Michael Vick and Norfolk State secured their first win of the season over Virginia State in an overtime thriller. The Spartans found themselves having to battle back into the game over the Division II contender and survived only because of a missed 48-yard field goal by Joshua Campbell at the end of the fourth quarter.
Vick acknowledged his team's good fortune in securing the victory with a three-word response that quite possibly summed up the game in general.
“Thank you, Jesus. This one is over,” he said in postgame press availability.
Vick then dove into what he'd like for his team to improve heading into a tough matchup against Rutgers in Week 3.
“We gotta work on the little things. I think once we cut back on the little things and continue to trust one another, trust our technique, play with pad level, do the things that we believe will keep us ahead of the chains [and] we're going to be a dangerous football team.”
The Spartans engaged in a battle to protect home field against their rivals in Virginia State. Ultimately, returning quarterback Otto Khuns emerged as the hero for the team. Kuhns finished the game throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 13 of 20 passing. Israel Carter, who started the game, finished with only 80 yards and no touchdowns on 10 of 16 passing.
The running back room also did better than their season-opening outing against Towson University, finishing with 137 yards on 31 attempts. The defense was able to withstand Virginia State's relentless offensive attack, though the unit still needs work as it enters MEAC conference play in October.
