NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State returns to William "Dick" Price Stadium on Saturday for Homecoming, hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg at 2 p.m. in the Spartans' final non-conference game of the season.
It is the biggest date on the Norfolk State calendar. The Spartans drew a school-record 47,273 fans to Dick Price Stadium for Homecoming last season, part of a 21,212 per-game home average that ranked fifth among all NCAA Division I FCS programs in 2025.
Saturday also serves as Norfolk State's Breast Cancer Awareness game.
About the Spartans
Norfolk State (3-3) comes home after a two-week road swing that produced a breakthrough and a near miss.
The Spartans won 43-20 at Chicago State on Sept. 26 for the first road victory of the Michael Vick era, then took Robert Morris to the wire a week later before falling 33-31 in Moon Township. Norfolk State trailed 27-10 before a 17-point run gave it the lead in the fourth quarter, but a missed 55-yard field goal was returned the other way for a touchdown in a game decided by two points.
At quarterback. Freshman Da'Jean Golmond has started the last two games and thrown for 371 yards against the Colonials, with Rocco Ciocca hauling in a 17-yard touchdown pass. Vick said this week that Deljay Bailey is still nursing a shoulder injury but is expected to see some action Saturday.
At 3-3, Norfolk State has already tripled last season's win total and sits one victory from its best season since 2021.
Special teams have been a weapon. Jason Wonodi returned two punts for touchdowns against Hampton, from 76 and 57 yards, finishing with 170 return yards on three attempts — a night that rewrote three school records and earned him FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Marco Peery was perfect on five field goal tries in the same game, another school record, including a career-long 48-yarder.
The run game found a record. Jalyn Daniels broke loose for 95 yards and a touchdown at Chicago State, the longest run in Norfolk State history, passing J.J. Davis' 88-yarder from 2021. The Spartans piled up 623 total yards and 358 rushing yards in that game, the fourth- and second-highest single-game totals in program history.
Up front. Fifth-year center Tyler Leinberger has been one of the best offensive linemen in the subdivision. At a minimum of 200 snaps, his 78.5 offensive blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranks eighth among all FCS offensive linemen, second among FCS centers, and seventh among centers across FBS and FCS combined.
Leinberger leads every offensive lineman in the MEAC by more than nine points; the next-highest graded lineman in the conference sits at 69.2. His 84.3 pass-blocking grade is his strongest mark and the second-best among the top eight offensive linemen in the FCS.
The season opened with a 56-0 shutout of Winston-Salem State that snapped three long droughts in a single night — Norfolk State's first shutout since 2019, first 50-point game since 2021 and first season-opening win since 2018. The Spartans later beat Hampton 42-21 in the 61st Battle of the Bay to reclaim the all-time series lead.
By the numbers (FCS national ranks through Oct. 3)
| Category |
National |
MEAC |
Value |
| Passes Intercepted |
9th |
1st |
7 |
| Punt Returns |
10th |
1st |
20.73 |
| Time of Possession |
13th |
1st |
32:55 |
| Rushing Offense |
14th |
2nd |
199.8 |
| Rushing Defense |
16th |
2nd |
109.8 |
| Total Defense |
16th |
2nd |
304.0 |
| Turnovers Gained |
19th |
2nd |
10 |
| First Downs Offense |
25th |
2nd |
125 |
| Total Offense |
34th |
2nd |
406.3 |
| Passing Yards Allowed |
35th |
2nd |
194.2 |
| Scoring Offense |
36th |
3rd |
30.8 |
| Scoring Defense |
47th |
2nd |
26.3 |
Norfolk State leads the MEAC in interceptions, punt returns and time of possession, and ranks second in the conference in 11 more categories. The Spartans are one of only five FCS programs ranked inside the top 20 nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense.
Season leaders through six games
Wonodi, Davis and Mitchell each lead the MEAC in their respective categories. Daniels ranks second in the league in all four of his.
What Coach Vick Is Saying
On facing a non-Division I opponent: "I don't underestimate any opponent. D-I, D-II — it doesn't matter. They're coming to beat you, and who knows, they might put a plan together that's A1 and our guys might fall asleep. You can easily go out there and be relaxed, you can easily lose focus. We've got to earn everything."
On Homecoming: "It's going to be amazing to go out there this weekend. Hopefully we pack the house and give them something to cheer about. We've got some crucial home games coming, and we want to protect home field. It would be nice to go undefeated at home."
On what the players represent: "They represent school pride. They represent Norfolk State at its fullest, and we don't take that for granted anywhere we go. Everything matters. Character matters. When we step on that field Saturday, I want everything we love and everything we represent to be on display."
On the loss at Robert Morris: "It was a hard-fought game. Being down 27-10, I got a chance to live out what I thought this game was going to be — a good test to see where we really were. Did we step to them, or did we back down? For us to come back and take the lead showed a lot of resolve. We talk about playing for four quarters until the clock strikes triple zero. They stepped up to the challenge."
