Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Quarterback Quentin Williams completed 9-of-11 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and backup signal-caller Brodrick Waters ran for 103 yards and accounted for two more scores to lead host Bethune-Cookman to a 48-3 win over Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.
The loss was the sixth in a row for the Spartans (2-6, 0-5 MEAC), who allowed a season-high 435 yards of total offense. The Wildcats (5-2, 4-0) remain tied for first place in the conference with North Carolina Central.
For the fourth time in their five MEAC games, the Spartans surrendered a touchdown on the game's first drive. B-CU took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in 16 plays, capped by a 5-yard TD pass from Williams to Eddie Poole. The key play in the drive, though, was Williams' 17-yard completion to K.J. Stroud on 4th-and-13 from the Spartans' 30-yard line.
NSU appeared to gain some momentum on B-CU's next possession. Spartan senior linebacker Terrence Pugh sacked Williams and forced a fumble, which fellow NSU linebacker Brent Singleton recovered at the Wildcats' 30. But on the very next play, NSU fullback Conley Smith was stripped by Nesly Marcellon. D.J. Howard scooped up the loose ball and returned it 69 yards for another B-CU score, making it 14-0 with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats' offense remained productive in the second quarter, putting together touchdown drives of 76, 76 and 66 yards. Williams hit Stroud for a 28-yard TD pass to punctuate the first possession, while Isidore Jackson scored on runs of 33 yards and 1 yard to extend the B-CU lead to 34-0.
NSU got on the board just before halftime. Spartan quarterback Jake Basmagian engineered a six-play, 51-yard drive, completing all four of his passes on the march. Everett Goldberg made a 33-yard field goal just five seconds before the intermission to cut the B-CU lead to 34-3.
Waters accounted for all of the scoring of the second half. He scored on an 8-yard TD run in the third quarter and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jhomo Gordon in the fourth to finish the scoring.
The loss is the Spartans' worst-ever against B-CU, which has not lost at home to the Spartans since 1996. The 45-point defeat is also the Spartans' biggest against a Division I FCS team since a 58-10 loss to Hampton on Oct. 16, 2004.
Water rushed for 103 yards on just nine carries for B-CU, which totaled 264 rushing yards as a team. Jackson finished with 57 yards and his two touchdowns.
The Spartans, meanwhile, were limited to 75 yards rushing on 24 carries. Quarterbacks Basmagian and Pierre Narcisse combined to complete 16-of-32 passes for 164 yards. Xavier Boyce had six receptions for 60 yards and Derrick Demps made four grabs for 67 yards.
Making his first career start, NSU linebacker Lynden Trail tallied a game and career-high 12 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and a sack for the Spartans. Pugh had a season-best 11 tackles, plus his sack and forced fumble.
NSU plays its final road contest of the season next Saturday, a 1:30 p.m. game at North Carolina A&T.
