NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State football team heads to Orangeburg, S.C. on Saturday for its final test of the season: a 1:30 p.m. showdown against South Carolina State, the 2021 MEAC and Celebration Bowl champion.
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Opening Kickoff
- Norfolk State dropped to 1-9 on the season with a 48-14 loss to North Carolina Central last Saturday at Dick Price Stadium.
- The Spartans scored on their opening drives of both the first and second halves, but North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard paved the way for his squad's victory, throwing for 347 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for another.
- Otto Kuhns accounted for both of Norfolk State's scores, scrambling through the middle for the first and hitting Da'Quan Felton in the back of the end zone for the other. Kuhns completed 15-of-27 passing attempts for the day, while Felton finished with 49 receiving yards on six catches.
- South Carolina State fell 28-14 to Howard last week, marking the team's third consecutive loss. Bulldogs receiver Shaquan Davis made three grabs for 88 yards, while Jordan Smith caught three pass for 36 yards and a touchdown.
- Davis, the preseason All-MEAC selection, leads the conference this year with 738 receiving yards on 36 catches through nine games. His nine touchdowns also top the MEAC.
- The Bulldogs were picked to win the MEAC in the 2022 preseason poll, racking up eight first-place votes.
Series History
- South Carolina State leads the all-time series between the foes 19-5. The Bulldogs have won the two most recent meetings, with NSU's last victory against SCSU coming on Sept 18, 2018, a 17-7 result in which Juwan Carter threw for 281 yards and a touchdown.
- SCSU clinched the outright MEAC title with a season-finale win in Norfolk last year, defeating the Spartans 31-21 behind a fourth quarter surge.
- Carter completed 17-of-28 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns that game, his final contest for the Spartans.
Getting His Kicks
NSU freshman kicker
Grandin Willcox has made the most of his opportunities in the kicking game this year. In addition to making all 18 of his extra point attempts, he is also 3-of-4 on field goals this year. That includes a career-long 46-yarder last week at N.C. A&T, the longest field goal by a Spartan since Cameron Marouf hit a 51-yarder in 2014.
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Tyler Tallies Tackles
NSU junior
Tyler Long has been racking up tackles of late. More on the standout linebacker:
- Long is first in the MEAC and 23rd in all of Division I FCS with 93 total tackles in nine games.
- He has reached double-figures five times, with 11 at Marshall, 12 at St. Francis, 13 at Sacred Heard, 10 vs. Howard, and a career-best 14 last week against North Carolina Central.
- Long also leads NSU and is 11th in the MEAC with 3.0 sacks on the year.
