Sunday, November 12, 2017

Tennessee State Tigers Edge SEMO on Senior Day, 23-20



NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- In the final home game of the season, Tennessee State earned a 23-20 victory over Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Hale Stadium.

Vincent Sellers blocked a punt with under five minutes to play to set up the game winning scoring drive. Lane Clark connected on his third field goal of the day, a 44 yarder, with just over two minutes on the clock to propel the Tigers to their sixth win of the season.

Sellers secured the win as he broke up a pass on a fourth down attempt, giving TSU the ball back with a minute left in the contest.

Michael Hughes went for 196 passing yards, hitting Steven Newbold for five passes totalling 153 yards on the day. Mahlon Medley caught a 28-yard touchdown pass, while senior fullback Terence Harris had the first touch of his career, resulting in a nine-yard Tiger touchdown.

TSU's nationally-ranked defense allowed only 83 passing yards from the Redhawks, improving upon its 156.0 season average. LaQuarius Cook and Chris Collins tied for a team-high nine tackles.

Game 10: Tennessee State 23, Southeast Missouri 20
Records: TSU (6-4, 2-4), SEMO (2-8, 2-5)
Venue: William J. Hale Stadium
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 58
Attendance: 8,693

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY


TOTALS
  • TSU held Southeast Missouri to three first downs in the first half; nine in the contest
  • The Tigers outgained the Redhawks, 343-231
  • The defense held their opponents to 29 yards under its average
  • TSU came in ranked sixth in the nation in Total defense (259.9 yards/game)
  • The Big Blue allowed 83 yards through the air
  • The offense averaged 21.8 yards per completion
  • TSU won the Time of Possession battle, 35:27-24:33
INDIVIDUAL
  • Steven Newbold led all receivers with 153 yards on five receptions
  • The sophomore wide out caught four passes of over 30 yards (36, 33, 38, 35)
  • Michael Hughes finished 9-of-14 for 196 yards and two touchdowns with one interception
  • Mahlon Medley caught his third touchdown against Southeast Missouri (caught two in 2016)
  • Lane Clark connected on field goals of 37, 44 and 45 yards
  • Clark had a 42-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter
  • The senior kicker recorded 11 points versus SEMO, which ties for seventh most in a game by a Tiger kicker
  • Clark scored 12 points a week ago (sixth best in TSI history) against Virginia University Lynchburg
  • Jason Morrow blocked an extra point in the first quarter, the third of the season for the senior
  • Morrow came in ranked sixth in the country in blocked kicks
  • Sabree Curtis led TSU with 72 yards on nine carries, averaging 8.0 yards/carry
  • Chris Rowland averaged 7.8 yards per carry with six rushes for 47 yards
  • LaQuarius Cook and Chris Collins led the team with nine tackles
  • Collins and Justin North each recorded 2.0 tackles for loss
  • North recorded a sack and forced a fumble, which Blair Edwards would recover
  • Edwards later forced a fumble
  • Vincent Sellers finished with five tackles and two pass breakups, including one on the final defensive play of the game
  • Terrell Bonds notched the ninth interception of his career, moving him into the TSU Top 10 list
  • Bonds is tied for eighth with Deon Giddens (2002-03), Roger Holmes (1985-87) and Steven Godbolt III (2011-13)
  • Collins moved to eighth all-time at TSU in tackles (254), past Simon Shanks (1989-90) with 246
  • With four punts today, Austin Rowley now has 134 in his career
  • The junior moves past Thomas Headen (1979-82) who finished his career with 131 stops
FIRST QUARTER
  • The Tigers opened their first drive of the game with a 36 yard pass play from Michael Hughes to Steven Newbold
  • TSU settled for a Lane Clark 37 yard field goal
  • The defense would force a fumble on the next play, as Justin North sacked Jesse Hosket allowing Blair Edwards to recover the ball
  • The offensive drive stalled forcing a 45 yard field goal by Clark
  • The Tigers took a 6-0 advantage with 3:57 remaining in the first quarter
  • After a defensive stop by the Tigers, the SEMO defense stepped up with a 21 yard interception for a touchdown by Devin Alexander
  • Jason Morrow blocked his third kick of the year to keep the score at 6-6
  • TSU outgained the Redhawks in the first stanza, 69-34
SECOND QUARTER
  • SEMO threatened to begin the second with consecutive runs by Marquis Terry of 26 and 12 yards, respectively
  • The Big Blue stepped up to force a turnover on downs to end the threat at the TSU 40
  • The defense came through with their second turnover of the game as Terrell Bonds record his ninth career interception
  • Starting at their own eight, the offense responded with Chris Rowland gaining 25 yards on two carries
