0 overall) 

THE EVENT: A battle of two undefeated teams as Bowie State and North Carolina Central enter the contest with identical records of 4-0 overall and 1-0 in CIAA play.

THE SERIES: This will be the 18th meeting between the Eagles and Bulldogs, dating back to 1981. NCCU leads the series 12-4-1, and has outscored Bowie State 535 (31.4) to 227 (13.3) in the first 17 contests.  The Bulldogs have won three of the last four meetings, but the Eagles won last year's game 31-28 in Durham, NC.

LAST MEETING: (NCCU 31, Bowie State 28 - Sept. 18, 2004 - Durham, NC): North Carolina Central University overcame a 14-point, second half deficit to claim a 31-28 victory over Bowie State University at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, NC. NCCU rookie kicker Brandon Gilbert made a 25-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining in the contest to provide the winning margin. Junior quarterback Adrian Warren threw for a career-high 236 yards and three touchdowns on 17-for-29 passing to spark the Eagles. NCCU trailed 14-7 at halftime and 21-7 at 5:26 of the third quarter after BSU receiver Glenn Thomas caught his second touchdown pass of the contest. After seven straight scoreless possessions, NCCU head coach Rod Broadway called a fake punt on fourth down and eight yards to go at midfield. Senior Luis George took the snap from center and raced 50 yards for a score with just two ticks on the third quarter clock to cut the deficit to 21-14 and give Eagles a spark heading into the final stanza. On NCCU's next possession, a 29-yard touchdown connection from Warren to junior Toryeon Hester tied the score 21-21 with 12:30 on the clock. On Bowie State's next possession, Bulldogs quarterback Jabali Smith threw an interception to Eagles senior Richard Rodgers, who returned the pick 34 yards to the BSU 26-yard line. Three plays later, junior Torey Ross made a one-handed grab for a 19-yard touchdown reception from Warren at 9:41, making the score 28-21. The Bulldogs responded with a 10-play, 72-yard drive, capped by an 8-yard touchdown reception by sophomore Dwayne Payne to tie the score at 28-28 with 5:34 to play. NCCU answered back with a 10-play, 56-yard drive to set up Gilbert's game-winning, 25-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining.  BSU had 21 first downs to NCCU's 14, but the Eagles amassed 355 yards of total offense to the Bulldogs 311. BSU's Smith completed 12-of-25 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns, while also leading the team with 50 rushing yards. Thomas, on the receiving end of two of Smith's scores, caught three balls for 66 yards. Ross finished with seven catches for 84 yards and a score to lead NCCU's receiving corps. Eric Lyon and Maurice Glenn each had four receptions for the Eagles. NCCU sophomore running back Greg Pruitt, Jr., who entered the contest as the CIAA's second-leading rusher with 109.7 yards per game, was held to 50 ground yards on 14 carries. NCCU senior linebacker Bobby Brown recorded a game-high 11 tackles (9 solo), including a hit for a loss. Freshman linebacker Marcus Short contributed seven tackles and Scheldon Connor added six takedowns, including three behind the line of scrimmage. NCCU scored on its first possession of the game, a seven-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard pass play from Warren to Glenn just 2:57 into the game. BSU cut the deficit to 7-6 when Smith's pass appeared to be heading the other way, but NCCU's safety George mistimed his leap and deflected the ball right to Thomas for a 34-yard touchdown. The extra-point kick was no good. The Bulldogs jumped on top when junior safety Sterling Green scooped up Pruitt's fumble and raced 49 yards into the end zone. BSU converted the 2-point pass play from Smith to Thomas to make the score 14-7 with 6:51 before intermission.

