THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509100203
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
After injuring his knee in Norfolk State's third practice of the season, Jerry Davis spent so much time on a stationary bike that teammates began to think he was training for cycling rather than football.
The Tour de France will have to wait.
The junior college transfer put the bike behind him Saturday, but his legs kept churning as he ran for 154 yards and a touchdown, sparking Norfolk State's 27-12 CIAA victory over the Bowie State Bulldogs.
It was the first time a Spartan rushed for over 100 yards in 15 games and was the most individual rushing yardage since Michael Waugh ran for 166 yards five years ago in a 29-0 victory over Elizabeth City State.
Davis, who transferred from Mesa Community College, also caught four passes for 53 yards in front of a crowd of 6,427 at Indian River High, giving him 207 all-purpose yards.
``He really opens up the running game for us,'' tackle Kenny McDaniel said. ``The guy's got like 4.3 or 4.2 speed (in the 40-yard dash).''
Davis, whose injury forced him to sit out a season-opening 41-22 loss to Virginia State, opened the Spartans' scoring with a 17-yard run up the middle in the first quarter.
He followed with runs of 32, 13 and 14 yards on the Spartans' next possession. Forced to concentrate on Davis, Bowie State could no longer rely on its nickel defense, which was successful in the opening minutes.
Norfolk State quarterback Aaron Sparrow, who completed just 12 of 34 pass attempts a week ago, connected on 20 of 33 attempts for 243 yards. Six receivers caught three or more passes as Sparrow spread the wealth.
Sparrow found All-American receiver James Roe wide open on a slant route - defender Ray Cannon fell - for a 42-yard scoring play as the Spartans (1-1) took a 14-0 halftime lead.
Head coach Darnell Moore pointed to Davis as the reason.
``Once he had some good runs, we were able to do some play action and other things,'' said Moore, whose Spartans visit Livingstone next Saturday.
``Davis definitely made us do some things differently,'' Bowie State head coach Sherman Wood said. ``Our defense was designed to stop the pass and we felt if they went to the run successfully, we would be in trouble.''
Meanwhile, the Spartans were bottling Bowie State's most dangerous threat, 6-foot-4 wide receiver Thomas Destry. With cornerbacks Byron Wilson and Lidell Finley hounding him most of the day, Destry caught only two passes. Wilson picked off a Darrell Foote pass intended for Destry in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.
Wilson and Finley were both giving away a half-foot or more in height to Destry.
``We were just trying to take away the fade,'' Wilson said. ``We'd seen on film that they like to throw that. We just tried to get good position and lean into him when the ball went up.''
Bowie State cut the deficit to 14-6 midway through the third quarter when William Beverly capped a 40-yard, six-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Spartans, though, hiked the lead to 21-6 when Sparrow hit Darius Blount on a 17-yard scoring pass with 2:13 left in the third quarter.
Bowie State's following possession ended with a 41-yard punt by Foote to the Norfolk State 1-yard line. Three plays later, receiver Marty Conner was stripped at the 10 by Bowie State linebacker Shamar Foster, who returned the ball to the Norfolk State 6.
Two plays later, Foote scored on a quarterback keeper. But his two-point conversion pass to Alex Harris was long, and the Spartans led, 21-12.
Norfolk State marched 71 yards on its next possession with Sparrow finding Ronald Boone on a 9-yard scoring pass with 8:38 remaining for the game's final score. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
Norfolk State's Darius Blount, second from left, hugs running back
Jerry Davis after Davis scored the Spartans' first touchdown. Bowie
State's Ray Cannon, left, and Melvin Pannell are less enthused.
by CNB