Spartans find positives in blowout defeat

LEXINGTON, Ky.

The Norfolk State fans in the corner of Commonwealth Stadium flickered like gold against a setting so blue it might as well have been an island in the sea on Saturday. And though the Spartans couldn't pull off the upset, they gave those folks plenty to cheer about in a 38-3 loss to Kentucky.

A year ago, NSU (1-1) faced a Division I-A foe for the first time and got blanked 59-0 by a Rutgers team that scored 35 points in the second quarter. Justin Castellat's 24-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining in the first half ensured the Spartans would come away with points this time, though not nearly enough.

They'll leave the Bluegrass S tate with confidence, though, that coach Pete Adrian hopes will spill over to this week's MEAC opener against North Carolina A&T. Unlike that Rutgers game when true NSU highlights were hard to find, the Spartans piled up plenty against the Wildcats.

Among them:

- Five receptions for 70 yards from wide receiver Jeremy Wicker. The sophomore came up with all of those in the first half despite going against cornerback Trevard Lindley, who's on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award that goes to the nation's top defensive player.

- Donte Hodge's sack and ensuing fumble recovery that led to NSU's lone score.

- Terrell Whitehead's first interception of the season. The Kempsville graduate, who had six picks last fall, nabbed one from Randall Cobb with 6:23 left in the third quarter.

- NSU forcing a Wildcats field goal in Kentucky's initial drive of the second half. The Wildcats had first and goal from the 4.

"We were more prepared this time," said Hodge. "We were determined we didn't want another 50-0 game."

Unlike a year ago, when NSU didn't pose much of a scoring threat to Rutgers, Adrian lamented the Spartans' failure to finish chances they had. NSU started at midfield after Whitehead's interception, and a 37-yard punt return by Wicker put them at the Kentucky 23.

"I'm more disappointed because we broke three different defenses in the first half," Adrian said, "but we were still our own worst enemy.

The offense's inability to come away with a touchdown likely will be foremost on Adrian's mind this week in practice. Quarterback Dennis Brown didn't complete a pass in the second half, hurried by a Kentucky defense that wore down NSU's line with every drive. Sacked three times, Brown completed 9 of his 22 attempts for 98 yards with an interception.

After Kentucky's first two drives resulted in punts, the Wildcats benched quarterback Mike Hartline in favor of true freshman Cobb. The wide receiver-turned-quarterback displayed a scrambling style more reminiscent of a MEAC player. Cobb scored Kentucky's first touchdown on an 18-yard keeper three plays after he entered the game. He ran for another on Kentucky's next drive and passed for the Wildcats' third touchdown with 2:54 left in the first half.

While the Spartans didn't amass the 16 penalties they collected against Rutgers, they had a costly one that stalled their best drive of the day. After Brown's dart found Jerome Johnson for a 12-yard gain at the Kentucky 43, Johnson was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on the next play.

Special teams play also was spotty. Castellat missed field goals of 53 and 47 yards and Billy Rudd shanked a punt for just 7 yards. But Rudd's foot was strong overall, including a third-quarter effort that allowed NSU to down it inside the 1.

"Justin missed two that he's more than capable of making," Adrian said. "He kicked one out there in practice for 62 yards, but that's a lot different than when the stadium is full."

Adrian had also hoped not to give up a big play, something NSU wasn't able to achieve. Whitehead's missed tackle allowed Derrick Locke to break free up the middle for a 68-yard touchdown with 14:45 left in the fourth quarter.

That was the longest run from scrimmage for the Wildcats (2-0) in 10 years.

Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 477-6874, VickiL120@cox.net