NORFOLK, Va. — South Carolina State spoiled Norfolk State's homecoming on Saturday, handing the Spartans a 51–20 loss in the MEAC opener before a record-breaking crowd of 47,273 at William "Dick" Price Stadium.
After the NSU defense forced punts on the Bulldogs' first two drives, the Spartans struck first on a 22-yard touchdown connection from Otto Kuhns to J.J. Evans with 4:35 left in the opening quarter.
S.C. State responded with 31 unanswered points, four touchdowns and a field goal, to go up 31–7 with two minutes remaining in the half. Norfolk State halted the run when X'Zavion Evans turned a short pass into a 66-yard score, trimming the deficit to 31–14. The Bulldogs answered quickly, using 34 seconds to add an eight-yard touchdown pass from William Atkins IV to Mason Picket-Hicks for a 38–14 halftime lead.
Special teams swung momentum further in the third quarter, as S.C. State tallied a pair of scores in the period to make it 44–14 heading to the fourth. Tyler Smith's one-yard rushing touchdown with 13:35 to play in the fourth pushed the margin to 51–14.
NSU capped the scoring late when Kuhns found J.J. Evans deep for a 48-yard touchdown; the extra point was no good, setting the final at 51–20.
Kuhns finished 10-of-18 for 230 yards with three touchdown passes, one interception and three sacks. J.J. Evans led the receiving corps with four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Daylan Long and Major Dillard paced the Spartans with eight tackles apiece.
Norfolk State returns to action on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., facing Delaware State under the lights at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
