DURHAM, N.C. – Malcolm Bell threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Armani Lanier in North Carolina Central’s 17-point fourth quarter, and running back Dorrel McClain rushed for 93 yards and two scores to lift the Eagles past Norfolk State, 24-16, on Saturday afternoon at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

DURHAM, N.C. – Malcolm Bell threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Armani Lanier in North Carolina Central’s 17-point fourth quarter, and running back Dorrel McClain rushed for 93 yards and two scores to lift the Eagles past Norfolk State, 24-16, on Saturday afternoon at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Eagles (5-3, 4-1 MEAC). Greg Hankerson Jr. passed for 230 yards while rushing for 89 yards and two touchdowns for NSU (2-6, 2-3), which lost its third straight game.

Hankerson’s first rushing touchdown came on the Spartans’ first drive of the game. He scampered untouched 13 yards up the middle to cap an eight-play, 61-yard drive and give NSU the 7-0 edge.

The score would remain that way until just before halftime as the teams’ defenses controlled much of the first two quarters. McClain scored on a 1-yard run to cap a short NCCU drive set up by two 15-yard penalties on NSU, sending the game into halftime tied at 7-all.

The rest of the game’s scoring came in an action-packed fourth quarter which saw 26 points put on the board. Bell started the spree with a 77-yard TD pass to Lanier streaking behind the Spartan defense. The Eagles’ longest passing play of the season made it 14-7 with 14:21 left in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans went three-and-out on their next possession and were forced to punt from deep in their own end. That resulted in a short field for NCCU, which took over its next possession at the NSU 36. Four plays later, McClain scored from 2 yards out to make it 21-7 with 10:56 left.

But NSU needed just three plays to answer. Hankerson eluded several NCCU pass rushers, juked a couple more and outraced the defense for a 77-yard scoring run with 9:56 remaining. The point-after missed, but the Spartans cut their deficit to 21-13.

The Eagles went back ahead by two scores when Kelvin Davis recovered an NSU fumble on a punt, setting up Nigel Macauley’s 33-yard field goal with 7:06 left.

NSU answered with a 32-yard Cameron Marouf field goal at the 4:43 mark, but NSU came up empty on its final two possessions. The second came in the game’s final minute. NSU had a 2nd-and-10 at the Eagles’ 43, but Hankerson’s desperation heave was knocked away inside the NCCU 10.

Hankerson tallied over 300 yards of total offense for the second straight week. He passed for 230 yards, completing 20-of-35 passes without an interception. He also rushed 16 times for a net of 89 yards for a total of 319 yards of offense. The two rushing touchdowns were his first two of the season.

Bell passed for 193 yards with one touchdown and an interception for the Eagles. McClain rushed 22 times for 93 yards and Bell carried 19 times for 88 yards.

Kyle Archie (14 tackles, two for loss) and Deon King (14 tackles) both reached double figures in tackles for the Spartans.

NSU returns home for its next two games, starting with a 2 p.m. Homecoming matchup next Saturday against Savannah State at Dick Price Stadium.

Originally posted by NSUspartans.com | Used with permission