GAME NOTES: NCCU Football at Florida A&M (Oct. 10, 5 p.m.)

Complete Game Notes at PDF   

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" vs. Florida A&M University "Rattlers"

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, October 10, 2015 – Kickoff at 5:00 p.m.

THE SITE
Bragg Memorial Stadium (25,500 capacity/natural grass) - Tallahassee, Fla.

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (1-3 overall, 0-1 MEAC); Florida A&M (0-5, 0-2 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 4:30 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play).
Video: FAMU Rattler Vision (video internet stream - $7.95).

QUICK HITS
• Florida A&M leads the series with NCCU 6-1-1.
• Saturday will be just the third gridiron meeting between the NCCU Eagles and the FAMU Rattlers in the past 40 years.
• NCCU ranks third in the MEAC in scoring offense with 28.0 points per game, while FAMU sits 10th at 13.0 points per contest.
• NCCU's red-zone offense tops the MEAC and ranks 12th in the NCAA Division I-FCS at 93.3 percent (14-of-15). The Eagles were a perfect 14-of-14 at scoring when inside the opponent's 20-yard line until a blocked field goal in the final seconds of a two-point loss to Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 3.
• Thanks to a 144-yard rushing performance against Bethune-Cookman, NCCU redshirt freshman Dorrel McClain is the third-leading rusher in the MEAC at 60.2 ground yards per game. He is the only rookie listed among the league's top-10 rushers.
• NCCU freshman kicker Nigel Macauley leads the MEAC and ranks fifth in the FCS in field goals made (1.67 per game). He is also the conference's second-leading scorer at 8.7 points per contest.
• C.J. Moore's two interceptions versus Bethune-Cookman puts the senior safety atop MEAC leaders with an average of 0.50 picks per game. Moore, who moved into the Eagles top-10 career tackles list at No. 10 with 236 stops, also ranks fourth in the conference in tackles (8.8 per game).
• In the past 38 games (start of 2012 season), NCCU has scored 27 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including three in 2015.

FLASHBACK TO 2014
• NCCU won a share of the MEAC Championship with a 6-2 conference record.
• The Eagles posted the most wins as a NCAA Division I-FCS program with a 7-5 overall record.
• The Eagles earned the program's first win over a nationally-ranked FCS opponent by defeating No. 24 North Carolina A&T in the final game of the season on Nov. 22.
• NCCU broke the school record for completions in a season with 227, topping the mark set by the 2011 Eagles of 210.
• The Eagles ranked third in the nation (FCS) in turnover margin at +12.0.
• NCCU quarterback Malcolm Bell passed for 1,982 yards with 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions, completing 177 of 286 passes as a sophomore.

THE SERIES
This will be the ninth meeting in the series between the NCCU Eagles and the FAMU Rattlers since the teams first played in 1939. FAMU leads the series against NCCU, 6-1-1. The Eagles lone win in the series was a 9-3 victory on Sept. 15, 1973 in Atlanta.
11/10/2012 - FAMU 22, NCCU 21 (Tallahassee, Fla.)
11/12/2011 - FAMU 31, NCCU 10 (Durham, N.C.)
9/15/1973 - NCCU 9, FAMU 3 (Atlanta, Ga.)
12/7/1957 - FAMU 14, NCCU 0 (Miami, Fla. / Orange Blossom Classic)
9/22/1956 - FAMU 25, NCCU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
12/1/1951 - FAMU 67, NCCU 6 (Miami, Fla. / Orange Blossom Classic)
11/9/1940 - NCCU 7, FAMU 7 (Durham, N.C.)
11/11/1939 - FAMU 20, NCCU 7 (Tallahassee, Fla.)

THE COACHES
NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his second season as a college head coach. At age 34, he boasts 10 years of coaching experience, including stints with five NCAA Division I programs and two conference championship teams. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Mack has held positions as wide receivers coach at the University of South Alabama (2012-13) and the University of Memphis (2011), as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2010), as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at the University of Central Arkansas (2008-09), as wide receivers and tight ends coach at Jackson State University (2006-07), and as an offensive graduate assistant at Delta State University (2004-05). Mack began his collegiate playing career at Jackson State before transferring after one season (1999) to Arkansas State University. He lettered three years at Arkansas State (2001-03) before earning his bachelor's degree in management information systems in 2003. Mack completed his master's degree in physical education from Delta State in 2006.

FAMU: Alex Wood is in his first season as head coach at Florida A&M. Prior to accepting the top job at FAMU, Wood served as offensive coordinator at the University of Buffalo from 2011-14. In October 2014, he was tapped to serve as interim head coach replacing head Jeff Quinn, who was relieved of his duties, for the final four games of the season. He served as running back coach at University of Miami from 1989-93, helping the team to a pair of national championships, including a perfect 12-0 in 1991. Wood served as head coach at James Madison University from 1995-1998 and led them to an 8-4 record and the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs in 1995. He has served as an assistant coach in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Minnesota Vikings.



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