  • Hughes teamed with Newbold again, this time for 33 yards to move to the SEMO 29
  • Two plays later, Hughes found Mahlon Medley all alone for a 28 yard touchdown pass for a 13-6 lead
  • The Tigers outgained the Redhawks, 98-74, and held a 167-108 yard advantage at the break
THIRD QUARTER
  • The Tigers opened the second half with a drive lasting over six minutes which reached the Redhawks seven
  • Hughes used his legs to get the drive started with an 18 yard run
  • Four consecutive runs moved the Tigers into SEMO territory
  • Newbold caught a Hughes pass and avoided his defender and sprinted down the right sideline before being brought down at the seven
  • Penalties hindered the Tigers drive forcing a 42 yard field goal attempt by Clark
  • Justin Swift blocked the attempt for the Redhawks
  • SEMO took over at the Tigers 37 and needed just nine plays to even the score at 13-13 with 2:46 to play in the third
  • Hosket found Kristian Wilkerson for the nine yard scoring play
  • The Tigers outgained SEMO 121-42 in the third
FOURTH QUARTER
  • Sabree Curtis put together runs of 19 and 14 yards to move into SEMO territory heading into the final period
  • Newbold recorded his third reception for over 30 yards, a 35 yard pass from Hughes, to enter the red zone
  • Two plays later, Hughes rolled right and found Terence Harris for a nine yards touchdown to take a 20-13 lead
  • SEMO responded with a kickoff return to midfield
  • The Redhawks used the Hosket to Wilkerson connection to even the score seven plays later to even the score at 20-20
  • Freshman safety Vincent Sellers continued his stellar season by blocking a SEMO punt and recovering the ball at the Redhawks 31 with 4:28 to play
  • Clark converted his third field goal of the day with a 44-yarder with 2:07 on the clock
  • The defense stopped the Redhawks on a fourth down attempt as Sellers broke up a Hosket pass
GAME NOTES
  • TSU won the coin toss and chose to defer to the second half
  • Captains for TSU Lane Clark, Ebo Ogundeko, Chris Collins and Patrick Smith
  • Seven seniors served as secondary captains
  • Weather at kickoff was 58 degrees and Mostly Cloudy
  • The Tigers lead the series with the Redhawks 14-11
  • TSU is 9-2 versus SEMO in Nashville
  • Tennessee State is 6-0 this season when scoring first
  • The Tigers forced two turnovers on the day
  • The Big Blue entered the game ranked 34th in the nation
  • Senior kicker Lane Clark surpassed Charles Anthony to place fifth in all-time career points with 254 after kicking for 11 today
  • Terence Harris scored his first touchdown of his career during his final game at home
  • The pass play was the first reception for the senior fullback in his four year career; Harris also has no rush attempts during his career
WHAT’S NEXT: Tennessee State will travel to Jacksonville, Ala. for the final game of the season. The Ohio Valley Conference contest versus Jacksonville State will be played on Thursday, Nov. 16.
QUOTES
Head Coach Rod Reed
-On the game
“We talked in pre-game about the things we needed to do to be successful, and the main thing was to protect the football, dominate on our kicking game and dominate on both sides of the lines of scrimmage – win at the offense line, win at the defensive line and win at the line of scrimmage. Out guys came out and did that. We played hard. With the exception of a few big plays we gave up defensively, we did extremely well. Newbold gave us a shot when we needed it, giving us a good field position to make plays. L. Cook makes the checks in the secondary. SEMO does a lot in the secondary with motions and shifts and we did a good job defensively. Coach Fisher had a great game plan for this team, as did Coach Parker.”
Senior Kick Lane Clark-On the game
It was intense. It came all the way down to the end. Both sides of the ball played hard and special teams was a big part of the game today.”
-On moving into No. 5 in all-time career points
“Points don’t mean that much. It feels good, but when it comes down to it, I’m going to be ready regardless.”
-On short week preparation
“Same thing as every week – I’m starting to feel stronger. Protection has been doing really well. Each day we’re going to work special teams like we always do, hopefully I’ll be kicking a lot of PATs instead of field goals.”
Sophomore Quarterback Michael Hughes
-On the offense
“It started off a little rough. I threw a pick six, but eventually we bounced back and put up some more points on the scoreboard. We came out the win.”
-On pass options
“Today was actually Steven Newbold. I think they were trying to double-team Pat because of what he’s produced in the past, but they left Steve 1-on-1 on the backside a lot, so I went to him and made big plays.”
Senior Linebacker Chris Collins -On how he wants to finish out the season
“I think Jacksonville State is top five in the nation, so a ‘W’ there… I would be satisfied. It’ll be a huge win for us.”


TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard, Week 11



SATURDAY, November 11, 2017

SIAC CHAMPIONSHIP 

Tuskegee 13, Fort Valley State 6

CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP

Virginia State 42, Fayetteville State 19 

OVC

Tennessee State 23, Southeast Missouri State 20

SWAC
 

Prairie View A&M 35, Arkansas Pine Bluff 12
Jackson State 10, Alabama A&M 7
Grambling State 24, Alabama State 7

Alcorn State 59, Mississippi Valley State 0
Southern 33 Texas Southern 7 


MEAC

North Carolina A&T State 36, Savannah State 17 
Howard 28, Norfolk State 24
South Carolina State 33, Hampton 15
Delaware State 33, Morgan State 30
Bethune-Cookman 13, North Carolina Central 10

GLVC

Southwest Baptist 52, Lincoln (MO) 7 

CSFL

Lyon 41, Texas College 3
Langston 31, Wayland Baptist 19

PSAC
Edinboro 63, Cheyney 0

MOUNTAIN EAST

West Virginia State 45. West Virginia Wesleyan 28

MID-SOUTH

Faulkner 49, Edward Waters 3

Hail Mary McLeod Bethune! B-CU Wins 13-10 On Final Play at NCCU



DURHAM, North Carolina -- Larry Brihm Jr. and Keavon Mitchell connected on a 48-yard "Hail Mary" as time expired as Bethune-Cookman pulled off an improbable 13-10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over North Carolina Central Saturday at O'Kelly–Riddick Stadium.

The Wildcats (6-4 overall, 5-2 conference) win their third straight game and clinched their second winning season in three years under Head Coach Terry Sims. North Carolina Central (7-3,5-2) was eliminated from the conference championship contention.

For the second straight time in Durham, the two teams battled to a standstill only to see it end in a heart stopping finish – Bethune-Cookman won here in 2015 by blocking a blocked field goal on the final play.

Chauncey Caldwell's 4-yard pass to Xavier McCoy with 16 seconds remaining gave the Eagles a 10-7 lead, capping off a 61-yard march that included a fourth down pass interference call on Bethune-Cookman that kept the drive alive.

However, a 15-yard celebration penalty put the Eagle kickoff 15 yards back. Mitchell's return over midfield set up his and Brihm's heroics two plays later.

The Wildcats broke open a scoreless tie on Akevious Williams' one-yard dive on fourth down with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter.

Jamauri Laguerre set up the score when he recovered a fumbled Eagle punt return on the NCCU 28. Michael Jones' 20 yard run gave the Wildcats first and goal.

The Eagles got on the board with a 22-yard Aedan Johnson field goal with 13:19 to play. A penalty kept that drive alive, also, and gave the home team first and goal, but two stuffs on running plays and a Sam Marc pass break-up forced North Carolina Central to settle for three.

The Wildcat defense denied North Carolina Central on two first-half scoring opportunities, one ending with an Elliott Miller interception while the Eagles blocked a Uriel Hernandez field goal attempt to keep it a scoreless tie at halftime.

Kennedy Ndukwe had 11 tackles to pace the Wildcat defense.

Brihm was 5 of 13 for 90 yards, with 59 of those going to Mitchell on two catches. Jones was B-CU's leading rusher with 36 yards.

The Wildcats face archrival Florida A&M next week in the Florida Classic in Orlando.

