North Carolina Central @ Duke preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2012 ) North Carolina Central 17, Duke 54

In what has been dubbed the Bull City Gridiron Classic, Duke hosts FCS opponent North Carolina Central in Saturday’s meeting between the Durham-based schools. Both Duke and North Carolina Central look to build on notable 2012 seasons in which the Blue Devils played in their first bowl game since 1994 and the Eagles posted their first winning record since 2007.

North Carolina Central terminated head coach Henry Frazier III on the eve of his third season after he was arrested last week and promoted assistant head coach Dwayne Foster on an interim basis for 2013. Published reports cite Frazier was arrested on a domestic-violence issue -- his second such arrest in 16 months. Sixth-year head coach David Cutcliffe is seeking his first winning season at the helm of the Blue Devils’ program.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: None.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL (6-5, 5-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference): Senior quarterback Jordan Reid came off the bench in last year’s contest against Duke and earned the starting job for the remainder of the season, breaking the school's single-season record for pass completion percentage (62.3). The Eagles scored 10 touchdowns on defense and special teams in 2012, including five on punt returns. North Carolina Central topped the FCS last season with an average of 24.5 yards per punt return, the highest mark since the NCAA began keeping track in 1992.

ABOUT DUKE (6-7, 3-5 ACC): Junior quarterback Anthony Boone will make his second career start -- he threw for 212 yards and four TDs in a 42-17 win over Virginia in his debut start last year. Eight of Duke’s 11 defensive starters have four or more years of experience and will lead a unit that forced 23 turnovers in 2012. The Blue Devils are one of seven programs in the nation to have players on the Ray Guy Award and Lou Groza Award watch lists in sophomore punter Will Monday and sophomore kicker Ross Martin.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Duke scored 50 touchdowns in 2012, breaking the previous school record of 48 that had stood since 1989.

2. The Eagles are playing in Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium for the sixth time on Saturday, but only the third time against the Blue Devils.

3. Duke WR Blair Holliday, who suffered near-fatal injuries in a jet ski accident on July 4, 2012, has rejoined the program as an undergraduate assistant coach.

PREDICTION: Duke 45, North Carolina Central 13