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'''Offensive Coaches'''
'''Offensive Coaches'''
* Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers – Chip Hester
* Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers – Chip Hester
* Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator - Keith Wagner<ref group=notes>Offensive Line Coach Keith Wagner was replaced by Graduate Assistant Ronald Canty following the North Carolina Central Game</ref>
* Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator - Keith Wagner<ref>Offensive Line Coach Keith Wagner was replaced by Graduate Assistant Ronald Canty following the North Carolina Central Game</ref>
* Quarterbacks - Chris Barnette
* Quarterbacks - Chris Barnette
* Running Backs - Shawn Gibbs
* Running Backs - Shawn Gibbs

Revision as of 13:18, 22 December 2015

{{{year}}} [[{{{team}}} football]]
Ranking
STATSNo. 22
FCS CoachesNo. 20
2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 21 North Carolina A&T +   7 – 1     10 – 2  
Bethune–Cookman +   7 – 1     9 – 2  
North Carolina Central +   7 – 1     8 – 3  
South Carolina State   6 – 2     7 – 4  
Hampton   5 – 3     6 – 5  
Morgan State   4 – 4     4 – 6  
Norfolk State   4 – 4     4 – 7  
Savannah State *   1 – 7     1 – 9  
Delaware State   1 – 7     1 – 10  
Florida A&M *   1 – 7     1 – 10  
Howard   1 – 7     1 – 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • Florida A&M and Savannah State ineligible for postseason due to APR violations
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team represents North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This season mark the 92nd for the program, which is led by fifth-year head coach Rod Broadway.[1] and play their home games at Aggie Stadium. They are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Previous season

The Aggies finished the season 9–3, 6–2 in MEAC play to finish in a five way tie, earning the school's 7th MEAC Championship and 12th overall.[1] Due to the MEAC Tiebreaker system, A&T did not earn the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs and did not receive an at-large bid.

Before the season

At the conclusion of the 2014 football season, the Aggies lost key players such as All-American center Ronald Canty, All-American and three-time All-MEAC standout guard/tackle William Ray Robinson III and 2014 starting right guard Olin Leak and defensive back Donald Mattocks. In addition, one of the best tacklers in school history, All-MEAC linebacker D’Vonte Grant, played his final season with the Aggies.[2] NC A&T was picked to win the MEAC championship and junior running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the preseason offensive player of the year.[3]

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for 2015 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Shawn Barnes
WR 		Fayetteville, NC E.E. Smith HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jalon Bethea
DB 		Durham, NC Hillside HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Landon Brewer
DB 		Lumberton, NC Lumberton HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Kylil Carter
QB 		Austell, GA South Cobb HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 213 lb (97 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Korey Curry
DE 		Jacksonville, NC Northside HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Mar 26, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Korey Curry
RB 		Jacksonville, NC Northside HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Mar 26, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Craig Gailliard, Jr.
DB 		Dearborn, MI Edsel Ford HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
William Hollingsworth
RB 		Plymoth, NC Plymoth HS 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 240 lb (110 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Malik Johnson
OL 		Arden, NC Christ School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 340 lb (150 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Donovahn Jones
WR 		Stockbridge, GA University of Minnesota 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Kadarius Kendrick
DL 		Forest Park, GA Forest Park HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 250 lb (110 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Adrian McPherson
LB 		Fayetteville, NC E.E. Smith HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Cameron Moore
WR 		Bayboro, NC Pamlico County HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Marcus Pettiford
OL 		Durham, NC Hillside HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 260 lb (120 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Julius Reynolds
LB 		Wilmington, NC Hoggard HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Steve Sawicki
P 		Hope Mills, NC Grays Creek HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 340 lb (150 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Micah Shaw
DE 		Fayetteville, NC Seventy-First HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 250 lb (110 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Keevin Thompson
RB 		Wilmington, NC Hoggard HS 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Apr 15, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Calvin Trotty
DL 		Spring Lake, NC Overhills HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 270 lb (120 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jermaine Williams
DL 		Lumberton, NC Lumberton HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 265 lb (120 kg) Feb 4, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Schedule

