Box Score
Photo Gallery
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State junior receiver Chris Bell (Norfolk, Va.) hauled in career highs of nine passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Spartans to 40-14 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the 62nd annual Fish Bowl Classic at Dick Price Stadium on Saturday.
Senior quarterback Dennis Brown (Miami, Fla.) also had a career night, throwing for a personal-best 267 yards. Junior running back DeAngelo Branche (Norfolk, Va.) added 106 yards rushing and three short scoring runs, and the NSU (2-2, 1-1 MEAC) defense tallied season highs of five sacks and five interceptions to lead a complete effort.
The loss was the third straight for the Wildcats (0-3, 0-2 MEAC), who managed just 27 rushing yards and 211 of total offense.
Brown and Bell had the hot hand early, connecting on a 37-yard bomb to set up a 1-yard TD run by Branche on the first drive of the game. On the next Spartans' possession, Brown threw a strike to Bell for a 62-yard TD pass to give NSU the quick 13-0 edge.
The Spartan defense did not allow the Wildcats a first down in the opening quarter. NSU outgained B-CU 194 yards to negative-14 in the period.
Justin Castellat (Virginia Beach, Va.) kicked a 37-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter to extend NSU's lead to 16-0. The Spartan defense then forced its first turnover of the night, as Dante Barnes (Virginia Beach, Va.) picked off a Matthew Johnson pass for his second interception of the year. Three plays later, Branche scored on a 3-yard run to increase the Spartans' lead to 23-0 with 12:37 left in the half.
The Wildcats mounted a rally behind the play of quarterback Maurice Francois, who directed a pair of second-quarter TD drives covering 78 and 80 yards. Johnathan Moment capped both marches with 1-yard scoring runs, and B-CU trailed just 23-14 at the half.
But the Spartans left no doubt as to the outcome by outscoring the Wildcats 17-0 in the third quarter en route to their most lopsided win in the series. Castellat hit a 19-yard field goal for the first points of the period. The Spartan defense held again, and Brown capped a seven-play, 59-yard TD drive with a 26-yard TD pass to Bell between two Wildcat defenders.
NSU was in the end zone again just 27 seconds later. Francois was intercepted by NSU safety Terrell Whitehead (Virginia Beach, Va.) on the first play of the following possession, and Whitehead ran it back 57 yards to the Wildcat 1-yard line. Branche scored his final TD of the night on the next play to push the cushion to 40-14.
The Spartans outgained B-CU 438-211. It was the Spartans' highest yardage output since gaining 532 in a win over North Carolina A&T on Sept. 27, 2007.
Branche toted the ball 20 times for a season-high 106 yards. His three TDs tied a career high set against Virginia State last season. Backup Donovan Cotton (Tampa, Fla.) also contributed eight carries for a personal-best 46 yards, all in the second half.
Linebacker Corwin Hammond (Louisville, Ky.) had five tackles, three for a loss, and a pair of sacks for the NSU defense.
Cornerback Jamie Short (Virginia Beach, Va.) intercepted two passes, with Whitehead, Barnes and Davon Smart (Hackensack, N.J.) each grabbing one.
NSU has next week off before hosting defending MEAC champion South Carolina State on Oct. 10. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Dick Price Stadium.
