Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - The Spartan football team (2-5, 1-4 MEAC) looks to end its four-game losing streak this Saturday in Washington, D.C., as the Spartans take on the Howard Bison (1-6, 0-4). Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium.

Howard will be celebrating its 2010 homecoming while looking for its first conference win of the season.

NSU lost its own homecoming game last Saturday, dropping a 17-13 decision to Florida A&M at Dick Price Stadium. The Spartans held a 13-10 lead well into the fourth quarter, but FAMU scored with 6:21 remaining and the Spartans could not answer. NSU ran for 206 yards and outgained the Rattlers 346-307 in total offense, but did not score an offensive touchdown. NSU's lone TD came on cornerback
Dante Barnes' 68-yard interception return in the first quarter. Ryan Estep kicked field goals of 26 and 41 yards. DeAngelo Branche led NSU with 26 carries for 89 yards, and Reggie Garrett had four
receptions for 65 yards.

The Bison dropped their second straight game last Saturday, falling 52-32 at North Carolina A&T. Howard scored a season-high 32 points and gained 354 yards of total offense, but surrendered a season-high 52 points and 438 yards to the Aggies. Running back Charles Brice ran for 81 yards and two scores, and quarterback Randy Liggins threw two scoring passes, one each to Brandon Drayton
and Daley Gunter. Liggins passed for 181 yards and ran for 39 in the loss. Linebackers Kurt Mangum
and Keith Pough combined for 29 tackles, seven for lost yardage.

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 click “Live Audio” link under Inside Athletics tab)

THE SERIES
• Howard leads the all-time series with NSU, 15-6. The Spartans have won the last two meetings by
a combined score of 90-18.
• Howard's last MEAC win came against 23rd-ranked NSU, 17-10, at Dick Price Stadium on Oct. 27, 2007. The Bison have lost their last 15 conference games.

QUICK HITS
• DeAngelo Branche became the second player in school history to pass 3,000 career rushing yards
last week with his 89 yards against Florida A&M. He now has 3,047 career yards, trailing only all-time
leading rusher LaRue Harrington (3,659).
• The Spartans will have a new offensive coordinator in the booth this week, as tight ends coach Joe
Blackwell takes over on an interim basis for Kirk Mastromatteo.
• NSU has two Washington, D.C. natives who will get to play in their home city this week in tight end
Joseph Holbrook and defensive lineman Thor Ford-Toomer. Several other Spartans hail from the
nearby Northern Virginia area or nearby cities in Maryland. WR Jeremy Wicker is from Quantico, Va.;
WR Kelvin Lewis is from Woodbridge; LB Jermaine Cameron is from Arlington; OL Cameron Williams is from Burke; OL Edwin Rogers is from Alexandria; WR Seth Travers is from Gainesville; OL Michael Kay is from Capitol Heights, Md.; and OL Nico Washington is from Waldorf, Md.