Now, 48 hours removed from the game, Odums is hoping he and his squad can learn from their mistakes and rebound against VMI this weekend.

“When you look at that film, we got to do simple, better,” Odums said during his weekly press conference Monday. “And really, that’s what it comes down to. We got to execute — and that’s all of us. It’s not just one area, one person, anything. I take full responsibility for that because we did not play like we had those first three games. We see what we did, we just got to look at it, identify, fix it and correct it for this next opponent in VMI, which is a very good football team.”

Saturday’s loss to Hampton was the Spartans’ worst since they lost by 41 in 2005. Odums made it sound like motivation to get back into the win column this weekend will certainly not be lacking.

“When you play like we played on Saturday, the motivation is to get to the next game,” he said. “The motivation is we let our home crowd down, we let our fans down. We didn’t play like we were capable of playing. That falls on me as the head coach, and I understand that, but we have to do a better job as a staff and we have to do a better job as a program and as a football team to make sure that when we come out that tunnel, we’re prepared to play.”

Injuries lead to poor offense

After a relatively good start to the season, Norfolk State’s offense faltered against Hampton. The Spartans put together a measly 21 total yards in the first half and just barely eclipsed the century mark for the game, finishing with 104.

Norfolk State was averaging 175.6 rushing yards per game before the loss to Hampton and eclipsed 200 in two of its first three games. Against the Pirates, Norfolk State running backs only averaged 1.9 yards per carry and compiled 58 yards on 30 carries.

On Monday, Odums attributed the lack of production on the ground to inconsistency in execution, but also to personnel due to injuries. Norfolk State was without two starters on the offensive line Saturday, most notably left tackle Samuel Eskridge.

“You go look at our Hampton game — we didn’t play like we played in FAMU and Virginia State,” he said. “It’s some missing pieces. There’s some missing pieces to that puzzle up front. The continuity when you got guys in and out, even when we put five out there throughout the game, guys are going in and out, so it’s hard to get that continuity. When you don’t have continuity, it’s hard to be consistent.”

The Spartans were also missing wide receivers Kam’ryn Thomas and Elyjah Mitchell. It’s still early in the week, so details on the recovery of the offensive line and wide receiver room remain minimal, but Odums is hopeful he’ll get some depth back for VMI.

Diagnosing the defense

Norfolk State’s defense started off great this season, but took a major step back against Hampton. The Spartans entered the game allowing 127.5 rushing yards, but the Pirates were able to rack up 135 in the first half alone and 227 for the game.

After watching film from Saturday’s loss, Odums and defensive lineman Marcus Mauney said the lack of success against the run was because if faltering gap integrity.

“You’ll see us play one out of the three downs the way we are capable of playing and then all of a sudden, we get creased,” Odums said. “That’s just us being more physical at the point of attack and just us having a good understanding on defense of what we’re doing. … A few times out there, guys didn’t get the call and it looked like a first game versus a fourth game. That’s what you can’t have, especially against your crosstown rivals.”

Mauney believes the Spartans will get back on track against VMI, a team that Odums is preaching is better than its 0-3 record.

“Everybody just has to be on the same page, same time, to make sure that everybody’s gapped out and gap-sound,” Mauney said. “That’s something that we’re definitely going to harp on a lot this upcoming week, and I think we’ll be fine. We’re still figuring it out, and we’re going to figure it out.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@viriginiamedia.com

Hampton walked into Dick Price Stadium and beat Norfolk State 37-7, giving the Pirates their first win over the Spartans since 2022. The win was the sixth in a row for visiting teams in the series. Hampton improved to 2-1 on the season, while Norfolk State dropped to 1-3.

“Our guys worked hard all week,” Hampton interim head coach Trent Boykin said. “The biggest thing was last week, we got our first (win) but we knew we weren’t satisfied with that. I thought all three phases played well. Defense played their butts off. Offense played fast, like we talked about all week. … Excited for these guys, excited about winning this rivalry and let’s move on to the next one.”

The Pirates dominated in all facets of the game, totaling 466 yards while limiting Norfolk State to just 104.

