NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Last year Norfolk State failed to win a conference game, but 2026 finds a much-improved Spartans squad taking the field and the green and gold will waste no time being tested in the MEAC.
Coming off a bye, NSU heads to South Carolina State where the reigning conference champion Bulldogs await. They haven't lost a MEAC game since 2023 and are kicking off their quest for a third straight conference crown.
"This time of the year, it's like playoff season for us," head coach Michael Vick said. "That's how we've got to look at it and that's how we're going to approach it and it should be fun. It should be very competitive."
Norfolk State wrapped up its non-conference slate 4-3, a far cry from last year's 1-6 performance. The Spartans will square off against a South Carolina State team that is 5-2 and coming off back-to-back defeats, but one that handed NSU a 51-20 setback in the green and gold's homecoming in 2025. The Bulldogs also bring an 11-game conference winning streak into this showdown.
"We know that we're up against the giant of the conference," Vick noted. "They've run this conference for years on end, but everything is subject to change. Just because that has been a thing of the past doesn't mean it can be a thing of the present and we control our destiny. We control what we do."
"No one wants to lose on homecoming like that," added senior offensive lineman Tyler Leinberger. "I think a lot of our guys remember that from last season and are not happy about it and want to change our outlook on that."
Vick also said freshman Da'Jean Golmond will start at quarterback for the MEAC opener. Goldmond has completed 65.5 percent of his passes this season for 774 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception. Deljay Bailey will serve as his back-up.
The Spartans will look to slow down an SC State offense that leads all FCS teams with 43.6 points per game. Both Norfolk State and the Bulldogs can rush the ball effectively, with NSU averaging 214 rushing yards per game (ninth in FCS) and SCSU posting 227.1 yards per game on the ground (sixth in FCS).
Kickoff between Norfolk State and South Carolina State is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
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