Dawson Odums was pleased with the story his Norfolk State football team wrote last Saturday in defeating Hampton 31-23 in the Battle of the Bay.
Now, the Spartans turn their attention to a Saturday afternoon trip to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to play Temple. It’s a game that Odums feels will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes.
“Anytime you’re moving up in levels, it gives you a chance to showcase your program and play against a team that has a little bit more of this and that,” he said. “We’re guaranteed 60 minutes and if we need more time, they’ll give it to us. We’ve got to trust the plan we have in place, play hard, play physical, and play fast. You give yourself a chance when you don’t beat yourself. Each week, that’s what we’re focusing on – not beating ourselves.”
The Spartans (1-1) took down the Pirates one week after losing a tough 33-24 battle to another old rival in Virginia State. Quarterback Otto Kuhns, named MEAC offensive player of the week, led Norfolk to victory, completing an efficient 15 of 20 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Kuhns’ bounce-back performance shows that the best is yet to come, according to his coach.
“He took a lot in that loss. For him to respond the way he did, it tells you a lot about his growth,” Odums said. “You can only be a good quarterback after adversity. He has a chance to continue to get better and be special before the season is over.”
Norfolk State still isn’t out of the woods yet, but Odums is confident that if his team continues to improve, they’ll be a player in the MEAC championship race.
“We came in after a tough loss [Week One] and talked about it. Football is a long season, you won’t be defined by wins and losses. You’ve got to regroup, refocus and try to find a way to get a W. I thought our guys did an outstanding job of doing that. They responded with an unbelievable effort. It tells you a lot about this team. I told the guys, ‘we understand where we are. Just keep climbing.’”
