DURHAM – Eight North Carolina Central University Eagles scored touchdowns, while the NCCU offense racked up 465 total yards and the defense secured three interceptions and four sacks during a 59-14 victory over Virginia-Lynchburg in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday.

In the Eagles' first game as a nationally-ranked team in five years (No. 25), they scored the most points since Sept. 17, 2016 (65 vs. Saint Augustine's), and reached 40 points or more for three straight contests for the first time in 37 years. 

NCCU (4-0) used a stable of ball carriers to amass a season-high 272 rushing yards, marking the third consecutive outing with more than 200 yards on the ground.

Leading the way for the Eagles was running back Chris Mosley with 72 yards, including 58 yards on a breakaway race to the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Latrell Collier added 63 yards and a touchdown, J'Mari Taylor posted 54 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Davius Richard contributed 41 yards and his fifth rushing touchdown of the season.

Richard also completed 12-of-17 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns. On the receiving end of the scoring tosses were Andrew Smith (3 receptions, 31 yards), Quentin McCall, and E.J. Hicks. Joaquin Davis also had three catches for 33 yards, while Devin Smith and Twan Flip Jr. registered two grabs each for 35 and 33 receiving yards, respectively.

The eighth and final touchdown was a 24-yard connection from quarterback Quest Powell to receiver Marseille Miller with nine minutes left in the ballgame.

Defensively, NCCU was topped by linebacker Max U'Ren with seven takedowns and a forced fumble, while defensive back Makai McCall tallied six tackles. Defensive lineman Colby Warrior accounted for three stops, including 2.0 hits for a loss with an assisted sack, and an interception.

Along with three tackles, NCCU safety Khalil Baker recorded his fourth interception of the season, having collected a pick in each of the Eagles' four games. Defensive back Marvin Reed also had an interception.

Virginia-Lynchburg (0-4) posted 177 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers.

Up next, NCCU puts its undefeated record on the line at Campbell on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.

Story courtesy of NCCU Sports Information

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – It might as well be called the Aggie Invitational. Five years into its existence, the Celebration Bowl, the unofficial HBCU national championship, has seen the North Carolina A&T football team play in it four times. For some, it felt like a home game of sorts. For NC A&T quarterback Kylil Carter, it indeed was a home game as the senior signal caller grew up in the greater Atlanta area. Carter, in his last game in an Aggie uniform, put on a show, throwing for six scores on his way to game MVP honors, leading North Carolina A&T to a 64-44 win and the Aggies’ third straight HBCU national title and fourth in the last five years.



Both teams traded punts to open the game and it seemed like it was going to be a defensive slug fest, but that was not going to last long. NC A&T was able to force another punt on Alcorn State’s second drive of the game, but a fumble on the punt return gave the ball back to the Braves in Aggie territory. The NC A&T defense stiffened up and kept Alcorn State out of the end zone, but the Braves were able to take a 3-0 lead into the second stanza on Corey McCullough’s 28-yard field goal.

The Aggies came alive in the second quarter, outscoring the Braves 24-7 to take a two-score lead into the locker room. A&T opened their scoring for the day with a fifty-three-yard bomb from Kylil Carter to Elijah Bell. It was the first of two scoring connections for the duo and the first of six touchdown passes for Carter on the day. The senior quarterback was named the game’s most outstanding player.

Also getting on the bord for the Aggies in the second quarter was Zachary Leslie with a fifty-nine-yard touchdown reception, Noel Ruiz with a twenty-six yard field goal, and Korey Banks with a four-yard touchdown grab. The fourteen point deficit at the half was the closest

The two teams put on an offensive show in the third quarter, combining for forty-nine points. It started with a seventy-five yard run from STATS second team All-American Jah-Maine Martin on the first play of the second half. The two teams proceeded to trade scores for the next five possessions. Carter threw three of his six touchdown passes in this period, a forty-three yard strike to Ron Hunt, a twenty-yard toss to Elijah Bell, and a seventy-three yard bomb to Korey Banks. Banks finished the game with 122 yards on six catches to lead the Aggie receiving corps.

The Aggies added another Ruiz field goal in the fourth quarter and Jah-Maine Martin scored his second touchdown of the afternoon late in the game. Martin finished with 132 yards rushing on sixteen attempts.

North Carolina A&T finishes the year at 9-3, co-champions of the MEAC, and Celebration bowl champions for the third year in a row. The Aggies will take on fellow FCS juggernaut North Dakota State in 2020 for ultimate FCS bragging rights. It’s a game fans have been waiting to see and the win today kept the Aggies in full celebration mode heading into the offseason.