# 2021 North Carolina Central Eagles football team

The 2021 North Carolina Central Eagles football team represented North Carolina Central University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Trei Oliver, the Eagles compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–1, placing second in the MEAC. North Carolina Central played home games at O'Kelly–Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 28 | 7:00 p.m. | Alcorn State* | Center Parc StadiumAtlanta, GA (MEAC/SWAC Challenge, College GameDay) | ESPN | W 23–14 | 15,215 |
| September 11 | 6:30 p.m. | at Marshall* | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN+ | L 10–44 | 24,521 |
| September 18 | 6:00 p.m. | Winston-Salem State* | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN+ | W 20–13 | 10,918 |
| September 25 | 6:00 p.m. | at North Carolina A&T* | Truist StadiumGreensboro, NC | ESPN+ | L 14–37 | 15,009 |
| October 2 | 4:00 p.m. | at Mississippi Valley State* | Rice–Totten StadiumItta Bena, MS | YouTube | L 16–17 | 3,000 |
| October 9 | 2:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech* | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN+ | L 16–27 | 2,810 |
| October 23 | 1:00 p.m. | at Morgan State | Hughes StadiumBaltimore, MD | ESPN+ | W 28–17 | 2,213 |
| October 30 | 2:00 p.m. | South Carolina State | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN+ | L 24–27 | 6,828 |
| November 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Norfolk State | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN3 | W 38–36 $^{2OT}$ | 10,027 |
| November 13 | 1:00 p.m. | at Howard | William H. Greene StadiumWashington, DC | ESPN+ | W 45–27 | 4,597 |
| November 20 | 2:00 p.m. | Delaware State | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN+ | W 34–28 | 4,525 |
| *Non-conference gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Vs. Alcorn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Braves | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 23 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| ALCN –15.5 | 53 |
| Statistics | Alcorn State | North Carolina Central |
| First downs | 18 | 19 |
| Total yards | 325 | 391 |
| Rushing yards | 171 | 207 |
| Passing yards | 154 | 184 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 28:20 | 31:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Alcorn State | Passing | Felix Harper | 17/27, 154 yards, 2 TDs |
| Alcorn State | Rushing | Stadford Anderson | 11 carries, 128 yards |
| Alcorn State | Receiving | Juan Anthony Jr. | 5 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD |
| North Carolina Central | Passing | Davius Richard | 16/26, 184 yards, 1 INT |
| North Carolina Central | Rushing | Jordan Freeman | 9 carries, 72 yards |
| North Carolina Central | Receiving | Ryan McDaniel | 6 receptions, 72 yards |

### At Marshall

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Thundering Herd | 6 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 44 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia
* Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 81 °F (27 °C) • Wind: None
* Game attendance: 24,521
* Referee: Patrick Foy
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jake Griffith (play-by-play), Dave Wilson (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –43.5
| Statistics | NCCU | MRSH |
| First downs | 9 | 38 |
| Plays–yards | 60–177 | 100–700 |
| Rushes–yards | 28–71 | 42–237 |
| Passing yards | 106 | 463 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 14–32–0 | 42–58–2 |
| Time of possession | 27:24 | 32:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NC Central | Passing | Davius Richard | 14/32, 106 yards, 1 TD |
| NC Central | Rushing | Jamal Currie-Elliott | 9 carries, 34 yards |
| NC Central | Receiving | Tyler Barnes | 3 receptions, 40 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Grant Wells | 34/47, 347 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | Knowledge McDaniel | 7 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Jayden Harrison | 4 receptions, 81 yards |