“Oh, man, bad today,” Norfolk State coach Dawson Odums said. “I take full responsibility for it. We didn’t play well. We got some guys that’s beat up and banged up and out, so it was tough. Offensively, we couldn’t muster anything. Defensively, we weren’t very good against the run. So when you can’t stop the run and you can’t run, makes for a long day. And it was a long day. Take my hat off to Hampton, they played extremely well and we didn’t. We just didn’t have it from start to finish.”

Hampton got out to an early 9-0 lead after a successful 22-yard field goal from Brian Csehoski and a 3-yard touchdown run from quarterback Chris Zellous.

Hampton had no trouble moving the ball in the first half and was able to pour on more points, thanks to a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Tymere Robinson. That score made it 16-0 midway through the second quarter.

Boykin’s squad was nearly perfect in the first half on the ground. Norfolk State came into the game allowing opponents to run for only an average of 127.5 yards per game, but the Pirates were able to rack up 135 in the first half.

“We thought their two inside guys were good and we felt like if we could get them running left and right, then we could start hitting them inside,” Boykin said. “So that was kind of the game plan. They’re a very good defense, but we felt like they don’t play with a lot of depth, so if we can get them going and get them tired, then that’s when you saw the big chunks come.”

While Hampton’s offense was moving easily in the first half, Norfolk State’s offense was the exact opposite.

The Spartans remained in the negative for a majority of the first half and went three-and out on their first three drives of the first half. Norfolk State was forced to punt on all four of its first-half drives.

“(The defense was) playing with their hair on fire,” Boykin said. “Again all week, we talked about we weren’t satisfied with that performance (last week against Virginia Union). Glad we got to win, but the performance wasn’t where we want to be. If we want to be an elite program, we got to play that way. They came out and set the tone early. Three and out, three and out, flying all around. So it had to make our offense step our game up because we want to match their intensity, and I thought we did that.”

Norfolk State was unable to get anything going on offense in the first half, totaling just 21 yards on 15 plays. The Spartans were only able to record 9 rushing yards and 12 passing yards. In comparison, Hampton totaled 259 yards on 46 plays in the first half.

The Pirates could have extended their lead from 16-0 with a field goal right before the break, but Csehoski missed a 38-yard attempt.

Hampton’s dominance continued into the second half, but Norfolk State was finally able to score to prevent a shutout.

The Pirates added two more rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 30-0 lead. Robinson scored first, bringing his touchdown total to two on the day. He finished third for the Pirates in rushing with 39 yards. Zellous scored second in the third quarter, also giving him two touchdowns in the game.

Zellous put on a clinic in the game. He was 20 for 25 through the air for 185 yards, with 60 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

“I’m so blessed to have all those guys outside that can take a hitch and take it to 40 and 30 yards and just make plays for me,” Zellous said. “Offensive line did a great job. … I thought just went out there and executed. Sharp focus and did a good job of preparing this week.”

Elijah Burris led the Pirates on the ground with 77 yards on 23 carries. Hampton finished with 227 yards on the ground and 466 total yards in the game.

“We just saw how (Norfolk State) liked to blitz on the A-gaps and we was just capitalized off that,” Burris said. “We were just switching up the running back rotation and giving them different styles so they wouldn’t get used to it.”

Norfolk State was finally able to get on the board midway through the fourth quarter. Jalen Daniels capped a 10-play, 82-yard drive by finding Jahee Blake for a 26-yard touchdown pass to make the score 30-7. Daniels finished 6 for 12 with 46 passing yards.

“Halftime was 16-0, you’re still in the ballgame,” Odums said. “Second half, we just couldn’t muster anything. Couldn’t get anything going. It was just a very, very tough day, and we got to figure it out from here.”

The Spartans punted on all but one of their nine drives. Norfolk State had four total three-and-outs.

