NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State football team (2-1) returns to Dick Price Stadium for its MEAC opener this Saturday against Delaware State (0-3). Kickoff is at 4 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
MEDIA COVERAGE
• Live Video: ESPN 3 
• Radio: WNSB 91.1 FM (3:30 p.m. pre-game): Play-by-Play – Ross Gordon/Color – Glen Mason 
• Twitter Updates: @NSUSpartans / @NSU_FB
 
SERIES INFORMATION
• Record: DSU leads 16-4 (3 NSU wins vacated)
• Last Meeting: 9-23-17 (NSU 17-7)
• First Meeting: 1953 (DSU 18-0)
 
OPENING KICKOFF
• The Spartans improved to 2-1 on the year with a 17-7 win at South Carolina State last Saturday which did not count in the MEAC standings. MEAC teams only play seven conference games this year, so the NSU-SCSU game was designated as a non-conference matchup.
• Delaware State had a bye week last Saturday following an 0-3 start to the season that included a pair of losses to FBS teams.
• This week's game has also been designated Health Awareness Day sponsored by Team Spartan Corporate Partner CHKD.
 
LAST MEETING
• Juwan Carter passed for a career-high 292 yards and two touchdowns, both to Chuma Awanna, in a 17-7 Norfolk State win over Delaware State in the teams' last meeting on Sept. 23, 2017 in Dover.
• Awanna caught TD throws of 8 and 16 yards from Carter, who was making his second career start for the Spartans.
• The Spartan defense allowed DSU just 226 yards of offense. NSU also intercepted three passes, one each by Quintreil Chung, Nigel Chavis and Bobby Price. Price's pick came in the end zone in the fourth quarter and helped seal the win for NSU.
• Jack McDaniels passed for 156 yards for DSU.
 
NSU BY THE NUMBERS
3 - Number of interceptions in three games this season by safety Nhrye' Quinerly, this week's MEAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
8 - Number of different players who caught a pass in last week's win at S.C. State.
12.3 / 236.3 - Points and yards per game allowed so far this year by the NSU defense.
136 - Combined receiving yards last week for Chuma Awanna (69) and Isaiah Winstead (67), who combined for 11 receptions.
413 - Total offensive yards for NSU last week at South Carolina State, the Spartans' most in 20 games.
 
A WIN OVER DSU WOULD...
A win this week over DSU would...
• Give NSU its first 3-1 start since the 2011 season, which culminated in NSU's first MEAC title (since vacated).
• Give the Spartans a win in their MEAC opener for the third time in four years under coach Latrell Scott.
 
QUINERLY EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
NSU DB Nhyre' Quinerly was named the MEAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance at S.C. State.
• Quinerly recorded seven tackles (six solo) with one pass breakup, one interception and one forced fumble.
• Quinerly's INT came in the end zone in the third quarter. His forced fumble, which led to another NSU takeaway, came with SCSU trailing 14-7 and driving inside the Spartan red zone.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Delaware State had a bye week last Saturday following an 0-3 start to the season which included losses to FBS programs Buffalo (48-10) and Western Michigan (68-0) and a 45-14 loss at St. Francis (Pa.). In their last outing, DSU dropped a 68-0 decision at Western Michigan. The Hornets gained 123 yards of offense, including just eight passing.
 
A bright spot early in the year has been the play of running back Mike Waters, who leads the MEAC with 78.7 rushing yards per game (67 carries, 236 yards). He ran for 107 yards in the loss to St. Francis. Defensively, the Hornets are led by linebacker and Norfolk native Brian Cavicante, who averages 10 tackles per game.
 
The Hornets are under the leadership of first-year head coach and DSU alumnus Rod Milstead, a former Super Bowl Champion with the 49ers who most recently was head coach at La Plata (Md.) High.