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Can North Carolina Central football run the table in the MEAC?

League play starts tonight (Thursday) at Morgan State in nationally televised ESPNU clash

Published

October 18, 2023

After a lengthy non-conference schedule, NC Central will take aim at MEAC foes the rest of the way. Photo by Israel Anta/Cumberland Photos | Courtesy NC Central University athletics.

North Carolina Central football starts MEAC play tonight, visiting Morgan State at 7:30 p.m. in an ESPNU national telecast from Baltimore.

To the casual observer, this game – and the entire march through the five-game MEAC schedule – looks like a cakewalk for the Eagles. NCCU boasts a 5-1 overall record and a top-10 national resume, while none of their other MEAC opponents has an overall record better than 2-4. Morgan State only has one win in five tries.

But, looks can be deceiving and the MEAC can produce crazy bounces and unforeseen results. Case in point: NC Central’s 26-24 stumble at underdog South Carolina State about this time a year ago. The Eagles outgained the Bulldogs, but had two touchdowns wiped off the board by penalties, threw an interception in SC State territory in the fourth quarter and missed two field goals.

“You have a little more familiarity within the conference because you play each other year after year,” NCCU coach Trei Oliver said earlier this week.

Oliver cautioned his team against overlooking Morgan State even though the Eagles have been rolling this season and hold a five-game winning streak against the Bears (including a 59-20 decision last year in Durham). Morgan State won at Richmond in the opener, only lost by a field goal to FBS Akron and pushed the University of Albany to double overtime.

“They have played a tough schedule and have been competitive,” Oliver said. “They are a physical team. Every time we’ve played them it’s been a very physical football game.”

NC Central is coming off its bye week. That followed two exciting come-from-behind wins over Campbell and Elon from the Coastal Athletic Association, which resulted in the highest FCS national ranking in program history.

Oliver said his group took a few days off after the Elon triumph but has been locked in since returning. He called the lead-up to the Morgan State game the best week of practice of the season.

Tonight will be the first of back-to-back ESPNU Thursday night games. The Eagles host South Carolina State next Thursday, Oct. 26. NCCU has already played against UCLA in the Rose Bowl and faced off against Mississippi Valley State in Indianapolis (in an NFL stadium), so the spotlight is becoming familiar.

“We’re obviously excited to be able to play on national television and put our brand out there and represent our university,” Oliver said. “But once the ball is kicked off you don’t even remember that you are on TV anymore … the guys are excited and I’m expecting us to put on a show Thursday night. This is going to be the best we’ve played this year.”

Oliver’s team has the credentials to back up his confidence. Central has the top scoring offense in the MEAC and ranks No. 14 in all of FCS (35.3 points per game). Quarterback Davius Richard, despite missing a game due to injury, ranks second in FCS in scoring (12 points per game) and fifth in rushing touchdowns (10).

Richard and running back Latrell Collier have combined for 16 rushing scores. The other top 10 backs in the MEAC have combined for 11 rushing TDs. NCCU leads the conference in several statistical categories, team and individual.

Morgan State is coached by Damon Wilson in his second year. Wilson coached Bowie State for 13 years, winning three CIAA titles and making the D2 playoffs five times. The Bears have not yet announced a starting quarterback for tonight’s contest. There could be up to three or four options, Oliver said.

The Eagles meanwhile know what is at stake over the next several weeks — winning another conference title, returning to the Celebration Bowl, defending the mantle of HBCU national champion. It all starts tonight in front of a national audience, staying locked in and focused to combat any potential MEAC chaos.

“We are just ready to play ball and make plays,” said Manny Smith, a redshirt senior defensive back from Laurel Hill (Scotland HS). “This is the start of conference so we’ve got to turn it up a couple of notches.”