Hampton rubbed some salt in Norfolk State’s wound late in the fourth quarter. The Pirates added another touchdown when Malcolm Mays found Christian Greenlaw for a 35-yard touchdown pass, making the score 37-7. Mays was 5 for 5 for 54 yards.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

On the air: ESPN+, 88.1FM, 91.1FM

The Spartans: Norfolk State got its first victory of the season last week with a 28-23 win over rival Virginia State. Quarterback Jalen Daniels is coming off a three-touchdown performance that helped him earn a MEAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week nod. The Spartans’ run defense has performed well, holding opponents to 127.5 yards per game on the ground after allowing 276 yards per game through the first three games of 2023. Coach Dawson Odums said the Spartans are “a little banged up” and are hoping to “piece back” together an ailing offensive line. If Norfolk State wins on Saturday, it’ll be the first time either team in the rivalry has won consecutive matchups since NSU did it from 2014-2016.

The Pirates: Hampton also got its first victory of 2024 last week, a 33-21 win over Virginia Union. Star running back Elijah Burris found a groove in the run game, totaling 145 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. Hampton likely will continue to use both of its starting-caliber quarterbacks on Saturday. Interim head coach Trent Boykin has said the plan is based on how both Chris Zellous and Malcolm Mays perform during practice the week before a game along with what challenges the opponent’s defense presents. After Mays took the bulk of the game reps in Week 1, Zellous took the bulk of the reps in Week 2. Zellous finished with 177 passing yards and 37 rushing yards, including two rushing TDs. Hampton is hoping to avoid a second straight loss to the Spartans. The road team has had more luck in the series recently — the last time the home team won the Battle of the Bay came in 2015.

— Michael Sauls

No. 13 William & Mary (1-1) at Wofford (1-0)

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

On the air: ESPN+, 92.3FM, TribeAthletics.com

The Tribe: W&M travels to South Carolina for a second consecutive week, having lost its annual game against an FBS opponent 41-20 at Coastal Carolina last week. The passing game and pass defense have been strengths for the Tribe. QB Darius Wilson ranks seventh nationally in passing efficiency (171.4 yards per game). The Tribe ranks fourth in the FCS in pass efficiency and is second in the CAA in passing yards allowed per game (137.5). DL Davin Dzidzienyo and ILB Quinn Osborne set career highs at Coastal Carolina with six and eight tackles, respectively. FS TJ McGill had six tackles in both of W&M’s games.

The Terriers: With road victories at Gardner-Webb and Richmond, Wofford is justifiably getting some votes in the national polls. The Terriers have been tough defensively, ranking in the FCS top 25 in total defense (309 ypg) and scoring defense (19.5 ppg). Their offense has been no slouch either and, with 246.5 passing yards per game, will give the Tribe’s strong pass defense a serious test. Experience, in the form of 16 returning starters, accounts for the fast start. Among them are some All-Southern Conference preseason picks: RB Ryan Ingram, TE Jordan Davis, DL Brandon Maina, LB David Powers and DB Maximus Pulley.

— Marty O’Brien

No. 7 Johns Hopkins (1-0) at Christopher Newport (1-0)

When: 5 p.m. Saturday

On the air: CNUsports.com, 99.1FM

The Bluejays: Johns Hopkins fell behind by 17 points in the second quarter of its opener against Division III No. 19 Ithaca, but rallied for a 27-23 victory. The Bluejays defeated the Captains 20-14 in Baltimore a year ago. QB Bay Harvey was 17 of 28 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 132 yards and two scores. Cole Crotty had six receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Carson Buordo and Cole Peters had nine tackles each.

The Captains: CNU opened with an easy 42-6 victory at Trine in Indiana. QB Matt Dzierski threw three touchdown passes and RB Gunner White ran for two touchdowns. A good sign was that the Captains’ five touchdown drives were for 64 yards or more. A two-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Dzierski completed 13 of 15 passes for 278 yards. Colin Hart had two touchdown receptions. The defense got into the act with Eli Sherfield’s 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

— Marty O’Brien

Apprentice (1-0) at Washington and Lee (0-1)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Wilson Field in Lexington

On the air: generalssports.com

The Builders: Facing the Generals will be a major step up, but Apprentice coach Vincent Brown’s team got off to an excellent start last week, dominating Southern Virginia 44-9, as it hopes to finish much closer to its 9-1 record of 2022 than its 4-6 mark of ’23. Grassfield High graduate Grant Swanger, after two years away from football, threw four touchdown passes, three to speedy receiver T.K. Petty. Ty Taylor ran for 152 yards on 21 carries, while Khamari Moore ran for 127 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. The Builders could’ve scored even more, settling for 23-, 25- and 26-yard field goals by Logan Eastman. Benny Nena and Syncere Hawkins led a strong defense, combining for 17 tackles and forcing two fumbles.

