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NORFOLK, Va. – Senior running back DeAngelo Branche (Norfolk, Va.) rushed for 167 yards and a career-high four touchdowns to lead Norfolk State to its most points in five years in a 51-28 rout of Virginia State on Saturday night in the Spartan-Trojan Classic at Dick Price Stadium.
Quarterback Chris Walley (Tallahassee, Fla.) completed 17-of-22 passes for 237 yards and two scores for the Spartans (2-1), who piled up 505 yards of total offense en route to their fifth straight win over the Trojans (2-1). The five-game winning streak is NSU's longest in the series, which dates to 1963.
The 51 points recorded by NSU is the team's most since a 58-29 win at Savannah State on Oct. 1, 2005.
NSU jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and led 34-7 at the half. Special teams played a big key in the Spartans' early success. After forcing a VSU punt after the first drive of the game, NSU senior Dwight Fluker-Berry (Miami, Fla.) returned the ensuing punt 66 yards to the Trojans' 2. That set up Branche's first score of the night, a 2-yard run on the next play.
After the Trojans went three-and-out on their next possession, Fluker-Berry's 17-yard punt return set NSU up at the VSU 47. Walley then hit Kelvin Lewis (Woodbridge, Va.) on a 46-yard bomb on the next play, setting up Branche's 1-yard TD run with 9:27 left in the first quarter. That made it 14-0 in favor of the Spartans.
Next, it was Jeremy Wicker's (Quantico, Va.) turn to set NSU up with good field position. He returned a Trojan punt 21 yards to the Spartans' 49. Nine plays later, Walley hooked up with running back Donovan Cotton (Tampa, Fla.) for a 26-yard scoring pass and a 21-0 NSU lead with 4:01 left in the quarter.
The Spartans' first drive of the second quarter went 80 yards in eight plays, with Branche plunging in from 2 yards out to give NSU the 28-0 lead with 7:58 left in the half.
VSU got on the board on Antwain Lyde's 6-yard run with 2:59 left in the half. The score was set up by a 56-yard completion from Jarred Battle to Corey Young. It was Battle's first completion of the night after 11 straight incompletions to begin the game.
Wicker kept up the theme of long kick returns for the Spartans, running the ensuing kickoff back 36 yards. A 15-yard penalty on the Trojans moved the ball into VSU territory. Six plays later, NSU was in the end zone again as Walley hit Victor Hairston (Martinsville, Va.) for a 17-yard touchdown pass, their second scoring hookup in as many weeks. The extra point failed, but NSU led 34-7 at halftime.
The Spartans kept the momentum going into the second half, taking the third-quarter kickoff and driving 73 yards in 11 plays. Branche scored his fourth and final touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run to finish off the march with 10:10 remaining in the quarter.
The Trojans would find life later, scoring on three straight possessions. Battle found Timothy Paulk for a 32-yard scoring pass to cut NSU's lead to 41-14. Ryan Estep (Chesapeake, Va.) extended NSU's lead back to 30, 44-14, with a 22-yard field goal on the Spartans' next possession.
But VSU kept coming, drawing within 44-28 with two more scoring drives. Brian Berry took an end-around and scored on a 9-yard run to make it 44-21. After a Spartan fumble, the Trojans marched 40 yards in eight plays, with Rahoo Walker scoring on a 1-yard run to bring VSU within 44-28 with 12:25 remaining in the game.
The teams traded punts, and then NSU put the game out of each once and for all. The Spartans drove 80 yards in 11 plays, 10 of them runs. Markeith Brisco (Stephens City, Va.) scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 1-yard run with 3:21 left.
NSU held a 505-267 edge in total offense. The Spartans displayed remarkable balance, gaining season highs in rushing yards (268) and passing yards (237). Branche, who ran 38 times last week, did his damage in 26 attempts this week. Brisco tallied career highs with 14 rushes for 86 yards and one score. Neither player lost yardage on any of their combined 40 carries.
Walley hit eight different receivers en route to his season high in passing yards. Hairston posted career bests with his six grabs for 96 yards.
NSU's special teams were responsible for 237 return yards, with Fluker-Berry accounting for 121 of those.
For VSU, Battle was pressured much of the night, but still passed for 200 yards despite completing just 11-of-33 passes. Young was his favorite target, catching three balls for 103 yards. But the Trojans could only muster 67 rushing yards on 25 attempts.
The Spartans return to MEAC play next Saturday as they travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., to face Bethune-Cookman. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.
