The 46th meeting between NC Central and Winston-Salem State was played in a downpour, and the Eagles deluged the Rams with offense in taking the latest contest. Here are some takeaways from the game.
RICHARD HELPS NC CENTRAL SOAR
Davius Richard may not light up the statistics with big number, but he is helping light up the scoreboard with some impressive figures in leading NC Central to two victories to start the season.
Richard, a preseason all-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection, passed for 200 yards for the second straight game, leading the Eagles to a 41-0 victory over Winston-Salem State in their home opener in Durham. He completed 14 of 23 passes with one interception, and ran for another 14 yards and his third rushing touchdown this year to guide the offense.
For the early season, Richard has completed 34 of 55 passes and accounted for five NC Central touchdowns.
EAGLES ARE WELL GROUNDED AGAINST RAMS
NC Central got some traction in its ground game after finding the going a little rough one week ago.
Limited to 69 net yards rushing in beating North Carolina A&T in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, the Eagles trampled Winston-Salem State for 260 yards on 43 carries, figures likely resulting from the rain that fell for much of the game at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
Latrell Collier only gained 21 yards in 14 carries in beating A&T. Against Winston-Salem State, Collier collected 118 yards in 13 carries and scored three times. He averaged 9.1 yards a carry and had a long run of 35 yards.
J’Mari Taylor added 68 yards rushing and two more touchdowns. In addition to Richard, Chris Mosley added 32 yards and a score.
NO NAILBITER THIS TIME
Last season, the Eagles needed some late-game heroics to take a 20-13 victory over Winston-Salem State. This time, they spared their fans the suspense.
The Eagles scored on four of their first five possessions, with three of those drives exceeded five minutes, and one of the three taking 6 minutes, 47 seconds off the clock in 12 plays in the second quarter.
BLANKING THE OPPONENT
Since 1994, there have been three shutouts in games involving the two schools. The last one was a 47-0 whipping administered by Winston-Salem State in 2003. In 1996, NC Central took a 28-0 victory in Durham.
GOING NORTH FOR A FIRST MEETING
NC Central’s next game will feature a battle of the unbeaten in a trip to the Northeast.
The Eagles will play New Hampshire (2-0), which held off the University of Albany for a 28-23 victory on Saturday on the road. Dylan Laube scored on a 37-yard run with 1:49 left to play to give the Danes a 28-16 lead. Albany scored with 1:08 to play, but couldn’t recover the onside kick.
New Hampshire and NC Central have never met.
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