September 56:00 PMShaw*

LTVW 61–7 13,828 September 126:00 PMat North Carolina*

ESPN3L 14–53 44,000 September 196:00 PMat Elon*

W 14–7 9,729 October 312:00 PMat Hampton

W 45–31 2,139 October 102:00 PMat Norfolk State

W 27–3 6,194 October 171:00 PMBethune-Cookman

  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC

LTVW 24–14 12,471 October 241:00 PMHowarddaggerNo. 24

  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC

LTVW 65–14 21,500 October 313:00 PMat Florida A&MNo. 20

W 28–10 10,279 November 71:00 PMat South Carolina StateNo. 19

W 9–6 15,283 November 141:00 PMDelaware StateNo. 19

  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC

ESPN3W 27–6 8,732 November 211:00 PMNorth Carolina CentralNo. 16

  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC (Rivalry)

LTVL 16–21 18,409 December 1912:00 PMvs. Alcorn State*No. 22

ABCW 41–34 35,528

Template:CFB Schedule End

Roster

2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies Roster (Source)

Wide Receivers

  •  1 Denzel Keyes – Junior
  •  3 Xavier Griffin – Junior
  •  8 Khris Gardin – Sophomore
  • 10 Quentin Todd – Redshirt Senior
  • 16 Michael Weaver Jr. – Junior
  • 19 Kevin Francis – Redshirt Senior
  • 81 Caleb Gabriel – Redshirt Freshman
  • 82 Keenan Medley – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 85 Javius Nixon – Freshman
  • 86 Deshaun McFadden – Freshman
  • 88 Malik Wilson – Redshirt Freshman

Offensive Line

  • 61 Josh Mattocks – Redshirt Spohomore
  • 62 Malik Johnson - Freshman
  • 63 Nicholas Dease – Senior
  • 66 Arlander Cherry – Freshman
  • 69 Calvin Trotty – Freshman
  • 70 Brandon Parker – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 71 Chris Davis – Freshman
  • 72 Darriel Mack – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 73 Marcus Pettiford - Freshman
  • 74 Sylvester Smith – Freshman
  • 75 Charles Jones – Junior
  • 76 Shawn Best – Redshirt Freshman
  • 77 Charles "Wes" Cole – Junior
  • 78 Micah Shaw – Freshman

Tight Ends

  • 22 Justin Smith – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 87 Dequan Swann – Redshirt Senior

Fullbacks

  • 36 Anthony McMinn II – Redshirt Junior
  • 39 Corbin Martin – Junior
  • 46 William Hollingsworth – Freshman
  

Quarterbacks

  • 2 Kwashaun Quick† – Senior
  • 7 Lamar Raynard† – Redshirt Freshman
  • 17 Isaiah Hicklin – Freshman
  • 18 Frank Foster – Senior

Running Backs

  • 20 Daniel Robinson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 23 Amos Williams – Redshirt Freshman
  • 28 Tarik Cohen† – Junior
  • 35 Keevin Thompson – Freshman
  • 38 Cameron Hill – Redshirt Freshman

Defensive Line

  • 51 D'Anthony Ross – Junior
  • 55 Michael Neal – Senior
  • 94 Justin Cates - Freshman
  • 95 Julian McKnight – Redshirt Freshman
  • 97 James Morris – Redshirt Senior
  • 99 Marcus Ragland – Redshirt Junior

Defensive Ends

  • 50 Angelo Keyes - Redshirt Junior
  • 79 Darryl Johnson - Freshman
  • 83 Korey Curry - Freshman
  • 90 Malik Hampton-Prioleau - Junior
  • 91 Kenneth Melton - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 92 Miles Hillard - Redshirt Junior
  • 93 Turner Echols - Redshirt Freshman
  • 96 Sam Blue - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 98 Kadarius Kendrick - Freshman

