NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It's been a whirlwind of a 72 hours for Norfolk State Football, thrust into the national spotlight for the wrong reasons after a victory was snatched from its fingertips.
Tuesday, head coach Michael Vick took to the podium for the first time since the Spartans 29-28 loss to North Carolina Central, one that saw the team fumble away a win.
"I'm glad that it happened because we're going to be in those situations again," Vick noted. "We're going to be winning football games again and we're going to have to go into victory or extended victory and I think it's something I learned from and a lesson that will last hopefully for a lifetime of coaching."
Holding a 28-23 lead on Saturday, the green and gold could have run the clock down to around 14 seconds before punting the ball back to the Eagles and potentially pinning them deep in their own territory. Vick was adamant after the game that he had called for victory formation, only to look up and see his team running a play. Tuesday he clarified that the plan was to go into "extended victory" formation, which would allow the Spartans to bleed a majority of the clock and go into a prevent defense by the time NCCU regained possession.
Vick acknowledged that the situation is part of his learning curve as a head coach.
"I think it's part of the process in real time," he pointed out. "To get those type of reps, it's invaluable for me. Playing it back in my head over the last two days, just learning so much from it."
The head coach also said that there would be no staff or personnel changes as a result of the incident.
"Everybody makes mistakes," Vick said. "I made a mistake in that situation. I should've been more on top of it, I should've played the procedure better, but I won't beat myself up about it because I understood the situation of what was going to happen and you can't automatically assume that everybody's on the same page. You've got to talk through those situations and make sure that everybody understands what's happening."
Of course, the Spartans have done a lot of soul searching over the course of the last three days. Vick and his coaching staff have had multiple conversations as they turn the page to their final road game at Morgan State. The head coach said he's had positive discussions with offensive coordinator Brian Sheppard following Saturday's debacle as the two move forward with what seems to be a strong working relationship, according to Vick.
"I enjoy working with Coach Shepp," the head coach said. "I think Coach Shepp is an extremely hard worker, great understanding of the game. We have great energy, we work hard together. We both made a mistake. I made a mistake. Shepp, in terms of his thinking and how he was trying to finish the game on the field, taking the knee and getting the first down, that's a fair scenario."
While there are a handful of people on whom fans and others want to pin the blame, Vick was clear about who does not deserve criticism for the miscommunication- quarterback Deljay Bailey.
"That was not Deljay's call," Vick declared. "He didn't make that call. He didn't call the play."
With the situation seemingly in the rearview mirror, NSU now turns its attention to the Bears. One program will pick up its first conference victory of 2026 and the green and gold will be looking to snap a four game losing streak against Division I competition.
"We've got to finish strong," Vick noted. "I think that's the message, whether at home or on the road. Find a way to win, find a way to get it done."
Norfolk State and Morgan State kick off on the Bears' home field at noon this Saturday.
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