THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 17, 1994 TAG: 9409170464
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
They opened with a lopsided defeat but came back to win a close game last week. Their biggest question: the offensive line.
Norfolk State? Sure, that describes the Spartans. But it also describes Fayetteville State, which comes to Foreman Field to take on Norfolk State tonight.
Like the Spartans, the Broncos went back to square one after a season-opening defeat. And like the Spartans, the adjustments they made paid off.
``My worst fears came true in the first game,'' Fayetteville coach Jerome Harper said. ``Out of the first 30 plays, half of those we were hit in the backfield.''
Harper's worst fear was that his young offensive line - which features two freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and one sophomore - wouldn't be ready for prime time. They weren't, but with some adjustments, Fayetteville bounced back against Elizabeth City State last week.
``It wasn't a lack of effort,'' Harper said. ``We were trying to do too much. We had to simplify.''
Fayetteville went back to basics, which meant handing the ball to tailback Clifton Davis. Davis, who rushed for 1,591 yards last year, ran for 135 against Elizabeth City.
Containing Davis, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior, could be Norfolk State's biggest problem. The Spartans couldn't do it last year, and Davis ran for 242 yards in a 34-19 Fayetteville win.
Coach Darnell Moore has been emphasizing tackling techniques in practice for the past two weeks, after the Spartans missed tackle after tackle in a 54-6 loss to Virginia State.
``Tackling is 25 percent fundamental, and the rest is mental,'' Moore said.
After beating N.C. Central, 26-24, last week, Norfolk State's mental health is almost certainly improved. Several players said afterward that they felt the win was a new beginning.
``It was important that they believe they can win, and that they believe in our system,'' Moore said. ``What we want to do now is build upon what we did against Central: cut down on our mistakes and turnovers.''
The Spartans gave the ball away just once last week after turning it over eight times against Virginia State. They got 247 yards passing from quarterback Aaron Sparrow, with 155 of them going to James Roe.
``They didn't get out of the blocks too well,'' Harper said. ``The sign of a good coach is how you respond after that. He (Moore) responded well. His team responded well.''
NOTES: Tailback Jeff Henderson, who didn't play last week after missing a practice, will be back tonight. . . . Offensive tackle Keith Mungin, who has been in school but did not plan to play this year, will be in uniform tonight. Mungin, a starter last year, is expected to help offset the loss of tackle Ken McDaniel, who injured his right knee last week and is expected to be out six weeks. by CNB