The players start to “believe”

The Eagles enter the game ranked 19th in the current FCS football rankings and are currently at the top of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 2-0 record. SC State opened MEAC play with a 69-35 win over Delaware State and will look for its fifth straight victory.

“There's a lot of momentum when you win,” SC State head coach Chennis Berry said Monday at his weekly press conference. “The players are starting to believe, and as a first-year head coach, you want your players to feel comfortable with the things you do.”

This week's matchup features the two best offenses in the MEAC. South Carolina State currently leads the league with 412 yards per game, but North Carolina Central is ahead with 36 yards per game.

“We made better use of what the defense gave us,” Berry said. “Traditionally, SC State is known as a running football team, but if you have to throw the ball to win the game, we will do that.”

Berry also credits the continued growth of his players, including quarterback Eric Phoenix, who was named the HBCU BOXTOROW National Player of the Week after completing 18 of 21 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns against Delaware State. He also rushed for a touchdown.

“I’m proud of Eric,” Berry said. “He’s just a great young man who works hard, loves football and studies the game.”

North Carolina Central is led by running back J'Mari Taylor, who head coach Trei Oliver called the workhorse of the Eagles offense. Taylor currently leads the MEAC in rushing with 790 yards and 10 touchdowns and is in the top 10 with 21 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

“We have a chance to end the month against a very good North Carolina Central team,” Berry said. “They are tough and physically strong and we will have our hands full. Looking at their team is like looking in the mirror, we are very similar in all three phases (offense, defense and special teams). It’s important that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot with self-inflicted negative actions.”

Oliver echoed Berry's comments about the similarities between the two teams during Monday's press conference with the MEAC.

“This game will have a lot to do with coaching,” Oliver said. “We know they're going to do some things that we haven't seen yet, so it's our responsibility to make those in-game adjustments. It starts at the top with stopping the run, and I think that’s one aspect of our team that we’ve made improvements on.”

The Eagles held Morgan State to 204 yards of total offense, including 102 yards rushing, in a 16-7 win last week. Jaki Brevard led NC Central with 12 tackles and Thomas Johnson returned to the lineup with six tackles and three sacks.