NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State (3-7, 3-4 MEAC) finishes its 2015 football schedule this week with a road matchup in Baltimore, Md., against Morgan State (4-5, 4-3). Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hughes Stadium. The Spartans will attempt to end the year with a .500 MEAC record for the second year in a row, while the Bears are looking to end the year .500 overall and with a winning conference ledger.

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State (3-7, 3-4 MEAC) finishes its 2015 football schedule this week with a road matchup in Baltimore, Md., against Morgan State (4-5, 4-3). Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hughes Stadium. The Spartans will attempt to end the year with a .500 MEAC record for the second year in a row, while the Bears are looking to end the year .500 overall and with a winning conference ledger.

RADIO
WGH Star 1310 AM is in its second season as the flagship network for NSU football and basketball games. Ross Gordon will handle the play-by-play duties and Matt Michalec is the color commentator. The game can also be heard online at http://www.star1310.com.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Norfolk State (3-7, 3-4 MEAC) concluded its home slate with a 17-10 loss to South Carolina State last Saturday in Norfolk. The Spartans led 10-3 entering the fourth quarter, but the visiting Bulldogs strung together two long scoring drives, eventually taking the lead on Justin Taylor’s 4-yard TD run with 42 seconds left. Spartan quarterback Greg Hankerson was intercepted near midfield on NSU’s final possession.

The Spartans got a 41-yard field goal from Cameron Marouf in the first quarter, and a 27-yard TD pass from Hankerson to Marcus Taylor in the third quarter. Hankerson passed for 241 yards with one TD and two interceptions. DeAndre Sangster caught six passes for 110 yards, while Taylor had career highs of five catches for 76 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. Defensively, Deon King had 18 tackles, three for loss, and two sacks.

SCSU outgained the Spartans, 365-305.

SCOUTING THE BEARS
Morgan State (4-5 overall, 4-3 MEAC) snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Florida A&M 21-7 last week in Baltimore. Quarterback Moses Skillon passed for 327 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 74 yards and another score for the Bears, who held FAMU to 196 total yards of offense. Andrew King caught six passes for 168 yards and the back-breaking 83-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. Orlando Johnson ran 20 times for 92 yards and a TD for MSU. Dalonte Jenifer recorded five tackles for loss and a pair of sacks for the Bears’ defense, which allowed just 60 rushing yards by the Rattlers.

Johnson leads a balanced MSU rushing attack with 520 yards and six touchdowns this year. Skillon has passed for 1,431 yards and six TDs while running for 369 yards and five scores.

THE SERIES
• This will be the 30th meeting all-time between NSU and MSU, with NSU leading 18-11.
• The Spartans have won eight straight games against the Bears, dating to 2006.
• NSU is 15-3 against the Bears since moving to Division I in 1997.
• NSU has won five straight over MSU in Baltimore, with the Spartans’ last loss coming in 2003.

TRIFECTA FOR KING
Senior linebacker Deon King continues to wrap up his career in impressive fashion, as he was named the MEAC’s Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week and third time this season following the loss to S.C. State. The Division I leader in total tackles and tackles per game notched 18 stops, 12 solos, against SCSU. He also had a season-high three tackles for loss and two sacks. King has won more MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors than any other conference player this season.

BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
Freshman WR Marcus Taylor recorded career highs of five catches for 76 yards and his first career touchdown last week against South Carolina State. Taylor (5-8, 165), the fastest player on NSU’s team, is now fourth on the team with 20 catches this season. He has played especially well over the last month, as he has 14 of his 20 catches in the last four games.

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Senior WR DeAndre Sangster notched his second 100-yard receiving game of the year last week against S.C. State, with a career-high 110 yards receiving on six catches. That was NSU’s fourth 100-yard receiving game this year, as Isaac White also has two. Only Hampton, with five 100-yard receiving games (all by Twarn Mixson), has compiled more such games than NSU this year.

Originally posted by NSUSpartans.com | Used with permission