The Generals: Having beaten Apprentice 28-9 last year in Newport News, they were predicted second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference behind only defending champion Randolph-Macon. But they lost their opener 48-26 at traditionally strong Salisbury. They traditionally have favored the run, but a 21-0 first-quarter deficit prompted W&L to pass more. They amassed 438 yards of offense, but committed three turnovers. W&L’s Ty Collins went 11 for 16 for 120 yards and three touchdowns in his first game as a starter.

— Sonny Dearth

The game is important to players on both sides of the local rivalry, but it means more to the Hampton University wide receiver who started his college football career at Norfolk State and wants to finally show the Spartans “what they’re missing.”

Johnson has been with the Pirates since 2022. He was a Spartan from 2019 to 2021.

“I love this game, so every Saturday I’m definitely playing with my hair on fire,” Johnson said. “But this game is just … I’m gonna prove my worth. Show them what they’re missing.”

The former Nansemond River High standout is one of three players to play for Norfolk State and Hampton, based on data available on both schools’ respective athletics websites and football record books. He is the only player since the creation of the transfer portal in 2018 to have played for both schools.

“I definitely take a little pride in it because it wasn’t the easiest transition coming here,” Johnson said, “considering the fact that it is a very tough rival that people take seriously. So I definitely take pride in it, for sure.”

Defensive backs Harry Freeman and Marcus Woods are the two others to have played on both sides of the rivalry. Freeman was at Norfolk State from 2013 to 2016 and made the switch to Hampton in 2017. Woods was listed as a redshirt sophomore defensive back who transferred from Hampton to Norfolk State’s 2015 roster, but there is no other mention of him across either school’s website or all-time rosters in their respective football record books.

Johnson started his career with the Spartans as a walk-on running back and quickly found himself as a key part of the offense. During his freshman year, he led Norfolk State with 468 rushing yards, 959 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. Those numbers earned him All-MEAC third-team honors.

His first Battle of the Bay appearance came in 2021, when he logged four carries for 27 yards in Norfolk State’s 47-44 overtime win.

After the 2021 season, Johnson decided to hop in the transfer portal, citing coaching and culture changes. He said wanting to change positions also led to his transfer.

“When I was running back, I was 160 pounds just playing (with) straight natural ability,” Johnson said. “So it was definitely tough on my body playing that position. It wasn’t a walk in the park at all. So I feel like that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to play wide receiver. Wide receiver is less stressful on your body. You get hit, this is football at the end of the day, but that was my main decision.”

Johnson played in eight games during his first year with the Pirates, ending with seven catches for 75 yards. Two of those catches, and 20 of those yards, came in Hampton’s 17-7 win over Norfolk State in the 2022 Battle of the Bay.

Last year, Johnson’s run with the Pirates remained minimal. He did not play in the Battle of the Bay and made appearances in just two games while logging two catches on the year.

Though the 2024 season is young, Johnson already has made an impact for Hampton. He has totaled five catches for 93 yards in two games and caught his first touchdown pass as a Pirate against Morgan State.

“I’ve definitely been waiting on my turn,” Johnson said. “I’ve definitely been patient … but it’s just a matter of fact of when my team needs me, and they need me now, so I’m here.”

Pirates interim head coach Trent Boykin said he is impressed with Johnson’s growth and maturity since he arrived at Hampton.

“At this point now, he’s one of us,” Boykin said. “He doesn’t have anything that carries over from being there anymore, and so just to see him mature in a way of — because he’s been here for a while for us now. So it’s not like he’s fresh over, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be excited about that game.”

Johnson said he appreciates his time at Norfolk State, calling it his “first home.” NSU coach Dawson Odums, who coached Johnson for one season, is no stranger to having to scout former players. Just last week, three former Spartans were on the opposing sideline in Norfolk State’s game against Virginia State. Odums said re-scouting former players like Johnson has become more normal in college football.

