NORFOLK, Va. — Corey Fields Jr. threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to propel South Carolina State to a 44-17 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday in a regular-season finale.
This marked career win #151 for S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough who is retiring after 22 seasons as the head coach of the Bulldogs. The program’s all-time winningest coach, Pough will still be working at the school as he is currently holding down the title of interim athletics director.
Grandin Wilcox kicked a 33-yard field goal on the opening possession for Norfolk State (3-8, 1-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). South Carolina State (5-6, 3-2) scored the next 34 points.
Josh Shaw ran eight yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs the lead for good with 3:57 left in the first quarter. TJ Smith added a 21-yard scoring run in the second quarter for a 14-3 lead at halftime.
South Carolina State blew the game open with touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half. Fields had a direct hand in the first three scores — sandwiching touchdown passes to Jordan Smith covering 24 and 22 yards around a 6-yard scoring run and the Bulldogs led 34-3.
Fields totaled 115 yards on 9-of-11 passing. Smith finished with 86 yards on 13 carries. He scored from a yard out in the fourth quarter.
Cameron Sapp completed 9 of 17 passes for 174 yards. He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to X’Zavion Evans but was intercepted twice. Nolan James scored on a 19-yard fourth-quarter run.
South Carolina State finished with 305 yards rushing on 49 carries. Norfolk State rushed 34 times for 57 yards.