LAST WEEK:  (NCCU 37, Shaw 31 - Durham, NC)  North Carolina Central University withstood a late charge by Shaw University to capture a 37-31 victory in the 2005 Willie Gary Triangle Classic at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, NC. NCCU (4-0, 1-0 CIAA) held a 24-point advantage (34-10) over Shaw University going into the fourth quarter of play. Shaw, however, scored three touchdowns in the final 13 minutes and held the Eagles to just a field goal, as the Bears narrowed the deficit to just six points with 5:28 remaining. After forcing the Eagles to punt, Shaw had the ball with just under two minutes to play and a chance to win. Those hopes were lost on a third down pass by Jermonty Kimbrough that was intercepted by J.R. Tanner to preserve the NCCU win. NCCU was topped by quarterback Adrian Warren, who was selected as the Classic M.V.P. for the Eagles after throwing for 214 yards and four touchdowns. Warren's favorite target was Torey Ross, who had six catches for 85 yards and two scores. The Eagles also had a solid ground game with a pair of 100-yard rushers. Junior Greg Pruitt, Jr. led the way with 128 yards rushing, while junior transfer Corey Brown added 116 yards on just 12 carries (9.7 yards per rush). Defensively, NCCU was paced by Darren Brothers with five tackles and three pass break-ups. Sophomore Courtney Coard recorded his first interception as an Eagle to go along with two solo tackles. Shaw (1-3, 0-1 CIAA) was sparked by Kimbrough, who threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a team-best 55 yards and a score. The Bears defense was led by defensive back Torrance Nunnally with a game-high 16 tackles and a forced fumble, while linebacker Terrence Ford added 15 tackles. 

(Bowie State 33, Livingstone 15 - Bowie, Maryland)  Bowie State University improved its record to 4-0 overall (1-0 in the CIAA) and easily defeated Livingstone College 33-15.  The 4-0 start is the teams best since the 1988 season when the Bulldogs won their first eight games of the season.  "Livingstone came to play and we let some of those old demons (penalties) come back today, but in spite of those things we were able to be win, "said a rather exhausted BSU Head Coach Mike Lynn.  BSU was flagged 13 times for 148 yards. After giving Livingstone the ball first, the Blue Bears were in and out in four plays handing the pigskin off to Bowie State.  The Bulldogs quickly responded, marching 59 yards in 7 plays with Isaac Redman rushing for a 5-yard touchdown with 9:51 left in the first quarter.  BSU's Ronald Walls' extra point hit the right upright, making the score 6-0.  Less than two minutes later, Aaron Moore scored his first TD of the season on an 11-yard pass form Lamar Manigo.   Bowie State went for two and converted on a pass from Manigo to DeMarcus Reeves, making the score 14-0 after one period of play. The Bulldogs increased its lead to 20-0 with 26 seconds left in the second quarter on a Manigo 9-yard pass to Darron Ellis.  However, Walls missed his second extra point of the afternoon.  Bowie State held Livingstone to minus 17 rushing yards in the first half while the Bulldogs rushed for 127 first half yards. Livingstone (0-4 / 0-1 in the CIAA) scored their first points of the day on their second series of the third quarter.  With 6:15 left in the third, Jason Mitchell tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chris Jeter.  Arturo Ruiz converted the extra point, making the score 20-7. Bowie State's Manigo tossed his third touchdown of the game at the 12:40 mark of fourth quarter, this time to Glenn Thomas from 8-yards out, pushing the Bulldogs lead to 26-7.  The Blue Bears appeared to be gaining momentum midway through the final period.  Mitchell threw a 14-yard touchdown to Tyrone Baisdon with 8:19 left on the Bulldog Stadium scoreboard.  Rashad Flucker converted the two point conversion, cutting the deficit to 26-15.  Unfortunately for Livingstone, Manigo (12 of 18 for 169 yards) found a wide open Thomas (6 catches for 109 yards) along the left sideline for a 39 yard TD sealing the win for Bowie State. "We're not ecstatic about our how we won, but it's a win and we're definitely going to have to bring our "A" game next week in our quest for championship," said Coach Lynn. Redman once again led the Bulldogs ground attack with 94 yards on 16 carries followed by Nathaniel Queen with 54 yards on 15 carries.  Tyrone Baisdon led Livingstone on the ground with 37 yards on 10 carries but the Blue Bears were held to minus 21 yards rushing for the game.  Baisdon was also Livingstone's top receiver with 52 yards. Jason Mitchell played a good game for Livingstone, completing 18 of 36 passes for 245 yards but was sacked five times.  Sterling Green paced the BSU defense with eight tackles followed by Terrence Stafford and Junior Bangura with seven and six tackles respectively.

