NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State football team capped its first week of preseason practice with its first full intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday afternoon at Dick Price Stadium.

The scrimmage was delayed a day due to a heavy rainstorm in the Norfolk area on Saturday. That delay and the players' anticipation of a first full-contact scrimmage made for a spirited 2-hour session.

The defense struck first on the first play from scrimmage when senior linebacker Corwin Hammond snared an errant Chris Walley throw and intercepted it. The play would have gone for a 46-yard score, but any change of possession resulted in an instant whistle and stoppage of play under the team's scrimmage rules.

Two possessions later, a nice drive run mostly by transfer quarterback Nico Flores was thwarted when a muffed exchange resulted in a fumble recovery by the defense. But the offense got going again on its next drive, as Walley and Flores took turns leading the team down the field. The 12-play drive included a 20-yard completion from Walley to Reggie Garrett on a 3rd-and-long, setting up a 20-yard Ryan Estep field goal.

The third- and fourth-string skill players took their turns on the next two drives starting from midfield, completing the scrimmage's first half. Dexter Merritt led an eight-play drive that ended in a missed field goal. Then freshman quarterback Brendon Riddick directed a possession which gained two first downs, but he was intercepted by sophomore cornerback Nick Taylor to end the first half.

After a break for special teams practice, the offense came to life. Walley completed 4-of-4 passes for 45 yards on the first possession of the second half, including a 3rd-and-long completion of 20 yards to Derrick Demps. A 23-yard completion from Walley to Garrett moved the offense down to the 2-yard line. Senior fullback Josh Alford punched it in on the next play for the offense's first TD of the day.

Taylor was again in the right place at the right time on the next possession, grabbing a tipped pass thrown by Flores for another interception. But from there, the offense scored on three of its next four drives. Estep connected on a 37-yard field goal and newcomer Everett Goldberg nailed a 47-yard field goal on back-to-back drives.

The team then worked on goal-to-go possessions, and Flores hit Joe Hawkins on a 4-yard TD pass. On the final possession in that format, the defense held the offense on four straight plays.

Walley completed 8-of-16 passes for 83 yards. Flores completed 2-of-5 passes and also tallied 35 rushing yards. Junior college transfer Randy Maynes led the squad with 40 rushing yards, while Garrett caught a team-high five passes for 61 yards.

Head coach Pete Adrian liked most of what he saw, with a few exceptions.

“There was definitely not a lack of effort or aggressiveness out there today,” Adrian said. “But a few times, some guys got penalized because they got a little too aggressive or excited after a play, and that's what we can't have.”

The team has its first true two-a-day practices on Monday, with another scrimmage planned for 9 a.m. on Saturday at the team's practice field.