NORFOLK, Va. – After an unexpected bye week last Saturday due to Hurricane Florence, the Spartan football team (1-1) hits the road for the first time in 2018 to play South Carolina State (0-2) in what is officially a non-conference game. Kickoff Saturday is at 6 p.m. at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium in Orangeburg, S.C.

MEDIA COVERAGE
• Live Video: ESPN 3 
• Radio: WNSB 91.1 FM (5:30 p.m. pre-game): Play-by-Play – Ross Gordon/Color – Matt Michalec 
 • Twitter Updates: @NSUSpartans / @NSU_FB

SERIES INFORMATION
• Record: SCSU leads 18-3 (1 NSU win vacated)
• Last Meeting: 11-12-16 (NSU 13-10)
• First Meeting: 12-11-76 (SCSU 26-10)
 
OPENING KICKOFF
• NSU's game at Liberty scheduled for Sept. 15 was postponed due to Hurricane Florence, and will be made up on Dec. 1 provided NSU has not qualified for postseason play.
• SCSU also had its game last week, a home MEAC matchup with North Carolina Central, postponed due to the storm.
• The NSU-SCSU game was a late addition to both teams' schedules. The programs were not originally scheduled to play, but Hampton's departure from the MEAC left a void on the schedule for both the Spartans and Bulldogs, who agreed to play each other in a game that will not impact the MEAC standings.
 
LAST MEETING
• NSU notched a 13-10 win over host South Carolina State on Nov. 12, 2016 in the teams' last meeting.
• The win was NSU's first-ever over the Bulldogs in Orangeburg (1-9).
• The Spartan defense held SCSU to 162 yards of total offense and intercepted three Bulldog passes.
• Quarterback Greg Hankerson Jr. scored the go-ahead TD on a 4-yard run with 10:58 left in the game.
 
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
• While Southeastern Virginia was spared many of the worst effects of Hurricane Florence, inclement weather (or threat thereof) has impacted the NSU football team as much as any.
• The Spartans have played just one quarter of football since the season-opener against Virginia State on Sept. 1.
• Persistent storms with lightning caused the home game with James Madison to be delayed twice on Sept. 8. The game was called after just one quarter of play and ruled a JMU win, with the Dukes leading 17-0.
• With the forecast from Hurricane Florence looking grim for much of Virginia early last week, the Spartans' game last Saturday at Liberty was postponed.
 
NSU BY THE NUMBERS
5 - Number of quarters the Spartans have played this season in the first three weeks of the schedule.
8 - Number of true freshmen to play in NSU's first two games of the season.
17 - Number of fourth-quarter points for NSU in the opener against Virginia State. That's more than the Spartans had in any quarter last season.
45 - Game duration, in minutes, for the game against JMU that was stopped after one quarter.
80 - NSU is in its 80th season of intercollegiate football competition.
112 - Rushing yards by Aaron Savage in the season-opener against Virginia State, which tied a career high.
 
A WIN OVER SCSU WOULD...
A win this week over SCSU would...
• Be NSU's second-ever at SCSU, but would also give NSU its first-ever two-game win streak in the series.
• A win would also clinch no worse than a .500 non-conference record for the Spartans, a feat the program hasn't accomplished since 2012 (2-2).
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• SCSU opened the season with back-to-back losses to FBS opponents, a 37-6 loss at Georgia Southern to start the year and a 38-0 loss to No. 19 UCF on Sept. 8. The Bulldogs' game with N.C. Central last week was postponed.
•  Quarterback Tyrece Nick has been a bright spot for the Bulldogs, with 144 rushing yards and one TD in the first two games.
• The Bulldogs, who went 3-7 overall, 2-6 in the MEAC last year, were picked to finish seventh in the conference this year.