THE COACHES: Rod Broadway, a 26-year coaching veteran, completed his second season as Eagles' head coach in 2004 with an overall record of 8-2. In three seasons as head coach at NCCU, Broadway boasts a record of 16-8 (as of Sept. 19, 2005), including 11 wins in the past 12 games. Broadway has served as an assistant football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2001-2002), University of Florida (1995-2001), Duke University (1981-1994), and East Carolina (1979-80). He has coached on a national championship team at Florida in 1996 and conference championships squads at Duke in 1989 and Florida in 1995, 1996 and 2000. A native of Oakboro, N.C., Broadway graduated from West Stanly High School and was recruited to play football at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1977 in recreation administration. During his college football career as a defensive lineman from 1974-77, Broadway received the "Outstanding Freshman of the Year Award," earned All-ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) honors in 1977, and was selected as the "Most Outstanding Senior" by the Education Foundation. He helped lead Carolina to the 1974 Sun Bowl and the 1977 Liberty Bowl. Broadway has coached in nine bowl games, including six New Year's (Jan. 1 or Jan. 2) games. At Florida, he coached in the 1995 national championship game in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Nebraska (Jan. 2, 1996) and the 1996 national championship game in the Sugar Bowl vs. Florida State (Jan. 2, 1997). He also was a member of the 1998 Citrus Bowl champion team that defeated Penn State and the 1999 Orange Bowl champion team that beat Syracuse.

Bowie State head coach Mike Lynn enters his second season as the Bulldogs head coach. His record at BSU is currently 9-5 after a 5-5 finish in 2004. Lynn joined the Bulldogs' family after serving as Director of Football Operations and Assistant Coach (offensive line) at Morgan State University (2002-2004). He has also served as Morgan State's Interim Head Coach (November 2001-February 2002), Assistant Head Football Coach (January 2000-November 2001) and Defensive Line Coach (April 1999-January 2000). Lynn began his coaching career at Suitland High School (Forestville, MD) where he served as Assistant Football Coach (1996-1999) and Head Wrestling Coach (1995-20000). He played his college football at Morgan State, where he lettered all four years as an offensive guard. 

QUOTES FROM BOWIE STATE COACH MIKE LYNN:  "We will definitely have to bring our "A" game... It's going to take a lot of hard work on our part (the coaching staff) to make sure our guys are prepared for the challenges Central provides ... They're a heck of a football team and do a lot of good things on offense and defense ... You can't ask for anything better than this!"

QUOTES FROM NCCU COACH ROD BROADWAY: "This is a good matchup. They're a really good football team. They play great defense, they run the ball well. They're just an all-around good, solid football team."

COACH BROADWAY ON THE TEAM'S TOUGH EARLY SCHEDULE: "Well, before the season we said and knew it [the schedule] was going to be challenging. We knew it was difficult. But we look forward to playing good football teams and getting better. We don't mind a tough schedule."

COACH BROADWAY ON THE TEAM'S MOOD: "The guys were a little disappointed about how we played Saturday [against Shaw] in the fourth quarter. But the bottom line is winning. I'll never apologize for winning. We wanted to be 4-0 now when the season started and now we're there."

COACH BROADWAY ON NCCU'S MENTAL TOUGHNESS: "I've said it before, but I'm just extremly proud of this football team. Overcoming some of things they've had to overcome. Like the short week for A&T, the hostile crowd at Lenoir-Rhyne and some of the bad things we've had to overcome. I'm just very proud of this football team."

