NCCU welcomed Morgan State to its 2024 Homecoming for a hard-fought October HBCU football showdown. Watch the highlights here and check out the game recap courtesy of NCCU Athletics below.

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) football team celebrated Homecoming with a 16-7 victory over Morgan State on Saturday at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium, holding the Bears to just over 200 yards of total offense.

The No. 20/21 Eagles (6-2, 2-0 MEAC) have won five straight games.

The Eagles got on the board first when quarterback Walker Harris connected with Markell Quick on a deep pass up the middle for a 49-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. That play, at the 7:06 mark of the second quarter, capped a 4-play, 76-yard drive.

That score held at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, after the Eagles went 52 yards on eight plays, Kaleb Robison made his first career field goal from 21 yards to grow the lead to 10-0. 

Morgan State made it a one-possession game with the 9:58 mark of the fourth quarter, taking advantage of a rare Harris interception when Jason Collins, Jr. capped an 8-play, 34-yard drive with a 2-yard score to trim the Eagles’ lead to 10-7.

The Eagles answered on the ensuing drive. On the sixth play of a drive that started on the NCCU 27-yard line, J’Mari Taylor kept his touchdown streak alive with a 50-yard run to the end zone. With 6:37 to play, the Eagles led 16-7.

The Bears (3-4, 0-1) had one more chance, but Thomas Jackson sacked quarterback Tahj Smith on 4th-and-10 with 4:24 remaining to end the drive and give the ball back to the Eagles.

Morgan State never touched the ball again, and the Eagles ran out the clock.

NCCU will hit the road this coming Thursday, heading to Orangeburg, S.C., to take on South Carolina State. The HBCU football game will air live on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m.

Related