Safety

  • 41 Aaron Leach - Redshirt Senior

Rovers

  • 24 Lorenz Suttles - Junior
  • 37 Landis Shoffner - Senior
  

Linebackers

  •  4 Marcus Albert - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 26 Vander Purcell - Sophomore
  • 29 Craig Gailliard Jr. - Freshman
  • 34 Deion Jones - Redshirt Freshman
  • 44 Julius Reynolds - Redshirt Freshman
  • 45 Joshua Patrick – Sophomore
  • 47 Courtney Edmonds – Sophomore
  • 52 Kiaundric Richardson - Sophomore
  • 53 Gerald Caskey – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 54 Leroy Hill – Redshirt Freshman
  • 56 Denzel Jones – Redshirt Senior
  • 57 Markeiss Blue – Sophomore
  • 58 Adrian McPherson - Freshman
  • 59 Celeb Smith - Freshman
  • 65 Seth Schoonover - ""Freshman
  • 68 Darryl Jackson - Redshirt Freshman

Defensive Backs

  •  5 Tard McCoy – Redshirt Sophomore
  •  9 Zerius Lockhart – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 12 Jerome Beatty – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 14 Timadre Abram – Redshirt Freshman
  • 21 Tony McRae – Senior
  • 25 Jamaal Darden – Sophomore
  • 27 Marquis Boyan – Senior
  • 32 Marquis Willis – Redshirt Freshman
  • 33 Jalen Bethea – Freshman
  • 40 Jovan Williams - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 48 Jeremy Taylor - Sophomore

Punters

  • 49 Steven Sawicki - Freshman
  • 60 Isaac Parks – Freshman

Kickers

  • 13 Cody Jones† – Junior

Long Snappers

  • 67 Ernest (Petie) Bush III - Freshman
  • 89 Jonathan Hall - Redshirt Junior
† Starter at position     * Injured; did not play in 2015.

Coaching staff

2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies coaching staff

Head Coach

Offensive Coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers – Chip Hester
  • Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator - Keith Wagner[4]
  • Quarterbacks - Chris Barnette
  • Running Backs - Shawn Gibbs
  • Tight End - Colin Williams

Defensive Coaches

  • Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs – Sam Washington
  • Inside Linebackers – Thomas Howard
  • Outside Linebackers – Trei Oliver
  

Administrative Staff

  • Athletic Director (A.D.) - Earl M. Hilton III
  • Administrative Support Associate for Football - Jeraldine Bailey

Game notes

Shaw

See also: Shaw Bears
Shaw vs. North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 7 007
Aggies 7 23 171461

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

  • Date: September 5, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 PM EDT
  • Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 13,828
  • Referee: Rick Warren
  • [1]
Game information

This game marked the 21st meeting overall between the Shaw University Bears and the Aggies, and the first between the two in 52 Years. Going into the match up, the Aggies held the all-time series at 3-17-1. The last meeting between the two in 1968, saw The Aggies defeat the Bears 0-69.[5]

The Aggies called upon redshirt freshman quarterback Lamar Raynard to be the starting quarterback. Raynard passed for 188 yards with three touchdowns and 1 interception.[6] Junior Wide Receiver Denzel Keyes went on to make a career-high six catches to finish with 119 yards receiving and two touchdowns.[7] Preseason All-American & MEAC Offensive player of the year, running back Tarik Cohen, ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. This game marked Cohen's 13th career 100-yard game.[7] Cohen is now 928 rushing yards short of becoming the all-time leading rusher in school history.[6]

The Bears were held to 44 yards on the ground in 30 attempts. Bruce Parker Jr. returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown for the team's lone score.[6]

UNC

See also: 2015 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
North Carolina A&T vs. UNC – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Aggies 0 0 7714
Tar Heels 22 14 17053

at Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

  • Date: September 12, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 PM EDT
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Scattered Showers
  • Game attendance: 44,000
  • Referee: Ron Cherry
  • TV: ESPN3
Game information

This game marked the first meeting between the Tar Heels and the Aggies. The Aggies last saw an opponent from the ACC in 2004, with a 42-3 loss to Wake Forest.[8]

Junior running back Tarik Cohen led the Aggies with 69 yards on 15 carries, while Sophomore Wide receivers Khris Gardin and junior Denzel Keyes had three receptions apiece for 49 and 46 yards respectively. Gardin also caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman Quarterback Lamar Raynard with 11:20 to play in the game.[9]

