FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Malik Grant ran for 132 yards and a touchdown and Marquez McCray passed for one score and ran for another as Sacred Heart handed Norfolk State its fifth straight loss to open the season, 31-14, on Saturday at Campus Field.

The Pioneers (3-2) outscored NSU (0-5) 17-0 over the final 30+ minutes to pull away for the win in the teams' first-ever meeting.

Jordin Lennon scored on a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter and Ikeem Wright caught a 6-yard TD pass for his first collegiate touchdown in the second quarter to account for the Spartans' points.

The game started as a back-and-forth affair with both teams scoring on their first possession. Kenneth Womack got SHU on the board by catching a 6-yard TD pass with 13:09 left in the opening quarter.

The Spartans answered with a 16-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The march, which took 7:09 off the clock, ended on a 1-yard touchdown run by Lennon with 6:00 left in the opening period.

After forcing an SHU punt, the Spartans drove to the Pioneer 36 but were stopped short of a first down on 4th-and-1. SHU proceeded to drive 64 yards in nine plays to take the lead on a 1-yard run by McCray just 10 seconds into the second quarter.

NSU tied things up with 3:45 left in the second quarter. NSU drove 10 plays and 69 yards for the equalizer, a 6-yard TD pass from Jaylan Adams to Wright.

But the Pioneers had the answer just before halftime. Sam Renzi capped a 12-play, 52-yard march with a 34-yard field goal on the last play of the half to send the Pioneers into the break with a 17-14 lead.

SHU carried that momentum into the second half, outscoring the Spartans 14-0 after the intermission. Grant scored on a 1-yard run at the 3:37 mark of the third quarter to push the Pioneers lead to 24-14. Then the clinching score came midway through the fourth quarter. With NSU facing fourth down from deep in their own end on a rainy afternoon, punter Carson Wilt mishandled the punt snap and attempted a pass, which Robert O'Donnell intercepted and returned 5 yards for a Sacred Heart touchdown and a 31-14 Pioneer lead.

NSU gained 212 of its 330 yards on the ground. Four Spartans recorded at least 38 yards rushing, led by J.J. Davis with 57 yards on 10 carries. Adams rushed for 56 yards, Kevon King had a career-high 46 and Lennon ran for 38.

Linebacker Tyler Long posted a career-high 13 tackles for NSU, with Marquis Hall adding nine and Shaviaea Williams eight (one for loss). Anthony Blume and Levontae Jacobs both registered sacks for the NSU defense.

The Spartans play their second straight road game next Saturday when they open MEAC play at Morgan State. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. in Baltimore, Maryland.