North Carolina Central University

FOOTBALL

THE GAME: North Greenville University “Crusaders” at North Carolina Central University “Eagles”

THE KICKOFF: Saturday, October 13, 2007 – Kickoff at 1:00 p.m. (ET) 

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

2007 RECORDS:  North Greenville (1-5 overall); NCCU (4-2 overall) 

THE EVENT: North Carolina Central University Homecoming 2007.  The 2007 Homecoming football game is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. Saturday will also be the final home football game for 19 NCCU senior student-athletes.

THE SERIES: This is the first gridiron meeting between North Greenville University and North Carolina Central University.

LAST WEEK FOR NCCU: The Eagles had the week off due to the cancellation of the West Alabama game. Two weeks ago (Sept. 29), NCCU suffered only its second loss of the season with a 27-34 setback versus Presbyterian College. NCCU quarterback Stadford Brown completed a career-best 26 passes in 47 attempts for a career-high 372 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, his first pick since the season-opening loss at Albany State. The sophomore signal caller was 13-of-24 with 243 yards and two touchdowns passing in a dramatic 20-point  comeback bid in the fourth quarter. Brown also rushed for 42 yards to amass a career-best 414 yards of total offense. 

LAST WEEK FOR NORTH GREENVILLE: The good news for North Greenville was that its offense amassed 515 total yards and scored 52 points. The bad news was that the Crusaders’ defense allowed the opposition, Presbyterian College, to rack up 665 total yards, including 648 through the air, along with 66 points. In the 66-52 loss, North Greenville scored 35 points in the second half, including 21 in the fourth quarter. NGU quarterback Eric Moeller completed 25-of-35 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns, receiver Travis Talbert had eight receptions for 84 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Rashad Cummings rushed for 105 yards and a score on 22 carries.

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. 

North Greenville head football coach Mike Taylor is in his 19th season as a college head coach and his eighth season overseeing the Crusaders. A 1976 graduate of Newberry College, Taylor boasts an overall career record of 96-98, including a 50-25 mark at NGU (as of Oct. 9, 2007).

THE STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH: 
 North Carolina Central University – 
 #2 - QB - Stadford Brown (So., 6-1, 201) – 58-of-115 passing, 604 yards, 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.
 #3 - WR - Deshawn Spears (Fr., 5-7, 145) – Leads team with 22 catches for 199 yards, touchdown.
 #4 - LB - Derrick Ray (Sr., 6-0, 215) – Has 26 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions.
 #11 - LB - Eric Ray (Sr., 6-0, 235) – 49 tackles, 6.0 hits for loss, 2 pass break-ups, forced fumble, interception.
 #13 - DE - Xavier Joe (Sr., 6-2, 253) – Has 28 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, team-high 6.0 sacks, 3 QB hurries.
 #25 - RB - Tim Shankle (Fr., 5-10, 220) – Leads team with 289 rushing yards (4.1 yards per carry).
 #26 - FS - Darren Brothers (Sr., 6-1, 183) – Leads team with 11 passes defended (4 interceptions, 7 pass break-ups).
 #32 - CB - Craig Amos (Sr., 5-10, 180) – 23 tackles, 3 INTs, 5 pass break-ups, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 blocked kicks.
 #56 - LB - D.J. Fretwell (Sr., 6-1, 243) – Team-high 49 tackles with 2.5 tackles for a loss.
 #83 - WR - Will Scott (Jr., 6-2, 169) – Leads team with 337 receiving yards (17.7 avg.), 4 touchdown catches.

 North Greenville University – 
 #1 - WR - Terrance Butler (Jr., 5-9, 193) - Tops team with 23 catches for 350 yards, 2 touchdowns.
 #1 - WR - Travis Talbert (Sr., 5-9, 185) - Tops team with 35 catches for 483 yards, 7 touchdowns.
 #8 - QB - Eric Moeller (Sr., 6-2, 214) - 119-of-196 passing, 1,582 yards, 13 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.
 #20 - RB - Matt Moore (Jr., 6-0, 203) - Rushed for 495 yards (5.9 avg.), 6 touchdowns.
 #24 - RB - Rashad Cummings (Jr., 5-9, 206) - Team’s top rusher with 686 yards , 6 touchdowns.
 #30 - LB - Tyrell Davis (Jr., 5-9, 192) - Leads team with 54 tackles, 5.5 hits for loss, 2.0 sacks.
 #86 - WR - Brandon Dobbins (Jr., 6-6, 235) - 31 receptions, 407 yards, 4 touchdowns.

TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON:
 Category               NCCU ... N. Greenville
 Scoring Offense: 17.5 pts/gm ... 36.5 pts/gm
 Scoring Defense: 13.7 pts/gm ... 43.5 pts/gm
 Total Offense: 260.7 yds/gm ... 490.8 yds/gm
 Total Defense: 279.2 yds/gm ... 474.2 yds/gm
 Rushing Offense: 98.0 yds/gm ... 222.7 yds/gm
 Rushing Defense: 141.0 yds/gm ... 107.8 yds/gm
 Passing Offense: 162.7 yds/gm ... 268.2 yds/gm
 Passing Defense: 138.2 yds/gm ... 366.3 yds/gm

NCCU AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS: NCCU is not officially eligible to be included in NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision statistics until the 2011 football season as part of its reclassification period, but the Eagles would figure in prominently in the FCS statistics. NCCU would currently lead the Division I-FCS in turnovers gained with 19 and share the top spot in interceptions with 12. NCCU would also rank tied for fourth in turnover margin (1.83), fifth in pass efficiency defense (91.31 rating), seventh in total defense (279.17 yards per game), eighth in scoring defense (13.7 points allowed per game), and ninth in pass defense (138.17 yards per game).

OH BROTHERS: NCCU senior safety Darren Brothers currently leads the Eagles with 11 passes defended, including team-highs of four interceptions and seven pass break-ups. A native of Elizabeth City, N.C., Brothers would also rank among the nation’s top 10 if NCCU were eligible for the NCAA Division I-FCS statistical rankings. Brothers would be tied for third in the nation in passes defended (1.83 per game) and tied for seventh in interceptions (0.67 per game). He also has 20 tackles (nine solo) and a forced fumble on the season.

JOE ON RECORD SACK PACE: NCCU senior defensive end Xavier Joe has collected 6.0 sacks in his first six games this season. His 1.0 sack-per-game average would rank ninth in the nation if NCCU was eligible for the NCAA Division I-FCS statistical rankings. Nonetheless, Joe is only 2.0 sacks away from matching former NCCU end Michael Lattimore’s single-season record of 8.0 sacks in 1995 (record since 1994 when assisted sacks started to count as a half).

EAGLES ON HOMECOMING:  Since 1937, NCCU has a 50-17-2 record on homecoming, a winning percentage of .739. During the past four homecoming contests, the Eagles are 2-2 with wins in 2004 (Virginia State, 42-33) and 2006 (Johnson C. Smith, 52-7) and losses in 2003 (Livingstone, 3-17) and 2005 (St. Augustine’s, 8-22).

EAGLES SCORING IN THE AIR:  Through five games, the NCCU offense has found the end zone 12 times, with all but two coming through the air. On Sept. 15 versus Elizabeth City State, NCCU rookie running back Tim Shankle scored the team’s first rushing touchdown of the season with a two-yard plunge at 10:07 of the fourth quarter. Shankle is also responsible for the team’s other rushing touchdown, a two-yard scamper against Presbyterian (Sept. 29). Sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown has thrown 10 touchdown passes, with four to junior receiver Will Scott, three going to junior receiver Wayne Blackwell, and one each to rookie receiver Deshawn Spears, senior receiver Brandon Alston and senior tight end Christopher Edwards. The Eagles’ special teams has accounted for one touchdown this season with senior Craig Amos recovering a fumble in the end zone versus Elizabeth City State (Sept. 15), while the NCCU defense has scored the other two touchdowns courtesy of interception returns at North Carolina A&T (Sept. 22) by senior linebacker Derrick Ray (23 yards) and freshman safety Jeffery Henderson (72 yards).

