Having a reserve quarterback who can throw five touchdowns in a game is a luxury most college football teams do not have.
That separates defending Black College national champion North Carolina Central from most teams, as redshirt junior Walker Harris stepped in for Davius Richard and led the Eagles to a convincing 45-3 win over Mississippi Valley State in last weekend’s Circle City Classic in Indianapolis.
“Walker Harris is a 1A. I don’t look at him as a second team or backup quarterback,” Eagles head coach Trei Oliver said. “I was excited to see Walker get the start in an NFL stadium and in a classic, and he performed like I expected. I’m so proud of him. He understands Davius is our number one guy, but he’s been ready.”
Harris completed 17 of 28 passes for 263 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions, proving to be a valuable substitute for Richard, who Oliver says is day-to-day.
“He suffered an injury on the third play of the North Carolina A&T game and battled through it, played the first quarter at UCLA. We don’t know if he’ll be ready for this week,” he said.
This week will be a challenge for Central as Campbell University, one of the newer members of the Coastal Athletic Association, pays a visit to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium this coming Saturday. Oliver is well aware of the talent the Camels will be bringing into Durham.
“Campbell is a very big football team. Their offensive line looks like an NFL team,” he said. “Their quarterback, Hajj-Malik Williams, is unbelievable; he can beat you with his arm and his feet. Luckily, we’re playing at home, so our fans can pack The Nest. We definitely will be challenged this week.”
Even with that in mind, Oliver still wants to come out with the victory, especially after the Camels hammered NCCU 48-18 last season.
“Anytime somebody gets you, you want to get them back. Nothing personal between any school or conference; we just want to represent NCCU and the MEAC to the best of our ability against these non-conference opponents,” he said. “Coach Minter does a great job, but the competitive side of me is, ‘They got us last year; we want to get them this year.’ We want to put on a good show out of conference.”
