MEAC football kicks off on Thursday evening, when Morgan State and North Carolina Central battle. These teams have been headed in opposite directions recently. Morgan State has dropped four consecutive games, while NCCU has won three straight. North Carolina Central should enter this one with confidence, as they came away with a 59-20 victory when these teams last met in 2022.
Morgan State (1-4 Overall)
The Bears’ defense has shown it can be a relative strength at times this season. They’re holding opposing offenses to 109 rushing yards and 221 passing yards each game. Offenses struggle to run the ball efficiently against this defensive front. They’re holding opponents to an average of 3.1 yards per carry.
Keith Jenkins Jr. comes into the game looking to improve on his performance in Morgan State’s last game. Jenkins Jr. rushed for 35 yards in the team’s loss.
Morgan State’s offense is constantly looking to get their star receiver involved. Treveyon Pratt has been on the receiving end of 30% of the team’s passing yardage this season.
Morgan State went 4-7 in 2022. The home field advantage hasn’t done much for them this season, as they’re currently 0-2 on home turf, allowing 21.5 points per game in such games. Morgan State has lost five straight matchups against North Carolina Central since Oct 24, 2015.
North Carolina Central (5-1 Overall)
So far this season, the Eagles’ offense has shown they can outperform their defense. They are accumulating an average 378 yards of total offense per game, with 208 yards coming through the air and 171 via the ground. Their backs and receivers have been particularly impressive, averaging 4.8 yards per rushing attempt so far this season.
Davius Richard is looking to continue the play he showcased in North Carolina Central’s last game. Richard threw for 171 yards and one touchdown in the team’s win.
North Carolina Central’s ground game is unique, with 30% of their rush attempts coming from the QB position.
The Eagles’ record sits at 3-0 for their last three games, scoring over 20 points in each of those matchups. They are 2-1 on the road so far this year, averaging 23.7 points per game in those games. It’s the first chance for North Carolina Central to test themselves within the MEAC.
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