NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State freshman quarterback DaJean Golmond has been named the MEAC Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week after accounting for four touchdowns in the Spartans' 33-31 loss at Robert Morris on Saturday.
Golmond completed 27 of 45 passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in his second career start, and caught a fourth touchdown himself.
The 371 passing yards are the seventh-most in a game by a Norfolk State quarterback, on a list topped by Aaron Sparrow's 516 against Winston-Salem State in 1994. His 27 completions are the eighth-most in a game in program history and his 45 attempts rank fifth. His 376 yards of total offense rank eighth all-time, moving past Chris Walley's 374 at Old Dominion on Nov. 26, 2011, and breaking his own mark of 356 from a week earlier at Chicago State, which ranks 12th.
In two career starts, Golmond now owns the eighth- and 12th-best single-game total offense performances in Norfolk State history.
He opened the scoring at Joe Walton Stadium with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Rocco Ciocca, capping a seven-play, 76-yard drive on the Spartans' second possession.
Golmond was at the center of the rally that followed. Trailing 27-10 in the third quarter, Norfolk State scored 21 unanswered points, and he was involved in all three touchdowns. He caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brevin Caldwell on a trick play, hit Kiron Benjamin from two yards out on third-and-2 to finish a 13-play, 74-yard drive, and threw a 3-yard touchdown to Paul Billups II on a four-play, 72-yard possession that opened with a 59-yard strike to Jason Wonodi. The run gave the Spartans a 31-27 lead with 3:27 to play, their first lead since the opening quarter.
After Robert Morris answered with 1:25 remaining, Golmond drove Norfolk State 61 yards in nine plays, converting a fourth-and-10 from his own 47 with an 18-yard completion to Jalyn Daniels. Marco Peery's 52-yard field goal attempt as time expired hit the crossbar and fell away.
Norfolk State finished with 491 yards of total offense, converted all three of its fourth-down attempts and scored on all five trips to the red zone.
The Spartans (3-3) return home to William "Dick" Price Stadium to host Virginia-Lynchburg for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., with the game broadcast on the MEAC Network.