Elon

See also: 2015 Elon Phoenix football team
North Carolina A&T vs. Elon – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Aggies 0 7 0714
Phoenix 0 0 077

at Rhodes Stadium, Elon, North Carolina

  • Date: September 19, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Sunny
  • Game attendance: 9,729
  • Referee: Chris Bloh
Game information

This game marked the 11th meeting between A&T and nearby In-state FCS opponent Elon. Goin into the game, the Aggies held a 7-4 all-time record against the Phoenix, with the Aggies getting a 17-12 victory on the road in 2014. The Aggies, who have won three straight over the Phoenix, allowed only 231 yards of offense, 88 rushing, and didn’t allow the Phoenix to score until the fourth quarter.[10]

Hampton

See also: 2015 Hampton Pirates football team
North Carolina A&T vs. Hampton – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Aggies 10 21 01445
Hampton 7 7 10731

at Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, Virginia

  • Date: October 3, 2015
  • Game time: 12:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), Cloudy
  • Referee: Rick Warne
Game information

This game marked the 44th meeting between A&T and Hampton. Going into the game, Hampton held a 26-16-2 all-time record against the A&T, with the Aggies winning the last meeting 31-14 in front of a home crowd.[11]

Sophomore punt returner Khris Gardin returned four punts for 203 yards, including a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter which gave the Aggies a 38-31 lead in the fourth quarter.The Aggies maintained their lead into the fourth quarter, but a 48-yard completion from Hampton Quarterback David Watford to Twan Mixon was complemented by a 13-yard halfback pass from Mixon to Sequan Gooding that tied the game at 31 with 12:08 remaining in the game.[12] Gardin’s day was also record breaking as he averaged 50.75 yards per return (at least three returns) for a new single-game school record, overcoming Curtis Deloatch’s 30.3 per return against Howard University in 2001. Due to the NCAA required minimum of 5 returns, Gardin's performance was not eligible for the NCAA single-game per return record.[12]

The Aggies 45 points were the most they have scored against Hampton, surpassing the 41 points they scored against Hampton in 1999. The win also marked the first time since 2000 that the Aggies were able to defeat the Pirates in Hampton, ending a six-game losing streak to the Pirates inside of Armstrong Stadium.[12]

Norfolk State

See also: 2015 Norfolk State Spartans football team
North Carolina A&T vs. Norfolk St. – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Aggies 7 3 17027
Hampton 0 0 303

at William "Dick" Price Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia

  • Date: October 10, 2015
  • Game time: 2:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C),
  • Game attendance: 6,194
Game information

This game marked the 39th meeting between the Aggies and Norfolk State and the first game between the two since 2012. Going into the game, A&T hoeld a 28-11 all-time record against the Spartans, with the Aggies winning the last meeting 30-9 in front of a near capacity Homecoming crowd.[13]

This win gave Coach Broadway his 100th career win making him the 26th active FCS coach to do so.[1]

Bethune-Cookman

See also: 2015 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats football team
Bethune-Cookman vs. North Carolina A&T. – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Wildcats 7 0 0714
Aggies 0 10 7724

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: October 17, 2015
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C),
Game information

This game marked the 36th meeting between the A&T and Bethune-Cookman and the first game between the two since 2012. Going into the game, Bethune-Cookman held a 22-14 all-time record against the Aggies, with the Wildcats winning the last meeting 28-12 in Daytona Beach, FL.[14]

Howard

See also: 2015 Howard Bison football team
Howard vs. North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bison 7 7 0014
#24 Aggies 7 23 28765

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

Game information

This game marked the 38th meeting between the A&T and Howard. Going into the game, A&T held a 26-20-2 all-time record against the Bison, with the Aggies winning the last meeting 38-22 in 2014.[15] For the first time this season, the Aggies are nationally ranked, breaking into the top 25 at #24.

