Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - The Spartan football team (2-3, 1-2 MEAC) looks to end a two-game losing streak and climb back to .500 for the season this Saturday against Hampton (4-1, 3-0) in the 48th annual Battle of the Bay. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at HU's Armstrong Stadium.

NSU dropped its second straight contest, 34-13, to two-time defending MEAC champion South Carolina State last Saturday in Orangeburg, S.C. The Spartans were held to a season-low 96 yards of total offense. NSU took a quick 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game on a 39-yard interception return for touchdown by Ricardo Volcin (North Miami Beach, Fla.), but the Bulldogs scored 27 of the next 30 points. NSU was not able to get within 14 points the rest of the way. The Spartans' only other scores came via junior kicker Ryan Estep (Chesapeake, Va.), who kicked field goals of 45 and 26 yards.

Hampton won its fourth straight game last Saturday in a come-from-behind 27-13 victory at North Carolina Central. The Eagles scored the first 13 points of the game before Hampton rallied. The Pirates took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard TD pass from receiver Isiah Thomas to fellow wideout Javaris Brown. The Pirates sealed the win with two interception returns for touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the game, one by Matt Davis and another by Ricardo Silva.

MEDIA COVERAGE
• Radio: NSU Sports Network, WNSB Hot 91.1 FM, WXTG 102.1 FM/1490 AM The Game (Play-by-
Play: Chris Park; Color: Ross Gordon)
• Audio Stream: Click here (or navigate to “Live Audio” link under Inside Athletics tab)
• Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/hampton/football

THE SERIES
• This will be the 48th all-time meeting between NSU and Hampton. The Spartans hold a 24-22-1
all-time edge.
• The Spartans have won two of the last three meetings in the series, including a 46-6 win last season
at Dick Price Stadium.
• The Pirates have won the last six meetings at Armstrong Stadium. NSU's last road win in the series
was a 14-7 victory in 1996.
• The NSU-Hampton rivalry was dubbed the Battle of the Bay in 1988. The moniker refers to the
schools' long history as rivals as well as their close proximity to each other and the surrounding the
waterways of Hampton Roads.

QUICK HITS
• This Saturday's game concludes NSU's month away from Dick Price Stadium. After road games at
Bethune-Cookman, S.C. State and Hampton, with a bye in between, the Spartans return home next
Saturday to face Florida A&M for their 2010 homecoming.
• A win over Hampton this week would give the Spartans three wins in the last four meetings against
their cross-water rivals. NSU has not had a stretch where it's won three of four from Hampton since
1988-91, when the Spartans went 3-0-1 against the Pirates.