Daryl Jones rushed 30 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns, and the Norfolk State defense kept Morgan State out of the end zone on two late fourth-quarter drives as the Spartans claimed a 24-16 win over the Bears on Saturday afternoon at Hughes Stadium.
With the win, NSU remains in second place behind MEAC leader Delaware State. The Spartans can clinch their first-ever Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance and at least a share of their first MEAC title with a win at DSU next Saturday in NSU’s conference finale.
Jones rebounded from a season-low four-yard performance in a loss to Howard last Saturday with a vintage effort. His 167 yards are the most by a running back this season against Morgan State, which entered the game with the top-ranked FCS defense.
For the seventh time in nine games this year, the Spartans yielded the game’s first points. The Bears took the opening kickoff and drove 86 yards for the game’s first score. MEAC leading rusher Chad Simpson carried five times for 77 yards on the possession, capping it with a 41-yard touchdown run with 11:57 left in the first quarter. NSU’s Lamont Thorpe blocked James Meade’s extra point.
The Spartans took their second possession of the game and drove 65 yards in 13 plays. Jones scored his team-leading 11th touchdown of the year on a 3-yard run to finish the drive, and Justin Castellat’s extra point gave the Spartans a 7-6 lead with 2:09 left in the first quarter.
The teams played a scoreless second quarter, but NSU took a 10-6 lead after marching 57 yards in six plays to start the third quarter. Castellat connected on a 33-yard field goal with 12:05 left in the third quarter. The big play on the drive was a 38-yard completion from Casey Hansen to Jeremy Wicker.
On the third play of the next drive, NSU safety Terrell Whitehead picked off a Byron Selby pass and returned it 20 yards to the Bears’ 19-yard line. Jones carried on the next two plays, scoring from 4 yards out to give the Spartans a 17-6 lead with 10:37 left in the third.
The Bears got back into the game on NSU’s next drive. MSU linebacker Bryan Wilson sacked Hansen and forced a fumble, which Justin Lawrence returned 16 yards for a Morgan TD. Meade’s extra point cut NSU’s lead to 17-13 with 8:02 left in the third.
But the Spartans regrouped, and again extended their lead into double digits early in the fourth quarter. Senior Timothy Ferrell spelled Jones in the backfield and burst up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown run with 13:55 left in the game. That capped a nine-play, 87-yard drive that lasted 4:37.
Meade brought MSU within eight, 24-16, with a 42-yard field goal with 7:41 left in the game. Meade’s kick was the culmination of a 15-play, 43-yard drive.
MSU’s George Howard recovered the ensuing on-side kick, and the Bears drove to the NSU 14. But Don Carey intercepted a Mario Melton pass in the end zone to thwart the drive.
The Bears had one more chance, after holding the Spartans three-and-out on their next possession. MSU took over at its own 26 with 3:41 left and proceeded to move 65 yards in 11 plays to the Spartans’ 9. But Melton’s 4th-and-3 pass to Rohnie Sykes at the goal line was incomplete with less than 20 seconds left, and NSU ran out the clock.
Both teams tallied 312 yards of offense.
Simpson paced the Bears with 215 yards on 33 carries, but Selby and Melton combined to go just 9-of-22 for 98 yards and two interceptions.
Hansen completed 12-of-19 passes for 150 yards for NSU. The 167-yard effort by Jones was the second-best of his career, second only to his 256-yard game at Florida A&M two weeks ago, and was the fifth time he surpassed 100 yards this season. He needs just 11 yards to pass the 1,000 yard mark for the year.
The NSU defense had several standouts. Leading tacklers Maguell and Marquez Davis tallied 14 and 12 tackles, respectively. Carey finished with nine tackles, two pass breakups and one interception. NSU’s defense also finished with a season-high four sacks, led by 1.5 from Donte’ Hodge.