No. 9/9 North Carolina A&T (9-1, 7-0 MEAC) at No. 24/20 N.C. Central (8-2, 7-0 MEAC)
Date: Nov. 19, 2016
Time: 2 p.m.
Facility: O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000)
Series: A&T leads, 49-33-5
Radio: 1320 AM/93.7 FM WCOG; Play-by-play – Donal Ware, Analysts – Al Swann
*FCS media poll listed first/coaches' poll listed next
LAST GAME'S OFFENSIVE STARTERS: WR Denzel Keyes (6-4, 215, Sr., 3 rec., 70 yards, 1TD); LT Brandon Parker (6-7, 299, R-Jr., 5x MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week ); LG Joshua Mattocks (6-3, 332, R-Jr.); C Darriel Mack (6-2, 291, R-Jr.); RG Daquan Blake (6-3, 315, Jr.); RT Wes Cole (6-6, 335, Sr.); WR Deshaun McFadden (5-8, 171, So.); RB Tarik Cohen (5-6, 179, Sr., had his fourth run of the season of 80 yards or more in the game); QB Oluwafemi Bamiro (6-4, 211, R-Sr., 2 TD passes, 6 carries, 47 yards); FB Anthony McMinn II (6-1, 241, R-Sr.); TE Leroy Hill (6-3, 239, R-So.).
LAST GAME'S DEFENSIVE STARTERS: DE Malik Hampton-Prioleau (6-4, 255, Sr., 1.5 TFLs); DT Marquis Ragland (6-3, 377, R-Sr., 7 tackles, 1 SACK); NG Julian McKnight (6-3, 291, R-So.); DE Kenneth Melton (6-2, 220, R-Jr., 1.5 TFLs); LB Deion Jones (5-11, 207, R-So., 7 tackles); LB Kiaundric Richardson (6-0, 207, So., 2 INTs, 5 tackles, 1 SACK); LB Jeremy Taylor (5-11, 181, R-Jr., 6 tackles, 1 PBU); ROV Marcus Albert (5-10, 207, R-Jr., 6 tackles, 1 TFL); FS Zerius Lockhart (5-10, 175, R-Jr., 3 unassisted tackles, 1 INT); CB Marquis Willis (5-8, 153, R-So., 6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery); CB Tard McCoy (5-9, 184, R-Jr.).
The Game: The outright MEAC title is on the line between two of the most heated rivals in the country, N.C. A&T and N.C. Central. For the first time in three seasons, there will be an outright champion in the MEAC. This will be the first matchup between the two heated rivals where both teams are nationally ranked. The winner will get a bid to the second annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. The loser will have to wait until Sunday at 11 a.m., to see if they will be selected as a NCAA FCS playoff team. The Aggies come into the game having won nine straight road games in MEAC play. Their last loss on the road in MEAC play came to NCCU in 2014 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The Aggies, winners of seven straight games, have won their games this season by an average of 23.9 points. NCCU has ran off eight straight this season and they have not loss a MEAC game since Oct. 3, 2015, a string of 14 straight victories.
This will be the 88th Aggie-Eagle Classic. The previous 87 games have been decided by an average of 14 points. When they have played on the same level (NCCU played Division II from 1980-2006), the average margin of victory is 11 points. The average margin of victory since 2007, when NCCU returned to the Division I-FCS level, the average margin of victory is 8.7. with two overtime games thrown in. In the 87 games they've played, 38 have been decided by a touchdown or less. Six games have been decided by one point. The game has gone into overtime six times since 1994.
News & Notes
- Cohen fumbled at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter at N.C. Central on Nov. 22, 2014. Cohen hasn't fumbled since. Cohen has now had 496 straight touches without a fumble.
- N.C. A&T is after the school's second undefeated season in the MEAC since joining the conference in 1971. The only other time the Aggies finished undefeated in the MEAC was in 1999. The Aggies had four undefeated seasons in the CIAA — 1950, 1958, 1959 and 1964. The Aggies are 18-2 in their last 20 conference games.
- Cohen needs 108 yards to break his own single-season school rushing record he set last season at 1,543. Cohen has three of the top-5 rushing seasons in school history.
- Cohen and Brandon Parker have owned weekly honors from the MEAC this season. Cohen has won MEAC offensive player of the week seven times this season. Parker has won offensive lineman of the week five times.
- Cohen only needs 33 yards to become only the second player in HBCU college football history to go over 5,500 rushing yards in a career, joining former Winston-Salem State and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Richard Huntley.
Opposing Point of View
“One thing about our guys is that we've been through this before, we've done this the last two years. We have a lot of experience on this roster with a couple of rings, so they understand what's at stake and how to go into a game like this and prepare. They also understand the emotion and the intensity it's going to take to come away with a win against this caliber of team.”
NCCU coach Jerry Mack on facing N.C. A&T
