North Carolina A&T has struggled to put points on the board and move the ball offensively this season. But when the Aggies do find the end zone, it has often been in dramatic fashion.
Saturday provided more examples.
Aggie defensive back David Laney had the longest scoring play of the week by a North Carolina collegiate player, returning an interception 82 yards to the house against Hampton. Teammate Kenji Christian took a pass from Kevin White 75 yards for a touchdown. Taymon Cooke, who has already returned three kickoffs for scores this season, also got in on the action, racing to the end zone on a 46-yard passing play from White.
Alas, NC A&T didn’t win the game. Hampton slipped by 26-24. But the Aggies took steps forward.
This was a big week overall for defensive touchdowns. By our count, players from North Carolina teams notched 13 defensive scores — six interceptions, six fumble returns and one blocked field goal.
Tristan Bailey returned an interception 63 yards for Guilford against Hampden-Sydney. Kobe Pringle of Livingstone had a 60-yard fumble scoop-and-score in the Blue Bears’ triumph over St, Augustine’s. Xavier Hill carried a blocked field goal back 56 yards for a TD for Johnson C. Smith in its historic victory over long-time nemesis Winston-Salem State.
Jamieson Alston of St. Augustine’s didn’t reach the end zone but had an 85-yard interception return on the weekend.
Two of the most memorable long scoring plays in week nine proved decisive in big games. NC State’s Kevin Concepcion hauled in a 72-yard scoring strike in the Pack’s win over Clemson. Wingate’s Evan McCray caught a 75-yard scoring pass from Brooks Bentley in the final minute of an upset over previously unbeaten Lenoir-Rhyne.
North Carolina Central cruised to a Thursday night victory against visiting South Carolina State. Quarterback Davius Richard completed two 60-yard TD passes, one to Devin Smith and the other to J’Mari Taylor.
Here are all of the scoring plays of 40 yards or longer involving players from North Carolina schools from week nine:
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| LONGEST SCORING PLAYS | DIVISION | PLAY DESCRIPTION | OPPONENT |
| David Laney (NC A&T) | FCS | 82-yard interception return TD | Hampton |
| JaQuan Kelly (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 78-yard rushing TD | Glenville State |
| Evan McCray (Wingate) | D2 | 75-yard TD pass from Brooks Bentley | Lenoir-Rhyne |
| Kenji Christian (NC A&T) | FCS | 75-yard TD pass from Kevin White | Hampton |
| Kevin “KC” Concepcion (NC State) | FBS | 72-yard TD pass from MJ Morris | Clemson |
| Jayden Brown (Gardner-Webb) | FCS | 71-yard TD pass from Jaylen King | UT Martin |
| Dwayne McGee (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 63-yard rushing TD | Wingate |
| Tristian Bailey (Guilford) | D3 | 63-yard interception return TD | Hampden-Sydney |
| Isaiah Jacobs (Barton) | D2 | 61-yard TD pass from Tyler Flippen | Catawba |
| Kanye Roberts (Appalachian State) | FBS | 61-yard rushing TD | Southern Miss |
| Devin Smith (NC Central) | FCS | 60-yard TD pass from Davius Richard | South Carolina State |
| J’Mari Taylor (NC Central) | FCS | 60-yard TD pass from Davius Richard | South Carolina State |
| Jon Gullette (Mars Hill) | D2 | 60-yard TD pass from JR Martin | UVA Wise |
| Kobe Pringle (Livingstone) | D2 | 60-yard fumble recovery TD | St. Augustine’s |
| Nigel Fitzgerald (Fayetteville State) | D2 | 60-yard TD pass from Joe Owens Jr. | Shaw |
| Dashaun Davis (Appalachian State) | FBS | 57-yard TD pass from Joey Aguilar | Southern Miss |
| Dexter Fitzpatrick (Mars Hill) | D2 | 57-yard fumble recovery TD | UVA Wise |
| Xavier Hill (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | 56-yard blocked field goal return TD | Winston-Salem State |
| Dirk Cureton (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | 55-yard punt return TD | Winston-Salem State |
| Malik Tobias (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | 52-yard TD pass from Colin Johnson | Glenville State |
| Christian Horn (Appalachian State) | FBS | 49-yard TD pass from Joey Aguilar | Southern Miss |
| Tremel Jones (Wingate) | D2 | 47-yard TD pass from Brooks Bentley | Lenoir-Rhyne |
| Taymon Cooke (NC A&T) | FCS | 46-yard TD pass from Kevin White | Hampton |
| Mason Sheron (Davidson) | FCS | 43-yard rushing TD | Presbyterian |
| Reggie Taylor (Brevard) | D3 | 43-yard TD pass from Ethan Beamish | LaGrange |
| Kairon Martin (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | 40-yard fumble recovery TD | Johnson C. Smith |
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Here are all the defensive touchdowns from the weekend:
| DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS | DIVISION | PLAY DESCRIPTION | OPPONENT |
| David Laney (NC A&T) | FCS | 82-yard interception return TD | Hampton |
| Tristan Bailey (Guilford) | D3 | 63-yard interception return TD | Hampden-Sydney |
| Kobe Pringle (Livingstone) | D2 | 60-yard fumble recovery TD | St. Augustine’s |
| Dexter Fitzpatrick (Mars Hill) | D2 | 57-yard fumble recovery TD | UVA Wise |
| Xavier Hill (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | 56-yard blocked field goal return TD | Winston-Salem State |
| Kairon Martin (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | 40-yard fumble recovery TD | Johnson C. Smith |
| Dontavius Nash (East Carolina) | FBS | 36-yard interception return TD | UTSA |
| Ty Anderson (Gardner-Webb) | FCS | 36-yard fumble recovery TD | UT Martin |
| Cameron Harris (Livingstone) | D2 | 35-yard interception return TD | St. Augustine’s |
| Baylee Ramey (Brevard) | D3 | 21-yard fumble recovery TD | LaGrange |
| Max U’Ren (NC Central) | FCS | 20-yard fumble return TD | South Carolina State |
| Larry Jones (Greensboro) | D3 | 11-yard interception return TD | Southern Virginia |
| Payton Wilson (NC State) | FBS | 11-yard interception return TD | Clemson |