“You’re going to see that anytime you have open admissions, open enrollment for a portal, then you’re going to get some of that cross-recruiting,” Odums said. “So you’ll get former players that you’re going to see. … So it’s just you know vaguely what you can remember, and you try to draw from it, but it’s really evaluating where they are now, going from there. Looks like (Johnson) is a major part of what they’re doing on offense.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The 1-2 Spartans are feeling good after the win but have quickly shifted focus to another rivalry game this weekend, with Hampton making the trip across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel for the Battle of the Bay.

“You can’t wait till Saturday to be great,” Norfolk State coach Dawson Odums said Monday. “That’s our challenge this week. I always say to sustain winning, to duplicate winning, to repeat winning, is one of the hardest things in winning. And now can we take the next step in getting ready for Hampton this Saturday and doing those small things? I call it, do simple better. If we can do simple better, then we got a chance this week.”

Odums praised the Spartans’ defense during his weekly press conference Monday, specifically how Norfolk State has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season.

Through three games, the most rushing yards a single running back has accounted for against Norfolk State is 67. That number belongs to East Carolina running back London Montgomery, who did so on 14 carries for 4.8 yards per rush.

“Guys are really fitting and doing better, but we want to be dominant,” Odums said.

For context, last season Norfolk State allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of its first three games. The Spartans even allowed a 200-yard rusher in Virginia State’s Bailey Upton.

Norfolk State’s run defense has shown vast improvement early in 2024. In the first three games of 2023, Norfolk State allowed 830 combined rushing yards and 7.1 yards per carry.

So far this season, Norfolk State has allowed less than half that number.

The Spartans’ opponents have combined for 382 rushing yards this season, bringing the average yards per game down to 127.5 from 276.6 in the same amount of time last year.

“I think we’ve shown what we can do,” defensive back Ricky Harleston said. “We’ve always talked about what we were capable of, but actually doing it, I think that was big for us. I think we can take that into Hampton and (bring) that momentum.”

Odums said the improvements can be credited to a combination of scheme, personnel, and growth in communication and discipline.

“When you get 11 guys that do simple better, they got a chance to be successful,” Odums said. “We’re playing with better eyes; our eyes got to get better. Teams are going to always try to, especially on offense, manipulate your eyes. So eye discipline is critical to that — we’ve been pretty good with that. When we haven’t been, teams have made us pay for that. So just getting older and just having a good understanding of what we’re doing, guys have been in the system (for) two and three years. That allows us to have some continuity and some consistency.”

Harleston echoed the sentiment, saying the defensive improvements boil down to the players.

“Everybody on the field, they have a certain kind of passion,” Harleston said. “It’s like fire and we all want to win. We’re all hungry, we’re all flying to the football, and I think that’s big. From being here three years ago to now, we got dogs on the field all over.”

Norfolk State’s defense will face another tough test Saturday in Hampton running back Elijah Burris. The senior ran for 137 yards on 12 carries in the Battle of the Bay last year and is fresh off a 145-yard, two-touchdown performance against Virginia Union last week.

“He is a focal point,” Odums said of Burris. “He’s a very good football player, very talented. He has the ability to go the distance at any point in time, and they’ve been giving him the ball through the first two weeks. Just a dynamic football player that you definitely got to know where he’s at all times.”

Norfolk State also will have to look out for Hampton’s quarterbacks’ ability to factor into the run game. Both Chris Zellous and Malcolm Mays can run the ball efficiently and have done so already this season.

“Both of them can throw the ball, both of them can run the ball, and we’ve seen them in the past,” Odums said. “So I really think both of those guys are kind of ideal players. That’s one reason they probably play both, because as a coordinator, you don’t want to have two game plans. So the game plan doesn’t really change no matter which one is in the game.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Spartans’ victory is their first of the season and their first at home since late in the 2021 season.

“Winning is fun, no matter how you win,” head coach Dawson Odums said. “That’s the goal, that’s the objective at the end of every mission, to make sure that you come away 1-0. This is the first time in a while that we’ve been able to finish a fourth quarter and beat a football team. You can see the growth, and we gotta grow a little bit more if we’re going to continue to feel this kind of feeling. I’m happy for them, the assistant coaches, these players — they put in a lot of hours and time.”

