Game Notes
Gameday Central

NORFOLK, Va. - Long-time intrastate rivals Norfolk State and Virginia renew their rivalry for a 49th consecutive season this Saturday in the Virginia Lottery Labor Day Classic. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at William "Dick" Price Stadium.

Both teams are coming off strong ends to their respective 2010 campaigns, providing high hopes for the coming year. Norfolk State returns 15 starters and more than 40 letterwinners from last year's 6-5 squad which secured the program's third winning record in the last four years and the first back-to-back winning seasons in the Division I era. Only five starters return to the offensive unit, but two are preseason All-MEAC first-team selections in senior quarterback Chris Walley and left tackle Kendall Noble. Leading receivers Victor Hairston (52 catches, 580 yards) and Reggie Garrett (30-436) also return.

Defensively, the top five tacklers return from a unit which ranked third in the MEAC and sixth nationally in total defense. Highlighting the veteran defense are preseason All-MEAC fi rst-team lineman Josh Turner (46 tackles, 12.0 TFL in 2010) and preseason All-MEAC second-team linebacker Corwin Hammond (team-high 76 tackles, 4.5 sacks).

Virginia State is coming off a magical 2010 season that saw the Trojans, picked to finish eighth in the preseason, win the CIAA Northern Division title and advance to the conference championship game. Thirteen starters from last season are back in the fold, including six on each side of the ball and punter Billy Rudd, a former Spartan. Offensively, starting quarterback Jared Battles (1,583 yards, 10 passing TD) is back to man the controls. Leading rushers Antwain Lyde (675 yards) and Kenay Hawks (395) give the Trojans two weapons in the backfield.

The Trojans were a strong defensive unit last season, yielding just 15.6 points per game. A number of standouts are back on that side of the ball, including linebackers Jeremy Pruitt (82 tackles) and Clifton Haney (49 tackles, 9.5 TFL). The secondary is anchored by safety Howard Spencer, who had 43 tackles, two interceptions and nine pass defl ections in 2010.

MEDIA COVERAGE
• Radio: NSU Sports Network, WXTG 102.1 FM/1490 AM The Game, WNSB Hot 91.1 FM,
(Play-by-Play: Ross Gordon; Color: Markeece Preston)
• All-Access Video Stream: http://www.nsuspartans.com/showcase/ (Requires subscription)
• Audio Stream: www.nsuspartans.com (click “Live Audio” link under Inside Athletics tab)

THE SERIES
• This will be the 49th all-time meeting between NSU and Virginia State. VSU holds a 26-21-1 edge.
• NSU has won the last five meetings between the teams by a combined score of 188-66. That includes a 51-28 win in the last meeting on Sept. 18, 2010.
• The teams have met every year since 1963. The schools played on Labor Day weekend every year from 1991-2009 before briefly deviating from that tradition last year.

THE COACHES
• Norfolk State: Pete Adrian (West Virginia '70)
   Overall: 70-70-1 (14th season)
   At NSU: 34-33 (7th season)
   vs. Virginia State: 5-1
• Virginia State: Andrew Faison (Virginia State '81)
   Overall: 49-42 (10th season)
   At Virginia State: Same
   vs. NSU: 3-6

QUICK HITS
• The Spartans have had three winning seasons in their last four, compiling a 26-19 record in that time. That is the winningest four-year stretch in NSU football since 1982-85 (27-15).
• NSU has also notched back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the Division I era, finishing 7-4 in 2009 and 6-5 in 2010.