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NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State concludes its 2014 season this Saturday when the Spartans travel to Orangeburg, S.C., for a 1:30 p.m. contest at South Carolina State. The Spartans (4-7 overall, 4-3 MEAC) were mathematically eliminated from MEAC title contention last week, but SCSU (7-4, 5-2) could still earn a share of the title with a win over NSU and a loss Saturday by North Carolina A&T.  
 
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
NSU (4-7 overall, 4-3 MEAC) surrendered a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown by North Carolina Central's C.J. Moore with 5:52 remaining, which proved to be the winning points in the Eagles' 19-14 victory over the Spartans last Saturday at Dick Price Stadium. The Spartans had a season-high five turnovers, four in a wild fourth quarter. The outcome wasn't sealed until Terrance Ervin's pass was deflected at the goal line and intercepted by NCCU's Theo Livingston with less than a minute to play.
 
Ervin passed for 235 yards and a touchdown and also ran for his first collegiate score, a 1-yard sneak that gave NSU a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter. Isaac White had two catches for 76 yards, including a touchdown. Keith Johnson and Markice Street had three receptions apiece.
 
Marcell Coke had 14 tackles, matching a career high, to lead the NSU defense. Lynden Trail and Lamar Neal had nine each. George Riddick had two sacks and Deon King had one.
 
Coke has a team-high 99 tackles (third in the MEAC) while King has 97 (fourth). White is now third in the MEAC in receiving yards per game (53.3) and tied for first with six TD catches.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
South Carolina State (7-4, 5-2) dropped out of a tie for first place with N.C. A&T in the MEAC standings with a 24-21 loss at Morgan State last Saturday in Baltimore, Md. Morgan State QB Moses Skillon scored on a 9-yard run with 58 seconds left to give the Bears the win. The Bears outgained SCSU 448-207 in total offense. Jalen Simmons ran for 82 yards to surpass 1,000 for the year for the Bulldogs, and Justin Taylor scored a pair of rushing touchdowns. Antonio Hamilton scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, his third special teams touchdown of the season.
 
Simmons has rushed for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns for SCSU this year. He ranks third in the MEAC in rushing yards. Sophomore quarterback Adrian Kollock has thrown for 1,012 yards and six touchdowns. The Bulldogs, though, rank just seventh in the conference in total offense (298.2 ypg).
 
Javon Hargrave leads a strong Bulldog front seven on defense with a conference-leading 16 sacks. Freshman linebacker Darius Leonard has a team-high 82 tackles.
 
THE SERIES
• This will be the 20th meeting all-time between NSU and SCSU, with the Bulldogs leading 16-3.
• SCSU has won 11 of the last 13 meetings, with the only losses coming in 2007 and 2011 in Norfolk.
• Two of NSU's three wins have come in OT (2000 and 2007) and all three by seven points or less.
 
QUICK HITS FROM NCCU
• NSU played its seventh straight game that was decided by eight points or less and eighth this year. The Spartans are 4-4 in those games.
• Marcell Coke matched his career high with 14 total tackles.
• Markice Street tied his career high with three catches.
• Terrance Ervin passed for 235 yards, the second-most by an NSU quarterback this season.
• Ervin also scored his first career rushing touchdown.
 
STANDINGS WATCH
The Spartans were officially eliminated from MEAC championship contention last week with their loss to North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T's win over Savannah State. The Spartans can play the role of spoiler this weekend though, as SCSU (5-2) could still earn a share of the MEAC crown with a win and a N.C. A&T loss. The possibility still exists for a five-way tie for the championship, though the Aggies will win the crown outright with a win over N.C. Central. Bethune-Cookman, Morgan State, SCSU, NCCU and N.C. A&T could all potentially finish 6-2 in MEAC play.
 
DEFENSE AMONG TOPS IN NATION
NSU's defense, expected to be a strength coming into the year, has been as good as advertised.
• NSU is currently second in the MEAC and in the nation in total defense (250.3 ypg allowed).  Only MEAC foe Bethune-Cookman (243.5) is ranked ahead of NSU. The Wildcats have given up 74 fewer yards this year than have the Spartans.
• NSU is also top 15 in the nation in pass defense (third, 141.0 ypg allowed), red-zone defense (second, 60.0 percent), scoring defense (sixth, 16.5) and rushing defense (11th, 109.3 ypg allowed).