Date: Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022
Time: 6 p.m. 
Location: Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, N.C. 
Radio: Donal Ware (pxp); Al Swann (analyst); Billy Covington (halftime show)
Radio Stations: WKEW 1400 AM; 96.3 FM; Sirus XM Radio app
TV/Stream: Mike Morgan (pxp); Mike Glennon (analyst); Jaylyn Johnson (sideline)   
Platform: ACCN 

NORTH CAROLINA A&T (0-2, 0-0 Big South): North Carolina A&T has another tough challenge ahead. A week after facing the No. 1 team in Division I-FCS football, the Aggies drive approximately 55 miles north to face the ACC's Duke Blue Devils for the third time since 2019. The Aggies have played Duke tough in the first half on their previous two trips. They held a 10-7 lead in the second quarter in 2019 before an Aggies turnover led to 21 Duke points in 2 ½ minutes to spearhead Duke's 45-13 win. In 2021, the Aggies played Duke to a 14-14 tie in the second quarter before a fourth-down touchdown in the waning seconds of the first half ignited the Blue Devils to a 45-17 win. 

There are some differences from the previous two seasons, however. The Blue Devils have a new coach in Mike Elko and a new quarterback in Riley Leonard. Meanwhile, the Aggies are trying to recover from a loss to archrival N.C. Central in a much-anticipated game in the Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. They were also on a big stage facing nine-time FCS national champion North Dakota State. A&T is now trying to avoid its first 0-3 start since 2010 and its first four-game losing streak since 2011.  

DUKE (2-0, 0-0 ACC): Duke is off to a hot start offensively. The Blue Devils scored on four of their first five drives to dominate the Temple Owls in a 30-0 win during the season's first week. Duke compiled 500 yards of offense while holding the Owls to 179 yards of offense. The following week the Blue Devils traveled to Northwestern and jumped out to another early lead. Duke took a 21-0 and held on to defeat the Wildcats 31-23. They forced a turnover in the late seconds of the game as Northwestern was trying to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion. Duke rushed for 221 yards, led by Jordan Waters, who rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Jaylen Coleman added 83 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 11 carries. The Blue Devils also had two receivers go over 100 yards receiving in Jalon Calhoun and Eli Pancol. Calhoun has had much success against the Aggies in the previous two meetings. He has combined to make 13 receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Shaka Heyward leads the Blue Devils defensively with 12 tackles, 2 ½ for loss and four pass breakups. 

A&T HEAD COACH SAM WASHINGTON: Washington is in his fifth season overall and his fourth season on the sideline after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Aggies to cancel the 2020 season. Washington is 24-13 (.649) as A&T's head coach. Washington won coach of the year honors in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in 2018. He won 19 games over his first two seasons in AggieLand, the most of any A&T coach during his first two years on the job for the Aggies. Washington served as the Aggies defensive coordinator from 2011-17 before becoming head coach. He designed one of the best defenses in the nation during his time as the DC. 

NDSU HEAD COACH MIKE ELKO: Elko enters his first season as the Blue Devils head coach after spending four seasons as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator. The Texas A&M Aggies went 34-14 during Elko's stint there. In his final season, Elko led the Aggies to a No. 3 national ranking in scoring defense, allowing just 15.92 points per game. Texas A&M also had the seventh-ranked red zone defense (.710). Elko has spent 23 years coaching at the collegiate level. For eighteen of those years, he has served as a defensive coordinator at various places such as Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Bowling Green. 

THE QUARTERBACKS: Freshman QB Zachary Yeager left the North Dakota State game early with a shoulder injury. Yeager has started the first two games for the Aggies. After throwing for a freshman school-record 275 yards against NCCU, he struggled a bit at NDSU with an interception and a fumble lost. Graduate Jalen Fowler took most of the snaps against the Bison, throwing for 45 yards on 10-for-14 passing. The Aggies are still trying to find their way at quarterback. On Monday, Washington hinted that fans might also see freshman QB Eli Brickhanlder in the mix on Saturday. 

Duke is more certain at the quarterback position. Riley Leonard has looked good with his arm and his feet thus far. He is completing 68.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 568 yards, three touchdowns and one INT. Leonard is also averaging 4.8 yards per carry on 17 attempts. Jordan Moore is listed as a quarterback on Duke's roster, but he has caught eight passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. 

NEWS AND NOTES 

• The Aggies have had some success against FBS programs. The Aggies are 3-5 against FBS programs. 
• The Aggies, however, are 0-4 against ACC opponents, with two losses to Duke (2019, 2021) and a loss apiece to North Carolina (2015) and Wake Forest (2004). 
• A&T has a few more future ACC opponents in its future. They are scheduled to play Wake Forest in 2024 and N.C. State in 2027. As it stands now, the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) appears to be the only FBS on the schedule for 2023. 
• A&T running back Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 127 yards on 24 carries. It was his first career 100-yard rushing game. He became the Aggies first 100-yard rusher in nine games, ending the Aggies longest drought since they went 21 games without a 100-yard rusher from 2008-2010. 
• Tuten had his coming out party last season in Durham against the Blue Devils. He rushed for 54 yards on seven carries, which helped him earn Big South Conference freshman of the week honors. 
• Duke is expecting its first sellout crowd since 2018. The last time the Aggies helped an FBS sellout their stadium occurred in 2017 when the Charlotte 49ers reported a sellout at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The Aggies won the game 35-31. 
• A&T has 49 players from North Carolina on its active roster. Surprisingly, none of those players are from Durham, N.C.