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NORFOLK, Va. – Cameron Marouf kicked a 41-yard field goal to tie the game late in regulation, then nailed a 38-yarder in overtime to lift Norfolk State to a 20-17 homecoming win over Savannah State at a rain-soaked Dick Price Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Marouf's heroics capped a clutch second-half rally and helped the Spartans (3-6 overall, 3-3 MEAC) snap a three-game losing streak and win their seventh in a row over SSU (1-7, 1-5).
The Tigers led 10-7 at the half and extended their lead to 17-7 on their first drive of the second half. They drove 79 yards in 11 plays and took 5:29 off the clock, with quarterback Arshon Spaulding scoring on a 1-yard run with 9:25 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans answered in kind with an 18-play, 75-yard drive that took 9:32 off the clock. NSU converted two fourth downs on the drive, both on runs by quarterback
Greg Hankerson, to get in prime position. A third-down pass interference call also aided NSU and gave the Spartans a first-and-goal at the SSU 2.
Shakeem Copeland then scored on a 2-yard run to cap the marathon drive with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter. It was Copeland's first career rushing TD.
The teams swapped punts for the next three possessions before NSU took over at its own 44 with 7:31 left in the fourth quarter. Hankerson and Copeland led NSU on a 12-play drive deep into Tiger territory. But a third-down holding penalty backed NSU up and forced a Marouf field goal. Despite kicking on a sloppy surface from heavy rains earlier in the day, Marouf booted a 41-yard field goal through with room to spare, tying the game at 17-all with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter.
In overtime, NSU won the toss and elected to play on defense first. The Spartans' resurgent defense then held SSU three-and-out, forcing a John Barron field goal attempt. Barron's 44-yarder was wide right, meaning the Spartans just needed three points to win.
Hankerson ran twice for four yards and then threw an incomplete pass on third down, bringing Marouf in to try and win the game. The junior's 38-yarder was true, sending the Spartan sideline and season-high crowd of 15,123 into celebration.
SSU scored the first 10 points of the game. Richard Williams scored on a 3-yard run to cap the Tigers' second drive and give them a 7-0 advantage with 3:07 left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, SSU defensive lineman Stefen Banks sacked Hankerson and forced a fumble, which teammate Connor Christian recovered. That set up Barron's 24-yard field goal, giving SSU a 10-0 lead with 10:28 left in the second quarter.
The Spartans answered right before the half, with Hankerson hitting
Isaac White for a 9-yard TD pass on 4th-and-goal with 1:03 left in the second quarter. It was the second fourth-down conversion of the drive for NSU.
Hankerson completed 18 of 35 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown. White snagged a game-high five passes for 40 yards and his sixth TD of the year. Copeland rushed for a career-high 56 yards on just seven carries, all coming in the second half after injuries forced him into extended action.
The NSU defense held SSU to 209 yards, with 193 of those coming on the ground. Spaulding rushed for 97 yards and Williams 87 for the Tigers. But Spaulding and fellow QB Leon Prunty completed just 5-of-11 passes for 16 yards.
Deon King, the nation's leader in total tackles, added 17 tackles to his total Saturday. He had one tackle for loss.
Raynard Revels, making his first start next to King at inside linebacker, made a season-high nine stops. Defensive end
Chris Lee had three tackles for loss and two sacks for the Spartans, and cornerback
Harry Freeman notched his first career interception.
The Spartans are back at home next Saturday for their home finale against South Carolina State. Kickoff for Military Appreciation/Senior Day is slated for 1 p.m.
