Michael Vick and Norfolk State opened the 2026 season with a dominant 56-0 victory over Winston-Salem State on Saturday at William “Dick” Price Stadium.
Norfolk State scored on its opening possession and never looked back. Quarterback Deljay Bailey capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Elyjah Mitchell. The Spartans carried a 21-0 advantage into halftime before scoring 35 more points after the break.
“I thought today was, you know, a testament to the hard work that we’ve been putting in since January, all throughout the spring, over the summer,” Vick said. “We just stressed, like, you know, doing it our way and wanting to impose our will on our opponent.”
Bailey gave Michael Vick and Norfolk State balance at quarterback. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Bailey also rushed five times for 56 yards and another score.
Norfolk State piled up 457 total yards, including 306 on the ground. Jaylin Daniels led the rushing attack with 104 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. Mitchell caught five passes for 50 yards and two scores.
The Spartans controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes. They converted seven of nine third-down attempts and finished eight-for-eight on red-zone scoring opportunities.
Norfolk State defense delivers shutout
Norfolk State’s defense completed the dominant performance by holding Winston-Salem State to 106 total yards. WSSU managed just 18 rushing yards and did not enter the red zone.
Kendall McKoy completed 14 of 24 passes for 88 yards. Taron Biles-Walker accounted for 69 of those yards on five receptions.
The Spartans also forced three turnovers. Winston-Salem State lost two fumbles, while McKoy threw one interception.
“Anytime you have a chance to pitch a shutout, man, it’s an amazing feat,” Michael Vick said.
Vick also praised his team for playing with more discipline than it showed last season. Norfolk State finished with nine penalties for 115 yards, but it avoided the kind of mistakes that allowed games to turn against it a year ago.
Norfolk State now turns its attention to a tougher stretch of its schedule. The opening win gave Vick evidence that the offseason work carried over, but he does not want the Spartans to ease up.
“Foot on the gas,” Vick said. “Foot on the gas moving forward.”
Congrats @MV.
Lots of games left to be played.