The Norfolk State Spartans avenged their loss to the Virginia State Trojans last season, securing a 28-23 win in their home opener.
Norfolk State snapped a 10-game home losing streak, with this being their first win on their home field since 2021.
Big Day for the Norfolk State offense
Jalen Daniels had his best game for Norfolk State to date, finishing with 210 passing yards (entered with 213 through two games) on 14-of-21 passing.
Daniels scored two passing touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown. He recorded 178 of his 210 passing yards and all three touchdowns in the first half.
His top receiving target, Lane transfer Jaquez Jones, caught four passes for 109 yards, including a 60-yard pass connection for the game’s first score.
After a slow first half in which he rushed for just six yards on five attempts, Kevon King stepped it up in the second half in a big way.
King ended up with 137 rushing yards on 20 attempts, including a 64-yard rushing touchdown. He also caught two passes for 19 yards.
Spartans’ defense produced as well
Norfolk State’s defensive performance in this game was a total improvement over last year’s contest against Virginia State.
Last year, Norfolk State surrendered 487 offensive yards to Virginia State, allowing 7.1 yards per play. This time, the Trojans only put up 288 offensive yards for an average of 5.3 yards per play.
It was a big day for Spartans’ linebacker AJ Richardson, tallying 10 total tackles. Meanwhile, defensive back Jayden Smith hauled in his first interception of the year.
Missed Opportunities for the Trojans
Virginia State had its fair share of missed opportunities throughout the game that could have shifted the momentum in its favor.
In the second quarter, leading 14-7 over the Spartans, Virginia State forced a fumble on a Xzavion Evans run play.
With the ball loose after being kicked by a Norfolk State player, VSU could not recover as receiver Kam’Ryn Thomas pounced on it.
This gave Norfolk State the ball in the red zone, and would go on to score two plays later to tie the game. They then scored again before the end of the half to go up 21-14 and would not surrender the lead.
Virginia State had more opportunities in the third quarter, forcing two Norfolk State turnovers on interceptions.
The Trojans followed the first interception with an interception of their own on the ensuing offensive drive. The second, however, saw VSU come away with points but on a field goal.
