NCCU Eagles look to cut turnovers, penalties

COACH HENRY FRAZIER III

DURHAM, North Carolina — A year ago, N.C. Central was on the road in New Jersey to play Rutgers in the Eagles’ season opener as a Football Championship Subdivision team. Rutgers, an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision team, beat NCCU 48-0.

The Eagles start the season today (6 p.m., WNCU 90.7-FM) at home against Fayetteville State, a Division-II school from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, in which NCCU competed before rejoining the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

NCCU coach Henry Frazier III admitted that there is some added pressure for hosting a Division II squad in Game 1. NCCU doesn’t have the upper hand just because it’s on a higher level, Frazier said.

“Man, we went 2-9 (in 2011) — ain’t no upper hands,” Frazier said. “When you’re coming off 2-9 (and) you’re 0-5 at home, you can’t look a that. I don’t think no one should be around here talking about upper hands.”

READ MORE