NCCU Eagles open 2024 season with a victory

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – North Carolina Central University football opened the 2024 season with a 31-24 win over Alabama State in the 2024 Denny’s Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

 

J’Mari Taylor was the offensive star for the Eagles, rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per run. He also caught a touchdown pass.

 

On the game’s opening drive, the Eagles (1-0) went 75 yards in just under seven minutes to take an early 7-0 lead over Alabama State on a one-yard run by J’Mari Taylor. Taylor followed that score with a second touchdown on a 5-yard run in the opening minutes of the second quarter – capping off a 5-play, 75-yard drive to give NCCU a 14-0 lead.

 

The MEAC preseason favorite Eagles defense made its presence felt on the ensuing drive, when Kole Jones picked off Alabama State and took the catch 37 yards in for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 21-0 lead following the point-after from Juan Velarde.

 

The Hornets (0-1) got on the board immediately after that, taking care of things on special teams when AJ Gates took the kickoff back for 82 yards, Alabama State’s first score, to cut the lead to 21-7 with 12:10 left in the half.

 

Andrew Body then recorded the second score for Alabama State following a 38-yard run that capped a 10-play, 96-yard drive that took over six minutes to cut NCCU’s lead to 21-14 – which would be the score at the half.

 

Coming out of the half, there was a weather delay that spanned one hour and 20 minutes.

 

The first dive out of the weather delay resulted in Velarde nailing a 36-yard field goal, his first of the season, to give the Eagles a 24-14 lead. The Hornets responded with a 41-yard field goal of their own to bring it back to a one-possession game heading into the fourth quarter..

 

Taylor made it a hat trick in the fourth, snatching a 14-yard pass from Walker Harris that capped a 6-play, 28-yard drive and put the Eagles up 31-17 with 8:35 left to play.

 

Alabama State again made it a one-score game when Body ran 39 yards for his second touchdown of the game, cutting the lead to 31-24 with 3:24 remaining.

 

The Hornets drove into NCCU territory with less than a minute on the clock, but the Eagles defense came up with their second turnover of the game – an interception by D.J. Estes with 46 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.

 

North Carolina Central will welcome Elon to O’Kelly-Reddick Stadium next Saturday for the Eagles’ home opener. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 6 p.m