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NORFOLK, Va. – C.J. Moore blocked a fourth-quarter punt and fell on it in the end zone for what proved to be the winning score as visiting North Carolina Central edged Norfolk State 19-14 on Saturday afternoon at Dick Price Stadium.

With the win, the Eagles (6-5, 5-2 MEAC) remain alive in the conference championship race with one more game to go. The Spartans (4-7, 4-3) were mathematically eliminated from contention on Saturday after dropping their second game in a row.

It was the second straight year that Moore scored a momentum-swinging special teams touchdown on a blocked kick against the Spartans. Last year, Moore returned a blocked field goal 70 yards for the back-breaking score in the Eagles' 24-13 win over NSU in Durham. This year, Moore shot through the line of scrimmage and blocked a Dylan Shaddix punt at the NSU 3. The ball rolled into the end zone, where Moore pounced on it to turn a 14-13 Eagle deficit into a 19-14 NCCU advantage with 5:52 remaining in the game.

Those were the only points scored in the fourth quarter, but the final period was not without drama. The teams combined for six fourth-quarter turnovers, two by the Eagles and four by NSU. After the go-ahead touchdown, the teams combined to turn the ball over on three straight possessions. NSU quarterback Terrance Ervin was intercepted near mid-field by Michael Jones on the Spartans' next drive. But on the next play, Eagle quarterback Quinn Billerman fumbled a shotgun snap and NSU's George Riddick recovered at the Eagles' 28.

The Spartans drove inside the red zone, but running back Brendon Riddick was stripped by Moore at the NCCU 12. Sayyid Muhammad recovered for the Eagles with 4:04 remaining.

Still, the Spartans had one more chance. The Spartan defense forced a punt, and NSU took over at its 42 with 2:50 left. Ervin passed for one first down, ran for another and a defensive pass interference call gave the Spartans a 1st-and-goal at the NCCU 8 with just over a minute remaining.

Ervin ran for no gain on first down and threw incomplete on second and third downs. On 4th-and-goal, Ervin's pass to the goal line intended for Markice Street was tipped at the goal line and intercepted by Theo Livingston. The Eagles then ran out the clock.

A matchup of the league's No. 2 scoring offense (NCCU) and the league's No. 2 scoring and total defense (NSU) played out to be another low-scoring, taut affair like many of the Spartans' games this season. It was the seventh straight game NSU has played (all in the MEAC) that was decided by eight points or less.

NCCU got on the board first after taking its second drive and marching 69 yards in seven plays. Andre Clarke scored on a 1-yard run with 7:16 left in the first quarter. Clarke's plunge was just the fifth rushing touchdown against the Spartans this year.

The Spartans answered early in the second quarter when Ervin hit Isaac White for a 53-yard touchdown pass with 12:08 left in the half, knotting the score at 7-all. It was White's sixth TD catch of the year.

The Eagles took a 10-7 lead into the half when Eric Fenton hit a 47-yard field goal on the last play of the second quarter. Fenton's kick was set up by a 44-yard pass from Billerman to Anas Hasic.

A special teams miscue by NSU led to the game's next score in the third quarter. After receiving a punt at his own 14, NSU's Damian Smith was stripped by Tre Smith, and Nathan Scruggs recovered for the Eagles at the NSU 11. NCCU eventually had a 1st-and-goal at the NSU 1, but was turned away on three straight running plays. The Eagles settled for an 18-yard Fenton field goal and a 13-7 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter.

But NSU answered quickly. Ervin completed passes of 28 and 30 yards on the ensuing possession to Street, the latter giving the Spartans the ball at the NCCU 1. Ervin scored on a 1-yard QB sneak on the next play, and Ryan Lee's point-after gave the Spartans a 14-13 advantage with 3:20 remaining in the third period. The TD run was the first of Ervin's collegiate career.

Both teams turned the ball over early in the fourth. Ervin fumbled as he was sacked by Felix Small near midfield with 8:15 left, and the Eagles' Jordan Miles recovered.

NCCU looked like it would score the go-ahead touchdown after that turnover, but the Spartans forced a turnover of their own.Safety Leroy Parker forced Clarke to fumble at the Spartans' 14, and NSU defensive back DeMarta' Johnson recovered at the 11.

But the ensuing NSU drive stalled after three plays, and Moore blocked Shaddix's punt to put the Eagles back on top for good.

The Spartans outgained NCCU 288-250, but had a season-high five turnovers. The 250 yards are the third-fewest by the Eagles this year.

Ervin completed 12-of-23 passes for 235 yards, his second-best passing day of the year. He also led NSU with 29 yards rushing. White had a game-high 76 receiving yards on just two receptions, while Street had three catches for 66 yards. Keith Johnson, one of 19 NSU seniors honored before the game on Senior Day, made three catches.

Billerman was 12-of-22 for 151 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for the Eagles. Clarke had a game-high 67 rushing yards.

Defensively, senior NSU linebacker Marcell Coke matched his career high with 14 tackles. Lamar Neal and Lynden Trail had nine apiece. King made seven stops, including a sack, and broke up a pass. George Riddick – yet another of NSU's seniors – recorded a pair of sacks to give him eight on the year.

Moore led the Eagles' defense with 11 tackles, two for loss. He also notched a forced fumble, a pass breakup and his blocked punt.

The Spartans conclude their 2014 season next Saturday in Orangeburg, S.C., at South Carolina State. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.