Quarterback Jalen Daniels got the Spartans on the board on their first drive, thanks to a beautiful connection with wide receiver Jacquez Jones. Daniels found Jones on a slant route on third-and-long, and the speedy Jones took the ball 60 yards to the house. The score was the first passing TD of the season for Daniels and the Spartans. Jones finished with 109 yards on four catches.

“I’ve been watching film all week. Coach was saying the middle of the field was gonna be wide open,” Jones said. “So as Coach was calling the play, I can see them bring pressure up the middle, so I’m like, ‘JD, I know I’m getting this ball.’ As soon as I stuck my foot in the ground, the ball was there and I did the rest.”

Virginia State was able to tie the game right away with a score on the ensuing drive. Former Norfolk State wide receiver Kevin Gayles, covered head to toe by a Spartan defensive back, made a phenomenal grab in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown. Gayles’ catch capped a 12-play, 92-yard drive for Virginia State.

After forcing Norfolk State to go three plays and out, the Trojans jumped ahead 14-7 with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Jimmyll Williams that capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive.

A little bit of luck helped Norfolk State tie the game at 14 on its next possession. Spartans running back X’Zavion Evans ran the ball up the middle, but had the ball punched out by a Virginia State defender. The fumbled ball flew forward and was kicked even farther by a Norfolk State player before it was eventually picked up and taken all the way to the red zone for a massive gain. A few plays later, Daniels waltzed in for a 11-yard touchdown run.

Norfolk State was able to add to its lead the next time its offense took the field. The Spartans strung together a crisp seven-play, 55-yard drive that was capped by a 22-yard touchdown catch by Kam’Ryn Thomas.

The score put Norfolk State ahead 21-14, and it remained that way heading into halftime after the Spartans missed a 45-yard field goal on their final offensive drive of the first half.

There wasn’t much offense in the third quarter, but the defense was plentiful on both sides. The first three drives of the third quarter ended in turnovers — Norfolk State fumbled the ball, Virginia State threw an interception and then Norfolk State threw another interception.

“I told them before the game, offense has (the) defense back, defense has (the) offense back, special teams has all (our) back,” Odums said. “Whoever is out there, you can turn the game around, you just have to believe and execute. We have a lot of work to do to get better, but it feels a lot better coming in after you’ve won a football game. They’re gonna see the film and they’ll get better, which they’ve done every week.”

Only three points came from the three turnovers: a 28-yard field goal from the Trojans after Daniels’ interception. The field goal cut Norfolk State’s lead to 21-17.

Outside of the fumble and interception, Daniels had put together a solid performance. He finished 14 of 21 through the air for 210 yards and two touchdowns while adding 31 yards and a score on the ground.

“Not good enough,” Daniels said of his performance. “That third quarter, (offensive coordinator Jason Phillips) and I talk a lot about not inserting yourself into the play, because he’s a great OC. So I inserted myself a bit in that third quarter, made (the game) a bit closer than it had to be. But I got back to my roots fourth quarter and yeah, we got the win.”

Oscar Smith High product Kevon King extended Norfolk State’s lead to two scores on the ensuing drive with a 64-yard rushing touchdown. King finished the game with a team-high 137 yards on 20 carries. As a team, Norfolk State finished with 257 rushing yards.

Both teams swapped punts on the next two drives, but Virginia State was able to cut into the lead, thanks to a touchdown from quarterback Romelo Williams with just more than five minutes remaining in the game. Williams finished 14 for 20 through the air for 171 yards and a touchdown.

The Trojans attempted to go for two, but failed, leaving Norfolk State with a 28-23 lead. The Spartans were eventually able to ice the game with a few clutch third-down conversions on their final drive.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Sure, Norfolk State is 0-2 and Hampton is 0-1, but there have been flashes for both teams that show they can get back on track — especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Hampton

The Pirates lost their opener to Morgan State 30-28 last weekend, but Boykin was still impressed with how the defense played.

