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NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State (2-5, 2-2 MEAC) concludes its October slate on the road this Saturday at North Carolina Central (4-3, 3-1). Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C. The Spartans fell to 2-2 in the MEAC play and are two games back of MEAC leader North Carolina A&T, while the Eagles have won three in a row and remain firmly in the conference title hunt.
 
RADIO
WGH Star 1310 AM is in its second season as the flagship network for NSU football and basketball games. Ross Gordon will handle the play-by-play duties and Matt Michalec is the color commentator. The game can also be heard online at www.star1310.com.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Norfolk State suffered its second straight defeat last week, losing in a wild shootout at Bethune-Cookman, 59-49. The Spartans scored their most points in a game since 2010, but could not slow down B-CU. Wildcat quarterback Quentin Williams passed for 386 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for a score. NSU quarterback Greg Hankerson Jr. had a career day in defeat, passing for 266 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 97 yards. Isaac White tied a school record by catching three TD passes, but the Spartans were outscored 21-7 in the third quarter and could not catch up.

Gerard Johnson rushed for 103 yards and also caught three passes for 75 yards and a TD for the Spartans.

NSU gained a season-high 483 yards of total offense, but yielded 607 total yards.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
North Carolina Central won its third straight game on Saturday, as Nigel MacAuley kicked a 30-yard field goal with 6:19 remaining to lift the Eagles to a 20-17 win over Morgan State in Durham, N.C.  Dorrel McClain rushed 20 times for 117 yards and two scores for NCCU. The Eagles held Morgan State to minus-11 yards on the ground and forced three Bear turnovers to win and remain one loss behind MEAC leader North Carolina A&T.

McClain, a freshman, is second in the conference in rushing, with 548 yards and five touchdowns. NCCU has used two quarterbacks this year and both have played in all seven games. Malcolm Bell has thrown for 775 yards and four touchdowns, and Quinn Billerman has thrown for 323 yards and four scores. The pair has combined to throw nine interceptions.

The Eagles defense is paced by safety C.J. Moore, who has a team-high 59 tackles, six for losses, and two interceptions.

THE SERIES
• This will be the 13th meeting all-time between NSU and NCCU. The Eagles led the series, 7-5. 
• NCCU has won both meetings between the teams since both have been members of the MEAC. The Eagles won 19-14 in Norfolk last season, and 24-13 in Durham in 2013 in what was the schools' first matchup since 1995.
• The teams were 5-5 against each other as members of the Division II CIAA.
• NCCU is 5-1 against NSU all-time in games played in Durham. NSU's only win came in 1985.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD
Last Saturday's game was an offensive coordinator's dream, as both NSU and Bethune-Cookman  scored early and often. A few notes on the fireworks in Daytona Beach:
• The 49 points scored by NSU are its most since a 51-28 win over Virginia State in 2010, and most against an FCS opponent since a 49-12 win over Howard in 2009.
• The 483 total offensive yards by NSU are its most since a 559-yard day at Savannah State in 2011.
• The 108 combined points are tied for the third-most for any game in school history, and tied for second-most in a regulation game. 
• Greg Hankerson's four touchdown passes are the most by a Spartan since Nico Flores also threw for four scores against Howard in 2012, and Isaac White's three TD catches tied a school record.