NCCU’S AMOS STUFFING THE STATS:  NCCU senior cornerback Craig Amos has been a super stat-stuffer so far this season. The Winston-Salem native had an MVP performance in the Whitney Young Classic (Sept. 15) when he scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, intercepted a pass, collected a team-best six tackles (four solo) and deflected four other passes. On Sept. 2 against Fayetteville State, Amos collected four tackles (three solo), two blocked field goals, two fumble recoveries for 40 yards, an interception (he had another interception in the third quarter negated by a roughing the passer penalty), and a pass break-up. Through six games, Amos has 28 tackles (19 solo), three interceptions for 14 yards, five pass break-ups, three fumble recoveries for 40 yards and a touchdown, and two blocked kicks. Amos now has 15 career interceptions and eight career blocked kicks.

SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown is climbing his way through the NCCU record books. Courtesy of an amazing 2006 rookie campaign, Brown currently ranks sixth on the school’s all-time career passing list with 3,553 passing yards and is sixth on the Eagles’ career total offense list with 3,548 total yards (statistics as of Oct. 9). Brown needs 390 passing yards to move past Herman Matthews (3,942 passing yards, 1966-69) into fifth place on the school’s career passing list, and requires 516 yards of total offense to pass Herman Matthews into the fifth spot (4,063 total yards, 1966-69). Brown threw for 2,577 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, while starting all 12 games for the 11-1 Black College Football National Champions.

ALSTON INCREASES SCHOOL’S CAREER PUNT RETURN RECORD:  NCCU senior wide receiver and return specialist Brandon Alston continues to improve upon the career punt return record he broke as a junior in 2006. Alston is the school’s all-time leading punt returner with 1,109 career yards (as of Oct. 9).

AMOS PICKING OFF THE OPPOSITION: With his third interception of the season on Sept. 15, NCCU senior Craig Amos jumped into seventh place on the school’s all-time career interceptions list with 15 picks. Amos needs one more to equal Tony Lindsey’s 16 interceptions from 1985-88. The NCCU all-time interceptions leader is Melvin Wallace with 22 picks from 1982-85. Amos is also ranked eighth on NCCU’s career passes defended list with 40 (15 interceptions, 25 pass break-ups).

PETERSON N.F.L. UPDATE: Former NCCU defensive lineman Greg Peterson, a 2007 fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, continues to make his mark in his rookie season in the National Football League. In his homecoming game against the Carolina Panthers (Sept. 30), Peterson recorded three solo tackles with a sack and a fumble recovery. The former Eagle now has 12 total tackles (nine solo) and is second on the Buccaneers with 1.5 sacks.

BACK-TO-BACK BLANKINGS:  On Saturday (Sept. 8), the NCCU defense recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time in 11 years. On Sept. 2, the Eagles posted a 17-0 win over Fayetteville State. On Sept. 8, NCCU notched a 6-0 victory over St. Augustine’s. In the middle of the 1996 campaign, NCCU collected three consecutive shutouts. The 1996 season was also the last time NCCU had two shutouts in the same year. The Eagles finished the 1996 campaign with the No. 1 ranked pass defense in the country (NCAA Division II). 

GILBERT BREAKS SCHOOL SCORING RECORD:  NCCU senior place-kicker Brandon Gilbert scored five points on Sept. 2 versus Fayetteville State to become the school’s all-time career scoring leader. Gilbert currently has 234 points, passing All-American wide receiver Robert Clark, who amassed 232 career points with 38 touchdowns and two extra-point conversions from 1983-86. Gilbert is now four field goals shy of tying the school record for career field goals, currently held by Kevin Houston (1992-95) with 40. Gilbert already holds the school record for career extra-point kicks made with 126, and has made 83 consecutive extra-point kicks. Gilbert will miss the rest of the season with a torn quadriceps muscle in his left (kicking) leg.

INJURIES END SEASON FOR TWO NCCU STARTERS: (Sept. 8, 2007) Two NCCU football starters – senior running back Jeff Toliver and senior place-kicker Brandon Gilbert – will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. The duo hope to complete their Eagle gridiron careers during the 2008 campaign after seeking medical red-shirt waivers. Toliver, a 5-9, 207-pound native of Gaithersburg, Md., has a torn ligament in his right foot, an injury he suffered during last week’s 17-0 victory over Fayetteville State. Prior to the start of the season, he was voted by his teammates as one of four team captains. Through the first two games, he was the team’s leading rusher with 92 ground yards. Gilbert, a 5-10, 186-pound native of Graham, N.C., has a torn quadriceps muscle in his left (kicking) leg. He suffered the injury during the team’s pre-season training camp, but continued to play in hopes that the injury would heal and not hinder his performance on the field. After the Sept. 2 contest, however, Gilbert decided he could no longer push ahead. Gilbert is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 234 career points, and also holds the NCCU record for career extra-point kicks made with 126. He is four field goals shy of tying the school record for career field goals.