BOX SCORE



BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alcorn Braves Shutout Delta Devils 59-0 to Win Fourth Consecutive SWAC East Division Title

LORMAN, Mississippi – Clinching its fourth straight SWAC East Division crown, the Alcorn State University football program blanked Mississippi Valley State 59-0 Saturday on Senior Day at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

The Braves (7-3, 5-1 SWAC) become the first team in the history of the league to play in four consecutive SWAC Championship games.

Alcorn outgained MVSU (2-8, 1-5 SWAC) 746-215 in total yards. The 746 for the Braves was 10 shy of the school record of 756 set in 1994 against Grambling State.

The Braves also outrushed the Delta Devils 424-to-negative 11.

Sophomore quarterback Noah Johnson threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. All three of his touchdown passes were caught by senior Norlando Veals who ended with a career-high 253 receiving yards.

Senior running back De'Lance Turner registered 171 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. Junior P.J. Simmons, the reigning SWAC Newcomer of the Week winner, posted 97 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Braves intercepted three passes and forced a fumble. Interceptions were made by senior Jalen Thomas, junior Leishaun Ealey and sophomore Allen Bruce. Senior Michael Brooks wrapped up a team-high seven tackles.

MVSU was led by Dewayne Betts who threw for 158 yards off the bench. Delorean Parker stood out defensively with 11 tackles and 2.0 tackles for a loss.

Alcorn scored on its second possession of the game. After an 11-yard rush by Turner, Johnson scrambled up the middle for 37 yards and a touchdown. It was a quick 28-second drive to put the Braves up 7-0. Alcorn had good field position after a short 22-yard punt by the Delta Devils on the previous possession.

On Alcorn's next possession, the Braves faced on 3rd and 15 deep in their own territory when Johnson aired it out and Veals made a leaping grab for a gain of 52 yards. Another first down catch by Veals of 11 yards moved the ball to the MVSU 16. The Braves capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Veals in the right corner to make it a 14-0 game near the end of the first quarter.

Alcorn's defense backed the Delta Devils up the entire second quarter. It was highlighted by a big sack by junior Trae Ferrell, and strong coverage by Bruce on a pair of deep passes.

The strong defense paid dividends for the Braves as the offense started with good field position at the MVSU 45 late in the second quarter. Alcorn cashed in with a 36-yard touchdown by Turner through the left to increase the edge to 21-0 with 2:44 left.

On the ensuing Delta Devils possession, senior Ramonte Bell was in on a pair of sacks which forced the Delta Devils punt again. Johnson connected with senior Jalen Walker for a gain of 21 to put Alcorn in the red zone. A completion to Veals placed the ball at the MVSU 2 with 44 seconds left and setup first-and-goal. Turner capped it off with a two-yard run to the left as the Braves led 28-0 at the break.

The Braves got the ball to start the third quarter and were backed up after three holding penalties. On 2nd and 32, Johnson got outside the pocket on the right and found Veals streaking down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown reception. Alcorn led 35-0 with 12:08 remaining in the third.

Johnson used his legs on Alcorn's next drive. He broke off a 34-yarder to the left, followed by a 33-yarder up the middle for the touchdown. It increased the edge to 42-0 with 9:42 to go in the third.

The Delta Devils were trying to get it going offensively midway through the third, but a drive into Alcorn territory came to an end after junior Isiah Thomas forced a fumble after a completed pass, and senior Christian Brown recovered at the Alcorn 33.

The Braves took advantage of the turnover with a 66-yard touchdown pass to Veals to make it a 49-0 score with 5:33 left in the third.

Alcorn added on in the third quarter with a 27-yard touchdown run by Simmons to the left. The Braves led 56-0 at the 3:37 mark.

The Delta Devils attempted to air it out early in the fourth quarter, but Ealey jumped in front of a deep pass and grabbed an interception at the MVSU 40. The turnover resulted in three points for the Braves as sophomore Corey McCullough knocked in a 22-yard field goal. It was the only field goal attempt of the game for McCullough is the reigning FCS National and SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week honoree.

MVSU had one last chance to get on the board as it moved into the red zone with under two minutes left, but an interception by Jalen Thomas in the end zone ended the threat.

Alcorn will wrap-up the regular season next Saturday when it travels to Jackson State for a 2 p.m. game. The Braves are seeking their third straight win over the Tigers.

NOTES
- Alcorn recorded its 11th consecutive victory over a SWAC East Division opponent.

