NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State football team (6-2, 2-0 MEAC) looks to remain perfect in the MEAC and extend its winning streak to seven games when the Spartans face N.C. Central (3-5, 1-1) this Saturday in Durham, N.C. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and Blazin' Hot 91.1 FM and will re-air on ESPNU at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

OPENING KICKOFF
• Last week, Juwan Carter passed for 368 yards and three touchdowns and J.J. Davis accounted for 235 all-purpose yards and two scores in NSU's 31-20 win over Morgan State.
• Carter completed passes to 10 different receivers and three different Spartans caught TD passes, including Davis, who scored on an 86-yarder.
• The win was the Spartans' sixth straight, their longest winning streak since 1984.
• Linebacker Tyler Long had nine tackles (1.5 TFL) to earn MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Carter won his fourth MEAC offensive POTW award, while Davis (Rookie) and Colby Byrd (OL) won their third weekly conference honors of the season.
               
SERIES HISTORY
• Former CIAA rivals NSU and NCCU will be meeting for the eighth time as D-I opponents this week.
• After splitting their first 10 meetings in Division II, NCCU has won five of the seven meetings since 2013.
• The Spartans did win the last two times the teams played in Durham (2017, 2019), including a 38-21 victory in the most recent matchup.
 
STREAKING SPARTANS
• At six straight, NSU has match the second-longest win streak in school history. The Spartans also won six straight games in both 1949 and 1982.
• The school record for longest winning streak is eight, set by the 1984 CIAA championship team.
 
HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
• Senior QB Juwan Carter continues to etch his name in Norfolk State's record book and is nearing one of the program's longest-standing hallowed records: the career passing yardage mark held by former D-II All-American Aaron Sparrow.
• Carter (8,751) needs just eight yards to pass Sparrow's mark of 8,758 that has stood since 1995.
• Earlier this year, Carter surpassed Sparrow's school marks for total offensive yards, completions and pass attempts.
 
BACK IN THE NEST
• NSU head coach Dawson Odums is a 1997 alumnus of North Carolina Central, where he played defensive line and earned All-CIAA honors.
• Odums, a native of Shelby, N.C., was college teammates with NCCU head man Trei Oliver, who played defensive back and punter at NCCU from 1994-97.
 
TRUSTY TRENCHMEN
• NSU has won the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week award following its last seven games.
• LG Jalen Powell started the streak following the Wake Forest game and just received his second such award after the Howard victory. C Colby Byrd won it following the Elizabeth City, VUL and Morgan State games, and RG Justin Redd won it after St. Francis and Hampton.
• The group has helped the Spartans lead the MEAC and rank 15th nationally in rushing so far, at 211.5 yards per game.
• NSU rushed for more than 300 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2010 with 322 vs. ECSU and 323 at St. Francis.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
• North Carolina Central is 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the MEAC after a narrow 27-24 defeat against South Carolina State last Saturday in Durham. The Bulldogs rushed for 266 yards against NCCU and forced two Eagles turnovers in the contest.
• NCCU leads the MEAC in scoring defense (24.5 ppg allowed) and pass defense (194.9 ypg). Quarterback Davius Richard leads the Eagles in rushing (255 yards, 4 TDs) and has also thrown for 1,487 yards and 11 scores.
 
DIXON GETS SHRINE BOWL INVITE
Defensive lineman De'Shaan Dixon has received an invitation to participate in the 97th East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 3, 2022.
• Dixon becomes the second Spartan ever invited to the Shrine Bowl behind former Spartan and NFL defensive back Don Carey, who played in the 2009 game following his career at NSU.
• The game is one of the oldest and more prestigious all-star games for graduating college seniors. This year's contest will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and be televised live on the NFL Network.
• This season, Dixon has totaled 34 tackles, seven for loss, including 6.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. Dixon, a preseason first-team All-MEAC selection, currently leads the MEAC in sacks.