QB Sapp sizzles as Spartans win big

Quarterback Cameron Sapp made a scintillating first start for Norfolk State, passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns and running for a score in the Spartans’ 44-21 victory over Delaware State on Saturday in Dover.

NSU (3-7, 1-3) picked up its first MEAC victory of the season and snapped a five-game losing streak. Four of those five defeats had come by seven or fewer points.

Sapp, a transfer from Florida A&M who replaced injured starter Otto Kuhns in last Saturday’s 38-24 loss at North Carolina Central, completed 8 of 12 passes and didn’t commit any turnovers.

The Spartans punted only twice in the game.

NSU needed only three plays to score on its opening drive. X’Zavion Evans took a handoff on the game’s third play from scrimmage and ran 66 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0.

Grandin Willcox added field goals of 36 and 42 yards to increase the Spartans’ lead to 13-0 after the first quarter.

Sapp’s 4-yard scoring run and former Oscar Smith star Kevon King’s 3-yard TD run made it 27-0 with 4:29 left in the half.

Sapp added a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tavian Morris with 10 seconds left in the half to make it 34-7, and the two hooked up for a 10-yard TD in the third quarter for the Spartans’ final points.

Wilcox booted his third field goal, a 47-yarder, earlier in the third quarter.

King finished with 116 rushing yards on 19 carries and Evans added 96 yards on eight attempts. Andre Pegues caught three passes for 100 yards.

NSU will close out its season at home against South Carolina State at 2 p.m. Saturday.