Nov. 18, 2006

Final Stats

NORFOLK, VA - A Rams defense that had given up only 6.2 points per game over their last five contests surrendered 31 points to the Spartans of Norfolk State University, including 17 unanswered points in the second half of play, as the Winston-Salem State University Rams closed out the 2006 football season with a 31-14 loss to Norfolk State University on Saturday afternoon in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Rams started the afternoon's scoring as DeRon Middleton picked off a Casey Hansen pass and raced 39 yards into the endzone for the Rams' third defensive score of the 2006 season, putting WSSU ahead on the scoreboard 7-0 with 11:31 remaining in the first quarter of play.

However, the Spartan defense wasted no time in answering the challenge set forth by the visiting Rams as David Irizarry's fumble of a kick return on the one yard line bounced into the endzone where Dustin Johnson recovered the ball for Norfolk State's first touchdown of the afternoon, knotting the game at 7-7.

The Spartan's would again find the back of the Rams' endzone in the second quarter of play as Casey Hansen found Earl Henry from 16 yards out to put NSU ahead 14-7 with only 2:16 remaining in the half.

Looking as though they would trail 14-7 at the half, junior quarterback Monte Purvis and the Rams' offense ran the two-minute drill to perfection as WSSU capped a seven-play, 68-yard drive that spanned one minute, 38 seconds with an eight-yard touchdown strike to Brent Thomas to tie the game at 14-14 headed into the locker room at halftime.

The second half of play was all Spartans as Norfolk State scored on their first three possessions of the half to pull ahead by the game's final count at 31-14.

With 9:02 remaining in the third quarter Monte Anthony powered his way into the WSSU endzone from 13 yards out to score on the Spartan's first second-half possession.

Norfolk State followed the Anthony touchdown up with a 71-yard touchdown pass from Casey Hansen to Emory Sammons to increase the Spartan lead to 14 points with 2:11 to play in the third quarter.  WSSU's DeRon Middleton, the star of the first half of play who returned a Hansen pass 39 yards for the Rams' first score, was injured on the play as he strained his hamstring, forcing him to leave the game and not return.

The final NSU points came courtesy of a Jay Castellap field goal with 12:41 to play as Castellap split the uprights from 21-yards out to give the Spartans an insurmountable 31-14 lead.

Monte Purvis turned in another solid effort from the quarterback position for the Rams as he completed 50% of his passes, turning in a day where he would go 9-18 passing with one touchdown and one interception.  He also led the Rams in rushing with 76 yards on 12 carries as his athleticism was a factor in the game from its onset.

With the loss, the Rams close out the season with a 4-7 record while the win moves the Spartans to 4-7 overall.  Winston-Salem State University which is in the second year of a five-year transition to the NCAA Division I level finishes up their inaugural Division I campaign with four impressive wins as they prepare to join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) full-time in 2007-08.

For additional information on WSSU football, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com.

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