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NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State football team opens the 2012 season at home this Saturday in the annual Virginia Lottery Labor Day Classic with long-time Division II foe Virginia State. The 50th meeting between the two rivals will kick off at 6 p.m. at William "Dick" Price Stadium.
Saturday's game will mark NSU's first home contest since winning its first-ever MEAC football championship some nine-plus months ago. The game has also been designated a “Green Out,” and fans are encouraged to wear green to support the Spartan football team.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
NSU has 13 regular starters returning from last year's title team, including seven on offense. NSU welcomes back eight of its top nine pass-catchers from a year ago, led by senior All-MEAC first-team wideout Xavier Boyce (68 receptions, four TD in 2011) and junior All-MEAC tight end Joseph Hawkins (three TD catches). Senior running backs Takeem Hedgeman and Randy Maynes, who split time as starters in last year's backfield, are also back. Senior center Michael Kay and junior guard Cameron Williams both earned preseason All-MEAC honors and will lead the NSU offensive linemen.
Defensively, NSU's returnees are led by senior linebackers Jamal Giddens (70 tackles, team-high eight sacks) and Terrence Pugh (10 TFL, four sacks). Cornerbacks Marcus Center and Marcus Cooperwood and safety Keenan Lambert all started games for the Spartan secondary a year ago. Kicker Everett Goldberg also returns for his senior season after making 6-of-10 field goals last season, all from 47 yards or longer. He is a preseason first-team All-MEAC selection.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
Virginia State is coming off a 5-5 season in 2011 which included a 4-3 mark in the CIAA, good enough for second place in the conference's Northern Division. The Trojans welcome back 44 letterwinners and 12 starters from that group and are picked to finish third this season in the CIAA North. Only five of the returning starters come on offense, but VSU does return two-year starting quarterback Jarred Battle. He passed for 1,744 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Battle's favorite returning targets are Dion Futch (34 catches, 474 yards, two TD) and Corey Young (30-270-1). The front line has just two starters back, but one of those is preseason All-CIAA pick Kyle Catterton.
Seven starters return to VSU's defense, led by defensive linemen Rashad Vesprey, Darell Young and Darion Jones. Linebacker Bryce Willoughby is the top returner tackler, with 59 last season.
MEDIA COVERAGE
• Radio: NSU Sports Network, WXTG 102.1 FM The Game, WNSB Hot 91.1 FM,
(Play-by-Play: Ross Gordon; Color: Maguell Davis; Pre-Game: Matt Michalec)
• Video Stream: www.nsuspartans.com/showcase
• Audio Stream: www.nsuspartans.com (click “Live Audio” link under Inside Athletics tab)
• Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/nsu/football/scoreboard.aspx
• Twitter Updates: @NSUSpartans
THE SERIES
• This will be the 50th all-time meeting between NSU and Virginia State. VSU holds a 26-22-1 edge.
• NSU has won the last six meetings between the teams by a combined score of 225-69. That includes a 37-3 NSU victory on Sept. 3, 2011.
• The teams have met every year since 1963.
THE COACHES
Norfolk State: Pete Adrian (West Virginia '70)
• Overall: 79-73-1 (15th season)
• At NSU: 43-36 (8th season)
• vs. VSU: 6-1
Virginia State: Andrew Faison (VSU '81)
• Overall: 54-47 (11th season)
• At VSU: Same
• vs. NSU: 3-7
NSU PICKED TO REPEAT
NSU was picked to repeat as MEAC champion in the preseason poll of MEAC head coaches and sports information directors. NSU topped the preseason MEAC poll with 11 first-place votes and 454 total points, and six Spartans were named to the preseason All-MEAC team.
NSU was one of six teams to receive first-place votes in the poll. South Carolina State received four first-place votes and 432 points to fi nish second behind NSU. Bethune-Cookman (three, 417) was third in the poll, followed by Florida A&M (two, 354) and Hampton (one, 268) to round out the top five. Rounding out the rest of the preseason poll were North Carolina A&T, Morgan State, Howard, North Carolina Central, Delaware State and Savannah State, which received the only other first-place vote.
