The North Carolina A&T (NC A&T) defense had no answer for North Carolina Central’s (NC Central) run-heavy approach, as the Eagles rushed their way to a 30-16 victory.
| Statistics | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Davius Richard‘s dual-threat ability was on full display to lead NC Central. He put up 127 yards through the air and 95 on the ground to keep NC A&T’s defense guessing. In the ground game, tailback Latrell Collier was the Eagles’ main contributor, rushing for 95 yards. The team’s game plan to lean on the ground game was effective, as the Eagles wore down the defense with 218 total rushing yards on 40 attempts.
Wesley Graves starred in the ground game for NC A&T, rushing for one touchdown. The Aggies were unable to take the defensive pressure of North Carolina Central, as they were held to a scoreless final 30 minutes.
Key Metrics to Victory: NC Central
- Play selection – leaned on the run game, with a 63-37 run-pass split with 40 rushing attempts and 23 passing attempts
- Possession – controlled the ball for 36:00 (60% of the game)
- Third down success – converted on 50% of third downs (7-14) while North Carolina A&T converted just 20% (2-10)
- Penalties – recorded four penalties for 30 yards while North Carolina A&T had eight penalties for 85 yards
Both teams have their next games on Sept. 16. NC Central faces UCLA at Rose Bowl, where the Eagles will look for a repeat of their success here this evening. Meanwhile, NC A&T will try to rebound when they face an Elon team also coming off a loss. They will meet at Rhodes Stadium.