- The Braves defeated the Delta Devils for the fifth consecutive year. Alcorn has now won nine straight meetings at home against MVSU dating back to 1999. The Braves have a combined score of 120-7 against MVSU over the last two seasons as Alcorn won 61-7 last year. The Braves improved to 44-15-1 all-time against the Delta Devils.

- Alcorn will carry-over a four-game home winning-streak into next season. The Braves went 5-1 at home this year and are 74-52 all-time at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium which wrapped-up its 26th season (first year was 1992).

- The Braves posted their first shutout since 2013 when they beat Grambling State 48-0. It was Alcorn's largest shutout win since 2003 when it defeated Prairie View A&M 66-0.

- Turner now needs 108 more rushing yards to break the single-season school record of 1,286 set by Rodney Thomas in 1998. He rushed for two touchdowns for the third time this season.

- Veals etched career-highs of 253 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. His previous best was 196 receiving yards against MVSU last year. The school record for receiving yards in a game is 316 set by Marcus Hinton in 1994. The school record for receiving touchdowns in a game is four set by Donald Ray Ross in 1994.

- Freshman wide receiver Andre Martin became the 16th different student-athlete to catch a pass this season for the Braves. He hauled in a 13-yarder in the fourth quarter.

- Alcorn's captains were Turner and senior Lenorris Footman. The Braves won the toss and deferred to the second half.

Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
Opening Statement
"These guys came out and fought very hard. I'd like to give much credit to Valley and their group. We didn't execute as well in the first half as we did in the second half. We just had to get ourselves together coming out in the second."

On almost breaking the school's total yardage record
"I usually don't even look at the stats until about Sunday night. Knowing the stats now, it would have been great to get those 10 yards. The victory was just good for us today. It was phenomenal how we played football. I can't say enough about the players and this staff."

On the fourth consecutive SWAC Championship appearance
"Coming into the summer it's always exciting, especially knowing you just fell short of one SWAC Championship the year before. The goal was already set for us, win the division and get back to Houston. I just told the guys though, we have a stop to make in Jackson on our way to Houston. These guys deserve all the credit in the world."

On the penalties
"Well, we scored 59 points. We had 17 penalties for 140 yards. I wonder what would have happened if they would have thrown 16? We might have scored 70. You can't take that aggression away from those guys. A flag can be thrown every play; it's just how you look at it."

On the offensive line
"It's hard to beat them. Coach [Ryan] Stanchek does great with those guys. Have you ever seen synchronized swimming? That's the way those guys work. When I go into their individual group everyday that's how those guys work. It's unbelievable."

Quoting sophomore quarterback Noah Johnson
On getting the start
"It's a confidence builder. I felt like I didn't play as well as I could have played last week. It's a big win coming into this last stretch of the season. I told Footman I got your back no matter what. He's been there for me the whole time. These seniors believe in me. I love those guys."

On the fourth consecutive SWAC Championship appearance
"It's unbelievable. We're a powerhouse team now. I don't want to really say we're like Alabama but we are. We're the powerhouse of the SWAC and I feel like we are the best team in the SWAC. We're going to show it in these last few weeks."

On Norlando Veals
"If I got the ball out earlier he probably would have broken the school record. This receiving core has so much faith in me. They just tell me to throw the ball up really. They say put it up anywhere in the vicinity and they're going to catch it. That's what I love about this receiving core. When we run they block their butts off. They never complain. It's really easy on me."

Quoting senior wide receiver Norlando Veals
On how he had such a big day
"Preparation, that's all it is. I know my capability. I just went out there and played that's all."

On the fourth consecutive SWAC Championship appearance
"It's a great feeling to go back to Houston. This time when we go we're going to finish. Though first, this Jackson State game means something to me, because I live in Brookhaven. My father lives in Jackson. I even have a couple of old teammates that play there and my step dad played for Jackson. It means a lot but we just take it as the next game."

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jaguars defense roars, shuts down Texas Southern



HOUSTON, Texas — Two minutes before halftime, with his team trailing by 10, Texas Southern quarterback Elijah Odom dropped back to pass.

He never saw Southern defensive end Aaron Tiller coming.

Tiller stripped the ball from Odom and recovered the fumble at the TSU 36-yard line. The turnover led to a Southern field goal and kept TSU scoreless at halftime.

