North Carolina Central faced a tough challenge at home, falling to nationally ranked New Hampshire. Despite the 27-10 loss, head coach Trey Oliver says the Eagles are focused on learning from the experience and preparing for a critical road test at Old Dominion.
“We fought for 60 minutes,” Oliver said during Monday’s MEAC Coaches’ Conference. “But we just made too many uncharacteristic mistakes to beat a playoff-caliber team like New Hampshire.”
Those mistakes included six dropped passes, blown coverages, a missed field goal, and costly third-down penalties that allowed the Wildcats to sustain drives.
“Against good teams, you can’t afford to do that,” Oliver added.
Quarterback Walker Harris finished the game with 172 yards passing, a touchdown, and an interception, completing 13 of 33 attempts. Running back Chris Mosley led the ground game with 106 rushing yards, but Oliver says both veterans need to elevate their performance.
“If you’re one of our better players, you have to play at a high level,” Oliver said. “Walker’s ball placement was off at times, and Mosley left some yards out there. But they also need help from the rest of the offense—receivers have to make the tough catches.”
As the Eagles (1-1) prepare for their first road game of the season, they’ll face an Old Dominion team that held its own in a 27-14 loss to No. 20 Indiana. Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph passed for 96 yards but rushed for 179 and two touchdowns—an area of concern for Central’s defense.
“He’s explosive,” Oliver said. “We’ve got to contain him. If he gets out in space, he can take it the distance.”
Oliver emphasized that the team’s focus this week will be inward, correcting their own mistakes and finding offensive rhythm.
“The Eagles can’t beat the Eagles,” he said. “We’ve got to clean up the little things—run fits, catching the football, eliminating penalties—and give ourselves a chance to win in the fourth quarter.”
Despite the home loss, Oliver remains confident in the talent on both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Mekhi Wall recorded a touchdown, while defenders continue to develop. But consistency, Oliver says, is what separates good teams from great ones.
“We’ve got some young guys in the secondary, and they’re learning,” he said. “But at some point, you’ve got to make a play.”
North Carolina Central travels to Norfolk, Virginia, to face Old Dominion on Saturday, Sept. 6, at S.B. Ballard Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
This story was drafted using an AI tool based on the transcript of the MEAC weekly coaches’ conference and was then reviewed and edited by a journalist before publishing.
