Michael Vick notched his first conference victory as head coach of Norfolk State in dramatic fashion, a 34–31 overtime win over Virginia State before an energized home crowd at Dick Price Stadium.
“I tell you what, it took five quarters to win the game,” Vick said. “We came out started out slow. Felt like we put them in a position to make some plays and then we made a play and then they made a play and then we didn’t make a play and they kept making plays. I’m proud of the guys for just hanging in there and just continuing to believe.”
Prevailed in the Battle of the States💪#GoldStandard🔰 pic.twitter.com/gSXRrHmpub
— Norfolk State Football 🔰 (@NorfolkStateFB) September 8, 2025
The rivalry matchup produced wild swings, including a trick-play touchdown that sparked debate about whether it was even a legal play. “It was weird and we was kind of calling it out from the sideline, but hey, what can you do in that situation? It’s not our job to referee the game,” Vick explained. “We depend on those guys to make the right calls at the right times…Everybody has a job to do on game day. We just had to play through it.”
Norfolk State overcame 16 penalties to secure the win. “We can’t play the game going backwards,” Vick said. “I haven’t seen a team ever have a successful season playing the game going backwards. We got to be more disciplined. We got to hop on the details more. Ultimately, they got to trust their technique.”
Vick credited his team’s work ethic and growth from Week 1 to Week 2. “I seen more confidence. I seen our guys asking questions and trying to figure out what they could have did better. That’s something you can build off.”
Now comes a step up in competition with a road test against Rutgers. “They got to lace them up just like us,” Vick said. “They’re going to feel like we shouldn’t be on the field with them, and we’re going to feel like they shouldn’t be on the field with us. It’s just the attitude and the mindset you bring.”
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