This was a monster weekend for defensive players — and whole defensive units — across the state of North Carolina.
Here are some of the top performances and performers from college football Week 2 across the Old North State:
* Campbell’s defense picked off a preseason All-American quarterback four times en route to an upset victory at Western Carolina. Jojo Pace, Jalen Brooks, Lakeem Rudolph and Logan Livermon each stepped in front of Catamount passes.
Brooks capped the weekend by being named the Coastal Athletic Association’s Defensive Player of the Week. Brooks also added 12 tackles and a pass breakup to his ledger.
Our Coaching Network named Campbell assistant Eric Daniels its FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Week. The Camels made so much noise in Cullowhee that voters started giving Campbell votes for the Top 25. Not enough to break into the rankings but enough to start turning some heads toward Buies Creek.
* Elon’s defense stalled a usually high-powered North Carolina Central offense for much of Saturday night en route to a 41-19 triumph. The Phoenix picked off three passes (Brandon Tyson, Jesse Powell and Jonathan Robinson) and had three sacks. Powell returned his pick 40 yards for a touchdown that put Elon ahead 34-13.
* Duke defenders recorded 11 tackles-for-loss in Friday’s double-overtime win at Northwestern. The Blue Devils lead all of FBS in TFLs with 27 after two games (for 110 yards in losses).
Duke’s Alex Howard had a huge game at Northwestern, recording 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, giving him 4.5 TFLs for the season.
* Right behind Duke on the national tackles-for-loss leaderboard is East Carolina, which has 26 stops behind the line of scrimmage in wins over Norfolk State and Old Dominion.
* Speaking of sending ballcarriers backwards, Fayetteville State’s Shi Gaskin earned CIAA Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after earning four tackles-for-loss on Saturday against UNC Pembroke. He had nine hits and two sacks.
* NC State’s Aydan White recorded the longest scoring play of the season among our state’s teams on Saturday against Tennessee. He returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown against the vaunted Volunteers, one of the few highlights in an otherwise frustrating night for Pack fans.
* Matt Smith (Barton) was a tackling machine in the Bulldogs’ Thursday night game against West Virginia State. Smith registered an impressive 15 total tackles, including six solo stops and nine assists.
* Justin Fleming (Winston-Salem State) was relentless against North Carolina A&T, leading his team with 14 tackles, 11 of which were solo efforts. Fleming’s tackling ability helped slow down A&T’s offense at times and earned him CIAA Defensive Back of the Week.
* Branson Combs (Wake Forest) was a reliable force in Wake Forest’s win over Virginia, contributing 14 total tackles, with seven solo and seven assisted.
* Trevor Moffitt (Gardner-Webb) had an impactful performance in Gardner-Webb’s game against James Madison. Moffitt recorded 12 total tackles, seven solo and five assisted. His 2.5 tackles for loss, accounting for 11 yards, included one sack that set James Madison back 8 yards, making him a disruptive presence in the backfield and keeping the Runnin’ Bulldogs in contention to upset their FBS foe.
* Benari Black (Johnson C. Smith) was a disruptive force against Morehouse, recording seven total tackles. His standout contribution came with 3.5 tackles for loss, which cost Morehouse 17 yards. Black also had 1.5 sacks, contributing to 11 yards lost, helping Johnson C. Smith control the trenches throughout the game.
* Shamar Baker (Johnson C. Smith) showcased his playmaking ability with two interceptions for 38 yards in the win over Morehouse. Though he only recorded four total tackles, Baker’s ability to generate turnovers shifted momentum in favor of Johnson C. Smith, playing a pivotal role in their moving to 2-0 on the season.
* Jaylan Richardson (Guilford) made the most of his opportunities in Guilford’s matchup against Greensboro, securing two interceptions that helped preserve the Quakers 14-0 shutout. He finished with four total tackles as well.
* Noah Atkinson (Methodist) was a standout in the Monarchs’ game against Shenandoah, tallying seven total tackles. Atkinson’s 3.5 tackles for loss set Shenandoah back 4 yards.
* Samaurie Dukes and Antarron Turner had big defensive games for Western Carolina. Dukes had 10 solo tackles and 12 total hits. Turner added eight tackles and two sacks for 16 yards in losses.
* Quewon Hilliard (Shaw) earned CIAA Rookie of the Week (giving the Bears three total honorees). The linebacker picked off a pass that stalled an Albany State drive and wracked up multiple solo tackles.
* Johnson C. Smith and North Carolina defensive units held opponents Morehouse and Charlotte, respectively, to just 49 yards rushing on 25 carries, an average of roughly 2.0 yards per attempt.
* Elizabeth City State allowed only 63 passing yards against Chowan, the stingiest passing defense of the season in our state thus far. The Vikings vs. Hawks game was a slugfest all-around, with ECSU allowing just 164 total yards and Chowan allowing 179. Elizabeth City State won 12-9, buoyed by a late goal-line stand, a fitting ending.
