DATE: Sunday, November 2, 1997              TAG: 9711020306

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: PAUL WHITE

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

NORFOLK STATE REPORT

NORFOLK - Norfolk State cornerback Lydell Finley didn't want to think about the two passes he broke up Saturday or the fact that despite being isolated in single coverage most of the day, he helped hold Howard quarterback Ted White to just 37 passing yards in the second half of Saturday's 32-24 loss.

Like a fisherman coming home with an empty bucket, all Finley could remember was the ones that got away.

``This was a big challenge for me personally, and I knew I'd have to step up,'' Finley said after being victimized for one of White's three touchdown passes. ``Overall, I don't feel like we did that. I don't feel like I did that.''

Reminders of White's pedigree as a passer or of the pinpoint accuracy with which many of his tosses were made had little affect, as Finley continued to take the loss personally.

``We knew what kind of defense we were going to play, that us corners were going to have to go out and make plays,'' Finley said. ``We just didn't do it. All-American quarterback? Good receivers? True. But I'm my own worst critic. I didn't get it done today.''

The Spartans appeared to have bigger problems at their other cornerback slot, where Torrance Jackson was replaced by Theo Roach in the second half. Roach subsequently gave way to Theodore Williamson in the fourth quarter after being beaten by Marlon Ward on a 28-yard touchdown pass.

``Dink'' played more like a ``Doink'' vs. the Bison

They might start calling Deangelo Hodges ``Doink'' instead of ``Dink'' for the way he bounced off tacklers during his spirited second-half performance Saturday.

Hodges had pinball runs of 7, 10 and 10 yards during the Spartans' seven-minute-plus drive to open the third quarter. He also broke off an 11-yard carry prior to quarterback Robert Morris' 9-yard TD run later in the period, and chipped in the two-point conversion run on the Spartans' final touchdown.

``I like to run over you, then make my move,'' said Hodges, who also scored from four yards out in the first half and finished with a season-high 46-yards.

Hodges, a former star at Lake Taylor High, said he drew inspiration from his cousin Ronyell, the Titans' current star who ran for 108 yards Friday in a victory over Norcom.

``Like my cousin's stated before, it runs in the family,'' Hodges said.

Spartans coach Darnell Moore said Saturday's third quarter, when his team effectively ran on two scoring drives while chewing up nearly 10 minutes, may have been Norfolk State's best offensive period of the season.

``That's the way I prefer to play, mixing it up,'' Moore said. ``I don't want to have to pass all the time.''

Comic relief

Howard center Fred Ray provided comic relief late in the fourth quarter, when he hit himself in the butt with his own snap in punt formation. Ray recovered his ``fumble,'' but the play set up Norfolk State with a first down at their own 40.

That left the Spartans with 1:10 to go 60 yards for a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion. But the drama ended quickly, as Morris' pass two plays into the series was picked off by Chris Rogers.

Unsportsmanlike bands

Bands continued to make themselves part of the action Saturday, as both the Howard and Norfolk State units were assessed unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for playing while the other team had the ball.

Moore and Howard coach Steve Wilson clearly weren't amused. Moore slammed his clipboard down when the Spartans band was penalized. Wilson blew off steam by firing his headset into the turf.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu