Norfolk State Spartans win, stays in first place in MEAC

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Linebacker Corwin Hammond got everything he asked for. Brutal conditions for an offense. Ideal for a defense seeking redemption. Cold weather, wind and a crucial MEAC win.

The Spartans beat North Carolina A&T 14-10 on Saturday in front of 18,752 fans thanks to a dominant defensive effort that included seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

Clinging to a 14-10 lead in the second half, the Spartan defense, with help from a 22-mph wind, held the Aggies scoreless despite three trips inside the NSU 13-yard-line. "Everyone remembers these kinds of games," Hammond said. "The rain, even if the fans leave, it's what we had to do to redeem ourselves."

As the game approached and weather reports worsened, Hammond was practically giddy about the prospect, despite the chaos the conditions could, and did, play on NSU's pass-first offense.

"Man, let it rain, let it rain," Hammond said earlier this week, still steamed after giving up 245 yards on the ground to Bethune-Cookman. "Let it rain. We'll see who's tough. Let them run the ball."



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Aggies' last drive falls incomplete

Norfolk, Virginia -- N.C. A&T is 13 yards short of first place in the MEAC. Randy Maynes scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 7:12 left to lead Norfolk State to a come-from-behind 14-10 victory over the Aggies at Dick Price Stadium on Saturday.

A&T's last chance to win ended with three consecutive incomplete passes from the Norfolk State 13-yard line in the final 47 seconds.

A&T wide receiver Torrian Warren, a Dudley graduate, got his hands on the fourth-down attempt. But he couldn't hang on, his bid for a diving catch in the end zone failing when the ball jarred loose on impact with the ground.

"We should have won this ballgame, just like we should have won last week's ball game (at Howard)," A&T coach Rod Broadway said. "We've got to teach our guys how to win. They don't know how to win or how to finish right now. That's (the coaches) responsibility. They're playing fairly hard. We're just not putting them in a good enough position to win."

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