Junior Running Back Tarik Cohen rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns as North Carolina A&T rolled over 0-7 Howard in the Aggies' Homecoming game. Quarterback Kwashaun Quick threw for 67 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 85 yards and another score, while Amos Williams also rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown. On the Bison's side, Quarterback Kalen Johnson threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns.[16] Howard was able to establish a 14-13 lead until Cohen broke for a 31-yard touchdown run with 5:13 left in the second quarter. The Aggies then quickly added 10 more points to go into halftime with a 30-14 lead. In the second half, the Aggies scored 34 unanswered points. Howard were never able to mount a rushing attack as A&T compiled 311 rushing yards and held the Bison to only 31.[16]

The win secures A&T’s fourth straight winning season. The Aggies have now won five straight and have not lost to a Division I-FCS program all season. N.C. A&T has also won nine straight over conference opponents at home dating back to 2013. Junior running back Tarik Cohen finished with 137 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. It was his fourth career three-touchdown game.[16] The win also marks the Aggies' fifth straight homecoming victory, making their record 18-16 in homecomings played at Aggie Stadium.[17]

Florida A&M

See also: 2015 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
North Carolina A&T vs. Florida A&M. – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#20 Aggies 14 7 7028
Rattlers 0 0 7310

at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee,FL

  • Date: October 31, 2015
  • Game time: 3:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C),
Game information

This game will mark the 63rd meeting between the A&T and Florida A&M. Going into the game, Florida A&M holds a 44-16-3 all-time record against the Aggies, with the A&T winning the last meeting 40-21 in 2014.[18]

South Carolina State

See also: 2015 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team and North Carolina A&T–South Carolina State football rivalry
North Carolina A&T vs. South Carolina State. – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#19 Aggies 0 0 279
Bulldogs 3 0 306

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, SC

  • Date: November 7, 2015
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C),
  • Referee: Andre Lowe
Game information

This game will mark the 53rd meeting between the A&T and rival South Carolina State. Going into the game, South Carolina State holds a 32-18-2 all-time record against the Aggies, with the Bulldogs shutting out A&T 13-0 in the 2014 Atlanta Football Classic.[19]

With both North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State being the top two defenses in the MEAC, the contest was low scoring and heavily relied upon the team's defensive lines. South Carolina State would score on their first drive of the game on a 30-yard field goal and then had the ball 1st-and-goal on the Aggies 9 after a blocked punt in the third quarter. SC State's defence neutralized running back Tarik Cohen from being a factor in the game holding the Aggies only had four completed passes. The Bulldogs would attempt a fake punt as Jerome Pettiway rolled to his right and threw on the run. A&T middle linebacker Denzel Jones stepped in front of the intended receiver and intercepted Pettiway’s pass and returned it 25 yards to the Bulldog's 31 yard line.[20] With redshirt freshman Lamar Raynard struggling to overcome SC State's defense and senior Kwashaun Quick sidelined with an injury, freshman quarterback Kylil Carter was relied upon to deliver the team’s biggest drive of the season. With the ball on the SCSU 17-yard line and facing a 4th-and-6 with 1:44 remaining, Carter completed a pass to sophomore Khris Gardin in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, putting the Aggies in the lead 9-6.[20] SC State took possession with 1:39 to play and drove down the field in seconds aided by a 3rd-and-20 conversion and two Aggie penalties that gave them first-and-goal at the Aggies 5 with nine seconds remaining. But on the Bulldogs’ first down play, a bad snap pushed SCSU back 11 yards and forced them to call their final timeout with two seconds to play. In the final play of the game, SC State Kicker Tyler Scandrett missed a 33-yard field goal attempt as time expired. This win was the first time, and the 2nd in 16 attempts, since 1969 that the aggies defeated rival SC State inside Dawson Stadium, ending a 14-game losing streak.[20]

Delaware State

See also: 2015 Delaware State Hornets football team
Delaware State vs. North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Hornets 0 0 066
#19 Aggies 0 6 71427

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: November 14, 2015
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C),
  • Game attendance: 8,732
  • Referee: Marcus Woods
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Jay Walker;
Game information

