DURHAM, North Carolina -- Victory was achieved in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium as the North Carolina Central University football team earned its first home triumph against the Saint Augustine's University Falcons, with a shutout score of 72-0 on Saturday, Sept. 5.The Eagles meant business after the opening kickoff to the Falcons. NCCU's 72 points on Saturday ranks second all-time in school history since the Eagles laced them up in 1923. The school record is 85 points, scored in a shutout over Fort Jackson on Sept. 21, 1946.
NCCU junior cornerback Mike Jones broke the school record for punt return yards in a game with 145. The record was originally set on Sept. 27, 1969 by Moses Bryant against Livingstone College.
Quarterback Malcolm Bell was proficient on the air attack for the Eagles, completing 13-of-20 passes and throwing for 163 yards. The defensive leader in Saturday's showdown was Reggie Hunter, accumulating seven tackles for the Eagles.
An early sack by defensive tackle Josh Wade on third down forced St. Augustine's to punt. The NCCU defense blocked the kick and C.J. Moore was the on the victorious end of a hard-fought recovery in the end zone.
NCCU was only warming up, with a 7-0 lead and 12:41 on the clock in the first quarter.
The next score for the Eagles was on a fumble recovery by Idreis Augustus after Nathan Scruggs caught a 10-yard pass and a fumble was forced with the ball bouncing into the end zone. As a result, the score was upped to 13-0, with 10:32 remaining in the first quarter.
The Eagles were unstoppable, scoring four times in the second quarter, leading 34-0 heading into halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, Ryan Smith returned his first career kickoff for 95 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles, making the Falcons deficit 41.
Freshman Nigel Macauley was 3-3 in field goals, including a 44-yarder early in the second half, giving the Eagles an even bigger advantage of 44-0.
There was plenty of time remaining for the Eagles to dominate. And they did.
NCCU did not let up on the Falcons, stretching the lead, score-by-score to 58-0 at the close of the third quarter.
The Eagles gave no reason to believe that the final period would be any different from the rest, because they were on a pursuit to shut out the Falcons.
Freshman Jalen Wilkes caught a quick 23-yard ball from Quinn Billerman, who entered the game in the third quarter, which elevated the Eagles' scoreboard to 64.
Billerman finished the game throwing for 96 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, the Eagles balanced effort was topped by sophomore linebacker Reggie Hunter with seven tackles, including 2.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage.
The NCCU football team will take the field again on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. in Wallace Wade Stadium against Duke University.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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