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NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State (2-6, 2-3 MEAC) returns home to celebrate its 2015 Homecoming this week, welcoming Savannah State (1-6, 1-4) to Dick Price Stadium for a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday. The Spartans will be looking to end a three-game losing streak as they play their first home game in a month, while Savannah State enters on a three-game losing skid of its own.
 
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 Maguell Davis is the color commentator. The game can also be heard online at www.star1310.com.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
NSUSpartans.com debuted a new feature for this week's home game, a Gameday Central page which features links to rosters, schedules and stats for both teams; links to social media and video coverage of NSU athletics; and information on tailgating and parking for this week's game. The page can be found here or by the link at the top of this page.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Norfolk State (2-6, 2-3 MEAC) dropped its third straight contest in a tight 24-16 decision at North Carolina Central last Saturday in Durham, N.C. The Spartans led 7-0 until late in the second quarter. The teams were then tied at 7-all entering the fourth before NCCU outscored the Spartans 17-9 in a wild final period. NCCU got a 77-yard TD pass early in the fourth and took advantage of a couple of special teams miscues by the Spartans to score their final 10 points. The Spartans, trailing 24-16, drove to the NCCU 43 in the final seconds, but quarterback Greg Hankerson Jr.'s desperation pass fell incomplete on the game's final play.

Hankerson had another strong day under center for the Spartans. He passed for 230 yards while running for 89 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He scrambled for a 77-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. NSU outgained the Eagles in total yardage, 368-367.

Hankerson has accounted for more than 300 yards of total offense in two straight games. He ranks second in the MEAC in passing yards per game (1,552 yards, 194.0 ypg) and total offense (1,831 yards, 228.9 ypg). He has thrown 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions this year. Senior wideout Isaac White is third in the MEAC in both receiving yards (391, 65.2 ypg) and receptions per game (28, 4.7 average).

Linebackers Deon King and Kyle Archie made 14 tackles apiece against NCCU, which Archie's total representing a career high. King continues to lead both the MEAC and all of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision in total tackles, with 114 this year (14.3 per game). 
    
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Savannah State (1-6, 1-4) suffered its worst MEAC loss of the season in dropping its third consecutive game, 55-9, at Howard University last Saturday in Washington, D.C. Quarterback Kalen Johnson threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns for the Bison, who benefitted from four Savannah State turnovers. Four different Bison players caught touchdown passes, and the Howard defense also scored twice, on an interception return and a fumble recovery.

Leon Prunty completed 11 of 29 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown for the Tigers. Prunty became the fourth player to start at quarterback for SSU this season. He threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Saxton in the second quarter for the Tigers, accounting for the team's first touchdown pass of the year.

Arshon Spaulding, another of the four players to see time at quarterback for the Tigers, leads the team in both rushing yards (341) and passing yards (353). He is one of four players who has rushed for more than 100 yards this year for the Tigers, who average 127.6 rushing yards and 130.4 passing yards per game.

Linebackers Leonardo Myers (43 tackles, two interceptions) and Marquis Smith (42 tackles, five for loss) lead a Savannah State defense which is yielding 46 points per game.

THE SERIES
• NSU leads the all-time series with Savannah State, 9-1. NSU is 3-1 vs. SSU at Dick Price Stadium.
• The Spartans have won six in a row in the series following Savannah State's only win over NSU, a 41-34, two-overtime victory at Dick Price Stadium in 2004. 
• The Spartans won last year's meeting, 14-7, on Oct. 4, 2014 in Savannah.

THIS AND THAT
• NSU committed a season-high 12 penalties for 142 yards in last week's loss to NCCU.
• WR Marcus Taylor made four receptions, tying his career high, for the second week in a row.
• OLB Kyle Archie (14) and CB Sandy Chapman (10) set new career highs in tackles.
• DE Chris Lee had at least half a sack for the fourth straight game. He leads NSU with 3.0 this year.
• NSU used its sixth starting offensive line combination this season last week at NCCU. 
• Mike Phillips made his first start at center since 2013. It was his 36th straight start.
• First-year SSU offensive line coach Donovan Jackson was a four-year letterman at NSU (2003-06).