Box Score WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – No. 16 William & Mary scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams en route to a 29-14 win over Norfolk State on Saturday night at Zable Stadium.
The Spartans (0-3) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead but the Tribe (2-1) scored the next 29 points to improve to 5-0 all-time against NSU.
After the teams traded punts to start the game, an interception by NSU cornerback
D'Metrius Williams set the Spartans up at their own 40. Six plays later,
Aaron Daniels capped a 60-yard march with a 7-yard TD run. The score was the first TD of the year for the Spartans and the first in Daniels' career, but more importantly, gave NSU a 7-0 lead with 7:06 left in the first quarter.
But W&M answered quickly. On the fifth play of the Tribe's next possession, Steve Cluley found Tre McBride behind the defense for a 55-yard TD pass to tie the game.
Things got worse for NSU on its next drive. A third down
Terrance Ervin pass bounced off the hands of wideout
Markice Street. Jared Velasquez plucked the ball out of the air for an interception and ran it back 39 yards for a TD with 2:26 left in the first quarter, making it 14-7 W&M.
The Tribe tacked on eight more second-quarter points on field goals of 31 and 36 yards by John Carpenter and a safety recorded by linebacker Airek Green.
The Tribe threatened to put the game away midway through the third quarter. NSU put together a seven-play, 40-yard drive to drive into Tribe territory.
Ryan Lee came on to attempt a 44-yard field goal, but it was blocked by DeAndre Houston-Carson. Ivan Tagoe picked up the loose ball and sprinted 66 yards for a touchdown. The PAT gave the Tribe a 29-7 edge with 7:08 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans kept fighting and were on the verge of making things dramatic late.
Lynden Trail blocked a punt in the fourth quarter to set NSU up at the Tribe 29. Four plays later, freshman
Terry Polk took a third-down handoff, broke a tackle, made several men miss while reversing field and got a key block from Trail to score his first collegiate TD on a 1-yard run with 8:44 left to play.
NSU squandered two other good opportunities. On 4th-and-2 from the Tribe 32, Polk was stopped after a 1-yard gain to turn the ball over on downs to W&M with 4:25 remaining. After NSU forced a Tribe punt, Polk then muffed a punt with 2:20 remaining. W&M recovered and ran out the clock.
The Spartans outgained W&M 322-234. NSU's defense held W&M to just 37 yards of offense in the second half.
Ervin completed 16-of-24 passes for 176 yards for the Spartans. Daniels racked up a career-high 106 yards on the ground on 21 carries.
Isaac White made a career-best eight catches for 89 yards and Street had three grabs for 46 yards, also career bests.
NSU's defense held W&M to 68 yards rushing on 32 carries. Cluley was 12-of-27 for 166 yards, 101 of which went to McBride.
Marcell Coke had nine tackles, one for loss, and
Keenan Lambert also had nine for the NSU defense. Trail had seven tackles, half a sack, a QB hurry and a blocked punt.
Deon King had six tackles, two for loss and one sack.
The Spartans are on the road again next week as they play their final non-conference regular-season game at Division I FBS Buffalo. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. next Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y.
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