This game marked the 44th meeting between the A&T and Delaware State. Going into the game, Delaware State held a 22-21-1 all-time record against the Aggies, with A&T winning the last meeting 33-20.[21]

The Aggies kept Delaware State scoreless until six minutes into the fourth quarter, leading 13-0. Delaware state's Brycen Alleyne scored on a four yard run giving the Hornets their only points of the game. Following the hornet's kickoff, Senior Tony McRae returned the ball far a 75 yard touchdown. The Aggies were able to keep the hornets from scoring again after stopping quarterback Kobe Lain short on a 4th down run. The Aggies took over posession at their own 28 yard line and in 9 plays drove the ball 72 yards. The nearly five-minute drive ended with a Carter 1-yard touchdown run to give the Aggies a three-touchdown lead with 1:34 remaining in the game.[22]

With this victory over the Hornets, the Aggies clinched at least a share of the MEAC football title a week before the regular-season finale. It marks the Aggies first back-to-back MEAC title since the 1991 and ‘92 seasons.[22] Tarik Cohen led the Aggies by finishing with 132 yards on 17 carries breaking the school's all-time rushing record of 3,624 yards previously set by Mike Mayhew in 2012.[23] Freshman quarterback Kylil Carter accounted for three Aggie touchdowns. As a runner he finished with 84 yards and a TD on 21 carries.

North Carolina Central

See also: 2015 North Carolina Central Eagles football team and North Carolina A&T–North Carolina Central rivalry
North Carolina Central vs. North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 7 7721
#16 Aggies 0 3 7616

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

Game information

This game marks the 87th meeting between A&T and arch rival North Carolina Central. Going into the game, the Aggies hold an 49-32-5 all-time record against the Eagles.[24] In the 2014 Meeting between the two schools, the Eagles upset the Aggies 21-14, taking the outright MEAC championship from the them and creating a 5 way tie which gave Morgan State the conference automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.[25]


Alcorn State - Celebration Bowl

See also: 2015 Alcorn State Braves football team and 2015 Celebration Bowl
2015 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Braves 6 7 71434
#22 Aggies 21 3 31441

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta,GA

  • Date: Decemberber 19, 2015
  • Game time: 12:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: Played Indoors, Domed Stadium
  • Game attendance: 35,528
  • TV: ABC
Game information

This game marks the inaugural Celebration Bowl Game, and only the 2nd meeting between the Aggies and Alcorn State. In their 2004 meeting, the Aggies lost to the Braves 13-15 in Lorman, MS. By virtue of the MEAC tiebreaker system, the Aggies were invited to the Celebration bowl vs Alcorn State, who defeated Grambling State in the 2015 SWAC championship game.

Post season

As the 2015 college football season neared the end, many organizations began to announce finalists and winners of various past-season awards. Aggie players and coaches appeared on many of these lists. Several players for the Aggies were honored with awards and accolades including Junior running back Tarik Cohen, Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman Brandon Parker, and Sophomore punt returner Khris Gardin.

Cohen was named MEAC Offensive player of the year for the second year in a row. He is the first Aggie football player since Connell Maynor to win back-to-back offensive player of the year awards. Cohen led the MEAC in rushing and recorded his third straight 1,000 yard season with 1,248 total yards.[26] In addition, Cohen became A&T's all-time leading rusher in less than three full seasons and accounted for his third-straight yearly conference honor having earned Rookie of the Year along with the top offensive honor in his first two seasons.[27] Cohen also was ranked 7th in the nation in rushing yards per game (113.5 avg.) and rushing yards and 14th in rushing touchdowns (12.0). He also leads the MEAC in all-purpose yards (130.73 avg.), where he is also ranked 22nd in the nation. Cohen was named third-team preseason All-American (STATS) and honored as a 2015 FCS FAB 50 by the College Sporting News. He received two conference player of the week honors and was a finalist for the STATS Inc., Offensive Player of the Year.[27]

Parker was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the year and is only the second Aggie in school history win the award, following Qasim Mitchell, who claimed the award in 2001.[28] Parker did not allow a single sack from his left tackle position through 11 games and only had two penalties called against him this season while registering 4.32 pancake blocks per game. Parker also shouldered the offensive line that accounted for 3,902 total offensive yards including 1,960 yards on the ground, making the Aggies the second-best rushing offense in the MEAC.[28][27]

