STATS No. 21 2015 record 10–2 (7–1 MEAC) | FCS Coaches No. 21 Offensive coordinator Chip Hester (1st year) | |
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Conference Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Head coach Rod Broadway (5th year) | ||
The 2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team represented North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This season marked the 92nd for the program, which was led by fifth-year head coach Rod Broadway. and played their home games at Aggie Stadium. They were a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
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The Aggies finished the season 10–2, 7–1 in MEAC play to finish in a three-way tie for the MEAC championship, capturing their eighth conference title and earning the opportunity to compete in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. The Aggies defeated Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State in the Celebration Bowl, earning their fourth black college football national championship.
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 seventh MEAC championship and 12th conference title. 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. 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.
Schedule
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. 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. 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. The offensive line 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.
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. Gardin, who also holds the school record for punt returns in a season, set a new NCAA FCS records for punt return yards in both a single season and also average punt return yards per game, is the first first-team All-American punt returner for the Aggies since Curtis Deloatch in 2001.
The following A&T players were also named to the All–MEAC First, Second, and Third Teams: