J'Mari Taylor scores three touchdowns to guide North Carolina Cental past Alabama State 31-24

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — J’Mari Taylor rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for a score as North Carolina Central waited out a lengthy halftime thunderstorm before dispatching Alabama State 31-24 in the Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

North Carolina Central (1-0) took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 11 plays with Taylor running it in from a yard out for a 7-0 lead. Walker Harris completed all five of his passes for 55 yards on the drive.

Harris connected on his first seven passes and a 34-yard completion to Joaquin Davis gave the Eagles a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Taylor ran it in on the next play for a 14-0 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. Kole Jones picked off a Jonah O’Brien pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0 just 53 seconds later.

AJ Gates Jr. took the ensuing kickoff and raced 82 yards for a touchdown to get Alabama State (0-1) on the scoreboard.

The Hornets pulled within 21-14 at halftime when Andrew Body finished off a 10-play, 96-yard drive with a 38-yard touchdown run on second-and-18.

Kamari Houze blocked a punt and the Eagles recovered it on the Hornets’ 25-yard line. Six plays later Harris hit Taylor for a 14-yard touchdown and a 31-17 lead with 8:40 left to play.

Keane Lewis blocked a punt and the Hornets jumped on it at the Eagles’ 35. Body raced 39 yards for a touchdown on fourth-and-14 to get Alabama State within seven with 3:33 to go.

The Hornets got the ball back with 1:39 remaining, but D.J. Estes picked off O’Brien at midfield to seal the victory.

Harris finished with 119 yards through the air after misfiring on 9 of his final 11 passes.

Body carried 15 times for 135 yards.

It was the first meeting on the football field between the two schools.

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