Norfolk State 17, Morgan State 14

NORFOLK, VA – Norfolk State University place-kicker Gideon Tekola had felt pressure just a few minutes earlier with the game tied 14-14. Tekola’s 44-yard field goal attempt was booted wide left with 3:10 remaining in regulation, so trying a 38-yarder with 2 seconds on the clock to win the game seemed easy.

With the wind at his back , Tekola’s second field goal attempt of the day gave Norfolk State it’s first win in seven games and its’ seventh consecutive win against Morgan State University as they rallied back from a 14 point deficit to secure a 17-14 victory over the Bears in front of a homecoming crowd of 18,094 at Dick Price Stadium.

It was another important game for the Bears as they looked for their fourth consecutive win and an opportunity to have an outside shot at the MEAC title.

Instead, Norfolk State (3-6, 1-6 MEAC) took advantage of Morgan’s sputtering offense and exploited the Bears’ weakness against the pass to deny Morgan of their first win against the Spartans since 1989.

Morgan State didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard to start the game. On the opening kickoff, the Bears caught the Spartans by surprise as kicker Jon Voroshilin (5’11, 180, San Antonio, TX) recovered his own onside kick. Two plays later LeJominick Washington (6’3, 205, Magnolia, NJ) hooked up with rookie wideout Kelvin Dickens (6’0, 220, Dallas, TX) for a 5-yard pass that Dickens turned into a 48-yard dash on the sideline to paydirt. Voroshilin’s extra point gave the Bears a 7-0 lead in the first 20 seconds of the game.

On the Bears’ next possession MSU burned the Spartans on a halfback pass by T.J. Stallings to Kelvin Dickens for a 25-yard touchdown with 10 minutes remaining in the quarter. Both teams played to a standstill throughout the 2nd quarter as the Bears finished the half with a 14-0 lead.

MSU’s offense was stifled from that point forward, while Norfolk came out of the break energized both on offense and defense.

Norfolk’s offense came into the ballgame averaging 260 yards on offense, but against Morgan they racked up 398 yards while the Bears finished well below their average with 193 yards.

The Spartans got on the board in the 3rd quarter when Dawayvone Clanton pounded the ball into the endzone from 2 yards out following an 8-play, 60 yard drive. Gideon’s extra point cut the Bears’ lead to 14-7 at the 4:02 mark.
Norfolk State dominated time of possession as the Spartans held the ball just more than 15 minutes longer than Morgan’s offense.

The Spartans came out on fire during the 4th quarter behind tailback Terrell Johnson. Johnson pounded out a game-high 132 yards on 25 carries and knotted the score when he capped a 13-play, 80 yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 10:25 remaining.

MSU had one more shot to take the lead following a missed 44-yard field goal by Tekola with 3:10 remaining in the contest, yet the Spartans’ defense stepped up to the challenge. Norfolk forced the Bears into a 3-and-out when LeJominick Washington was blindsided by Norfolk strong safety Marcus Gray for the Spartans’ sixth sack of the game. It ended up being the Bears’ last possession of the day.

Norfolk State quarterback Dontrell Leonard had a strong performance as he connected with 7 different receivers and completed 17-of-31 passes for 209 yards. Morgan dynamo T.J. Stallings (5’11, 170, Randallstown) finished the game with 90 yards on 19 carries, but 58 of his yards came in the first half. He only touched the ball 7 times in the second half. Cliff Johnson (6’2, 210, Baltimore, MD) and Sam Massey (6’2, 205, Waverly, GA) led MSU’s defensive efforts. Johnson recorded 10 tackles (9 solo) and a tackle for loss, while Massey had 7 tackles (6 solo) including 3 pass breakups and an interception.

Morgan will travel to Orangeburg, SC next Saturday, November 16th to match-up with the Bulldogs of South Carolina State (6-4, 3-3 MEAC). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Front Page

Football Index