Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Chris Walley completed 20 of 23 passes for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Spartans outgained host Charleston Southern 519-141 en route to a 33-3 non-conference win on Saturday afternoon at Buccaneer Field.

The win helped the Spartans improve to 3-1 overall, their best start since 2007. They did it in dominating fashion, rolling up a season-high 519 yards in total offense while their defense allowed a season-low 141 in their third straight win over a Big South opponent.

Running back Takeem Hedgeman ran for a career-high 105 yards on 15 carries, and receivers Victor Hairston and Xavier Boyce both topped the 100-yard receiving mark and caught a touchdown pass for NSU.

The defense got 12 tackles from linebacker Corwin Hammond and a season-high four sacks from four different players. Marcus Center accounted for the only turnover of the game with a fourth-quarter interception, the first of his career.

The Spartans jumped on the Buccaneers (0-4) early, outscoring them 17-0 in the first quarter. NSU took the opening kickoff and drove 85 yards in 12 plays, with Walley finding Boyce on a 13-yard TD pass for a 7-0 lead. After a three-and-out by CSU, the Spartans needed just one play to score their next TD. Walley hit Hairston across the middle. Hairston broke one tackle, made another man miss and sprinted 67 yards for his team-leading third touchdown of the season, giving NSU a 14-0 lead.

Later in the quarter, a career-long 45-yard punt return by Marcus Cooperwood set up the Spartans at the CSU 15. NSU couldn't find the end zone, but Ryan Estep hit a 23-yard field goal, the first of his three on the afternoon, to give the Spartans a 17-0 edge.

The Buccaneers were able to slow NSU's offense in the second quarter and play the field-position game with NSU, backing up the Spartans in their own territory on a couple of occasions. On one of those, CSU was able to take over at the NSU 35 after a short punt. Seven plays later, Andy Brown hit a 25-yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board.

The second half was all NSU. The Spartans took their opening possession of the third quarter and drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Nico Flores capped the drive with a 1-yard run, his first TD as a Spartan, to extend the advantage to 24-3.

NSU would tack on three more field goals to account for the final margin. Estep connected from 19 and 20 yards out, and Everett Goldberg hit a 47-yarder. The two are now a combined 14-for-14 this year.

CSU, which ran for 327 yards last week in a 37-30 loss at Jacksonville, was held to 55 yards rushing on 45 carries by NSU's defense. Quarterback Malcolm Dixon, who had 163 of those rushing yards last week, was limited to 1 net yard on 17 carries, including the four sacks. He was also harassed into 7-of-19 passing for 86 yards.

In addition to Hammond's 12 tackles, linebacker Onyemechi Anyaugo had nine tackles and a sack. Joey Christine, Hasan Craig, Marcell Coke, Keenan Lambert and Jamal Giddens had five tackles apiece. Christine had two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. Matthew Grant and Chad Battles also had one sack each. Grant had a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss and also blocked a field goal.

Hairston had five catches for a career-high 122 yards for NSU. It was his first career 100-yard game. Boyce had his second 100-yard game of the year, with a personal-best nine catches for a career-best 101 yards. That topped his previous best of eight receptions for 100 yards at West Virginia.

In addition to Hedgeman's big day, Flores had a season-high 48 yards rushing on 13 carries as NSU had a season-best 234 yards on the ground.

Walley completed 86.9 percent of his passes, the second-best mark in school history. That trailed only his own 20-of-22, 90.9 percent effort against Morgan State last year.

The Spartans return to conference play next Saturday as they host three-time defending MEAC champion South Carolina State in the annual Fish Bowl Classic. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. at Dick Price Stadium.