BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Coming off a history-making win, Campbell will open CAA play on the road at Rhode Island on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Meade Stadium in Kingston, R.I.

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LAST TIME OUT: CAMELS DEFEAT RANKED OPPONENT FOR THE FIRST TIME
Chad Mascoe, Jr. threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns while the Campbell defense turned in five turnovers to defeat No. 17 Western Carolina 24-16 at Whitmire Stadium, the Fighting Camels' first win over a ranked opponent in program history. The win also marked the first as head coach of the Camels for Braxton Harris.

Campbell (1-1) held WCU (0-2) without an offensive touchdown, outgaining the Catamounts 444-287, all while collecting its most takeaways since tallying 10 on September 18, 2021, a 72-0 win over Presbyterian.

After two turnovers in its first three possessions, Campbell tallied touchdowns in three of its next five drives, adding a Connor Lytton 30-yard field goal to take a 24-10 lead with 7:46 to go in the third, holding WCU to just a pair a field goals the rest of the way.

Mascoe completed 18-of-29 passes for 306 yards, his second career 300-yard passing game, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, also rushing for a score. Both TD passes went to VJ Wilkins, who collected five catches for 68 yards. Sincere Brown crossed the century mark for the second straight game, recording 108 yards on four catches, while Mark Biggins added 81 yards on the ground on 23 carries.

Jalen Brooks led the CU defense with 12 tackles and an interception, while Jonathan Melvin registered six stops, including a sack. CJ Tillman also posted six tackles with a TFL, while Logan Livermon, Jojo Pace and Lakeem Rudolph added picks in the win.

Previously, Campbell was 0-12 all-time against top-25 ranked opponents.

The Camels are now 4-0 all-time against SoCon opponents, including last year's 56-7 win at The Citadel.

LEADING THE CAMELS
Chad Mascoe, Jr. has thrown for 486 yards (243.0 per game) with three touchdowns, competing 60.9 percent of his attempts, while also rushing for a score. Sincere Brown owns a CAA-leading 234 yards receiving with a TD, while Mark Biggins has rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Defensively, Jalen Brooks and Jojo Pace have collected 19 tackles with an interception apiece, while CJ Tillman has posted 16 stops, including a TFL.

BROOKS NAMED CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (9/9)
After piloting Campbell's defense in a record-setting win, linebacker Jalen Brooks has been named CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week.

Brooks recorded a career-high 12 tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up another as Campbell earned a 24-16 road win at No. 17 Western Carolina. The redshirt senior's interception was one of four for the Camels in the win, who posted five total takeaways against the Catamounts.

Led by Brooks, Campbell held WCU without an offensive touchdown and just 287 total yards. The Camels' five takeaways were the most since tallying a school record 10 on September 18, 2021, a 72-0 win over Presbyterian.

CAMELS RECEIVING TOP-25 VOTES
For the first time this season, Campbell is receiving votes in both FCS Top-25 polls. CU picked up 49 points in the Stats Perform FCS poll, while earning one vote in the AFCA Coaches' Poll.

This is the 17^th time Campbell has receiving Top-25 votes, earning tallies in four different weeks in 2022 and 2023, and a record six times in 2019. It is the fifth time that the Camels have received votes in both polls during the same week.

THE MATCHUP: RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island is 1-1 on the season, coming off a 48-0 loss at Minnesota. The Rams also opened the 2024 season with a 20-17 win over Holy Cross. The Rams are also receiving Top-25 votes in the AFCA Coaches' Poll, along with the Camels.

Rhody QB Devin Farrell is averaging 181.5 passing yards per game, totaling two touchdowns, also leading the Rams in net rushing with 63 yards. Cole Brockwell, meanwhile, leads the Rams in tackles with 19.
Saturday's matchup will be the first between the Camels and Rams.
 
CAMPBELL BEGINS HARRIS ERA
Braxton Harris became the third head coach in Campbell's modern football history (since 2008) when he was announced in January 2024. Harris, who previously spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons on staff at Campbell, returned to Buies Creek after spending 2023 as head coach at FCS Southland Conference member Houston Christian.

At HCU, Harris coached the Huskies to their first winning season in program history in 2023, going 6-5 overall after inheriting a program that had won more than two games once in the previous six years. HCU also fashioned its first winning record in conference play, going 4-3 in the SLC and finishing fourth in the league after being picked last in the preseason poll.

Additionally, linebacker Jalyx Hunt posted an All-America campaign (AFCA, Stats, Perform, Phil Steele), also earning SLC Defensive Player of the Year honors, headlining a group of five Huskies named to All-SLC teams. Hunt was later drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

In his first stop at CU, Harris served as associate head coach and linebackers coach in addition to recruiting coordinator duties under Mike Minter, who resigned in December 2023 after 11 seasons.

Under Harris' guidance, the Camels hauled in the top signing classes in the FCS in back-to-back seasons, a feat he matched in his first year at HCU, making him responsible for the subdivision's top recruiting class for three consecutive years. In fact, in December 2021, Harris and the Camels signed three of the FCS' top-10 recruits.

In his first season at Campbell in 2021, Harris helped the Camels rank fourth in the FCS in takeaways (25) and defensive touchdowns (4). Linebacker CJ Tillman earned Freshman All-America honors and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in the FCS.

