Norfolk State Spartans Take 2nd Straight Road Win at SCSU

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Juwan Carter passed for 281 yards and both threw and ran for a touchdown, and the Norfolk State defense came up with several big plays in a 17-7 win over South Carolina State on Saturday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Carter threw a 6-yard TD pass to Isaiah Winstead in the first quarter and scored on a 1-yard run in the second to give the Spartans (2-1) a 14-0 lead, which they held until late in the third quarter.

SCSU (0-3), which was stymied for much of the game by the NSU defense, cut the deficit in half on an 81-yard TD pass play from Tyrece Nick to De'Montrez Burroughs with 1:07 left in the third quarter. But NSU's defense came up with a fumble recovery when Bobby Price fell on a loose ball on the NSU 2-yard line early in fourth quarter. NSU then drove 86 yards in eight plays, a drive which Josh Nardone capped with a 29-yard field goal with 10:29 left to make it a two-score ballgame (17-7).

The Spartans put it away by holding SCSU on downs twice in the final 10 minutes, giving NSU its second straight win in Orangeburg (last was in 2016) after losing its first nine games all-time at SCSU.

The NSU offense came out clicking. The Spartans were held on downs in SCSU territory on their first drive, but that didn't slow them down. On NSU's next possession, Carter led a six-play, 76-yard drive which he capped with a 6-yard TD strike to Winstead on 3rd-and-goal to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead at the 8:20 mark of the opening quarter.

NSU's next possession resulted in a 10-play, 62-yard march, with Carter sneaking in from the 1 on another 3rd-and-goal play. Nardone's point-after put NSU ahead 14-0 with 12:40 remaining in the second quarter.

The Spartans carried that 14-0 lead deep into the third quarter. SCSU finally found its footing offensively when Burroughs won a jump ball along the Bulldog sideline, kept his balance and found the end zone on an 81-yard pass play with 1:07 left in the third quarter.

SCSU forced an NSU punt and was driving deep into the Spartan end of the field when NSU came up with its second takeaway of the game. Safety Nhyre' Quinerly stripped Nick on a quarterback keeper and Price fell on the loose ball at the Spartans' 2-yard line.

NSU then regained the momentum with an 86-yard drive, its longest of the game. Carter hit Justin Smith for 33 yards, Aaron Savage ran for 26 yards and Gerald Hulett rushed for 34 to set up Nardone's field goal.

The Spartans then forced two turnovers-on-downs to seal the win.

NSU gained 413 yards of offense. Carter completed 22-of-38 passes for 281 yards. Winstead caught a career-best seven passes for 67 yards, while Chuma Awanna had a career-high 69 yards receiving on four receptions. Savage led the ground game with 79 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Dale Craig had seven tackles and two of NSU's four sacks. Quinerly also made seven tackles and had an interception in the first half, his third of the year, to go with the forced fumble in the second half.

The game did not count in the MEAC standings, as NSU only plays seven non-conference games this season.

The Spartans are back at home for a 4 p.m. MEAC game next Saturday against Delaware State.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS