North Carolina A&T finally got its homecoming win, and then the day got ugly. The Aggies beat Elon 13-10 on a Halloween afternoon in the 100th “Greatest Homecoming on Earth,” sealed by a sack and fumble on the third-and-six. As A&T celebrated, Elon players crossed the field to the Aggie sideline as the shoving turned into a brawl, and coaches from both staffs had to intervene to pull them apart.
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A&T (4-5, 3-2 CAA) and Elon (4-5, 2-3) are conference rivals, and 22,401 fans were at Truist Stadium in Greensboro. According to the broadcast and an X post by Spell, Elon players went after an Aggie player right after the final whistle. Neither school has said what set it off, and no injuries were reported.
“And now we have some extracurricular activities, and this is an unfortunate end to today’s game,” one commentator said as the scuffle broke out, according to Randall Barnes of ClutchPoints. “It wasn’t caused by A&T. Elon’s players sought out an Aggie player,” the second commentator said.
The game was a grind. Nobody scored until Asher Holland hit a 25-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the half. Elon recovered a muffed kickoff return, tied it on a Luke Barnes field goal, then turned a Kevin White fumble into a Kamerin McDowell-Moore two-yard touchdown run for a 10-3 lead.
White answered with a 39-yard run on third-and-3 and an eight-yard touchdown pass to Jayvonee Dillard, which tied it at 10. Holland’s 34-yarder with 2:18 left on the clock won it. Elon got to the A&T 14 before Tyrek Brown sacked Brady Stober and forced a fumble, and Cadricus Stanley recovered it with 44 seconds left.
The first commentator said that the Elon players were the first to initiate the scuffle as they had crossed the field to fight. “Elon’s players came all the way over to A&T’s bench, and this is not what either coaching staff wants in this situation,” he said.
Head coaches Shawn Gibbs and Tony Trisciani met at midfield, and Trisciani apologized. The numbers showed a game that had plenty of heat. A&T outgained Elon 266-201 and ran for 168 yards, but it turned the ball over three times, and Elon forced all three.
McDowell-Moore ran for 102 yards, his fifth straight 100-yard game. A&T drew six flags for 65 yards to Elon’s three for 30. Elon had lost four straight, while A&T had won three after a 1-5 start and beat Elon for the first time since 2019.
“An on-field conflict at the conclusion of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s 100th anniversary homecoming game win Saturday over Elon University was resolved after a joint review by officials from both schools…” North Carolina A&T Athletics’ statement read. “College is a time to learn and grow, and we were glad to see that ultimately take place in this situation.”
A&T moved to close it out fast. The school said officials from both sides reviewed it together, and Athletic Director Katreshia Louis-Verrett called the game competitive. However, Elon’s athletic department said it was disappointed, apologised to A&T and promised to “take appropriate action.” CAA commissioner Joe D’Antonio was at the game, and the conference had not issued a statement at last report.
Gibbs said he would rather talk about winning homecoming “for the first time in a while” than focus on the post-game brawl.
Not the first homecoming brawl
Homecoming draws big crowds, and the emotions run high. A close finish with two sidelines full of players doesn’t take much to boil over. While North Carolina A&T has avoided post-game fights in recent years, homecoming brawls are not new to college football.
Last October, Central State beat Fort Valley State 18-14 at Fort Valley’s homecoming game in Georgia, and the teams brawled after the final whistle. The SIAC suspended 20 players, nine from Fort Valley and 11 from Central State. Both head coaches sat a game too, and both schools were fined.
Last October, Central State beat Fort Valley State 18-14 at Fort Valley’s homecoming, and the teams brawled after the final whistle. The SIAC suspended 20 players, nine from Fort Valley and 11 from Central State. Both head coaches sat a game too, and both schools were fined.
Elon hosts Hampton on November 7, and whatever the CAA decides, the Fort Valley case shows how fast a postgame shove can cost players and coaches a game.