NSU defense scores 2 TDs, limits league’s top rusher in win

NORFOLK

Morgan State might have the top-ranked defense in Division I-AA, but Norfolk State’s was better Saturday at Price Stadium .

The Bears committed a season-high seven turnovers, and the Spartans dominated in a 35-9 rout.

Don Carey, who picked off a pair of passes in front of a handful of NFL scouts in town to watch him, said the NSU defense got ticked off early and remained angry in holding the Bears to their fewest points this fall in a I-AA game.

“Rankings don’t mean a thing,” the Booker T. Washington High School graduate said. “The thing that got me is they tried to come out and jump on our logo. No matter who we’re playing, I’m

always going to show respect.”

Carey scored off his second pick, zooming 94 yards down the left sideline for the first touchdown of his career. That was NSU’s second defensive TD of the afternoon. Hasan Craig ran back Mario Melton’s fumble two plays before that.

Terrell Whitehead and Dennis Marsh each added interceptions, and the NSU defense held MEAC leading rusher Devan James to 69 yards on 15 carries , a season-low against I-AA opponents.

“Statistics are nice, but there are a few things that matter in a football game,” said Spartans coach Pete Adrian, whose team was limited to 184 yards of offense. “The score and turnovers.”

NSU (4-6, 3-4 MEAC) had the upper hand in both, leading 21-3 after three quarters and not committing a turnover against a defense that came in atop I-AA in turnover margin . Morgan State juggled two quarterbacks but was without its starter, Carlton Jackson, who nursed a shoulder injury from last week. He’s been sidelined in eight of nine games this season .

The Spartans scored on the opening possession, finding success with short-yardage passes and DeAngelo Branche runs, including one for 26 yards on third down, the longest gain on the ground of the game. Branche scored from about an inch out , his ninth touchdown of the year, 4½ minutes into the game. The redshirt sophomore carried 23 times for 86 yards.

NSU quarterback Dennis Brown added another touchdown off a 5-yard scamper wide, set up after Deon Norris recovered quarterback Jeremy Glover’s fumble at the 1-yard line.

Morgan State finally looked ready to score before the break but was stopped by the Spartan defense again. This time it was 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman Dennis Marsh cupping Melton’s off-balance throw. Marsh lumbered forward for a 27-yard return, rocking the sparsely filled stadium with 5,812 in rain-soaked bleachers.

“I slowed down to make the cut and someone grabbed my leg,” Marsh said. “We had a great game plan today, and we executed it and came out on top.”

The Bears’ first points, a 29-yard field goal, came off the longest drive of the day, a 15-play, 72-yard effort that used seven minutes to open the third quarter.

Brown followed with a second run for a touchdown on the ensuing drive to put the Spartans up 21-3. The Bears followed with their only touchdown when Melton’s 9-yard floater somehow reached Jephte Cherenfant in the end zone.

Morgan State drove deep into NSU territory late in the fourth but fell short after Anthony Taylor leveled Melton. A.J. Harris picked up the loose ball at the 8 to end the threat.

NSU’s defense scored twice inside the final two minutes on Carey’s interception and when Craig scooped up another Melton giveaway . Craig’s 34-yard touchdown was the sophomore’s first.

The loss likely eliminated Morgan State (6-4, 4-2) from MEAC title contention.

“We tried to prove we were the best defense in the conference today,” Landstown High graduate Taylor said. “I think we did a pretty good job of that.”

Notes Constant stoppages in play marred Saturday’s game, with the teams combining for 24 penalties for 206 yards. Twice NSU kept Morgan State drives alive by committing penalties on third down.

Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 477-6874

or VickiL120@cox.net