Campbell also placed a program-record 12 student-athletes on All-Big South teams in 2022, including Tillman, while safety Myles Rowser was named to The Bluebloods Freshman All-America Team.

Prior to Campbell, Harris was the head coach at Howard Payne in Brownwood, Texas, from 2017-19. He led the Yellow Jackets to a 5-5 record in his final season, posting the program's most overall wins and conference wins (4) since 2006.

The Camels finished their inaugural CAA season at 5-6 overall and 4-4 in league play, becoming the first new CAA member to win four or more games in its inaugural season since Old Dominion in 2011 (nine teams).

Campbell now returns 45 total letterwinners and six starters (one offense, five defense), while welcoming 40 newcomers, including 23 total transfers and 17 freshmen.

THREE CAMELS EARN PRESEASON ALL-CAA HONORS
Three Camels were selected to 2024 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference teams, while Campbell was picked 11th in the league's coaches' poll. CJ Tillman, a senior linebacker, was named Preseason All-CAA, while VJ Wilkins, a sophomore wide receiver and return specialist, and Bobby Cleary, a senior long snapper, took honorable mention accolades.

Villanova, which earned a share of the 2023 CAA Championship and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs last season, was voted as the 2024 preseason favorite by the league's head coaches, receiving nine of the available 16 first place votes. Villanova quarterback Connor Watkins was also voted the CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Elon safety Caleb Curtain was selected as the CAA Preseason defensive Player of the Year.

Tillman was named Third Team All-CAA in 2023, finishing fourth in the conference with 98 total tackles, and earning all-conference honors for the second straight season (Second Team All-Big South in 2022).

A 2023 Freshman All-American (Stats Perform, FCS Football Central), Wilkins was also a finalist for the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award in addition to earning honorable mention All-CAA recognition, finishing his rookie campaign with 52 catches for 546 yards and four touchdowns, tacking on four rushes for 22 yards with 616 kick return yards, ranking ninth in the FCS, and a 21.2 yards per return average.

In his first season as a Camel, Cleary earned an honorable mention All-CAA nod, handling nearly every short and long snap without an off-target snap, playing in all 11 games.

CLEARY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
Campbell long snapper Bobby Cleary has been named preseason All-America by both Stats Perform FCS (third team) and Phil Steele (fourth team).

In his first season as a Camel in 2023, Cleary was named honorable mention All-CAA, handling nearly every short and long snap without an off-target snap, playing in all 11 games. The junior from Slinger, Wisc. was credited with three tackles on the year, while downing multiple punts, and did not allow a blocked punt.

Additionally, Phil Steele named Cleary to his preseason CAA all-conference list as a second team member, joining CJ Tillman (first team linebacker), Isaiah Greene (third team defensive back) and VJ Wilkins (fourth team kick returner).

GREENE EARNS PRESEASON SENIOR BOWL RECOGNITION
Campbell cornerback Isaiah Greene has been named to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 and the Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists.

The 100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 30, 2025, while the Reese's Senior Bowl will be held on February 1, 2025 at the University of South Alabama's Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Greene enters his second season at Campbell after transferring from Central Connecticut State. The graduate student played in 10 games for the Camels in 2023, starting the first seven contests at corner before his time was limited due to injury.

A Newark, N.J. native, Greene made 19 tackles last season, adding four pass breakups.

FOUR FORMER CAMELS IN NFL TRAINING CAMPS
Campbell has placed four former Camels in 2024 NFL training camps, an all-time high for the program.

Offensive tackles Mike Edwards (Buffalo Bills) and Tyler McLellan (Los Angeles Chargers) both agreed to terms with NFL teams following the 2024 Draft, while tight end Julian Hill (Miami Dolphins) and Brevin Allen (Green Bay Packers) enter their second professional seasons.

Hill and Allen made history for the Camels in 2023, with Hill becoming the first former Campbell football player to make a 53-man NFL roster, while Allen became the first former CU standout to play in an NFL game while suiting up for the Chargers.

Other Camels to join the NFL ranks include running back De'Shawn Jones (Seattle Seahawks, 2018 rookie minicamp), defensive tackle Greg Milhouse (New York Giants, 2016 NFL Preseason; Seattle Seahawks, 2017 NFL Preseason), long snapper Daniel Dillon (Arizona Cardinals, 2016 NFL Preseason), defensive end Ugonna Awuruonye (Atlanta Falcons, 2016 rookie minicamp) and safety Aaron Maddox (Indianapolis Colts, 2023 NFL Preseason).

FIRST TIME OPPONENTS
Campbell will face off against four first time opponents in 2024, including Western Carolina (September 7), Rhode Island (September 14), Stony Brook (September 21) and Towson (November 23).

Since the 2018 campaign, which coincided with the program moving to the Big South, and then the CAA in 2023, CU has already faced 26 first time opponents, with that number set to grow to 30 by the end of the season. Campbell faced a whopping eight first time opponents during the 2022 season.

NEXT UP
The Camels will make their long-awaited home debut on September 21, hosting CAA foe Stony Brook at Barker-Lane Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. in the first of six home dates.

Season, single game and mini-plan ticket options for the 2024 football season are available at GoCamels.com/Tickets and by phone through the CU Athletics Ticket Office, at 1-877-GO-HUMPS.