Box Score
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Quarterback Geno Smith passed for 371 yards and four touchdowns, two in a 28-point West Virginia third quarter, as the 19th-ranked Mountaineers rallied from a 12-10 halftime deficit to top a game Norfolk State team, 55-12, before 51,911 on Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Playing their fourth-ever game against a Division I FBS team and second against a ranked FBS squad, the Spartans (1-1) led West Virginia (2-0) at the half thanks to four field goals and an inspired defensive effort. NSU converted its first possession into points as a 56-yard bomb from Nico Flores to Xavier Boyce moved the Spartans deep into WVU territory. Penalties bogged the drive down, but NSU got on the board thanks to a college-long 50-yard field goal off the foot of junior college transfer Everett Goldberg.
Ryan Estep hit a 39-yard field goal 19 seconds into the second quarter to pad NSU's cushion to 6-0, culminating a nine-play, 74-yard drive.
WVU then drove 60 yards in 10 plays, with the big play being a 45-yard completion from Smith to Tavon Austin down to the NSU 1-yard line. The Spartan defense, however, kept the Mountaineers out the end zone on six straight plays from the 1 – one being a pass interference penalty that gave WVU a new set of downs. The Mountaineers settled for Tyler Bitancurt's 17-yard field goal to get them on the board.
WVU would go 81 yards in 11 plays on its next drive, with Smith capped by finding Devon Brown for an 18-yard TD pass. But the Spartans scored on the final two drives of the half, with Estep hitting field goals of 39 and 40 yards to send NSU into the half up 12-10.
NSU outgained the Mountaineers 242-143 in the first half. Takeem Hedgeman ran six times for 46 yards, while quarterbacks Chris Walley and Flores combined to complete 14 of 21 passes for 178 yards in the half.
But the second half would be a different story. WVU scored touchdowns on their first five drives of the second half to take control. Vernard Roberts gave the Mountaineers the lead for good with a 2-yard TD run on the opening drive of the second half, which covered 51 yards in three plays. Tyler Bitancurt's point after gave WVU a 17-12 lead.
Smith finished off a five-play, 80-yard march with a 3-yard TD pass to Austin on the next drive. Dustin Garrison got in on the action with a 1-yard TD to cap the next possession and give WVU a 31-12 lead.
Smith tossed his third TD of the game, covering 12 yards, to Tyler Urban on the following Mountaineers possession to push the score to 38-12 after three quarters.
Smith capped his day by hitting Ivan McCartney for 39 yards for another WVU score. Backup QB Paul Millard finished the scoring with a 30-yard TD pass to Brad Starks in the fourth quarter.
Smith completed 20 of 34 passes for WVU. Austin had six catches for 82 yards and Brown had four for 109.
Walley finished 16-of-27 for 136 yards for the Spartans. Boyce had career highs of eight catches for 100 yards, while Hedgeman had 13 rushes for 62 yards.
WVU outgained the Spartans 533-285.
Corwin Hammond led the NSU defense with nine tackles, half for a loss. Fellow senior linebacker Onyemechi Anyaugo added eight tackles, one behind the line.
The Spartans continue their three-game road trip next weekend as they open MEAC play at Howard. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium.