“They flew around,” Boykin said Wednesday. “They played with some confidence. They knew certain calls or certain blitzes, they knew what they were doing, they were executing exactly where they were supposed to be.”

Hampton gave up 244 rushing yards, but Morgan State ran the ball 55 times. Despite that, Hampton’s highest team defensive grade for the game came on run defense, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Pirates’ defense wound up with a 70.4 grade against the run. Boykin said the defense did a good job of being “gap-sound,” which will be important Saturday against a Virginia Union team that ran for 379 yards in its season-opening win against Kentucky State.

Hampton’s defense kept showing up in big ways against Morgan State and kept the Pirates in the game. The Pirates did struggle with getting off the field on third down, including allowing two conversions on third-and-long that allowed Morgan State to ice the game, but Boykin said those things are correctable.

“We had some breakdowns on third-and-long (and have) some adjustment things that we got to do to fix, which is fine,” Boykin said. “But I just like the fact that they played hard, they flew around, they tackled pretty well. There were some missed tackles, but for the most part, guys were flying around. You could tell they were playing with confidence, like they understood and knew the defensive game plan.”

Norfolk State

Norfolk State might have received a 42-3 beatdown from FBS East Carolina last week, but there were still bright spots for the Spartans’ defense.

The Spartans forced six turnovers — three interceptions and three fumbles — in the loss. Forcing that many turnovers is impressive, but doing it against an FBS team makes it even more impressive. Defensive lineman Keshawn Lynch said it provides a boost for the defense, and he’s confident the results will be translated throughout the season.

Odums said there was an emphasis on winning the turnover battle during fall camp. While the offense didn’t match the defense against ECU, if Norfolk State can continue that trend, it will be in a good spot to win.

“Guys were in position and that’s the biggest thing,” Odums said. “Once you see them in position, now as a coaching staff, we just have to keep them in position because we got guys that can make some plays.”

Defensive back Terron Mallory came up with two interceptions against ECU, earning him an HBCU Defensive Back of the Week nod by the Jim Thorpe Awards on Wednesday. Mallory led the MEAC in interceptions last year and, after a rough game against Florida A&M, said his performance against ECU was a good confidence-booster.

“My coaches keep confidence in me,” Mallory said. “I made a mistake last week. I harped on it, but they didn’t let me harp on it too long. They gave me a second chance to go out there and make a play, and that’s what I did.”

Odums said Mallory’s improved play is indicative of the Norfolk State defense as a whole.

“That’s what you look forward to, is watching these guys grow week to week and just put bad games behind them, bad plays behind them, and continue to move forward,” Odums said.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Gold Standard Collective will be the official NIL Collective for Norfolk State, according to a press release. The collective is powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL).

“The unveiling of the Gold Standard Collective marks a monumental breakthrough for our university and our student-athletes,” Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb said in a release. “Through the help of SANIL’s innovative approach to the world of NIL, Norfolk State student-athletes will now boast a significant advantage in establishing and maintaining a personal brand.”

The Gold Standard Collective will help Norfolk State athletes find tools and resources to promote and maximize their personal brand. Through the collective, athletes will have “increased access” to communicate with local and national businesses.

The press release stated that SANIL is not “officially affiliated” with Norfolk State Athletics, but it “operates transparently” and is complicit with all NCAA, MEAC and state legislation on NIL.

“This is a great day in Sparta and we cannot say thank you enough to our wonderful donors,” Norfolk State football coach Dawson Odums said in a release. “They see the potential in our future stars, and we could not rise without them. The next level of achievement can not happen without you. Thank you for putting the U in NSU!”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Spartans will play in-state rival Virginia State at Dick Price Stadium after opening the season with road losses against Florida A&M and East Carolina.

“I think it’s going to be a great environment,” Odums said Tuesday. “I think opening up at home with (Virginia State) is always good. It’s good for the community. It’s good for both fan bases, and we’re definitely looking forward to this football game. They played well in their first game. They’re 1-0 and coming in here, they’re going to be excited. But we’re a different football team than we were a year ago, and we’re looking forward to this matchup.”

When Norfolk State opened last season with a home matchup against Virginia State, 21,640 people packed the stands at Dick Price Stadium for the first matchup between the rivals since 2019.

