Sunday, September 1, 2013

Duke Cruises to Shutout Win Over NCCU in Bull City Gridiron Classic

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  North Carolina Central University's lone trip to the end zone against Duke University, a second-quarter fumble return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Tazmon Foster, was overturned by instant replay.  It was that kind of day for the Eagles.

NCCU's offense crossed midfield just once with Duke earning its first shutout since 1989, as the Blue Devils cruised to a 45-0 win during the Bull City Gridiron Classic inside Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday.

Six different Blue Devils scored touchdowns as Duke amassed 488 yards of total offense, including 257 rushing yards on 49 carries.  NCCU posted 184 yards of total offense with 103 yards coming through the air. Duke moved the chains 27 times, while the Eagles managed nine first downs.

In NCCU's best drive of the game, the Eagles pushed the ball 51 yards in 11 plays to the Duke 24-yard line at the end of the second quarter, but junior kicker Oleg Parent missed the 41-yard field goal try wide left.  Duke led 28-0 at halftime.

NCCU senior quarterback Jordan Reid completed 11-of-22 passes for 87 yards. Sophomore running back Idreis Augustus rushed for 50 yards on nine carries, while senior receiver Marvin Poole caught four passes for 27 yards.



PHOTO GALLERY

Foster topped the Eagles' defense with a game-high 13 tackles, including two assisted hits for a loss. Fellow senior linebacker Tyriqe Williams collected eight takedowns, while senior lineman Aaron Wallace and redshirt-freshman linebacker Jordan Miles contributed seven stops each. Sophomore linebacker Neil Williams accounted for NCCU's lone turnover with an interception to go along with two tackles.

"We kept fighting," said NCCU interim head coach Dwayne Foster. "Although we did not come out on top, we didn't hang our heads and quit. I thought we played extremely hard. We are going to use that as a positive and build off of it."

NCCU returns to action on Sept. 7 by hosting former CIAA foe Saint Augustine's University inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium at 2 p.m.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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