HAMPTON, Va. – The Norfolk State football team jumped out to an early lead in the 64th Battle of the Bay, but Hampton rallied to claim a 41-34 victory on Saturday afternoon at Armstrong Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd of 9,710 fans. 

Quarterback Otto Kuhns led the Spartans' offense, completing 15 of 26 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns while adding 54 yards on the ground. X'Zavion Evans anchored the rushing attack with 93 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. DreSean Kendrick paced the receiving corps with 120 yards on two receptions, including a 65-yard touchdown. 

Defensively, Daylan Long led the way with nine tackles (three solo), a tackle for loss, an interception, and a quarterback hurry. Terique Miles also tallied nine tackles and a pass breakup. 

Hampton opened the game with a field goal on its first possession before Norfolk State struck quickly. On just the third play of the Spartans' opening drive, Kuhns connected with Kendrick for a 65-yard touchdown to take a 7-3 lead. 

Moments later, Long intercepted a pass at the Hampton 49-yard line, setting up a five-play, 49-yard drive capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Laudermilk, extending NSU's lead to 14-3. 

The Pirates answered with an 11-play drive to close the gap to 14-10 late in the first quarter. Early in the second, the Spartans responded with an eight-play, 65-yard drive, capped by a one-yard scoring run from Evans to push the advantage to 21-10. 

Hampton seized momentum before halftime, scoring 17 unanswered points to take a 27-21 lead into the locker room. The Pirates' surge included a 30-yard touchdown strike from Gracen Goldsmith, a 25-yard field goal from Brett Starling, and a 14-yard touchdown run by MarShawn Ferguson following a Spartan fumble. 

Norfolk State trimmed the deficit early in the third quarter as Marco Peery drilled a 28-yard field goal to make it 27-24. But Hampton answered with a sustained five-minute drive ending in a four-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 34-24. 

In the fourth quarter, Kuhns orchestrated a 72-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ikeem Wright, pulling the Spartans within three at 34-31. The Pirates reclaimed a 10-point advantage on a 21-yard touchdown run by quarterback Braden Davis with 8:52 remaining.  

Despite a 60-yard drive aided by multiple Hampton penalties, Norfolk State settled for a 29-yard field goal to make it 41-34 with just over four minutes to play. Hampton held possession the rest of the way to run out the clock and seal the victory. 

Up Next 

Norfolk State hits the road one final time in its three-game stretch, traveling to Orangeburg, S.C., for a matchup against the Wofford College Terriers. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.