MIAMI — Freshman tailback Cameron Booty rushed for 168 yards and scored one touchdown to lead the Northeastern A&M Golden Norsemen to a 16-14 victory Saturday afternoon over the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes at Little Rock's Verison Wireless Field at historic Central High School's Quigley Cox Stadium.


With the victory coach Ryan Held's Golden Norse are 2-3 on the season while coach Richard Wilson's Buffaloes slip to 1-5 on the year.
Along with completing a three-game road trip next Saturday, the Golden Norsemen face their fourth nationally ranked opponent with a 3 p.m. Southwest Junior College Football Conference clash at Kilgore, Texas. NEO is 0-2 in the conference.
Coach J.J. Eckert's Rangers are 1-1 in the conference and 4-1 overall. The No. 14th ranked Rangers upset No. 8 rated Navarro College 37-31 last weekend in Kilgore.
"We spent all last week telling our players that Arkansas Baptist would be a lot better than they were in an 80-0 loss to Blinn the week before," Held said. "Sure enough, they came out and never quit.
"There we were up 16-0 with five minutes left in the game and we were just trying to run plays to run out the clock and get out of town," Held said. "Before you know it, they return an interception for a touchdown and get the two-point conversion and they're within one score.
"Then, they get the onside kick and score again and all within a 1:30," Held said. "So we went from being up 16 to a 16-14 lead still with four minutes left.
"These are things that you can never simulate in practice or even in a scrimmage," Held said. "Our kids were put in a position where they had to respond and they were able to run the clock out and keep them off the field."
Even though neither team was able to score in the first quarter, the Buffaloes consumed more than nine minutes with a 21-play possession that carried midway through the second quarter.
NEO's defensive unit stopped Arkansas Baptist at the Golden Norse 17-yard line as a fourth-and-goal pass by Buffaloes quarterback Lavon Meeks sailed over the head of receiver Herman Eupas and NEO defender Tyquae Russell in the endzone.
The Golden Norsemen responded with a 76-yard, 12-play drive on the en suing possession.
Freshman wide out Korie Robinson concluded the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. Sinue Rodrigeuz kicked the point-after with 2:50 before halftime for a 7-0 Norse lead.
After freshman cornerback Trevon Mitchem intercepted a Lavon Meeks pass at the NEO 32-yard line, the Norsemen covered 68 yards in five plays to increase their score.
Veteran quarterback Devin White found Booty on a crossing route for a 33-yard touchdown pass. The point-after by Rodrigeuz was blocked as NEO maintained a 13-0 margin with 1:23 before intermission.
With time winding down for halftime, NEO missed an opportunity to go up 16 points as placekicker Rodrigeuz attempted a fake field goal from 22-yards out. Rodrigeuz was tackled for minus-6 yards by middle linebacker Demarcus Nolen.
"I was being aggressive and I called a fake field goal," Held said. "We didn't get it and looking back, you'd like to do it over, but that's all part of the game.
"For most of the game, our defense at times played very good," Held said. "We went to the locker room holding them to only 59 yards on 24 carries and 70 yards passing, so that was a plus."
During the third quarter, the Golden Norse received a 23-yard field goal from Rodrigeuz with 11:03 showing on the clock. The Norse drove 52 yards in five plays on the first possession of the second half.
Arkansas Baptist consumed the last five minutes of the third quarter to move down to the NEO 2-yard line for a first-and-goal situation. The Buffaloes received a 46-yard pass play from Lavon Meeks to his brother Lavelle Meeks to set up the situation.
Four straight running plays by the Buffaloes were stuffed by the combined play of noseguard Novis Cullom, tackle Austin Roberts and end Eric Sadler to end the threat.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Rodrigeuz missed a 22-yard field goal wide left as NEO failed once again to put points on the scoreboard.
Following another three-and-out possession by the Buffaloes, the Golden Norse took control of the ball at their own 40 yard line.
White dropped back to throw a pass out in the flat to wide out Gary McKnight, Jr.
But, Arkansas Baptist free safety Tyren Avery broke on the ball for an interception and returned it 40 yards for a pick-six. Lavon Meeks found Avery open for a two-point conversion pass to create a 16-8 deficit with 5:15 left in the game.
Freshman placekicker Jamal Patterson lofted the en suing kickoff over NEO's front line into no-man's land. The kick was recovered by Demetrius Theophile at the NEO 25-yard line.
After a 15-yard run by Buffaloes tailback William Jenkens, Lavon Meeks found wide out Adrian Reed open on a fade route for a 10-yard TD pass with 4:22 remaining in the game.
Lavon Meeks attempted to circle right end, but was tackled by NEO linebacker Brady Krittenbrink before reaching the endzone.
Along with the 168-yard performance by Booty, the Golden Norse offense received 48 yards on nine carries and one TD. The Jenks all-stater also led the receiving corps with two catches for 44 yards.
White and freshman Zac Cater combined to complete 11 of 24 passes for 122 yards.
Turnovers continued  to stymie the NEO offense with two interceptions and one lost fumble.
"Playing in an atmosphere that wasn't very good. so we had to make our own enthusiasm and own energy," Held said. "Those are things that we just have keep working on and trying to get better. 
"Football's a funny game because you're never in a comfort zone no matter what the score is," Held said. "At the end of the day our goal was to be 2-3 when we got back on the bus and that's what happened." 
Score by quarters:         1st        2nd        3rd         4th
NEO                                    0           13           3            0  - 16
Arkansas Baptist               0             0          0           14 - 14
 
Scoring summary
Second quarter
NEO - Korie Robinson 11 run (Sinue Rodriguez kick), 2:50
             76 yards in 12 plays  (Key: Booty 7 carries 31 yards)
NEO - Cameron Booty 33 pass from Devin White (kick blocked), 1:23
             68 yards in 9 plays (Key: Booty catch and run)
Third quarter
NEO - FG, Sinue Rodriguez 23, 11:03
           52 yards in 5 plays (Key: Opening possession of second half)
Fourth quarter
ABC -  Tyrun Avery 40 yard interception return (Tyrun Avery pass from Lavon Meeks), 5:15
             (Key: Avery made interception in full stride down the sideline)
ABC - Adrian Reed 10 pass from Lavon Meeks (run failed), 4:22
           25 yards in two plays (Key: Came after onsides kick by ABC recovered by Tevin Homer at NEO 25 yard line)
 
Team statistics
                                                              NEO                       ABC
First downs                                             21                          15
Rushes-yards                                 54-257                     43-75
Passing yards                                       140                         156
Return yards                                          31                            50
Passes-com-att-int                      11-24-2                   11-26-1
Punts-avg                                           4-40                         8-32
Fumbles-lost                                        1-1                           1-0
Penalties-yards                                  7-90                         8-85
 
Individual statistics:
RUSHING: NEO, Booty 27-168, Robinson 9-48, White 10-25, Cater 4-10, Gregory 3-8, Rodriguez 1-(-2); ABC,  Adrian Reed 14-49, QB Lavon Meeks 15-16, Corneilus Sublett 11-14, Demarcus Bryant 3-(-4).
PASSING: NEO, Cater 5-16-1-68, White 6-8-1-72; ABC, Lavon Meeks 11-26-1-156
RECEIVING: NEO, Warren 3-27, Booty 2-44, Matiaha 2-40, McKnight 2-13, Beesley 1-9, Nuckolls 1-7; ABC, Herman Dupas 4-76, William Jenkens 3-35, Lavelle Meeks 2-25, Lavonte Williams 2-20