North Carolina A&T played the role of giant killer against an FBS opponent for the second consecutive season with a 35-31 upset road win over winless Charlotte in front of record crowd of 19,651 at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
“For our little ragtag bunch from Greensboro to come over here and play with the big boys and come out with a win is a big deal,” said North Carolina A&T coach Rod Broadway. “I thought we really had a chance to distance ourselves a little bit scoring wise at one point, But you have to give them credit, they hung in there and made us earn everything we got.”
The Aggies, No. 20 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 1 in Black College polls, also defeated FBS member Kent State last season, and they beat Appalachian State in 2013 when the Mountaineers were making the transition from FCS to FBS. FBS members can award the equivalent of 80 scholarships compared to 63 for FCS members such as North Carolina A&T.
The win was the 50th for Broadway as coach of the Aggies and makes him only the fourth coach in school history with that number. He joins William Bell (51 wins, 1946-56), Bert Piggot (55 wins, 1957-67) and Bill Hayes (106 wins, 1988-2002).
Franklin McCain returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown with 24 seconds remaining to seal the victory over the winless 49ers (0-3) and propelled the Aggies to their first 3-0 start since 2013. It was McCain’s second interception of the game. It gave the Aggies a seemingly safe 35-25 lead. His first interception and 22-yard return set up Marquell Cartwright’s one-yard touchdown run that gave the Aggies their biggest lead of the game, 28-10, with 9:33 left in the third quarter.
Charlotte (0-3) got a long kickoff return following McCain’s touchdown. Quarterback Hasaan Klugh, who played his freshman season at North Carolina A&T before transferring, connected with Workpeh Kofa on a 44-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining on the 49ers’ first play from scrimmage. The 49ers missed the extra point and their attempted onside kick went out-of-bounds.
Klugh passed for three touchdowns and he scored a rushing touchdown. However, the Aggies sacked him seven times and held him to just 179 yards through the air. Lamar Raynard passed for 259 yards for North Carolina A&T.
Key Results
Tennessee State 24, Florida A&M 13 – The Tigers are off to their second consecutive 3-0 start after beating the Rattlers, their traditional rivals, for the sixth straight time in the Florida Classic in Tampa. The Big Blue dominated Florida A&M on both sides of the ball. They held the Rattlers to just 262 total yards, including 46 on the ground. On the other side of the ball, Tennessee State amassed 514 total yards, 273 passing and 241 rushing. Sabree Curtis led Tennessee State’s ground game with 80 yards on nine carries. Quarterback Treon Harris, a transfer from the University of Florida, threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee State averaged 8.2 yards per play.
Grambling State 35, Jackson State 21 – The G-Men didn’t play the role of the gracious hosts when they welcomed the Tigers to Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium for the first time in five years as they pulled away in the fourth quarter for a SWAC non-conference victory. Jackson State (0-3) hadn’t played at Grambling (2-1) since 2012 in a scheduling twist that resulted from Grambling players boycotting the 2013 game that was scheduled to be played in Jackson, Miss.
Grambling players refused to make the trip while protesting the firing of Doug Williams as coach and the condition of the athletic facilities, and the game was declared a forfeit. The SWAC office punished the move by requiring Grambling to play the 2014, ’15 and ‘16 contests in Jackson and slapping the G-Men with a reported $20,000 fine. The G-Men, clinging to a 22-21 lead entering the fourth quarterback, scored a pair of touchdowns to preserve the win.
Davante Kincade tossed a 51-yard touchdown pass to Lyndemian Brooks and De’Arius Christmas returned a fumble for a score to put the game away. Kincade threw for 255 yards, and Martez Carter rushed for 102 yards. Jackson State led 14-9 in the second quarter but the Tigers were unable to sustain their moment as they suffered their seventh consecutive loss.
Tuskegee 30, Clark Atlanta 16 – The Golden Tigers turned to their defense for an SIAC victory in their home-opener. The Golden Tigers (2-1, 1-0 SIAC) came up with five turnovers as they stifled the Panthers’ high-flying offense. Clark Atlanta (2-1, 1-1 SIAC) entered the contest averaging 43.5 points and 502 total yards a game. However, Tuskegee limited the Panthers 213 total yards, including just 52 on the ground.
The Golden Tigers set the tone on the opening series. Cornerback Darnell Hill returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game. They added safety following the ensuing kickoff for a 9-0 when the Panthers snapped the ball over their punter’s head and it rolled out of the end zone for a safety. Minutes later Joshua Mincey recovered a Clark Atlanta fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and a 16-0 lead with 5:58 left in the first half.
The Panthers cut the lead to 16-13 in the second period, but Eric Bright’s one-yard touchdown run with 9:45 left in the period gave the Golden Tigers a 23-13 halftime lead and some breathing room. Carlos Saldana’s 42-yard field, his third of the game, at 8:32 of the third quarter kept the Panthers in the game. Marquez Burdett’s 15-yard touchdown run with 2:10 left in the game iced the win. Sophomore Ahmad Deramus started at quarterback Jamarcus Ezell who is in concussion protocol.
Other Results
MEAC
Florida Atlantic 35, Bethune-Cookman 0
Hampton 59, Livingstone 0
James Madison 75, Norfolk State 14
Montana 56, Savannah State 3
Richmond 68, Howard 21
Rutgers 65, Morgan State 0
C. State 41, Johnson C. Smith 0
West Va. 59, Delaware State 16
SWAC
Arkansas State 48, Ark.-Pine Bluff 7
Kennesaw State 20, Alabama State 14
McNeese State 34, Alcorn State 27
Nicholls State 44, Prairie View A&M 13
South Alabama 45, Alabama A&M 0
Texas-San Antonio 51, Southern 0
CIAA
Bowie State 66, Saint Augustine’s 20
Elizabeth City State 45, Fayetteville State 42
Shaw 34, Malone 27
West Florida 51, Chowan 23
Winston-Salem 21, Virginia Union 20
SIAC
Benedict 30, Lane 21
Kentucky State 30, Kentucky Wesleyan 23
Morehouse 35, Central State 33
Miles 29, Fort Valley State 10
North Greenville 35, Albany State 27
Others
Alderson Broadus 48, Lincoln (Pa.) 10
Cumberland 38, Edward Waters 16
Indiana (Pa.) 65, Cheyney 16
Newberry 55, Virginia-Lynchburg 7
Notre Dame (Ohio) 47, West Va. State 35
SAGU 52, Texas College 7
Quincy 7, Lincoln (Mo.) 3
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