Five of the six Spartans on the preseason All-MEAC teams were first-team selections: WR Xavier Boyce, OL Blake Matthews, C Michael Kay, TE Joseph Hawkins and K Everett Goldberg. NSU's only second-team preseason All-MEAC selection was OL Cameron Williams.
FLORES GETS THE NOD AT QB
After competing with junior college transfer Jake Basmagian during preseason camp, redshirt junior Nico Flores was named the starter for the season opener against Virginia State. Flores served as NSU's backup in 2011, playing mostly as NSU's 'wildcat' quarterback behind MEAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Chris Walley (2,672 yards, 19 TD). In 10 games, Flores ran 54 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed 9-of-17 passes for 156 yards without a TD or interception. It will actually be the second start in Flores' career: he also started last year's opener against Virginia State, taking the first snap of the game before giving way to Walley.
WHO'S BACK
NSU returns 22 players who started at least one game in 2011, most of those on the offensive side of the ball. Here is a look at the top returners:
Offense:
• WR Xavier Boyce: First-team All-MEAC pick in 2011 caught 68 passes, a Division I NSU single-season
record.
• WR Derrick Demps: Started eight games last season, caught three TDs and led the team in yards
per catch (21.9).
• WR Kelvin Lewis: Started four times last year. Amassed 216 rushing yards and 208 receiving yards.
• WR Reggie Garrett: Started five games last year and was third on the team with 28 receptions.
• OL Cameron Williams: Started all 12 games last season, 11 at left guard and one at right. A 2012
preseason All-MEAC second-team pick.
• C Michael Kay: Started all 12 games last year and is a preseason fi rst-team All-MEAC selection.
• TE Joseph Hawkins: Caught 17 passes, three for scores, en route to second-team All-MEAC honors in 2011. First-team preseason all-conference pick this season.
• RB Takeem Hedgeman: Team-leading 698 rushing yards in 2011. Scored three TDs and had two
100-yard games.
• RB Randy Maynes: Second on team with 443 rushing yards last season, including three scores.
Defense
• OLB Jamal Giddens: Led NSU with eight sacks, most by a Spartan since 2002. Also third on team with 70 tackles.
• OLB Terrence Pugh: Recorded 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. Started eight games.
• DT Matt Grant: Started seven games, made 3.5 TFL and blocked three field goals.
• DL Nico Washington: Started 11 games on the offensive line last season before moving in the spring back to defense, where he played as a freshman in 2010.
• CB Marcus Cooperwood: 36 tackles, three TFL and two interceptions last season. Also averaged
11.4 yards per punt return.
• SS Keenan Lambert: Started six games last year, split between strong safety and nickel back. Had
37 tackles, one interception and fi ve breakups.
POSITION CHANGES
Several Spartans have changed positions since last season. Here are the notable moves:
• Nico Washington, OL to DL: Washington played in 11 games as backup nose guard as a true freshman in 2010, but was moved to offense last year. He started 11 games at right offensive guard last fall, but moved back to defense in the spring. He opens the year as NSU's starter at nose guard.
• Brendon Riddick, QB to RB: Riddick was recruited as a quarterback after being named Metro Player of the Year as a QB at Richmond's Hermitage High. But with Nico Flores taking the reins of the offense under center, Riddick moved to running back during the spring and fi gures to see immediate playing time as a redshirt freshman. He rushed for 1,281 yards during his senior season as a spread-option QB at Hermitage.
• Tyrece Shepherd, WR to DB: With NSU's depth at receiver, the junior moves to safety, where the Spartans lack depth. He can play either strong or free safety. He has also played for NSU's special teams.
10 TRUE FRESHMEN COULD SEE ACTION
Head coach Pete Adrian said that as many as 10 true freshmen could see playing time early in the season. Despite NSU's solid depth on both sides of the ball, a strong recruiting class, including a number of late additions, could bolster the Spartans' roster in 2012. WR Isaac White, OL Amardeep Singh and Mike Phillips, DL Kevin Williams and Shawn Fauntleroy, DB Troi Hughes, FB Conley Smith and LB Lamar Neal, Deon King and Justin Gant are all candidates to see time, either on special teams or at their respective positions.
