MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Norfolk State's football team turned in a memorable performance against No. 19 West Virginia on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Spartans, only the first 30 minutes will be worth remembering.
After building a remarkable 12-10 halftime lead before 51,911 fans at Milan Puskar Stadium, NSU disappeared in the second half, allowing the Mountaineers to score on all seven of their possessions and roll to a 55-12 win. Also forgettable were the Spartans' 19 penalties for 177 yards, each a record for a WVU opponent.
NSU coach Pete Adrian, a WVU alumnus, called the game "a tale of two cities," but the match-up between the Spartans (1-1) and the Big East's Mountaineers (2-0) was hardly a classic.
"We outplayed them in the first half, there's no question about that," Adrian said. "You can sugarcoat it anyway you want - we did. And we got murdered in the second half."
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WV Mountaineers wear down Spartans en route to 55-12 win
MORGANTOWN — It was a tale of two halves. In most instances, it’s a bit of a cliché, not to mention misused, but in the case of No. 19 West Virginia and its battle with Norfolk State Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium, it certainly fits.
The first half was a bumbling mess, where time and time again the Mountaineers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and trailed the FCS Spartans 12-10. It had all the makings of Appy State-Michigan a few years ago.
The second half, the Mountaineers scored on all seven of their possessions and ended up with what was expected all along, a 55-12 drubbing of Norfolk State.
“Obviously, I’m not pleased with first half, but I was pleased with the second half,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, who showed no signs that he was pleased about anything. “We are a young football team and inexperienced. I don’t know if we’re trying too hard or if it was a coaching error. Either way, I’m proud of the way we came out in the second half. We got a lot of good snaps, and hopefully, it will make us a better team.”
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