Game Notes | Live Audio | Twitter Updates

NORFOLK, Va. - Two winless teams look to end their losing skids and start off 1-0 in MEAC play as Norfolk State and Morgan State meet this Saturday in Baltimore, Md. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Hughes Stadium.

The game marks the home opener for Morgan State as well as the first conference matchup of the year for both teams.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
The Spartans dropped to 0-3 for the first time since 2005 thanks to a 20-12 home loss to Charleston Southern last week. NSU lost four fumbles, two coming in CSU territory and one leading directly to the Buccaneers' final touchdown. CSU held just a two-yard advantage in total offense (267-265), but the Buccaneers had just one turnover. Quarterbacks Omari Timmons and Tyler Clark combined to complete 20-of-30 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Rolandan Finch had his first 100-yard game as a Spartans, amassing 108 yards on 20 carries. Finch is now second in the MEAC in rushing (78.0 ypg). Defensively, Lynden Trail led the way with a season-high 10 tackles, including one sack. He also had two pass deflections. Deon King had 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks among his eight total tackles. He now leads the MEAC with 3.5 sacks.

SCOUTING THE BEARS
Morgan State dropped its fourth straight game to start the season, a 58-17 defeat last Saturday at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers ran for 377 yards and passed for 211. Antonio Andrews scored five touchdowns and rushed for 215 yards for WKU. For the Bears, Seth Higgins passes for 126 yards and two scores, and Tracy Martin carried eight times for 77 yards. The game marked the second that Bears have played this year against a Division I FBS team - MSU also lost to Army 28-12 to start the season. MSU enters the game ranked seventh in the MEAC in both total offense (270.0 ypg) and total defense (449.8 ypg). Higgins, Robert Council and Moses Skillon have split time at quarterback for the Bears. Skillon and Higgins have both thrown two TD passes, while Skillon is ninth in the MEAC in rushing at 38.7 ypg. Linebacker Cody Acker's 41 tackles (10.2 per game) rank fourth in the conference.

THE SERIES
• NSU leads the all-time series with Morgan State, 15-12.
• The Spartans have won six straight vs. the Bears.
• NSU is 7-1 against MSU under coach Pete Adrian, including a 4-0 mark in Hughes Stadium.
• NSU is 13-3 vs. MSU since moving up to Division I in 1997, its best mark against any MEAC team.

MEDIA COVERAGE
• Radio: NSU Sports Network, 1490 AM The Game/WNSB Hot 91.1 FM
(Play-by-Play: Ross Gordon; Color: Maguell Davis; Pre-Game: Gordon, Davis and Matt Michalec)
• Audio Stream: www.nsuspartans.com (click "Live Audio" link under Inside Athletics tab)
• Twitter Updates: @NSUSpartans

QUICK HITS FROM CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
More news and notes from the loss to Charleston Southern last week:
• The Spartans fumbled five times and lost four of them. That marks the most fumbles NSU has lost in a game since also losing four to South Carolina State on Oct. 10, 2009.
• Omari Timmons made his first career start at quarterback. He passed for 95 yards and one TD while splitting time with Tyler Clark and Malik Stokes.
• FB Ryan Wade made his first career TD reception on a 1-yard grab in the second quarter.
• WR Je'Ron Stokes caught his fi rst TD pass as a Spartan, a 10-yarder in the fourth quarter.
• RB Rolandan Finch topped the 100-yard mark for the first time as a Spartan (20-108) and also had a season-high five catches for 26 yards.
• FS Troi Hughes made his fi rst career interception, thwarting a CSU drive in NSU territory in the third quarter.
• OL Blake Matthews (RT) and E.J. Rogers (RG) saw their first action of the year.
• NSU had an extra point blocked and missed on a two-point conversion, dropping the Spartans to 0-of-3 on PAT tries this year.

KING'S COURT
While teammate Lynden Trail has gotten a lot of the preseason attention as one of the defense's top playmakers, sophomore (and first-year starter) Deon King has quietly been very productive in the first three games. King starts at the outside linebacker spot opposite Trail and is tied for second on the team (with Trail) with 22 tackles so far. He has a team-high 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, both of which rank in the top two in the MEAC and in the top 10 nationally for FCS players. King, from Reston, Va., worked with the second unit last year behind senior starters Terrence Pugh and Jamal Giddens. He made the most of his playing time - of his 19 tackles, five were for a loss, including two sacks. He also returned an interception 15 yards for a TD against Morgan State.

POSITION CHANGE NO PROBLEM FOR MARROW
NSU had a few players change positions in the off-season. Most notably, last year's starting free safety, Darrin Marrow, has moved to cornerback this year. He started eight games last season at free safety before being limited in the final three games due to a sprained ankle. He gives NSU more size at the corner position (6-1, 190), and is also one of the fastest defensive players on the team. Through three games, Marrow leads the team with three passes defended (one interception plus two breakups). He is tied for fi fth in the MEAC in that category.

MARYLAND CONNECTIONS
NSU has three Maryland natives on its roster who will have a homecoming of sorts this weekend. QB Omari Timmons is from nearby Parkville, Md., while OL Nico Washington is from Waldorf and backup OL Daniel Oladimeji is from Upper Marlboro. The Spartans also have four Washington, D.C. natives on their roster (Ramsey Henderson, Traes Ceasar, Lamonte Clark and De'Ante Williams) and 12 who hail from the Northern Virginia region.