THE MATCH-UP:    NCCU (CIAA Rank)     BSU (CIAA Rank)      CIAA Leader
 Scoring Offense:        39.5 pts/gm (#1)            30.0 pts/gm (#3)          NCCU (39.5)
 Scoring Defense:       21.5 pts/gm (#4T)          13.0 pts/gm (#2)          SAC (6.5)
 Total Offense:           421.8 yds/gm (#1)          392.2 yds/gm (#2)       NCCU (421.8)
 Total Defense:           258.2 yds/gm (#3)          167.0 yds/gm (#1)       BSU (167.0)
 Rushing Offense:       154.2 yds/gm (#3)           257.2 yds/gm (#1)      BSU (257.2)
 Rushing Defense:       107.0 yds/gm (#3)           21.2 yds/gm (#1)        BSU (21.2)
 Passing Offense:        267.5 yds/gm (#1)          135.0 yds/gm (#8)       NCCU (267.5)
 Passing Defense:       151.2 yds/gm (#6)          145.8 yds/gm (#4)       SPC (122.8)

      Saturday's match-up will feature the top offense in the CIAA against the league's top defense. NCCU enters the contest averaging 421.8 yards of total offense per game, while Bowie State boasts the top-ranked defense by holding opponents to 167.0 total yards per game. 

THE STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH:
 North Carolina Central University
 #4 - DB - Derrick Ray (So., 6-0, 210) - Team-high 21 tackles (10 solo), 3 TFLs, interception for a TD 
 #12 - QB - Adrian Warren (Sr., 6-5, 215) - 64-for-118 passing for 1,010 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INT (155.7 eff.)
#34 - RB - Greg Pruitt, Jr. (Jr., 5-10, 200) - 378 rushing yards and 3 TD on 82 carries (94.5 per game)
 #49 - DE - Ronald Dowdy (Sr., 6-4, 285) - 16 tackles (9 solo), including team-high 5 TFLs and 3 sacks 
#80 - WR - Torey Ross (Sr., 6-4, 190) - Leads CIAA with 26 catches for 398 yards and 6 TDs 

 Bowie State University
 #1 - WR - Glenn Thomas (Sr., 6-3, 185) - 14 catches for 245 yards and 5 TDs
 #4 - LB - Sterling Green (Sr., 6-3, 220) - Team-high 32 tackles with CIAA-best 5 sacks
 #8 - QB - Lamar Manigo (Jr., 5-11, 194) - 30-for-63 passing for 454 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs
 #20 - RB - Isaac Redman (So., 6-0, 220) - Tops CIAA in rushing with 119.2 yards per game
 #31 - SS - Terrence Stafford (Jr., 6-0, 200) - Second on team with 27 tackles (16 solo)

NCCU AMONG CIAA STATISTICAL LEADERS (TOP 5):
 Name Category Rank Statistics
 Adrian Warren Passing #1 252.5 passing yards per game
 Torey Ross Receptions/Game #1 T 6.5 avg. (26 catches for 398 yds and 6 TDs)
 Torey Ross Receiving Yards/Game #2 99.5 avg. (26 catches for 398 yds and 6 TDs)
 Greg Pruitt, Jr. Rushing #3 94.5 rushing yards per game (378 yds, 3 TDs, 82 atts.)
 Corey Brown Rushing #5 69.5 rushing yards per game (278 yds, 2 TDs, 43 atts.)
 Adrian Warren Total Offense #2 236.8 total yards per game
 Adrian Warren Pass Efficiency #1 155.7 pass efficiency rating
 Brandon Alston Punt Return Avg. #2 13.7 yards per punt return (12 for 164 yards)
 Torey Ross Scoring #2 9.0 points per game (6 TDs)
 Brandon Gilbert Scoring #3 T 7.5 points per game (18-19 PAT, 4-4 FG)
 Brandon Gilbert Scoring (Kick) #1 7.5 points per game (18-19 PAT, 4-4 FG)
 Brandon Gilbert Field Goal Pct. #1 T 100 percent (4-4 FG)
 Brandon Gilbert PAT Kicking Pct. #3 94.7 percent (18-for-19)
 Ronald Dowdy Sacks #3 T 0.75 sacks per game (3 solo, 0 assist)
 Ronald Dowdy Fumbles Forced #2 T 0.5 per game (2 forced fumbles)
 Darren Brothers Passes Defended #4 T 1.5 per game (5 PBU, 1 INT) 

EAGLES STREAKING:  NCCU is currently enjoying two of the best winning streaks in school history. NCCU's seven-game winning streak, which dates back to the 2004 season, is the second best all-time and the longest since George Quiett coached the Eagles to an eight-game win streak during the 1968 and 1969 seasons. NCCU has also won 11 of its last 12 games, a feat only accomplished once before in school history by the 1971 and 1972 (MEAC Champion) squads.

