Football

Complete Game Notes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Saturday's game will pit the Bison against the Spartans of Norfolk State University. The Bison (3-4 overall, 1-3 in the MEAC) are coming off a 35-27 come-from-behind win over North Carolina A&T State University this past Saturday while the Spartans (6-1 overall, 5-0 in the MEAC) come into the game with a five-game win streak, their latest, a 33-27 win over Florida A&M University last Thursday on the road. NSU is No. 23 in The Sports Network top 25 poll and fourth in this week's Sheridan Broadcast Network (SBN) top 10.

THE COACHES: Norfolk State is coached by Pete Adrian, who is in his third season there and has a 14-15-1 record to date there.  Adrian's overall record reads: 50-52-1 to date.  Howard University is coached by Carey Bailey (Tennessee, '92), who is in his first season after serving as defensive line coach at the University of Minnesota.  Bailey has paid his dues after stints at Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana Lafayette and VMI as an assistant coach. 

WEATHER FORECAST:  Thundershowers, High in the 70s.

ON THE AIR: This game will be broadcast live on ESPNU...veteran Charlie Neal will handle the play by play and Eddie Robinson, Jr. will provide color commentary...the audio portion of the game will be broadcast live on the worldwide web at www.howard-bison.com...Ty Miller is doing the play-by-play and Tony McGee and Ron Harris are handling color commentary...Norfolk State will broadcast the game live over Hot 91, WNSB, 91.1 FM...Ross Gordon will bring the play by play action and Terence Green will do color commentary.

THE SERIES

The two schools have split the last six with the Bison edging the Spartans, 13-10 last year in Greene Stadium.  Howard holds a 14-4 advantage in the series which dates back to 1971.

KEY PLAYERS

Norfolk State

Offensively, the Spartans are led by red-shirt senior QB CASEY HANSEN (104 of 201, 1,388 yards, 5 TDs, 8 interceptions), senior RB DARRYL JONES (175 carries, 818 yards, 10 TDs; 11 receptions, 99 yards), red-shirt senior RB TIMOTHY FERRELL (26 carries, 113 yards, 2 TDs), red-shirt junior WRs DARIO WALKER (25 receptions, 382 yards, 1 TD) and JAMAR JOHNSON (22 receptions, 269 yards, 3 TDs) and red-shirt freshman WR JEREMY WICKER (15 receptions, 333 yards, 2 TDs) and red-shirt senior TE DEXTER BAILEY (13 receptions, 153 yards).

Defensively, Norfolk State is led by red-shirt senior LBs MAGUELL DAVIS (23 solos, 33 assists, 5.0 tackles for losses, 2 sacks, an interception) and MARQUEZ DAVIS (26 solos, 27 assists, 5.0 tackles for losses, 2.0 sacks, an interception), sophomore DB TERRELL WHITEHEAD (18 solos, 15 assists, 4 interceptions), senior DB ANTHONY OLUMBA (12 solos, 22 assists, 4.5 tackles for losses, 4 pass breakups), senior DL BRANDON DANIELS  (7 solos, 19 assists, 4.5 tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks) and junior DB DON CAREY (15 solos, 4 assists, 1.5 tackles for losses 2 interceptions).

Howard

Offensively, Howard is led by senior QB BRIAN JOHNSON (114 of 189, 1,344 yards, 14 TDs, 5 interceptions; 88 carries, 340 yards, 2 TDs), junior TBs TERRY PERRY (85 carries, 373 yards, 2 TDs) and KARLOS WHITTAKER (57 carries, 268 yards, 4 TDs), senior WRs JARAHN WILLIAMS (38 receptions, 448 yards, 9 TDs) and LARRY DUNCAN (22 receptions, 287 yards, 1 TD) and junior WR ARLANDUS HOOD (16 receptions, 176 yards, 1 TD).

Defensively, the Bison are led by senior All-American DE RUDY HARDIE (24 solos, 15 assists, 14.5 tackles for losses, 5.0 sacks, 4 QB hurries), senior S RANDELL MEANS (20 solos, 36 assists, 6.0 tackles for losses), red-shirt sophomore LB ROBERT PARKER (21 solos, 14 assists, 2.0 tackles for losses, an interception), senior LB ROBERT DOWDY (27 solos, 34 assists, 6.5 tackles for losses, a sack), junior LB ENDOR COOPER (30 solos, 29 assists, 7.0 tackles for losses), junior CB RICKEY JACKSON (14 solos, 13 assists, an interception), senior DE JARRETT BURGESS (6 solos, 15 assists, 2.5 tackles for losses) and junior DT JAMES CARTER (7 solos, 13 assists, 4.5 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks) and senior CB THOMAS CLAIBORN (14 solos, 5 assists, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups).

Spartan Notes

Norfolk State is riding a five-game win streak and having its best season in years...the Spartans are ranked nationally in several categories...they are ranked Number 1 in pass efficiency defense, 8^th in pass defense, 5^th in third down efficiency and 15^th in kickoffs...Darryl Jones is 14^th in rushing and 21^st in scoring...Whitehead is tied for 12^th in interceptions...Norfolk State leads the MEAC in pass efficiency defense and is second in scoring, in passing offense, in pass defense, in Red Zone offense, in third down conversion defense and in field goals...Hansen is 2^nd in passing and 4^th in total offense...Jones leads the MEAC in scoring, is 2^nd in rushing, 4^th in all-purpose running and 9^th in total offense...Dario Walker is tied for 3^rd in receving yards per game and 4^th in receptions per game...Jeremy Wicker is 6^th in receiving yards per game...Norfolk State is ranked 23^rd in latest FCS Coaches' poll and the Sports Network Poll and 24^th in the AGS poll...the Spartans are ranked in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network (SBN) Black College football poll...Darryl Jones was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 256 yards in the win over Florida A&M and Jamien Banks was named the offensive lineman of the week.

