EAGLES FOOTBALL 2017 – GAME #1 #24 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY “EAGLES” VS. DUKE UNIVERSITY “BLUE DEVILS” Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017 – Kickoff at 6:00 p.m. Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium - Durham, N.C. “Bull City Gridiron Classic” THE GAME 2017 NCCU Football Schedule #24 North Carolina Central University “Eagles” vs. Duke University “Blue Devils” Date Opponent Time/Result THE KICKOFF Sept. 2 at Duke ........ (ACC Network Extra) 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 2, 2017 – Kickoff at 6:00 p.m. Sept. 9 Shaw................................6:00 p.m. Sept. 21 S.C. State ...............(ESPNU) 7:30 p.m. THE SITE Sept. 28 at Florida A&M ........(ESPNU) 7:30 p.m. Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium (40,004 capacity/natural grass) - Durham, N.C. Oct. 7 at Howard ........................1:00 p.m. THE RECORDS (2016) Oct. 14 Gardner-Webb .................2:00 p.m. 2016: N.C. Central (9-3 overall, 8-0 MEAC); Duke (4-8, 1-7 ACC) Oct. 21 Norfolk State ....................2:00 p.m. Oct. 28 Delaware State (HC) .........2:00 p.m. MEDIA COVERAGE Nov. 4 at Hampton ......................1:00 p.m. Audio: NCCU Sports Network “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio Nov. 11 Bethune-Cookman...........2:00 p.m. internet stream). Broadcast starts at 5:30 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst). Nov. 18 at NC A&T ........................1:00 p.m. Television: ACC Network Extra (Shawn Kenney, play-by-play; Al Groh, analyst). MEAC Champion at “Celebration Bowl” Dec. 16 vs. SWAC Champion. .. (ABC) 12 p.m. QUICK HITS .................Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta • Saturday will be the sixth meeting between Durham foes NCCU and Duke (2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016). NCCU Ticket Office: (919) 530-5170 • Fourth-year head coach Jerry Mack has not only captured conference titles in each NCCU Athletics Web Site: NCCUEaglePride.com of his first three seasons at NCCU, but he became the first head coach in school Twitter: @NCCUAthletics / @NCCU_Football history to win 24 games in his first three years. YouTube: www.youtube.com/NCCUEagles • NCCU’s five fumble recoveries in last year’s game versus Duke (Sept. 3, 2016) are the most by the Eagles since 2010. HEAD COACHES • NCCU’s 21 points against Western Michigan (Sept. 10, 2016) are the most scored North Carolina Central: by the Eagles in nine contests against FBS competition. Head Coach .................................... Jerry Mack • Of NCCU’s league-high 17 all-conference selections in 2016, all six of the Eagles’ Alma Mater ....................Arkansas State (2003) First Team All-MEAC honorees have moved on, as well as three Second Team All- Record at NCCU .................24-11 (4th season) MEAC picks. Career Record .....................24-11 (4th season) • NCCU punched its ticket to the 2016 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl by beating rival North Carolina A&T 42-21 to win the outright MEAC championship. Duke: • NCCU owns a 21-3 record against MEAC opponents in the last three seasons Head Coach ...............................David Cutcliffe under head coach Jerry Mack, including a 3-0 mark against rival NC A&T. Alma Mater .............................. Alabama (1976) Record at Duke .................52-61 (10th season) Career Record ...................96-90 (16th season) 2016 HIGHLIGHTS • Captured the conference’s first outright championship since 2012, after sharing the MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS league crown in 2014 and 2015. • Became first football team in school history to win a third consecutive conference North Carolina Central: championship. SID .................................................. Kyle Serba • Beat nationally-ranked No. 9 North Carolina A&T 42-21 on Nov. 19, 2016, to cap an Office Phone ............................. (919) 530-7054 undefeated conference campaign. E-Mail [email protected] Web Site ........................NCCUEaglePride.com • Earned a trip to the second annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. • Posted the most wins in the program’s Division I era with nine triumphs. Duke: • Broke the NCCU single-season record with 4,614 yards of total offense. SID ....................................................Art Chase • Received first national ranking as a Division I-FCS program on Nov. 7, 2016, when Office Phone ............................. (919) 684-2633 the FCS Coaches Poll announced NCCU at No. 25. By the end of the regular season, E-Mail [email protected] the Eagles jumped to No. 18, and then finished at No. 19 in the final 2016 poll. Web Site .......................................GoDuke.com • Placed a league-high 17 student-athletes on the All-MEAC teams (First, Second Twitter Talk: #NCCUfootball and Third). THE SERIES QUICK FACTS This will be the sixth meeting between the Eagles of NCCU and the Blue Devils of North Carolina Central