NCCU'S WARREN FIFTH ALL-TIME IN TOTAL OFFENSE:  Eagles QB Adrian Warren, with 947 yards thus far in 2005, has passed former Eagle greats Joe Simmons (7th), Garvin Stone (6th) and Warren Bell (5th) in career total yards. Warren has amassed 3,785 career yards of total offense through Saturday's 37-31 victory over the Shaw Bears. Warren is also fifth among NCCU's all-time career passing leaders with 3,673 yards through the air and 41 touchdown passes.

EAGLES SEEING YELLOW:  NCCU is currently the most penalized team in the CIAA, averaging 12 penalties for 129 yards per game (48 penalties for 516 yards).

RARE MEETING OF UNDEFEATED TEAMS:  The NCCU-BSU contest will be one of only three Division II match-ups between undefeated teams this weekend. The others are Texas A&M-Kingsville (3-0) against West Texas A&M (4-0) and Nebraska-Omaha (3-0) against South Dakota (4-0).

COACH BROADWAY NOW SECOND IN WINNING PERCENTAGE:  NCCU head coach Rod Broadway has now moved ahead of the legendary Herman H. Riddick, who coached the Eagles from 1945-1964 and posted a .654 winning percentage. Broadway, 16-8 at NCCU, now has a winning percentage of .667.

NCCU JUMPS INTO TOP 25:  With its fourth consecutive victory to open the season, NCCU entered the D2Football.com Top 25 National Rankings (Sept. 20) at the No. 24 position. The 2005 D2Football.com Top 25 National Rankings are chosen by members of the D2Football.com Media Voting Panel.  Even after Saturday's 37-31 victory over Shaw, NCCU actually dropped two places to No. 36 in Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division II Top 40. Bowie State is ranked No. 29 in Don Hansen's Football Gazette poll, but is not ranked by D2Football.com.

EAGLES IN THE BLACK COLLEGE RANKINGS:  NCCU jumped two spots in the latest SBN Sports Black College Football Poll (Sept. 19) to the No. 4 position. Bowie State entered the poll this week at No. 10.

NCCU CLAIMS THREE WEEKLY CIAA HONORS: NCCU center Robert Duncan (Offensive Lineman of the Week), defensive back J.R. Tanner (Rookie of the Week) and Rod Broadway (Coach of the Week) were honored by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Monday. Duncan, a junior from Winston-Salem, cleared the way as the Eagles racked up 244 rushing yards and 214 passing yards in Saturday's showdown against defending CIAA Champion Shaw University. Tanner, a 5-10 freshman from Dudley, NC, made an over-the-shoulder interception which halted the Bears' chances of a victory over NCCU. He also had an assisted tackle and one pass break-up in the game. Meanwhile, Broadway and the Eagles remained undefeated on the season with an impressive 37-31 win over defending CIAA Champion Shaw University. The Eagles accumulated 458 yards of total offense and are now 4-0, and off to their best start since 1988.

TICKETS:  IN ADVANCE: General admission is $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and students, and $5 for children (age 2-12). Reserved seating is $20. GAME DAY: General admission is $17 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and students, and $5 for children (age 2-12). Reserved seating is $22. Full-time NCCU students with a valid I.D. admitted free.

LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL VIA THE INTERNET:  The North Carolina Central University Athletics Department is scheduled to broadcast the entire 2005 Eagles football season via the internet. The audio broadcast will be accessible to a world-wide audience by visiting the NCCU Athletics web site at http://web.nccu.edu/campus/athletics/audio.html.