DURHAM, N.C. – HBCU homecomings may bring energy, but North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver knows that emotion alone won’t win a MEAC football game. Not against what DeSean Jackson has quickly built at Delaware State.
Oliver’s North Carolina Central squad (5–2) returns from a bye week sitting atop the HBCU landscape in scoring at 36.1 points per game and total offense at 444 yards per contest. The Eagles have dominated opponents for the past month. But Oliver cautioned that conference play turns every quarter – and every snap – into a test of discipline and focus.
“You have a good football team, you lose one game, and we’re sitting at the house watching on TV,” Oliver said. “Our guys know what’s at stake. Every half and every series matters from here on out.”
Respect for Delaware State’s run game
Under first-year head coach DeSean Jackson, Delaware State has transformed into one of the most balanced and confident teams in the MEAC. The Hornets are averaging 325 rushing yards per game and an astonishing 7.4 yards per carry, one of the most explosive rates in FCS football.
“They’re the most efficient running team I’ve seen in my coaching career,” Oliver admitted. “They’ve been mistreating people in the trenches. We’re going to have to match that physicality from the first snap to the last.”
That ground game, powered by Marquis Gillis (723 yards), James Jones (522 yards), and quarterback Kaiden Bennett (363 yards, 9 rushing TDs), has fueled Jackson’s quick rebuild in Dover. For Oliver, it’s a sign of a program turning the corner – one that commands his full respect.
North Carolina Central will play its game
North Carolina Central counters with balance of its own. Quarterback Walker Harris has thrown for 1,792 yards and 12 touchdowns, spreading the ball to a deep receiver room led by Chance Peterson, Mehki Wall, and Chauncey Spikes. Running back Chris Mosley continues to pace the ground game with 738 rushing yards and six scores.
The Eagles’ defense, anchored by Thomas Johnson (6.5 sacks) and Tomondrey Braxton (two interceptions), will be tasked with slowing the MEAC’s most efficient rushing unit.
But Oliver isn’t interested in playing conservative football to control time of possession – even against Delaware State’s powerful run game.
“We’re not going to slow it down just to keep them off the field,” he said. “We’re going to play our brand of football – fast, physical, and fearless.”
HBCU homecoming matchup with intrigue
NCCU has been one of the premiere programs in MEAC and HBCU football in recent years. Delaware State has often been one of the programs it has used as a punching bag. NCCU has beaten DSU by a combined score of 107-24, with back-to-back 50-point performances to end the season. But this is a new day for DSU. And NCCU knows from experience that one slip up can be the difference in making it to Atlanta or having your season end in disappointment.
“We’re not overconfident. Our guys are humble and hungry and, you know, we’re locked in. And I guess that is a part of our culture over scheme,” Oliver said. “But this ain’t the same Delaware State team that we played last year. They are a much improved team across the board, like I said, and well coached.”
Homecoming might fill the stands in Durham, but what matters most is what happens between the whistles. Against a Delaware State team that’s earned its respect, every possession, every quarter, every snap will test whether North Carolina Central’s culture can once again carry it through the MEAC gauntlet.
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This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 1:36 PM.
