# Gino Addison Runs for 214 Yards as NCCU Beats Delaware State 31-12

The freshman scored twice and set a career high as North Carolina Central opened MEAC play with a road win in Dover.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / College Football
Published: 2026-10-23T23:36:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-24T05:12:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/nccu-delaware-state-live-1itnj6x
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/90e1f898b63a19f8c3fae2d0283de5eb.avif (Overhead view of a football field in a stadium, used as an illustrative image; credit: Kyle Richards / Unsplash (illustrative))

## Summary
- North Carolina Central beat Delaware State 31-12 in both teams' MEAC opener.
- Freshman Gino Addison rushed for a career-high 214 yards and two touchdowns.
- Quarterback Cobey Thompkins completed 15 of 18 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

## Addison powers the Eagles

North Carolina Central beat Delaware State 31-12 on Friday at Alumni Stadium in Dover, resolving the conflicting live-score feeds that prompted the original developing report. NCCU Athletics and ESPN both recorded the same final score. [1](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) [2](https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401867955/nc-central-delaware-st)

Freshman running back Gino Addison carried 28 times for a career-high 214 yards and two touchdowns. His six-yard touchdown in the third quarter finished a 16-play drive that consumed more than eight minutes and stretched NCCU's lead to 17-6, giving the Eagles control of the conference opener. [1](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) [3](https://www.underdogdynasty.com/fcs-football/47150/addison-propels-nc-central-to-31-12-win-over-delaware-state-in-meac-opener)

Quarterback Cobey Thompkins completed 15 of 18 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown without an interception. NCCU finished with 427 total yards, balancing Addison's ground production with an efficient passing performance. [1](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) [3](https://www.underdogdynasty.com/fcs-football/47150/addison-propels-nc-central-to-31-12-win-over-delaware-state-in-meac-opener)

## NCCU answers Delaware State's early score

Delaware State struck first after forcing a fumble on the opening return, with Kyree Benton scoring on a 26-yard run. NCCU responded with 31 points while its defense held the Hornets to one conversion in eight third-down attempts and recorded three sacks. [1](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) [3](https://www.underdogdynasty.com/fcs-football/47150/addison-propels-nc-central-to-31-12-win-over-delaware-state-in-meac-opener)

The victory moved NCCU to 1-0 in MEAC play despite a 2-5 overall start. Delaware State fell to 4-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference, a setback after the Hornets entered the league portion of their schedule with a winning record. Zarion Walters contributed a sack and six solo tackles for an Eagles defense that repeatedly forced the Hornets off the field on third down. [1](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) [2](https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401867955/nc-central-delaware-st) [3](https://www.underdogdynasty.com/fcs-football/47150/addison-propels-nc-central-to-31-12-win-over-delaware-state-in-meac-opener)

NCCU next faces Howard, while Delaware State is scheduled to meet Norfolk State at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The settled box score shows that the earlier tracker disagreement was a data-timing problem rather than uncertainty about the eventual result. [1](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) [3](https://www.underdogdynasty.com/fcs-football/47150/addison-propels-nc-central-to-31-12-win-over-delaware-state-in-meac-opener)

## Reporting sources
1. [NCCU Athletics: Addison Rushes Eagles to MEAC-Opening Road Win](https://nccueaglepride.com/news/2026/10/23/football-addison-rushes-eagles-to-meac-opening-road-win.aspx) (2026-10-23)
2. [ESPN: North Carolina Central 31-12 Delaware State — Final Score](https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401867955/nc-central-delaware-st) (2026-10-23)
3. [Underdog Dynasty: Addison Propels NC Central to 31-12 Win over Delaware State in MEAC Opener](https://www.underdogdynasty.com/fcs-football/47150/addison-propels-nc-central-to-31-12-win-over-delaware-state-in-meac-opener) (2026-10-24)