Bison Hooves

Howard leads the country in time of possession at 35:03...Hardie is tied for 6^th in tackles for losses...the Bison also lead the MEAC in third down conversion and in pass efficiency...they are second in first downs, in rushing defense and in least penalized...Howard is 3^rd in scoring offense, in passing offense, in rushing offense and in Red Zone offense...Brian Johnson leads the conference in pass efficiency, is second in total offense, third in passing and 10^th in rushing...Jarahn Williams is second in receptions per game and in receiving yards per game...he is also fourth in scoring...Terry Perry is eighth in rushing...Larry Duncan is sixth in receptions per game and 9^th in receiving yards per game...Leonard Moore is 4^th in kick returns...Hardie is second in tackles for losses and tied for second in sacks...Robert Dowdy is third in tackles, Endor Cooper is fifth and Randell Means is tied for sixth.

Under the Gun
Martin Decembert and Brandon Bufford will be sure to get plenty of attention.  Decembert, a 6-1 junior from Miami, FL and Bufford, a 6-1, 180-pound sophomore from Detroit, MI will be the starting corners for the second straight week when the Bison line up against the explosive Spartans. Decembert, who played quarterback and wide receiver last season and was moved over to cornerback from the safety position, started shakily against the Aggies but rebounded to play solidly. Bufford also gave up some big plays early but settled down to have four solo tackles.

Stepping Up
When junior tailback Terry Perry and senior Leonard Moore went down with injuries against NC A&T, Frank Berchie and Karlos Whittaker were anxiously awaiting their turns.  The senior and junior tailbacks, respectively, took advantage of the opportunity.  Berchie rushed for a tough 36 yards on 13 carries and Whitaker chipped in with 57 on 9 carries, including an inspirational 27-yard TD run that helped spur the Bison to the comeback.  Whittaker scored twice and leads the team with four rushing TDs.

Nice Recovery
After sitting out the past year and a half recovering from a serious shoulder injury, Jarahn Williams was written off by many as probably never playing for the Bison again.  But the 5-10, 180-pound senior wide receiver from Miami, Fl never stopped working and believing in himself.  It has paid big dividends for him as Williams is having the best season of his career.  He leads the team in receiving (38 receptions), receiving yards (448), touchdowns (9) and scoring (54 points).  One of his four receptions has gone for a TD.  The single-season record for TD passes is 12 held by the late Jevonte Philpot.

Hitting Stride
There was a lot of concern over the play of All-American candidate Rudy Hardie when he got off to a slow start.  The 6-2, 270-pound senior from Hartford, CT, who ranked among the nation's leaders in sacks and tackles for losses, went the first three games with neither a sack nor a tackle for a loss.  Then suddenly in the Winston-Salem State game, a light bulb went off and Hardie became his old self again, wreaking havoc against opposing offenses.  A pre-season All-American and all-MEAC candidate, Hardie has 39 tackles including 14.5 for losses and 5 sacks in the past four games.  He now has 36 tackles for losses and 15 sacks in the past 18 games.

Keeping Up the Tradition
Howard University has long been recognized for its outstanding linebacker play, but there were questions on whether it would be able to maintain its tradition coming into the season.  After all, the Bison lost all but one of the starters and reserves due to graduation or off the field problems.  But due to the steady and consistent play of Robert Dowdy, the smooth transition of Endor Cooper from defensive line to the middle linebacker and the emergence of Robert Parker, III, Howard's tradition is alive and well, thank you.  Dowdy, a 6-2, 220-pound senior from Fayettevile, NC is one of the most intelligent players at the position in recent memory.  He currently ranks second on the team in tackles with 61 to go along with 6.5 tackles for losses and a sack.  Cooper, a 6-3, 245-pound junior from Woodbridge, VA, had an outstanding season last year after moving over to defensive end from the linebacker spot.  Then when the Bison needed someone to plug the middle, in came Cooper.  He leads the team in tackles with 59 and has 7 tackles for losses.  Parker is a 5-10, 200-pound red-shirt sophomore from Tampa, FL who was used sparingly last season a special teams' player.  But he had a fine spring and earned a starting spot.  He is fifth on the team in tackles with 35 and 2 for losses and an interception return for a TD.

Quietly Getting the Job Done
Randell Means is considered a bit on the small size for a safety by most standards.  The 5-8, 175-pound senior safety from Detroit, MI, makes up for his lack of size with tenacity and intelligence.  That combination has made him one of the best safeties in the MEAC.  Means is third on the team in tackles with 56 and has 6 tackles for losses.

A Specialist
While veteran return specialist Leonard Moore has established himself as one of the top performers at his position in the MEAC, Martin Decembert has had to wait his turn to showcase his speed.  With Moore averaging almost 27 yards per return, teams have begun to kick away from him, thus giving Decembert a chance to showcase his talent.  Against Morgan State, Decembert finally got that chance as he returned a kickoff a career-best 61 yards to set up the Bison's first TD of the game.  Decembert has also made his mark on special teams where he leads the team in tackles with 12.

TALE OF THE TAPE

The Bison return home to face the Bulldogs of South Carolina State at 1 pm next Saturday in the Hall of Fame game...the Spartans travel to Baltimore, MD to take on the Bears of Morgan State next Saturday at 1:30 pm.