Norfolk State came within the final moments of earning its first MEAC victory of 2026 on November 7, but a late fumble and a missed field goal left the Spartans with a 29-28 loss to North Carolina Central in Norfolk. The defeat dropped Norfolk State to 4-6 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
With 1:34 left, the Spartans possessed the ball and led 28-23 against an opponent that had exhausted its timeouts. On second down, quarterback Deljay Bailey moved left after receiving the snap and lost the ball when an Eagles defender hit him. North Carolina Central recovered, giving its offense another opportunity to score.
Norfolk State coach Michael Vick said he had called for victory formation and expected the team to kneel. Instead, he looked up to see a running play followed by the fumble. “That's just situational football,” Vick said. Kneeling on second and third down could have reduced the remaining time to less than 15 seconds, leaving the Spartans the option of punting and trying to put the Eagles deep in their own territory.
The turnover set up a 26-yard touchdown pass from Josh Jones to Mekhi Wall with 27 seconds remaining. That score gave North Carolina Central its first lead of the game, 29-28. The Eagles failed on their two-point conversion attempt, while a personal foul assessed against them on the touchdown play helped Norfolk State gain favorable field position on the ensuing kickoff.
A further 15-yard penalty against North Carolina Central helped the Spartans get within field goal range for one final scoring opportunity. Marco Peery attempted a 36-yard kick that could have won the game, but his effort went wide right, leaving the Eagles with the one-point victory.
The finish overshadowed strong performances by Bailey and the Norfolk State defense. Bailey connected on 22 of 26 passes, totaling 278 yards and two touchdowns, and also scored a rushing touchdown. The Spartans forced four turnovers on defense, with Jordan Saunders accounting for two of them through interceptions.
Norfolk State opened the scoring and reached halftime ahead 21-7. An early fourth-quarter touchdown run by Jalyn Daniels extended its advantage to 28-17 before North Carolina Central cut the gap to 28-23. Jake Walker subsequently missed a 25-yard field goal attempt that would have stretched the Spartans' lead to eight points. Norfolk State is scheduled to play at Morgan State next Saturday.
