NORFOLK, Va. - After scoring on his team's first two possessions, Morgan State's Kelvin Dickens appeared to be having a breakout game that would lead the Bears to their fifth consecutive victory.
By game's end, however, Morgan State could only wonder what had happened.
Norfolk State's Gideon Tekola kicked a 38-yard field goal with two seconds remaining as the Spartans beat the Bears, 17-14, in front of a homecoming crowd of 18,094 at Dick Price Stadium.
"We lost some energy today and found out that while confidence can be contagious, it can also be dangerous," said first-year Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley.
The Bears fell to 5-5 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Norfolk State is 3-6, 1-6.
In addition to losing energy, Morgan State lost two key linemen when right guard Yannick Boka and left tackle Maurice Foster left the game in the first quarter with undisclosed injuries. To that point, it had been all Morgan State.
On the opening kickoff, Jonathan Voroshilin caught the front five on Norfolk State's kick return unit looking the other way, topped the kick, then chased it and waited for it to cover the necessary 10 yards before recovering.
Two plays later, Bears quarterback Lejominick Washington hooked up with Dickens, a redshirt freshman, on a down-and-out route. Dickens eluded Spartans defensive back Alton Perkins and sprinted up the right side for a 48-yard score.
Less than five minutes later, Dickens was in the end zone again on a halfback option pass from T.J. Stallings, good for 25 yards.
That's when Morgan State's offense stalled. By game's end, Norfolk State had outgained the Bears, 398-193.
Stallings, Morgan State's leading running back, gained 58 yards on 12 carries in the first half and appeared on many plays to be a step from breaking off a big run. But in the second half, he had only seven carries for 32 yards. He finished with 19 attempts for 90 yards.
"Scheme-wise, losing those two linemen took away our inside running game," Washington said. "When Boka went down, it took away our counters and traps. We had some chances in the second half, but I had some overthrows and every time Visanthe Shiancoe went downfield on a route, three defenders went with him."
For only the second time this season, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Shiancoe went without a reception.
Norfolk State cut the lead to 14-7 with 4:02 remaining in the third quarter when Dawayvone Clanton scored on a 1-yard run to cap an eight-play, 60-yard drive.
The Spartans put together another extended drive to open the fourth quarter, marching 80 yards on 12 plays, capped by a Terrell Johnson 4-yard run that tied the game with 10:25 remaining.
Johnson rushed for a game-high 132 yards on 25 carries. Norfolk State quarterback Dontrell Leonard completed 17 of 31 attempts for 209 yards.
Tekola had a chance to put the Spartans on top with 3:10 remaining, but hooked a 44-yard attempt.
But the Bears ran three plays and were forced to punt with 2:04 left after Norfolk State's Marcus Gray sacked Washington on third down.
With 16 seconds left, Leonard eluded a heavy rush and found tight end Darryl Johnson on the right sideline for a 7-yard pickup to Morgan State's 27. A 6-yard run by Johnson around left end set up the winning field goal.
"This felt a lot like the Bethune-Cookman game," Washington said of a 41-27 loss. "We were up 14-0 in that game only to have them come back, too."
Next for Morgan
Opponent:South Carolina State
Site:Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium, Orangeburg, S.C.
When:Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Record:6-4
Yesterday:Lost to Howard, 23-9