Lightning strikes delayed North Carolina A&T’s 2018 football game at East Carolina, pushing it from an early September Saturday evening to Sunday.
When play resumed, lightning struck again: the FCS Aggies stunned the Pirates 28-23 in Greenville. Elijah Bell caught a 17-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Kylil Carter in the fourth quarter, helping NC A&T beat an FBS opponent for the third year in a row.
That memorable triumph represents the last time an FCS program from our state has beaten an FBS team. Nationally, FCS wins have been a yearly highlight on the college football schedule — six toppled FBS squads last season — but in our state, the magic has fizzled since A&T’s reign.
North Carolina FCS teams will get eight chances to end the drought this season, including North Carolina A&T, which is headed to the Sunshine State to face Central Florida on yet another early September weekend. UCF Knights, beware.
Here’s a look at each 2025 FCS vs. FBS match-up involving an in-state team. Can one of these teams break the streak?
Elon at Duke | Aug. 30
Elon’s never beaten an FBS team — 0-16 all-time — but in 2024, they gave Duke, the state’s FBS kingpin, a real fight. Under coach Tony Trisciani, Elon has developed a disciplined program built on fundamentals. The result has been at least six wins in each of the past four seasons, including multiple upsets against nationally ranked conference rivals.
Campbell at East Carolina | Sept. 6
The Camels haven’t shied away from FBS opponents, playing North Carolina in 2023 and taking on four FBS teams during the COVID season in 2020.
Campbell is 0-11 all-time against FBS, including a 49-10 loss at East Carolina in 2022. The Camels led that game 10-7 after one quarter before being outscored 42-0 the rest of the way. Can second-year coach Braxton Harris and the ‘25 Camels close the gap and turn Greenville orange?
Gardner-Webb at Georgia Tech | Sept. 6
The Runnin’ Bulldogs, 1-25 all-time against the FBS, have two FBS foes on the schedule this season. A trip to Atlanta represents the first. GWU nearly ramblin’ wrecked the Yellow Jackets in their only other meeting, falling 10-7 in 2008.
Gardner-Webb almost gave us an FCS-over-FBS upset last season. The Bulldogs, in the second game of the Cris Reisert coaching era, led Charlotte 20-3 in the third quarter.
But the 49ers rallied, taking a 27-20 lead with 4:55 left. Gardner-Webb responded with a 1-yard Carson Gresock touchdown run with 1:55 left. But a two-point conversion play failed, and Charlotte held on 27-26. Gardner-Webb also pushed James Madison to the limit the week before, falling 13-6 on the road.
North Carolina A&T at Central Florida | Sept. 6
Among current FCS programs, only NC A&T has multiple wins over FBS opponents. In addition to the 2018 TKO of East Carolina, the Aggies beat Charlotte 35-31 in 2017 as part of an undefeated season and won a 39-36 four-overtime thriller at Kent State in 2016. (Read more about those monumental victories HERE).
A&T has never played UCF in football. The Knights went 4-8 a year ago and have a new coaching staff. The Aggies have a new coach, too, (Shawn Gibbs) and new momentum. Could the giant-killers strike again?
North Carolina Central at Old Dominion | Sept. 6
Trei Oliver’s Eagles have been at or near the top of the MEAC for several years running. Last season, NCCU gave North Carolina a respectable run in Chapel Hill before the Tar Heels pulled away.
This will be the third meeting between NC Central and ODU, with the last coming in 2010 when Old Dominion was an FCS independent.
Western Carolina at Wake Forest | Sept. 6
You would think these two schools, separated by about three hours, would have played more than three times in their history. But that is the situation, with the Demon Deacons having won all three long-ago meetings.
The last match-up came in 1991, a 40-24 Demon Deacons victory. The other two games came in 1982 and 1983.
Alas, Western Carolina is 0-63 all-time in games against FBS opponents. If there is a program that is due for a breakthrough, it’s the Catamounts.
WCU has been prolific on offense in recent years under coach Kerwin Bell (800+ yards of offense against Furman in 2024!). Wake Forest is going through a regime change after Dave Clawson resigned in December. Don’t overlook the Catamounts – they played NC State to the wire in ‘24.
Gardner-Webb at Ohio | Sept. 20
Circle this one, too. It could be our state’s best chance to bag an FBS opponent. Ohio has been one of the MAC’s top programs in recent years, but the coach behind the success, Tim Albin, now leads the Charlotte 49ers.
Gardner-Webb’s lone FBS victory came against an Ohio-based opponent – a 38-37 triumph at Akron in 2010. Reisert has stocked his GWU roster with FBS-level talent and is a native of the Buckeye State. It would be a great storyline for Reisert to come home and beat an in-state opponent.
Campbell at NC State | Oct. 4
The final FCS vs. FBS match-up in our state will pit the Camels against the Wolfpack for the first time on the gridiron. The game comes between Virginia Tech and Notre Dame for NC State, which plays in Campbell’s favor. The Camels’ closest chance to beat an FBS team came in 2020 when Mike Minter’s squad dropped a 27-26 decision at Georgia Southern.
Dismal overall record vs. FBS teams
The NCAA subdivided Division I college football into I-A and I-AA in 1978. The designations were changed to FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) in 2006.
According to Fear The FCS – a great resource for that can be found here! – FCS teams have won 496 of 3,583 games against FBS opponents since 1978, with 16 ties. That’s a winning percentage of 13.8 overall.
This is much higher than the winning percentage of 5.7% for North Carolina FCS programs all-time (11-179-11). Take away Appalachian State, which played FCS football until 2014, and the NC winning percentage plummets all the more. Without the Mountaineers, North Carolina FCS is just 4-144 (2.7%) against FBS opposition.
Who could forget? App State 34, Michigan 32
While North Carolina FCS teams have struggled to topple FBS opponents, one rare win is still considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history.
Appalachian State traveled to Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007 as a 33-point underdog. But Jerry Moore’s Mountaineers pulled off the 34-32 shocker in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Big House. App State went on to win its third-straight FCS national championship, while Michigan tumbled from top 10 to out of the polls.
The victory put the Mountaineers on the cover of Sports Illustrated – and App State in college football lore as a giant-killer. (That hasn’t changed since ASU joined the FBS).
All-Time FCS vs. FBS Records
North Carolina teams | Since 1978
Campbell: 0-11
Davidson: 0-6
Elon: 0-16
Gardner-Webb: 1-25, Last win 2010
North Carolina A&T: 3-9, Last win 2018
North Carolina Central: 0-14
Western Carolina: 0-63
*Appalachian State: 7-35-1, Last win 2007
North Carolina Total: 4-144 (0.027)
North Carolina Total With App State: 11-179-1 (0.057)
NOTE: Appalachian State moved up to FBS in 2014. Charlotte (now FBS) and Winston-Salem State (D2) both spent time as FCS programs. But neither played a game against an FBS opponent during that time.
Davidson is North Carolina’s lone FCS program not to play an FBS team this season. The Wildcats are unique as the state’s lone non-scholarship team competing at the FCS level.
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