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GREENSBORO — Alonzo Lee had been waiting for the situation N.C. A&T faced Saturday night.

The first-year head coach watched the Aggies slip behind by 10 points just seconds into the second quarter at Aggie Stadium. The offense was struggling to sustain drives, and Norfolk State had marched steadily for touchdowns on two of their first three possessions. The game seemed to be slipping out of hand, but Lee saw an educational opportunity.

"I wanted to be in that situation where this weekend we can show that we can fight, we can come back," Lee said. "They came and they ran the ball down our throat. And that's what I told the guys. Men, they ran the ball down your throat. The test of a true man is when your back is against the wall."

The Aggies passed that test during the final three quarters, riding momentum-swinging defensive plays and key offensive performances to a 17-13 win over the Spartans.

Between Quay Long's interception in the first half's final minute that set up a touchdown, Mike Mayhews 56-yards rushing on a single scoring drive to claim the lead and a key goal line stand that preserved it, the Aggies (2-0) snatched the momentum back and never let it slip away.

Norfolk State quarterback Dennis Brown, who led the Spartans (1-1) with 246 yards of offense and two touchdowns, set the early tone on the first possession with 30-yard run up the middle less than four minutes into the game to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead.

On the first play of the second quarter, Brown hit wide receiver Chris Bell on a 16-yard slant route and Norfolk State led 13-3 after the extra point attempt was blocked.

A&T struggled to match that offensive momentum early. The Spartans twice drove inside Norfolk State's red zone in the first half, but only managed a 24-yard field goal from Patrick Courtney. Long's interception turned things around in an instant.

He picked off Brown near midfield and returned it 40 yards with a series of cuts and spin moves to the Norfolk State 20. Three plays later, Carlton Fears hit Wallace Miles for a 25-yard touchdown pass that cut the Spartan's lead to 13-10 with 16 seconds remaining in the half.

"That was huge," said linebacker Brandon Jackson. "We came in here pumped up."

Mayhew kept the momentum going on the opening drive of the second half, taking the ball on all five of the drives plays and rushing for 56 yards before capping his impressive series with an 8-yard touchdown run that put A&T in front for the first time, 17-13 with 10:53 remaining in the third quarter.

When Norfolk State drove to the A&T 6-yard line in the fourth quarter and threatened to take the lead, the Aggies defense made the defining play that preserved the win.

After Brown drove the Spartans to a first down at the Aggies 6-yard line, A&T stuffed Norfolk State on four straight rushing plays, including two from inside the 2-yard line to maintain the fourth-point lead.

The stand ended when Jackson and Andre Thornton stopped Brown on a fourth-down quarterback draw at the 1-yard line with 10 minutes remaining.

Norfolk State. 7 6 0 0 — 13
N.C. A&T 3 7 7 0 — 17

NSU—Brown 30 run (Castellat kick)
NCAT—FG Courtney 24
NSU—Bell 16 pass from Brown (kick blocked)
NCAT—Miles 25 pass from Fears (Courtney kick).
NCAT—Mayhew 8 run (Courtney kick)

First downs — NSU 17, NCAT 11
Rushes-yards — NSU 37-156, NCAT 36-147
Passing — NSU 145, NCAT 84
Comp-Att-Int — NSU 12-25-1, NCAT 6-17-0
Return Yards — NSU 17, NCAT 53
Punts-Avg. — NSU 5-39.2, NCAT 6-39.5
Fumbles-Lost — NSU 0-0, NCAT 0-0
Penalties-Yards — NSU 10-66, NCAT 7-55
Time of Possession — NSU 31:13, NCAT 28:47

RUSHING
Norfolk St. — Brown 15-87, D.Branche 18-64, Cotton 2-5, Alford 1-1, Team 1-(minus 1).
N.C. A&T — Mayhew 14-87, Coles 4-41, Payne 9-19, Fears 8-1, Lowrance 1-(minus 1).

PASSING
Norfolk St. — Brown 12-25-1-145.
N.C. A&T — Fears 6-17-0-84.

RECEIVING
Norfolk St. — Bell 3-34, D.Branche 2-37, Hayden 2-30, She.Childress 2-17, Alford 1-9, Fluker-Berry 1-9, McCowan 1-9.
N.C. A&T — Miles 2-50, Raper 2-21, Mayhew 1-13, Lowrance 1-0.