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NORFOLK, Va. — Chris Walley (Tallahassee, Fla.) passed for season highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns and set a single-game school record for completion percentage in the process, helping the Spartans win their second straight game, 37-25, over Morgan State on Saturday afternoon at Dick Price Stadium.
NSU improved to 4-5 overall, 3-4 in the MEAC on the year. The Bears dropped to 4-5, 3-3.
Walley completed 20 of 22 passes, a 90.9 percent completion rate. That broke the single-game NSU record of 85.7 percent set last year by Dennis Brown against Hampton. Walley completed passes to a season-high nine different receivers, and four different Spartans caught touchdown passes.
Both teams moved the ball at will early, but the teams traded field goals as MSU's Kemar Scarlett hit two in the first quarter and Ryan Estep (Chesapeake, Va.) one as MSU took a 6-3 lead. After Scarlett's second field goal gave the Bears the lead, Walley capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive with a 10-yard TD pass to sophomore Reggie Garrett (Chesapeake, Va.) with 4 seconds left in the first quarter. Garrett's first career TD reception gave NSU a 10-6 lead.
The Spartans scored the only touchdown of the second quarter when Walley hit Nigel McCowan (Mechanicsville, Va.) on a 45-yard TD pass – the first of the senior McCowan's career – with 3:47 left before the half. Scarlett would add another field goal, his fourth of the half, on the last play of the quarter to bring MSU within 20-12.
Walley, who completed his first 12 passes, stayed hot with a 3-yard TD pass to tight end Sherron Childress (Hampton, Va.) to cap NSU's first possession of the second half. The Bears had the answer, though, when Delonte Williams found Winfred Diggs on a 7-yard scoring strike with 6:25 left in the third quarter to bring MSU within 27-19.
Estep connected from 33 yards out – his career-high third field goal of the game – to stretch NSU's lead to 30-19 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Bears closed the gap to 30-25 on a 1-yard TD run by Jephte Cherenfant with 5:13 left in the game.
On the ensuing possession, the Spartans were faced with a 3rd-and-8 from their own 36. But Walley hit Donovan Cotton (Tampa, Fla.) in the flat, and Cotton zig-zagged through the MSU defense for a 64-yard touchdown play. The play – the Spartans' longest from scrimmage this season – put the game out of reach for the Bears.
NSU totaled 453 yards of offense, their second-highest tally of the season and most since gaining 505 on Virginia State on Sept. 18. NSU did not punt in the game, scoring on seven of its nine possessions and turning the ball over twice en route to their fourth consecutive win over MSU. Victor Hairston (Martinsville, Va.) caught seven passes for a career-high 92 yards, while Cotton had three receptions for 89 yards. Garrett had three receptions for 44 yards.
DeAngelo Branche (Norfolk, Va.) led NSU's ground game with 23 carries for 109 yards. It was his fourth 100-yard game of the season.
For Morgan State, David Brown had 16 carries for 128 yards. Diggs caught eight passes for 103 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Corwin Hammond (Louisville, Ky.) had a career-high 13 tackles for the Spartans. Onyemechi Anyaugo (Sterling, Va.) had eight tackles and two pass breakups.
The Spartans host Delaware State next Saturday at 1 p.m. in their home finale. The game has been designated Military Appreciation and Family Day, and will also serve as Senior Day for the senior members of the Spartan football team.