EAGLES IN NFL STADIUMS:  With an 18-10 victory over Elizabeth City State on Sept. 15 inside Giants Stadium, the Eagles remain undefeated inside National Football League stadiums with a 3-0 record. NCCU edged Morris Brown, 19-16, inside Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2000. A year later (Nov. 4, 2001), the Eagles beat J.C. Smith, 34-3, inside the Carolina Panthers’ home, then called Ericsson Stadium, in Charlotte, N.C.

GAME WITH WEST ALABAMA CANCELLED:  On Sept. 12, the University of West Alabama Department of Athletics announced the cancellation of the Tigers’ football game versus North Carolina Central University at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. on Oct. 6. The cancellation is the result of a breach in the game contract by the Varsity Sports Marketing Group, the game’s promoter. “We want all of the UWA and NCCU fans to know that our great universities really wanted to play this football game and we did everything possible to salvage it, but we were unable to resolve the contract difficulties with the game’s promoter,” said UWA Director of Athletics E.J. Brophy. This cancellation will result in an open date for both teams on Oct. 6. “We are disappointed that our football program and our fans will not have the opportunity to travel to Alabama for this event,” said NCCU Director of Athletics Bill Hayes. “We have developed a wonderful relationship with the administration of UWA and we were looking forward to the match-up on the gridiron. All possible efforts were exhausted by NCCU and UWA before having to come to this decision. This is quite unfortunate.”

INAUGURAL DIVISION ONE SEASON:  The 2007 gridiron campaign marks the inaugural season for North Carolina Central University in the NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision. Playing as an independent for the 2007 season, the Eagles were NCAA Division II members in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association before the transition. NCCU won back-to-back CIAA football championships in 2005 and 2006, and was declared the 2006 Black College Football National Champions with an undefeated regular season and an overall record of 11-1.

INJURY REPORT: (NCCU) RB – Jeff Toliver, foot sprain (Out for Season); K – Brandon Gilbert, thigh (Out for Season). 

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. Donal Ware will handle play-by-play duties, Eric Curry will provide color commentary and Hanif Omar will call the action from the sideline. 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 .

CAN’T MAKE THE GAME... WATCH IT ON THE INTERNET: WRJD 1410 AM, in conjunction with the North Carolina Central University Department of Athletics, JarvisTV and VBrick Systems, will provide an internet video broadcast of the NCCU football game on Saturday, Oct. 13, as the Eagles host North Greenville University for Homecoming 2007. The live broadcast, starting with a pre-game show at 12:30 p.m. (ET), is available to a world-wide audience free of charge at http://www.jarvistv.com/nccu . 

QUOTES FROM NCCU HEAD COACH MOSE RISON:
On Saturday's contest being Homecoming for NCCU:
"I found out last year that homecoming is a big deal at HBCUs. I have made it real clear to the team that the alumni come back and expect us to win the ball game."
On North Greenville:
"We know they are a good football team. They have a record of 1-5, but they have scored a lot of points. They are not going to come in here and lay down. Their quarterback, Eric Moeller, is an outstanding football player and is off to a tremendous start. He reads coverages very well and gets the ball out of his hands quickly. They also have a great running back combination in Rashad Cummings and Matt Moore, who have both shown the ability to run and break a big one at any time."
On having an off week:
"We had an opportunity to get healed up and rested. The bye week was definitely a plus for us."
On the progress of the NCCU offense:
"I think we have come out of our shell offensively. We have not turned the ball over and we have given ourselves a chance to win every ball game."
On 19 seniors playing in their final home game:
"It is going to be very emotional for them. I am sure you will see some tears on Saturday."

SPORTS INFORMATION CONTACTS: 
 NCCU: Kyle Serba (919) 530-7054 / kserba@nccu.edu
 North Greenville: Rhett Burns (864) 977-7187 / rsburns@ngu.edu