Gardin received All-American honors from STATS FCS (first team), BOXTOROW, and the FCS Athletics Directors Association. Additionally, he was also named first-team All-MEAC as a return specialist.[29][30] Gardin, who also holds the school record for punt returns in a season, is the first first-team All-American punt returner for the Aggies since Curtis Deloatch in 2001.[29]

The following A&T players were also named to the All–MEAC First, Second, and Third Teams:[27]

All-MEAC First Team
  • Tarik Cohen, Jr., RB
  • Khris Gardin, So., RS
  • Tony McRae, Sr., DB
  • Brandon Parker, R-So., OL
  • Marquis Ragland, R-Jr., DL
All-MEAC Second Team
  • Denzel Jones, R-Sr., LB
  • Angelo Keyes, R-Fr., DL
  • Denzel Keyes, Jr., WR
All-MEAC Third Team
  • Marquis Boyan, Sr. DB
  • Michael Neal, Sr. DL

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112Final
STATS FCSRVRVRVRVRVRVRV242019191622
CoachesRV—RVRVRVRVRV242016141320
Sheridan2 (7)2 (10)2 (11)2 (10)2 (10)2 (10)2 (10)1 (19)1
BoxtoRow2 (3)1 (5)2 (3)22 (2)2 (18)2 (20)1 (18)1 (20)1112

References

  1. ^ a b c "NCAT vs Bethune-Cookman Fact Sheet" (PDF). http://www.ncataggies.com. NCAT Sports Information. Retrieved 17 October 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  2. ^ "Aggies Announce 2015 Class". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. November 10, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "A&T Picked To Win MEAC, Cohen Named Preseason POTY". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Offensive Line Coach Keith Wagner was replaced by Graduate Assistant Ronald Canty following the North Carolina Central Game
  5. ^ "SU, NC A&T Renew Football Rivalry in 2015 Season Opener Saturday". Shaw University Department of Athletics. September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Cohen Runs for 2 Scores as North Carolina A&T Tops Shaw 61-7". ESPN. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Aggies Topple Shaw In Season Opener". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  8. ^ "Wake Forest Thrashes North Carolina A&T, 42-3". Wake Forest University Department of Athletics. September 14, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  9. ^ "Rough A&T First Half Helps UNC Win Big". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  10. ^ "A&T Wins as Defense Stifles Elon". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  11. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs Hampton (VA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c "Gardin's Punt Returns Help A&T Beat Hampton". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  13. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs Norfolk St. (VA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  14. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs Bethune-Cookman (FL)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  15. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs Howard (DC)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  16. ^ a b c "Aggies Look Great At Earth's Greatest Homecoming". www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  17. ^ "A&T Seeks Greatness At Greatest Homecoming". ncataggies.com. NCAT Sports Information. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  18. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs Florida A&M". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  19. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs South Carolina St". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  20. ^ a b c "Bizarre Finish Leaves A&T Undefeated In MEAC". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 13 November 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  21. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs Delaware State". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  22. ^ a b "Aggies Go Back-To-Back, Back-To-Back". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 15 November 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  23. ^ "Carter accounts for 3 TDs; NC A&T beats Delaware State 27-6". http://espn.go.com. ESPN. Retrieved 15 November 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  24. ^ "North Carolina A&T vs North Carolina Central". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  25. ^ "A&T Loses At NCCU, Share MEAC Title". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. November 22, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  26. ^ "Cohen, Parker Win Top Offensive Awards". ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  27. ^ a b c d "MEAC ANNOUNCES 2015 FOOTBALL ALL-MEAC AWARDS". http://www.meacsports.com. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Retrieved 1 December 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  28. ^ a b "Cohen, Parker Win Top Offensive Awards". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 1 December 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  29. ^ a b "Gardin Earns FCS All-American Honors". ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports information. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  30. ^ "Gardin Does It Again". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 20 December 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
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