For the neutral fan looking for an explosive shootout, this was not the game. North Carolina Central outbattled Morgan State in a defensive struggle to claim the ugly 16-10 win.
Davius Richard led the way for North Carolina Central, throwing for 122 yards and one touchdown in this one. As a team, the Eagles’ willingness to take risks on fourth down paid off. They converted each of their two attempts.
Joseph Owumi, Dominique Anthony, and Jabriel Johnson were all contributors for Morgan State in the loss. Defensively, fourth down was the Bears’ Achilles’ heel. The game result may have looked different if they were able to get a stop on one or more of North Carolina Central’s two fourth down attempts.
Key Metrics to Victory: North Carolina Central
- Play selection – recorded a fairly even pass-run split with 30 passing attempts and 33 rushing attempts
- Possession – controlled the ball for 29:52 (50% of the game)
- Turnover battle – turned the ball over just zero times while collecting two turnovers from Morgan State
- Penalties – recorded five penalties for 75 yards while Morgan State had eight penalties for 93 yards
NCCU gets its first conference win of the year. The Eagles will welcome South Carolina State to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Oct. 26 for their next game. Morgan took its first loss in conference play. An Oct. 28 matchup with conference rival Norfolk State in Norfolk is the Bears’ next shot at a win.
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