Craig Amos' two interceptions in the end zone and a pair of long touchdown passes highlighted N.C. Central's annual Maroon & Gray football game on a damp Saturday at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. 

With regular starting quarterback Adrian Warren unavailable for spring drills or the game, redshirt freshmen Stafford Brown and Mike Jones each tossed a touchdown pass while both Amos pickoffs came off Brown's passes. 

"It was a good spring -- this was just the end," said NCCU coach Rod Broadway, who is 22-10 at the helm headed into his fourth season. "We can still step up and get better, but we had a lot of guys come along well -- Stafford Brown, [rising senior wideout] Julius McClellan, [rising senior tight end] Kenneth Broadway, [rising sophomore guard] Gabriel Manns. 

"[Running back] Greg Pruitt was good. We just didn't want to overwork him today. And [rising sophomore] Jeff Tolliver had some nice carries. We've got the makings of a pretty good football team." 

The Eagles will be looking to build on last season's 10-2 finish, which included the school's first CIAA football title since 1980 and its first NCAA Division II playoff berth since 1989. 

"We're making progress," defensive coordinator Cliff Yoshida said. "As usual we're thin in the defensive line. But we're trying to get some speed on the field. We'll be faster than last year. 

Rising junior Brandon Alston, who has made a name for himself as a punt returner, got the offense on the board on its third possession, catching a Mike Jones pass in stride at the 20 and scooted into the end zone untouched. 

"That ball was perfectly thrown," Alston said. "We'd been working on that one all spring -- hit them with a double move and you're open. 

"I know we're going to be good. Some days in the spring the offense was better than the defense, and some days the defense was better than the offense." 

Two possessions later the offense got as deep as the 11 before a receiving a holding penalty, and Amos stepped in front of McClellan in the end zone to intercept a Brown pass and kill the drive. 

Brown tossed a scoring pass of his own three possessions later, connecting with a wide-open Wayne Blackwell in the middle of the field for a 50-yard scoring play. 

Amos had his second interception late in the scrimmage, stepping in front of Charles Futrell to take away Brown's attempt from the 2-yard line. 

"We've got great receivers," Amos said. "I just got in front of them. 

"This team can be three times better than last year's. It all just depends on our work ethic." 

NOTES -- With just one semester of eligibility remaining that will be used in the fall, Warren was not allowed under NCAA rules to participate in spring drills. * Running back Corey Brown and nose guard Courtney Coard sat out spring drills recovering from shoulder injuries. * NCCU opens its season at home on Aug. 26 against defending SIAC champion Albany State.