NCCU freshmen deliver on Senior Day

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

On a day dedicated to honoring experience and longevity, it was the young folks who got the job done for N.C. Central.

Freshmen scored every point and came up with the biggest defensive play of the game as the Eagles held off North Greenville 17-14 on homecoming and senior day Saturday at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

True freshman Corey Harris' first career catch was a touchdown reception, redshirt freshman Tim Shankle scored the other TD and true freshman kicker Taylor Gray added the other five points including his first field goal for NCCU.

The win for NCCU, in its first season in the Football Championship Subdivision, improved the Eagles to 5-2 and assured that this senior class will be the first since 1989 to graduate without enduring a losing season.

Division II North Greenville is 1-6 after losing three straight games, all to FCS opponents.

Stadford Brown completed 14 of 33 passes for 174 yards for the Eagles, including five completions to Will Scott for 73 yards. True freshman Justin Campbell carried the ball 12 times for 64 yards, while Shankle added 11 for 37.

"The freshmen had a great day today," first-year NCCU coach Mose Rison said. "It's been kind of a process, but they're starting to grow up.

Photo: NCCU Head Football Coach Mose Rison

"Corey made a big catch, and we had been telling him [that] he's overdue. Justin Campbell has missed several days of practice through Monday with that bug that's been going around, and he did a great job coming in when Shankle got tired. And Taylor Gray's kick was huge, particularly since it won the game for us."

Eric Moeller completed 19 of 32 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions for NGU, which both scored and allowed its lowest point totals of the season.

"It's tough to play three [FCS] teams in a row, but as a Division II independent, that's the kind of thing you have to do," North Greenville coach Mike Taylor said. "Defensively, that was one of the best games we've played. We did well on offense, but we didn't have the ball that much. They like to slow the game down, and they did a good job of that."

The Crusaders got on the board first on their second possession, going 60 yards in 11 plays with Travis Shaw going in from 1 yard out. Michael Sears' conversion attempt was wide right, and it was 6-0 with 4:59 left in the quarter.

NCCU quickly responded with a drive to take the lead. The Eagles went 66 yards in nine plays, with Brown finding Harris at the goal line from 22 yards out for the freshman's first career catch. Gray added the kick and NCCU was up 7-6 with 14:54 left in the half.

"I knew the linebacker was on me, so I could beat him," Harris said. "Then I got hit hard at the goal line and got my first touchdown and my first concussion on the same play."

The Eagles increased the lead with 1:45 left in the half, when Shankle went in from 4 yards out. The touchdown capped a four-play, 28-yard drive that started after freshman Rakeem Vick intercepted a Moeller pass at the NCCU 49 and returned it 23 yards.

"That touchdown felt great," said Shankle, who has three touchdowns on the season. "It was a long time coming. Coach said he was going to give me the ball this season, and I got it a lot more since [Jeff] Toliver got injured [and was out for the season after two games].

"It was great to see what Justin did today. Now we've got a one-two punch." Gray attempted a 52-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, but it came up short after a shaky snap.

NGU evened the score on its first possession of the second half, going 70 yards in nine plays with Moeller hitting Jarvis Garrett from 9 yards out at the 10:59 mark. Moeller passed to Travis Talbert for the two-point conversion to tie it at 14.

Gray gave the Eagles a 17-14 lead with 14:52 to go, hitting from 22 yards out to finish a 14-play, 92-yard march.

"We've gotten snap-hold-kick together a lot better now," said Gray, an Orange High alumnus who replaced senior Brandon Gilbert after he was injured two games into the season. "This one was for the seniors. They've done all the hard work and deserve this."

The Crusaders had a chance to tie with 9:18 left, but Adrian Escalona's field-goal try was short.

"It was great to see the way the freshmen played today," said Eagles linebacker Derrick Ray, who was in on nine tackles including two for losses with a sack, an interception and four deflections in his final home game. "They helped win homecoming for us. It's easy to see the program is going to be in good hands."

NOTES -- Attendance was a sellout of 11,327, which was the largest crowd ever to see North Greenville play. … Saturday's contest was NCCU's last of the season against a Division II opponent. The Eagles visit Savannah State on Oct. 20, then travel to Western Kentucky -- which is transitioning from the FCS to the Football Bowl Subdivision -- on Oct. 27. NCCU ends its season on Nov. 10 at Winston-Salem State.