NCCU Slams the Door on Howard, Stays Unbeaten in MEAC Play

DURHAM, N.C. — The NCCU football team’s burgundy jerseys and white pants caught my eye before kickoff. Sharp. Focused. Ready.

I thought about that Deion Sanders line: “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good.”

The Eagles looked the part. Then their defense backed it up.

Before kickoff, I stopped by NCCU’s Trunk or Treat, where NCCU’s inaugural flag football team joined other Eagles sports programs and families for some Halloween fun. Then I headed to the sideline, where Central’s defense gave Howard an afternoon to forget.

I worked my way around O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium, moving between the sidelines and end zones. Different angles. Same problem for Howard.

As a result, there was nowhere to go.

NCCU football shut out the Bison 34-0, improving to 4-5 overall and staying unbeaten in MEAC play at 2-0.

Nothing Came Easy Against NCCU Football

The whole defense caught my eye.

Four first downs. That was all Howard managed. Overall, the Bison finished with 114 total yards, including just 44 passing. Meanwhile, Central piled up three sacks and two interceptions.

No. 34, Camereon Cartlidge, was one of the players I kept watching. He picked off a pass and brought it back 42 yards. Amari Sifford grabbed the other interception.

But I liked what happened between plays, too. Guys clapping each other up. Celebrating a teammate’s stop. Staying engaged on the sideline.

In fact, everybody looked locked in.

Central needed that focus because the offense didn’t come out putting touchdowns on the board. The first quarter ended scoreless. Riley Daniels hit field goals from 21 and 29 yards to put the Eagles ahead 6-0.

For all the work Central’s defense was doing, Howard was still one play away from changing the game.

Then the Eagles found the end zone.

The Moment It Shifted

With 1:53 left before halftime, Nelson Layne hit Tyree Saunders for a 20-yard touchdown.

That was the shift for me.

The extra point pushed the lead to 13-0, but what stood out from the sideline was the lift that touchdown gave the team. Central finally had seven to show for a drive, and I could feel the energy heading toward the break.

After halftime, Joshua Jones took it further.

No. 10 Turned It Up

Jones was the offensive player who kept grabbing my attention.

His biggest strike started with the Eagles backed up at their own 7. Gino Addison picked up five yards. Even so, Central was still deep in its own territory.

Then Jones connected with Mehki Wall down the right side.

Eighty-eight yards. Gone.

With 9:27 left in the third quarter, the Eagles led 20-0 after the extra point. Two plays had taken them from the shadow of their own end zone to another touchdown.

Still, with the way Central’s defense was playing, that felt big.

Jones Adds Two More

Jones wasn’t finished. In the fourth quarter, he found Reginald Lancaster for a 3-yard touchdown. Later, he took it in himself from 22 yards out.

Two passing touchdowns. One rushing touchdown. Overall, Jones finished with 189 yards through the air and another 32 on the ground.

Meanwhile, Wall needed only four catches to rack up 145 receiving yards.

For his part, Saunders, No. 0, described it to me as a great team win. He talked about the receivers sharing the love and getting everybody involved in the touchdowns.

Indeed, the scoring backed him up: Saunders, Wall and Lancaster each caught one.

My OK3Sports Players of the Game

Offense: Joshua Jones, QB, No. 10

Jones brought the second-half punch. Two touchdown passes and a rushing score helped Central turn a 13-0 halftime lead into a runaway. When the Eagles needed separation, he delivered.

Defense: The Entire NCCU Defense

I’m giving this one to the whole unit. Holding Howard to four first downs and keeping a zero on the scoreboard took everybody. Special nod to No. 34, Camereon Cartlidge, who kept catching my eye and delivered an interception with a 42-yard return.

A Win With Weight for NCCU Football

It was Halloween, the band was playing and Eagles fans had plenty to get loud about. I loved the atmosphere. Of course, beating Howard made it even sweeter.

And this one counted toward something bigger.

Central’s overall record stood at 4-5, but in the MEAC, the Eagles were 2-0. Because of that, the conference race gave this win meaning beyond the scoreboard.

In the end, the final yardage told you how thoroughly Central handled the afternoon: 472 for the Eagles, 114 for Howard.

From my spot along the field, I watched the NCCU football defense hold things down until the offense found its punch. Once Jones and those receivers got rolling, Howard had no answer.

The burgundy and white got my attention before kickoff.

Ultimately, the defense made sure Howard remembered the afternoon.

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