On the field goal that was returned for a touchdown: "That's on me. If I take the delay of game and we punt, the defense goes and gets a stop and we're right back in the same situation with good field position. It was forward thinking for me. I felt like I put us in a bad situation, and I apologized to the team. My coaches deserve credit for keeping me calm and telling me we'd get it back."
On freshman quarterback Da'Jean Golmond: "Da'Jean is special. He pays attention to detail, he loves the game and he's very talented. He can make plays in any situation and he can stretch the field. Most important, he has the right mindset to get better. He has poise, he believes in himself and he believes in the people around him — and the players believe in him. This is sort of a déjà vu situation for me, being a freshman leading a team full of older guys."
On the team's identity six games in: "Our team is built off sheer toughness. We want to be a physical team that controls the line of scrimmage. That's where the game is won. We're not going to get rattled early. We're not going to get excited when we're up 14 and we're not going to panic when we're down 14 — or down 17. We're going to stay even-keeled and let the toughness show."
On the Breast Cancer Awareness game: "It means a lot to be part of this cause — awareness, prevention, early detection. In the National Football League, October was always dedicated to it. I've got family members, my mom, my sisters, my daughters, and I want them to take this seriously and always stay a step ahead of it. That's why I get involved — not just to spread the word myself, but to get the word to masses of people."
About the Dragons
Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private Historically Black College and University in Lynchburg, Va., and a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association.
Head coach Tim Newman has built a program identity out of taking on larger opponents, and the Dragons play one of the most demanding schedules in non-Division I football. Saturday is Virginia-Lynchburg's fourth game against a Division I opponent this fall.
The Dragons enter at 0-5. They opened 45-0 at Hampton on Aug. 29, lost 37-7 at home to Roanoke, then fell 55-0 at Morgan State on Sept. 12 and 62-3 at Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 19. Their closest result came Sept. 26 at Bluefield, a 30-26 decision. Virginia-Lynchburg beat South Carolina Central Christian 51-6 on Oct. 1 in a scrimmage that does not count toward the record.
Across their five games, the Dragons have been outscored 229-36, averaging 7.2 points per game while allowing 45.8.
Virginia-Lynchburg averages 246.8 yards of total offense and 3.89 yards per play. The Dragons have rushed for 84.4 yards per game at 2.8 per carry with one rushing touchdown all season, and have thrown four touchdown passes against eight interceptions while completing 53.6 percent. They have allowed 17 sacks, converted 32.5 percent on third down, and scored on five of 11 red-zone trips.
Israel Rhodes leads the ground game with 211 yards in four games, including a season-high 102 at Bluefield. Max Zavala has been the most productive of seven quarterbacks to attempt a pass, going 33-of-52 for 338 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Omarion Hairston (17 catches, 142 yards) and Dustin Placide (14 catches, 166 yards) pace the receivers, and Jeremiah Combs caught a 66-yard touchdown at Bluefield, the Dragons' longest play of the season.
Every remaining game on the Dragons' schedule is on the road. After Norfolk State they have an open date, then visit Newberry, Livingstone, Savannah State and Chicago State to close the season.
Series History
Saturday is the second meeting between Norfolk State and Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Spartans lead the series 1-0, winning the only previous matchup 42-14 on Oct. 16, 2021.
| Year |
Date |
Result |
NSU |
VUL |
| 2021 |
Oct. 16 |
W |
42 |
14 |
Familiar Faces
Common ground on the schedule. Norfolk State and Virginia-Lynchburg share three 2026 opponents.
Both played Hampton — the Dragons opened their season there on Aug. 29, the Spartans won the Battle of the Bay on Sept. 19. Both face Chicago State, with Virginia-Lynchburg closing its season in Bridgeview on Nov. 14, seven weeks after Norfolk State won there.
And both meet Morgan State. The Dragons fell 55-0 in Baltimore on Sept. 12, giving them a look at a MEAC opponent six weeks before Norfolk State opens conference play.
How to Follow
- Video: MEAC Network | WATCH
- Radio: WNSB Hot 91.1 FM
- Live Stats: Follow HERE
- Social: Follow Norfolk State Athletics for in-game updates and postgame reaction
Buy Tickets Now!
Homecoming is the highest-demand date on the Norfolk State schedule, and tickets are on sale now through the Spartans' official ticketing site.
Important — 2026 gameday campus entry policy: All fans must have a ticket in hand before entering campus. For a Homecoming crowd, buying in advance is the difference between walking in and waiting at the perimeter.
Kickoff is 2 p.m. Fans should review the Spartans Fan Guide for stadium, parking, transportation and tailgating information, and plan extra time for a Homecoming crowd.
The NSU Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Up Next
Norfolk State is off the following Saturday before opening MEAC play on the road at South Carolina State on Oct. 24, for the third of three consecutive Homecoming games on the Spartans' schedule this month.
