Sports

NCCU Football Looks To Rebound on the Road

Lawrence Davis III @LawDavis13 @SpecMagSports

The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Eagles will take to the road for the first time this season as they travel to S.B. Ballard Stadium to face Old Dominion University on Saturday at 6 p.m. After a tough 27–10 setback at home against New Hampshire—despite a strong effort from running back Chris Mosley, who rushed for 106 yards on 19 carries in his second consecutive 100-yard game—the Eagles are hungry for a bounce-back performance.

Redshirt-senior quarterback Walker Harris has been a bright spot amid the offense’s slow start. Against New Hampshire, he went 13-of-33 for 172 yards, distributing the ball to six different receivers, though he managed just one touchdown. While Harris has flashed his arm, the passing game hasn’t quite taken off in 2025—and that must change as NCCU transitions into conference play and sets its sights on a return to the Celebration Bowl.

Looking back at his 2024 performance, Harris logged 1,845 passing yards, with 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, completing 61.1% of his passes and posting a 150.6 passer rating  . That level of productivity helped push the Eagles to an 8–3 overall record, including a 4–1 conference mark, and contributed to NCCU’s appearance in the FCS spotlight last season  .

What to Watch on Saturday

Getting Harris back to form: For NCCU’s offense to click, Harris will need to be crisp—smart reads, accurate throws, and exploiting ODU’s secondary.

Mosley’s continued impact: Following back-to-back 100-yard games, Mosley’s ground game remains the driving force. If he’s hitting lanes, it could open up play-action opportunities.

Road resiliency: This will be NCCU’s first true road test of 2025. Managing pressure, limiting mistakes, and executing on special teams will be critical.

NCCU’s path to the Celebration Bowl will likely run through strong quarterback play, consistency in the run game, and capitalizing during conference battles. Saturday’s trip to Virginia could very well set the tone for the rest of the season.