NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State football team (4-6) concludes its 2018 season with a rare December non-conference game this Saturday at Liberty University (5-6). Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg.
 
MEDIA COVERAGE
• TV/Live Video: ESPN 3 (live)
• Radio: WNSB 91.1 FM (1:30 p.m. pre-game): Play-by-Play: Ross Gordon/Color: Matt Michalec
• Twitter Updates: @NSUSpartans / @NSU_FB
 
THE SERIES
• Record: Liberty leads 4-2
• Last Meeting: 9-6-14 (Liberty 17-0)
• First Meeting: 11-8-97 (Liberty 17-6)
 
OPENING KICKOFF
• The Spartans conclude their regular season with a non-conference game this Saturday at Liberty University.
• The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 15, but was postponed due to Hurricane Florence.
• The Spartans have lost four of their last five following a 44-27 setback against Morgan State on Nov. 17 in their most recent outing.
• Liberty, in its first full season as a Division I FBS independent, is looking to even its record at 6-6.
 
LAST MEETING
•  In their last meeting, Liberty held NSU to 215 total yards in a 17-0 shutout win on Sept. 6, 2014 at Dick Price Stadium.
• Quarterback Josh Woodrum had a touchdown rushing and passing for the Flames, who were held to 280 total yards.
• The Flames sacked NSU quarterback Terrance Ervin six times and held him to just 56 yards passing on 10 completions.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Liberty is 4-2 all-time against NSU, including 2-1 marks at both Dick Price Stadium and Williams Stadium.
• In the teams' last meeting in Lynchburg, No. 24 ranked NSU beat Liberty 31-24 on Sept. 8, 2012.
 
5 SPARTANS NAMED ALL-MEAC
NSU had five players named to the All-MEAC football teams, the league announced on Monday. LB Nigel Chavis was a first-team selection. DB J.T. Wahee and punter Taylor Goettie were second-team picks, and DB Bobby Price and return specialist Marcus Taylor were third-team picks.
 
Chavis ranks among the MEAC's top 10 in tackles (66), tackles for loss (13.0) and sacks (5.5).  Wahee ranks fourth in the MEAC with 11 passes defended, including 10 breakups. Goettie is third among MEAC punters in average (42.1).
 
Price has eight pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Taylor averages 23.1 yards per kickoff return and 25.7 per punt return, with one punt returned for a touchdown this year.
 
NSU BY THE NUMBERS
• 5 - Number of Spartans who earned All-MEAC postseason honors.
• 7 - Number of seniors who will be playing their last game at NSU this week.
• 297 - Combined receiving yards for Isaiah Winstead (156) and Marcus Taylor (141) against Morgan State.
• 467 - Yards passing vs. Morgan State for QB Juwan Carter, the third-most in a game in NSU history.
 
A WIN OVER LIBERTY WOULD...
A win this week over Liberty would...
• Give the Spartans their first-ever win over an FBS team (NSU is 0-10 all-time in such games entering this week).
• Give the Spartans their fifth win of the season, the program's most wins on the field since 2011 (9-3).
 
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
Liberty enters the final game of its inaugural FBS season at 5-6 following a 28-21 win over New Mexico State last Saturday in Lynchburg. The Flames got two touchdown passes from Stephen Calvert and 116 rushing yards from Frankie Hickson in the win.
 
The Flames have played teams from all over the map in their first FBS season, including three games against teams from New Mexico (2 vs. NMSU, 1 vs. New Mexico), road games against "Power 5" conference foes Virginia and Auburn and a 52-10 win over NSU's Norfolk neighbor, Old Dominion.
 
Calvert has been the catalyst for Liberty. The junior has thrown for 2,910 yards and 20 touchdowns, 10 of them going to Antonio Gandy-Golden. Both Gandy-Golden (966 receiving yards) and Hickson (932 rushing yards) are within striking distance of 1,000-yard seasons.