ATLANTA, Ga. – Norfolk State held their own against the defending Celebration Bowl Champion in a nationally televised showdown on Saturday night, falling 24-23 to Florida A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.
Junior Kevon King led the Spartans with a career night on the ground, racking up 146 rushing yards at Center Parc Stadium. The Oscar Smith grad scored two touchdowns, averaging 10.4 yards per attempt on 14 carries.
The Spartans wasted no time getting the game started with a bang. King broke free on Norfolk State’s third play from scrimmage, rushing for an 83-yard touchdown to get his team on the board first.
After forcing a FAMU punt quickly, the NSU offense continued to click early. Gashing the Rattlers with a consistent run game, the Spartans marched down the field for a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. Jalen Daniels received a push from his offensive line on a quarterback sneak to put the Spartans ahead 14-0.
Florida A&M found its rhythm on the next offensive possession. The Rattlers put together several big chunks of yardage, finding the end zone on 20-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Richardson.
After the Spartans came up empty on their next opportunity, Florida A&M continued to chip away at the deficit. A stand from the Norfolk State defense prevented another Rattler touchdown, but a field goal made the score 14-10.
Neither team could get much going for the rest of the first half, as Norfolk State took the slim advantage into the midway break. But FAMU came back out energized, taking its first lead of the night on a deep pass within seconds.
Norfolk State connected on its first long ball of the evening soon after. Daniels found Kam’Ryn Thomas, who adjusted to make the catch with terrific footwork, setting up Grand Willcox’s 29-yard field goal to tie the game 17-17.
Florida A&M produced a go-ahead touchdown drive on its next possession, attacking the Spartans through the air and taking advantage of missed tackles. The score pushed the Rattlers ahead 24-17 entering the fourth quarter.
With the Spartans’ backs against the wall and FAMU knocking at the door once again, a pivotal turnover gave Norfolk State life. Levontae Jacobs forced a timely fumble, recovered by Eric Ivory, to get the Spartan offense back on the field.
After converting on several third down conversions, the Daniels-Thomas connection struck again, this time putting the Spartans inside the 10-yard line. King converted from there, scoring his second touchdown of the day.
Norfolk State played aggressively from there, going for the two-point conversion, but FAMU snuffed out the play. The stop kept Florida A&M in the lead, 24-23, with under seven minutes left to play.
The Rattlers drained the clock from there, though, converting on two crucial third down opportunities. Thad Franklin Jr picked up the final first down, sending FAMU to victory formation.
The Spartans face another strong opponent next Saturday, traveling to Greenville, N.C. to face East Carolina. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
Checking The Box Score
- Norfolk State outgained Florida A&M 227-117 on the ground, while the Rattlers won the passing battle 286-142
- Kevon King led the Spartans with a career-best 146 rushing yards on 14 carries, averaging 10.4 yards per attempt
- Jalen Daniels completed 7-of-9 passes for 142 yards, a 77.7 percent completion rate
- Jacquez Jones led Norfolk State’s receiving corps with four receptions for 78 yards, while Kam’Ryn Thomas registered two catches for 57 yards
- AJ Richardson paced the Spartans defensively with nine tackles, while Tyler Long tallied six tackles and a forced fumble
- Norfolk State won the takeaway battle, recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter while preventing any giveaways
News & Notes
- Saturday marked the 19th meeting between Norfolk State and Florida A&M, the first since 2019
- The Rattlers now lead the all-time series 16-3
- Saturday’s game marked Norfolk State’s first-ever appearance in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge
- Junior Kevon King finished the night with 147 rushing yards, surpassing his career high with over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter
- Norfolk State produced one takeaway on Saturday, a fourth-quarter fumble recovery.
UP NEXT
Norfolk State returns to action for a showdown against an FBS opponent next week, traveling to face East Carolina at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 31.
Source: Norfolk State Athletics/nsuspartans.com