NC Central defeats NC A&T in the season opening Aggie-Eagle classic

CHARLOTTE, NC —- The North Carolina Central Eagles defeated the North Carolina A&T State Aggies 28-13 in the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte.

Saturday night marked the first time since 2016 that Central beat A&T in their annual Aggie-Eagle classic matchup which saw its 100th anniversary.

NCCU Quarterback Davius Richard was responsible for all four Eagles touchdowns and threw for 200 yards on 20-of-32 passes. The Florida native also ran for two of those touchdowns and 54 yards.

Things started for the Eagles quick as they set the tone early on, controlling and running down the clock. The Eagles’ first possession ended with a sneak touchdown by Richard, giving Central a 7-0 lead with seven mins to go in the first. A&T started with a quick three-and-out. However, the Aggies were able to bounce back with a quick drive to tie the game 7-7.

Redshirt freshman Quarterback Zach Yeager got his first career start and showed early flashes of his high potential. The Minnesota native threw a 55-yard touchdown to receiver Jamison Warren toward the end of the first quarter.

Yeager would finish his debut with a game-high 275 yards passing and a touchdown.

It was in the second and third quarters that Central would break the game wide open. Despite two field goals from the Aggies, which would be their last scores of the game, the Eagles dominated both sides of the ball. Richard would throw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Morgan to give Central a 14-7 lead. On the ensuing possession, Richard scrambled past Aggies linebacker Jacob Roberts for another rushing touchdown to give Central a 21-13 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Richard found receiver E.J. Hicks for a 16-yard touchdown, giving the Eagles a 28-13 lead. As A&T marched down the field in an attempt to draw the game closer late in the 3rd, Yeager threw an interception to Central cornerback Khalil Baker which sank A&T.

Yeager led one last promising possession in the 4th quarter, marching down to the RedZone. Unfortunately for the Aggies, the offense did not convert on 4th down when A&T needed it most.

Central looks to keep this train running next week at home against Winston-Salem State on Saturday at 6 PM. A&T on the other hand heads to North Dakota State on Saturday at 3:30 PM as they look to secure their first win on the season.