THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610200156
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 82 lines
The Norfolk State Spartans made their last date with Foreman Field a memorable one, posting a 38-0 victory over Virginia Union Saturday afternoon in front of a homecoming crowd of 26,385.
Then they kissed the aging facility goodbye.
Stealing a scene from The Dating Game, head coach Darnell Moore and team members collectively blew the grandstand an exaggerated wet one, then marched off the artificial turf in search of closer, if not greener, pastures.
After renting Old Dominion University's facility for almost two decades, the Spartans will begin play at their own 30,000-seat, natural grass stadium on campus next fall.
All four of NSU's remaining games this season, starting with Elizabeth City State next Saturday, are on the road.
``I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz,'' Moore said. ``There's no place like home and we're going there.''
The shutout was NSU's first in 65 games, the last coming in a 29-0 victory over Elizabeth City State in 1990.
The only thing close about this one was the touchdowns tallied by NSU's offense compared to its defense.
The Spartans (5-2 overall, 5-1 CIAA) kicked off the scoring avalanche when defensive tackle John Green blindsided Union quarterback Gregory Baylor. Middle linebacker Robert Johnson scooped up the loose ball and raced 75 yards with 53 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
A pair of second-quarter touchdown passes from Robert Morris to Darius Blount (43 yards) and Reggie Bureau (50 yards) gave NSU an 18-0 advantage.
Morris completed 15 of 28 passes for 242 yards with one interception, as the Spartans' offense outgained Union 455 to 233.
Not wanting to be outdone, the defense scored again when Kenneth Manning blocked a punt by Union's Warner Jones at the 30 and Sunnil Motley picked it up on the second hop, taking it the final 15 yards into the end zone with 4:38 remaining in the half.
The Spartans added two second-half touchdowns, the first when Johnson and Green switched responsibilities. This time, Johnson caused the fumble and Green recovered, rambling 20 yards for the score.
Green was everywhere Saturday, leading the Spartans with 11 tackles and posting 4 1/2 sacks.
John Quinerly, in recording his sixth 100-yard game of the season, rambled 53 yards for the Spartans' final TD less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Quinerly finished with a career-high 140 yards, upping his season total to a CIAA-best 736 yards.
NSU defensive back Theo Roach said that while the Spartans believe they are better defensively this season, it's hard to argue favorably with anyone who has seen a copy of league statistics. Coming in, NSU ranked last in the CIAA defensively, giving up 316 yards per game.
Still, NSU has scored seven defensive touchdowns this season and is allowing just 19.1 points per game, a significant improvement over the 25.9 points allowed a season ago.
``Hopefully, this will earn us some deserved respect,'' Roach said.
As well as the defense played, it needed one last stop to seal the shutout. After backup quarterback Duriel Smith fumbled at the NSU 37 with six minutes left, the Panthers (2-5, 1-4) mounted their most serious drive behind reserve QB Antonniel Wiggins. But on fourth-and-goal from the 1, defensive tackle Christopher Smith stopped Union's Alvin Parker inches from the goal line. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
MIKE HEFFNER
The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk State wide receiver Marty Conner, right, hauls in this pass
behind Virginia Union's Johnny Oglesby.
PHOTOS BY MIKE HEFFNER
The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk State defensive tackle John Green runs past Virginia Union
QB Gregory Baylor with a recovered fumble on his way to a
third-quarter touchdown Saturday. Green also had 4 1/2 sacks.
Reggie Bureau, with his helmet off, gets a hug from Spartan QB
Robert Morris after they connected on a 50-yard scoring pass.
Spartan receiver Darius Blount beats Virginia Union's Tyrone Laster
to this Robert Morris pass, resulting in a 43-yard TD. by CNB