University School: Duke University. Duke leads the series 5-0 after a 49-14 win on Sept. 26, 2009, a 54- Location: Durham, NC 27707 17 victory on Sept. 15, 2012, a 45-0 triumph on Aug. 31, 2013, a 55-0 win on Sept. 12, Founded: 1910 by Dr. James E. Shepard 2015, and a 49-6 victory on Sept. 3, 2016, all played inside Wallace Wade Stadium. Enrollment: 8,096 The Blue Devils have out-scored the Eagles 252-37 in the five match-ups. Nickname: Eagles School Colors: Maroon & Gray THE COACHES Stadium: O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his fourth season as a college head Capacity (Surface): 10,000 (Mondoturf) coach. Mack has led NCCU to three consecutive conference championships and a trip National Affiliation: NCAA Division I-FCS to the 2016 Celebration Bowl. In recognition of his success in 2016, Mack was named Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Football Coach of the Year, American Chancellor: Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Regional Coach of the Year, and as one Alma Mater: Alabama A&M of 15 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award as the FCS Coach of the Year. He was Athletics Director: Ingrid Wicker-McCree, Ed.D. also recognized as the HBCU Football Coach of the Year by Black College Sports Alma Mater: George Washington Page and The Pigskin Club in Washington, D.C., and the HBCU Male Coach of the Athletics Dept. Phone: (919) 530-7057 Year by HBCU Digest. He boasts 12 years of coaching experience, including stints Athletics Dept. Web Site: NCCUEaglePride.com with five NCAA Division I programs and three conference championship teams. A Twitter: @NCCUAthletics / @NCCU_Football native of Memphis, Tennessee, Mack has held positions as wide receivers coach at Facebook: Facebook.com/NCCUAthletics the University of South Alabama (2012-13) and the University of Memphis (2011), as Ticket Office Phone: (919) 530-5170 offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2010), as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at the University FOOTBALL HISTORY of Central Arkansas (2008-09), as wide receivers and tight ends coach at Jackson State University (2006-07), and as an offensive graduate assistant at Delta State First Year of Football: 1923 University (2004-05). Mack began his collegiate playing career at Jackson State Overall All-Time Record: 463-380-30 before transferring after one season (1999) to Arkansas State University. He lettered NCAA Playoff Record (Yrs): 1-3 (3 years - 1988, three years at Arkansas State (2001-03) before earning his bachelor’s degree in 2005, 2006 - NCAA Div. II) management information systems in 2003. Mack completed his master’s degree in Last Playoff Opponent: Delta State (Div. II) physical education from Delta State in 2006. Result (Date): Lost, 17-24 (Nov. 25, 2006) Conference Championships: MEAC (1972, Duke: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) was named Duke University’s 21st head 1973, 2014, 2015, 2016); CIAA (1953, 1954, football coach on December 15, 2007. Cutcliffe came to Duke after serving the 1956, 1961, 1963, 1980, 2005, 2006) previous two seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee. His head coaching experience includes a six-year stint at the SPORTS INFORMATION University of Mississippi from 1999-2004, where he compiled a 44-29 (.603) ledger Sports Information Director: Kyle Serba with five winning seasons, five bowl game appearances and a share of the SEC SID Office Phone: (919) 530-7054 Western Division championship in 2003. Cutcliffe was named the SEC Coach of the SID E-Mail: [email protected] Year in 2003 after leading the Rebels to a 10-3 record, including a 31-28 victory over Radio Play-by-Play: Jonathan Duren Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. He owns a 5-2 record as a head coach in bowl tilts Phone/Email: (919) 530-6892/[email protected] with victories over Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Indiana. COACHING STAFF MACK OFF TO FAST START AS NCCU HEAD COACH Head Coach: Jerry Mack Jerry Mack is the first NCCU football head coach to win 24 games in his first three Alma Mater (Year): Arkansas State (2003) seasons, passing Rod Broadway’s 22 victories from 2003-05. After the Eagles went Record at NCCU (Years): 24-11 (4th year) 7-5 in Mack’s first season for a share of the MEAC title, and 8-3 in 2015 for consecutive Career Record (Years): 24-11 (4th year) MEAC co-championships, the Eagles closed out the 2016 season at 9-3 overall and Assistant Coaches: 8-0 in conference play to earn the outright MEAC championship. Mack was named Granville Eastman ...... Def. Coordinator/Safeties 2016 MEAC Coach of the Year and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. T.C. Taylor .................Offensive Coordinator/QBs Jason Onyebuagu . co-Offensive Coordinator/OL NCCU NO. 24 IN PRESEASON FCS COACHES POLL Chris Schultz ..Special Teams Coordinator/Def. Asst. After a 9-3 season and a third straight conference championship, North Carolina Kenyatta McCoy ............................