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NC A&M's first formal game was, as mentioned earlier, played against the Raleigh Male Academy, sometimes also referred to as Morson & Denson's School. The incarnation of the Raleigh Male Academy that played NC A&M in football was opened in 1870 by S. G. Ryan. The academy was co-principled by Hugh Morson and Captain C. B. Denson and was operated as a preparatory school to prepare young boys for college. Originally located at the grounds of the current Governor's Mansion (though in a different building that was demolished to make room for the Governor's Mansion), the Academy was moved to a location along Bloodworth Street in 1884, where it remained until the "small school house" was demolished in 1903 (Jerry L. Cross; The Rattler, 1909, p. 6; National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet, p. 22).

The first reference I have found to the game was on March 10th, just two days before the game was to be played. The ad was short: "There will be a game of foot-ball at Athletic park Saturday evening beginning at 3 o'clock between the Raleigh male academy and the A. & M. college elevens" (The State Chronicle, March 10th, 1892, p. 4). The Raleigh News and Observer published an article the morning of the game saying the teams were "in fine training" and that "all who go out to see the game will be well repaid." The article also stated that the teams would play by "the latest code of rules used by all the college teams" (News and Observer, March 12th, 1892, p. 4).

The game, which started at 3 PM and was watched by nearly 200 fans, was recounted broadly in the next morning's issue of the News and Observer. Taking place at Raleigh's Athletic Park, the game was watched by "nearly 200 people, including an unusual number of ladies." The boys of the Raleigh Male Academy averaged between 125 and 127-1/2 pounds, while the men of A&M college averaged between 155 and 160 pounds. The schoolboys reportedly played "scientifically" and had a much more refined game of football, replete with "pretty runs." The college men, on the other hand, used their weight "with telling effect," scoring both of their two touchdowns in the first half, the first one after around under five minutes of playing time (News and Observer, March 13th, 1892, p. 4; Joel Whitaker, p. 154). Joel Whitaker, temporary captain of the Male Academy team (in place of Busbee, who was injured), summarized A&M's playstyle well, saying "Both of the A. & M. touch-downs were scored not between center and guard, but directly over center" (Joel Whitaker, p. 154). Though it is not recorded who specifically who scored the touchdowns (then worth 4 points each) for A&M, it was probably C. B. Williams and Sam Young. We know, however, that a student named Faison kicked the goal after touchdowns (an early version of the extra point, then worth 2 points each), making both successfully. For the Academy, Eugene Denson made their touchdown "early in the second half," while Briggs Baumann kicked the goal after touchdown. The A&M's captain was C. B. Williams, and the captain of the Raleigh Male Academy was Perrin Busbee.

The game was umpired by A&M's chemistry professor, Hugh H. Miller, and refereed for the first half by David M. Prince, of Wake Forest. Prince, having to catch a train before the completion of the game, was replaced for the second half by a Mr. Bousal, a former Princeton football player (News and Observer, March 13th, 1892, p. 4). The game was crude: it was played in two 45-minute halves (then the standard period length); the sidelines were marked by a plow; and the end lines were simply ditches (Joel Whitaker, p. 154; Technician, September 19, 1969, p. 8).

Prince was well-known in Raleigh football circles at the time because of a controversial call as an umpire the previous year during a game between UNC and Wake Forest. On November 11th, 1891, UNC and Wake Forest were playing in Raleigh; the game was described by Perrin Busbee as, at the time, "probably the best and most scientific game of foot ball... that has ever been played in Raleigh." Wake Forest had the ball and was down 4-6 when UNC was called for "throttling." UNC's team disagreed so strongly with the call that they forfeited the game in its entirety, claiming that "Prince did not know football rules" (News and Observer, November 12th, 1891, p. 2). Regardless of past events, A&M's game was played without injury or disagreement, and the News and Observer's summary of the game ended by optimistically concluding "We hope this game between the School and the College will be an annual affair."