Virginia State left Norfolk with a 33-24 win last year after a bizarre ending that included the Trojans icing the game with a 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Odums said the way the game ended last year adds “extra fuel” to the latest matchup.

“A lot of guys experienced a lot of losses last year and they were here for that loss at the end of the game,” Odums said. “You gotta live with that for 365 days. Everything that you did in the offseason leads up to this football game and getting yourself ready to play. Just having that understanding that it’s still about going 1-0. These are the certain things we have to do, and if we do these things very well, we give ourselves a chance to win a football game. That’s ultimately what we want is a chance to win a football game and come away with a ‘W.’”

That loss to Virginia State was the first of four home losses for the Spartans last year and was one of three that came by less than 10 points. The trend of home losses isn’t unique to 2023, though.

Norfolk State is just 3-10 when playing at home under Odums. The Spartans haven’t won a home game since they beat Morgan State during Odums’ first season in 2021.

“Winning at home is big because you have to defend home turf,” Odums said. “We did not do a very good job of that in 2023, but this football team is destined to do some really great things. I think we’ve gotten better, we’re a better football team, we have a better mindset. Now you gotta put it all together and go show it, and it starts by defending our home turf against Virginia State.”

Defensive back Terron Mallory, who had two interceptions for Norfolk State against ECU last week, and defensive lineman Keshawn Lynch both said they’ve been waiting for Saturday’s game against Virginia State.

“It’s one of those games that’s been marked up on my schedule,” Lynch said. “I don’t really talk a lot, so you know, it’s just, I can’t wait to play honestly.”

Both Mallory and Lynch transferred to Norfolk State in the past few years — Mallory from Sacred Heart after the 2021 season and Lynch from Old Dominion after the 2022 season — meaning neither of them have won a home game during their time with the Spartans. That only adds more importance to the game.

“I think it’s just one of those things where we literally have to win because it’s been so long,” Lynch said. “Everybody’s coming to the game. It’s one of those games everybody wants to see, and it’s been two years. So why not make it this year that we win our first home game?”

Norfolk State has played inspired football so far in 2024. Although the Spartans are 0-2 with a 24-23 loss to nationally-ranked Florida A&M and 42-3 loss to FBS program East Carolina, Odums said he’s noticed bright spots and improvements week to week.

Mallory said he’s excited to be back on Park Avenue this weekend after starting the season on the road and is hoping to get a home win for the Spartans fans.

“It definitely feels good to get back home and be able to play in front of our fans,” Mallory said. “We’ve definitely been able to pack it out. It’s gonna be electrifying attendance, for sure. And I’m just ready.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Jones told the media Monday the classroom adoptions will replace the usual back-to-school bash the Spartans hold.

“Because of the timing of when schools started — some schools started (Monday), some schools started last week, some next week — we just decided to adopt a classroom,” Jones said. “So we wanted to do one or two classrooms in every city in the 757, and so far, we’ve been able to do that.”

Jones and the Spartans have adopted classrooms at seven schools for the year, each representing a city in Hampton Roads. A class from Independence Middle School, Western Branch Middle School, Lake Taylor High School, Rena B. Wright Primary School, Nansemond River High School, Booker T. Washington Middle School and B.M. Williams Primary School will all have their supplies paid for.

The classes were selected after Jones tweeted out a PSA last week.

“We put it out on social media and really it was kind of like a voting system,” Jones said. “So the people who got the most hits, or the most votes or the most mentions, we gave the school supplies to. So what they did was they sent their wish list, and we were able to take care of that Amazon wish list, and now they have school supplies for the semester.”

The team plans to go out and spend time with the classes this week and throughout the year, Jones said. The classes were also invited to Norfolk State’s game against Hofstra on Dec. 9.

Jones said the class adoptions are a great way to give back to the community, while also showing his players that the Norfolk State program is about more than basketball.

“It’s just having a holistic approach with your program, showing that it’s more than just on the court; it’s off the court things too,” Jones said. “The community, they show up and support you. You got to give back a little bit so they can continue to show up and support you. It’s a two-way street. Also, when you’re in a position of power, or able to give back, you should give back.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com