Hampton, NC Central enter playoff fray
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
The top teams in black college football will find out just how they measure up against the top competition in their respective divisions when they kick off their postseason play Saturday in pursuit of NCAA national championships.
BCSP No. 1 North Carolina Central, the undefeated (11-0) two-time champion of the CIAA, and No. 2 Hampton, the once-beaten (10-1) three-time champion of the MEAC, begin their quests with home dates.
N.C. Central got a first-round bye into the 24-team NCAA Div. II playoffs by virtue of its No. 1 seed in the Southeast Region. They will host Delta State (10-2), the runner-up in the Gulf South Conference and fifth seed in the Region who got a first-round win on the road Saturday against CIAA runner-up, fourth-seeded Elizabeth City State, 17-10 (See HOW THEY DID IT).
Head coach Rod Broadway's Eagles will have to stop a DSU passing attack led by Harlan Hill candidate, QB Scott Eyster and WR Rob Davis. Davis had 11 receptions for 169 yards Saturday vs. Elizabeth City and has 70 receptions for 970 yards and 4 TDs on the season. WB Jeremy Ricks averages 16.1 yards on his 43 catches and has 11 receiving and two rushing TDs. Eyster, who threw two interceptions against ECSU, has 29 TDs and only five interceptions on the season.
DSU's passing offense is 11th in the nation (264.5 ypg.) while NCCU's pass efficiency defense is fourth nationally, led by Andre George and Craig Amos who both had seven interceptions.
NCCU will be looking to settle down freshman QB Stadford Brown, the CIAA's offensive player of the year, who struggled somewhat in the title game vs. ECSU throwing two interceptions. The Eagles will also look to break loose RB Greg Pruitt, who had a 54-yard TD scamper vs. ECSU.
Delta State's defense is eighth (235.0 ypg.) nationally while NCCU's is ninth (237.9 ypg.)
Hampton enters play for the third consecutive year in the newly-named NCAA Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Div. I-AA) at Armstrong Stadium against New Hampshire (8-3), the third team out of the tough Atlantic-10 Conference to make the 16-team championship field. UNH leads the series 2-0.
New Hampshire opened the season with a stunning 34-17 win over Div. IA and Big Ten member Northwestern and suffered its only losses to A-10 members Northeastern (36-35 in OT), James Madison (42-23) and Massachusetts (28-20). Massachusetts and James Madison are the other A-10 teams in the championship field.
UNH is led by two Walter Payton Award candidates. Quarterback Ricky Santos has completed 68.3% of his passes for 2,681 yards, 23 TDs with just five interceptions and has rushed for 12 TDs. Wide receiver David Ball has broken Jerry Rice's all-time division touchdown mark with 57 TDs and enters the game with 82 receptions this year for 990 yards and 11 TDs. UNH is third nationally in scoring offense averaging 36.4 points per game.
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