While the SU offense has put up its share of numbers this season, on Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium it was the Jaguars defense that made a statement in a 33-7 win over Texas Southern.

“We were pretty dominant today,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “Defensively we kept them off the board, and I’m pleased because that is how you win football games.

“You saw a good football team take advantage of a bad football team’s miscues.”

SU had as many sacks (three) as TSU completed passes.

CONTINUE READING

Southern turns in no-nonsense performance in 33-7 win against TSU, setting up another big Bayou Classic



HOUSTON, Texas -- The celebration, if you could call it that, was muted as the game clock ticked down to zeroes on Southern's 33-7 win against Texas Southern.

"I thought we came in with the right mindset to take care of business," said Jaguars coach Dawson Odums. "We understood what was at stake."

It was the sixth consecutive win for Southern (7-3, 5-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference), and it also set up yet another Bayou Classic clash with a trip to the SWAC title game on the line against Grambling, which remained undefeated in league play Saturday with a 24-7 win against Alabama State.

Odums was quick to remind anyone within earshot of where his team was before this win streak, back in September, when the Jaguars blew a 24-10 first-half lead to Alcorn State and dropped to 1-3 and 0-1 in SWAC play.

"Everybody wrote us off, but that's OK; good thing we don't have to cash their checks," Odums said. "We know ours don't bounce."

Saturday's victory wasn’t flawless or flashy. It was a no-nonsense win, a businesslike performance that allowed a few pieces of flair for the enjoyment of the large mass of blue and gold that made the trip.



CONTINUE READING

Howard Bison Take Down NSU Spartans In Final Seconds

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Trailing, 24-21, Coach Mike London and the Howard University Football team started its final drive on their own 11-yard line.

First play, freshman Caylin Newton connected with sophomore Jequez Ezzard for a 41-yard pass and moved into Spartans' territory. After three plays, the Bison faced a 4th-and-8 situtation where Newton's throw was deflected into the hands of sophomore Kyle Anthony for 16 yards, enough to keep the drive alive.

Then, Newton put HU into the red zone after a 16-yard run. After a costly holding penalty, Newton scrambled for 15 yards and was forced out-of-bounds at NSU's 5-yard line. Next, senior Anthony Philyaw picked up a fresh set of downs with a three-yard run. Two plays later, Newton rolled to his right and stretched across the goal line for the game-winning touchdown with five ticks remaining.



Howard (7-3, 6-1 MEAC) earned its fifth consecutive win after compiling 476 total offense yards, including 317 on the ground.

On this day, several Bison were recognized for their dedication and hard work on and off the field. Philyaw was among those seniors playing their final contest at Greene Stadium.

The California native put on a show, rushing for 193 yards on 20 carries while scoring two touchdowns in the victory.

HU struck first with a 7-yard touchdown from Philyaw, 7-0.

Norfolk State responded with a five play, 65-yard drive, capped off by a 19-yard pass from Juwan Carter to Demetreus Ferebee, 7-7.

NSU answered again and took the lead after one, thanks to a 5-yard run from Aaron Savage, 14-7.

Norfolk State put together a 6:39 drive, which resulted in a 2-yard run by Carter, 21-7.

Howard battled back with a long drive of their own, going nine plays for 73 yards, including a 3-yard TD run from Philyaw, 21-14.

With more than enough time, the Spartans capitalized before halftime with a 37-yard field goal by Josh Nardone, 24-14.

After a scoreless third, HU endured another long drive resulting in a 3-yard touchdown from graduate Dezmond Wortham. The drive started from Howard's 10-yard line and took 4:03.

BOX SCORE

Ezzard continues his solid play down the stretch, grabbing seven balls for 113 yards.

Defensively, the Bison held NSU scoreless after intermission. Senior Devin Rollins registered a team-high seven solo tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. Freshman Bryan Cook recorded three tackles and two INTs in the win.

For Norfolk State (3-7, 3-4 MEAC), Savage rushed for 112 yards on 23 touches with a touchdown. Defensively, Anthony Smith posted a game-high 12.5 tackles (11 solo), including two tackles for loss, and an interception.

Howard concludes the regular season at rival Hampton. The Battle of the Real HU continues Saturday at Armstrong Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION