- FABULOUS 15 -

Fabulous 15: Positive vibes flowing at Elon, Campbell, CIAA teams from NC

Also, Lenoir-Rhyne breaks into national top 10 in D2 football

Published

September 11, 2024

Which college football teams from North Carolina are having the most special seasons after two weeks of games?

The list sure looks different than what we came up with after week one (which looked A LOT different than what we came up with during the preseason).

Thus, once again, heavy volatility factors into our Fabulous 15 statewide college football rankings this week. Things will settle down eventually as the top programs rise and the pretenders fade into the background.

But this week, we’re elevating our FCS and Division II teams in a big way after multiple big wins, while taking a wait-and-see approach with our FBS schools who have either been filling up on empty calories or — insert deep sigh here — getting run out of stadiums by elite opponents.

One big theme for Fab 15 teams this week — winning on the road. Seven of our top 14 squads went into hostile territory and emerged victorious.

Remember, our Fabulous 15, which evaluates all 34 of our state’s college programs across six divisions, isn’t a true power ranking. It’s not necessarily about who we think would win a head-to-head matchup (though that does come into play sometimes). It’s more about which of our state’s teams are doing the best within their realms and generating the most buzz and positive headlines.

Once again, a big tip of the cap to the North Carolina Sports Network for sponsoring our Fabulous 15 this season. Be sure to tune in to the Fifth Quarter Podcast with Mike Waddell and coach Jim Collins every Monday during the season, and check out the latest content from The David Glenn Show at the NC Sports Network’s YouTube channel.

Fabulous 15 After Week 2

1. Elon Phoenix (1-1) | FCS

Coach Tony Trisciani’s team jumped into the FCS Stats Perform Top 25 this week after an impressive 41-19 drubbing of MEAC powerhouse North Carolina Central. The Phoenix picked off the Eagles three times, returning one for a touchdown. Freshman TJ Thomas Jr. rushed for 163 yards and a long-distance touchdown to earn CAA Rookie of the Week.

The lights literally went out for a stretch in the second half at NCCU’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. They are shining brightly on Elon at this moment of the season, with a huge home opener against Western Carolina on tap for this Saturday.

2. Campbell Camels (1-1) | FCS

The surprise team of the week, the Camels gave new coach Braxton Harris his first victory and earned the program’s first-ever ‘W’ against a ranked opponent (was 0-12). Campbell intercepted 17th ranked Western Carolina four times, and one of the ball hawks, Jalen Brooks, collected CAA Defensive Player of the Week recognition.

There is plenty of buzz in Buies Creek with a third-straight road game, at conference foe Rhode Island (1-1), looming this weekend.

3. Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (1-0) | D2

The Doug Socha era began with a resounding win over Bowie State. Zayvion Turner-Knox rushed for 200+, Andre Jefferson bagged another conference defensive honor and D2 coaches put the Bears at No. 8 — eighth!! — in the latest national rankings. LR is 13th in the D2Football.com poll.

4. Wingate Bulldogs (1-0) | D2

The ‘Dogs had this past weekend off after a pleasing defensive victory at UNC Pembroke in Week 1. It is their turn to try and knock off a nationally ranked opponent when No. 12/17 Delta State (2-0) comes to town Saturday.

5. Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (2-0) | D2

The Charlotte CIAA program is riding high after a 37-13 road win at Morehouse. Wide receiver Brevin Caldwell leads the nation (D2) in touchdown catches, and the defense remains one of the stingiest in the nation. It will be all conference opponents from here on out, beginning with a visit from Lincoln (0-1) this Saturday.

6. Fayetteville State Broncos (1-0) | D2

Fayetteville State averaged just under 18 points per game last season, relying on a stout defense, opportunistic offense and a few fortunate bounces to get back to the CIAA title game for the sixth year in a row. The Broncos unveiled a more potent offense against UNCP on Saturday (35 points, 374 total yards), and that is bad news for teams trying to keep them out of the championship contest for a seventh consecutive season.

7. Shaw Bears (2-0) | D2

The feel good story of the college football season so far, the Bears start 2-0 for the first time in 11 years. Saturday’s win at Albany State was no fluke. The Golden Rams were pegged to win the SIAC. Shaw was picked seventh in the 11-team CIAA.

Shaw quarterback Christian Peters collected national HBCU Player of the Week honors after throwing five touchdown passes and rushing for another score. Ah’shaan Belcher hauled in the winning TD catch with eight seconds to go as the Bears prevailed 43-40.

Shaw will host Catawba (0-1) on Saturday in its bid to be 3-0.

8. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) | FBS

Maybe we’re not giving enough credit to North Carolina for earning two wins to start the post-Drake Maye era. Connor Harrell started at quarterback in Saturday’s victory over Charlotte and did good things in stretches. But Maye and Sam Howell spoiled us at that position, and Heels fans seem to be reserving judgement on the state of their team until stiffer opponents show up on the schedule.

9. Duke Blue Devils (2-0) | FBS

The Blue Devils lead the nation in tackles-for-loss after two weeks (27 total — that is a pretty amazing number). Quarterback Maalik Murphy has a big arm, and Jordan Moore has explosive ability at receiver. Early returns are promising in Durham. The schedule sets up well for both UNC and Duke to be undefeated going into their meeting in Chapel Hill on Sept. 28.

10. East Carolina Pirates (2-0) | FBS

One thing is for sure: East Carolina owns Norfolk, Va. this season. A week after beating Norfolk State, the Pirates fended off Old Dominion to match their win total from all of year. While that is encouraging, along with elements of the defense (second nationally behind Duke in tackles-for-loss), the real test of ECU’s progress comes this weekend when Appalachian State visits.

11. North Carolina Central Eagles (1-1) | FCS

The Eagles dropped from No. 1 but don’t fall all the way out of our rankings. We’re still impressed with the team’s week one victory over Alabama State and we see that NCCU is still getting votes in the FCS coaches poll. Can coach Trei Oliver’s team hang with the Tar Heels this Saturday?

12. Davidson Wildcats (1-1) | FCS
It’s definitely Fabulous when you christen a new stadium with a 49-14 victory, rush for 399 yards as a team and have two running backs eclipse the 100-yard mark (combining for 5 TDs). Saturday’s effort against Catawba was more like what we expected from the ‘Cats in week one at Georgetown.

13. North Carolina A&T (1-1) | FCS

The renewal of the A&T vs. Winston-Salem State football series certainly lived up to billing, with the Aggies kicking a game-tying field goal late and winning with an OT touchdown run by Wesley Graves. Learning how to win amid adversity is a big step for the program, which is trying to erase the sour taste from last season’s 1-10 campaign.

14. Guilford Quakers (1-0) | D3

There’s no sour taste for the Quakers, who have hoarded the Soup Bowl trophy for close to a decade. The hard-hitting Guilford squad earned a 14-0 shutout against crosstown rival Greensboro on Saturday to claim bragging rights in the series for the eighth straight year. Guilford is 16-8 all-time against the Pride.

15. NC State Wolfpack (1-1) | FBS

NC State started as the top team in our preseason Fabulous 15. The Pack began dropping after a subpar performance against Western Carolina, and now they are barely hanging in after the drubbing by Tennessee.

Once again, we are at a crossroads with an NC State football team after a missed opportunity on a big stage. History suggests this group will bounce back to respectability in the weeks ahead, and it’s that fact that keeps the Pack in our Fab 15 for now.

Outside Looking In

At long last, Brevard (D3) will take the field for a game this Saturday. Due to scheduling quirks, the Tornados didn’t have a contest over Labor Day weekend or this past Saturday. A strong stable of offensive playmakers should help Brevard stay competitive in the USA South Conference. The first, long-awaited opponent will be Hampden-Sydney on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Appalachian State tumbles out of our rankings this week after falling behind 35-0 in the first quarter at Clemson and giving up 60+. We don’t expect them to stay out long but there wasn’t much Fabulous about that kind of performance when expectations had the Mountaineers playing a much tighter game.

Winston-Salem State, we expect you to be back in these rankings again soon, too. Oh, Wake Forest, what could have been had you been able to hold on to a late two-touchdown lead against Virginia. But, upset Ole Miss on The CW this weekend, and your Deacs may vault all the way up the top line next week.