Gino Addison rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns, and North Carolina Central (NCCU) football jumped into MEAC play with a convincing 31-12 win over Delaware State on Friday night in Dover.
The Eagles (3-5, 1-0 MEAC) snapped a four-game losing skid and avenged a 2025 loss to the Hornets.
Addison carried 31 times, averaged 6.9 yards per attempt and scored touchdowns on runs of 6 and 16 yards as NCCU pulled away in the second half.
North Carolina Central quarterback Cobey Thompkins completed 15-of-18 passes for 155 yards. He finished off the victory with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Luke Bracey with 2:06 left.
Zion Dobson added a touchdown run for the Eagles. He finished with 57 rushing yards on 11 carries. Riley Daniels also hit a 25-yard field goal.
Amari Sifford picked off two passes for NCCU. Zarion Walters made six tackles, had two tackles-for-loss and one sack.
Delaware State got its points on an early 26-yard touchdown run by Kyree Benton and a 10-yard TD dash from quarterback Marqui Adams on the game’s final play.
Notable Names and Numbers
- North Carolina Central running back Gino Addison enjoyed his second-straight banner rushing performance. The freshman from Starke, FL, earned 169 yards two weeks ago against William & Mary.
- NCCU outrushed Delaware State 272-117 and picked up 28 first downs.
- The Eagles ran 71 plays for 427 total yards. The Hornets had just 46 plays for 257 total yards.
- Delaware State went 1-of-8 on third-down plays.
- North Carolina Central now has 18 takeaways on the season – 10 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Amari Sifford, who picked off a pair of throws against Delaware State, leads NCCU with three interceptions.
What’s Next?
The MEAC schedule is a quick burst – just five games for each team in a round-robin style. North Carolina will host Howard on Halloween in week two of MEAC play, while Delaware State will travel to Norfolk State.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
DEL ST – Kyree Benton 26-yard run (kick failed), 13:49
NCCU – Zion Dobson 5-yard run (Riley Daniels kick), 4:36
(NCCU 7, Delaware State 6)
2nd Quarter
NCCU – Riley Daniels 25-yard field goal, 3:05
(NCCU 10, Delaware State 6)
Third Quarter
NCCU – Gino Addison 6-yard run (Daniels kick), 6:26
(NCCU 17, Delaware State 6)
Fourth Quarter
NCCU – Gino Addison 16-yard run (Daniels kick), 13:35
NCCU – Luke Bracey 21-yard touchdown pass from Cobey Thompkins (Daniels kick), 2:06
DEL ST – Marqui Adams 10-yard rush (no PAT), 0:00
Final – NCCU 31, Delaware State 12
