NORFOLK, Va. — Michael Vick was stoic as he walked off the sector at William “Dick” Worth Stadium, calmly making his means again towards Norfolk State’s locker room.
The previous Virginia Tech and NFL legend had been hopeful heading into the evening, after campus began buzzing round 6 a.m. Thursday and hummed steadily proper up till kickoff. Music blared. No. 7 NSU Vick jerseys have been in all places.
However for as a lot hype as there was round his extremely anticipated teaching debut, Vick’s first profession win must wait.
Norfolk State fell to Towson 27-7 on an evening when the Spartans by no means led, had too many pricey errors and finally obtained in their very own means too typically to ascertain any type of consistency.
Vick might have a quarterback choice to make subsequent week in opposition to Virginia State between USF switch Israel Carter, whom Vick began however benched within the second quarter, and fifth-year graduate Otto Kuhns, who performed the remainder of the sport and offered a little bit of a spark.
However come Friday morning, it stands to motive all Vick will probably be fascinated with is what he noticed Thursday evening and the way irritating it should have felt.
The Spartans had their probabilities.
After a mistake-filled first quarter — the lowlights being zero first downs and 27 whole yards in opposition to 33 penalty yards — Norfolk State began to realize some momentum within the second quarter after Vick made the QB swap. Down 10-0, Kuhns wasted no time in giving the Spartans a lift along with his slippery pace and pickups by way of the air of 18 and 16 yards in his first drive on the sector. However Norfolk State was stuffed on a fourth-and-2 on the Towson 35 for a turnover on downs with about 5 minutes left within the quarter.
Then, simply earlier than the half, Otto marched the Spartans downfield once more, this time connecting with huge receiver Kam’Ryn Thomas for a 15-yard acquire on third-and-1, and moments later, throwing what would have been a 13-yard landing with three seconds left on the clock within the again proper nook of the tip zone. However the landing was known as again for a maintain (the Spartans’ fifth penalty of the evening) and Norfolk State needed to accept a 41-yard subject objective try, which was blocked. In a matter of seconds, Vick’s group went from doubtlessly making it a one-possession recreation heading into the half to nonetheless trailing 13-0.
Nonetheless, the Spartans made it a recreation late within the third quarter, once they recovered a fumble with wonderful subject place on the Towson 43 and finally turned it right into a landing on an 8-yard run from redshirt senior working again Jaylen Laudermilk. Vick raised his pointer finger to the sky to have a good time and the Spartans have been on the board, trailing simply 13-7.
However on the subsequent Towson drive, Norfolk State dropped a would-be interception, then gave up a wide-open 36-yard landing on third-and-20 regardless of Towson snapping the ball earlier than quarterback Andrew Indorf was prepared.
Vick knew heading into his debut that, like all workforce, the Spartans might face their ups and downs this season. Norfolk State went 4-8 in 2024 and has had only one profitable season previously decade.
The excellent news? Regardless of the lopsided rating, NSU can construct from this. Otto could possibly be onto one thing if the Spartans persist with him. He completed 19 of 27 passing for 219 yards. William & Mary switch receiver DreSean Kendrick additionally had a promising evening with 11 catches for 125 yards.
On the defensive finish, Pitt switch David Ojiegbe had two sacks for 14 yards. Vick mentioned heading into Thursday he’d be happy with his gamers regardless, so long as they tried, and he obtained that out of his Spartans.
However Norfolk State should be extra disciplined after ending with 9 penalties for 78 yards, all of which seemingly got here on the worst potential moments. And the secondary may have some powerful movie to observe this week due to missed assignments.
Too many errors made the distinction Thursday.
(Picture: Greg Lovett / USA Right this moment through Imagn Pictures)
