![]() ![]() Norfolk State was a young team this year, but the Spartans are bringing back almost their entire team next season. Norfolk State will need to improve in MEAC play next year, but it won’t get any easier after the emergence of Morgan State this season added a potential third contender to the mix. Central, but ultimately lost that game by 14. Odums’ squad also made a run at FCS playoff-bound N.C. Norfolk State lost to MEAC champ Howard and Morgan State by three points each. The Spartans had opportunities to finish with a winning record in conference play. Instead, the Spartans finished exactly where they were projected to in the preseason poll - No. 500 in conference play last year, the conference must have collectively decided to flip the switch this year. Vital conference playĪfter four of the six teams in the MEAC failed to finish above. Odums’ teams have continued to perform relatively well on the road, but still haven’t won a game at home since 2021. Norfolk State’s final road win came over Delaware State two weeks ago. Two of the three road wins came against CAA teams in September when Norfolk State beat Hampton and Towson. Road warriorsįor the second time in three seasons with Odums at the helm, Norfolk State finished 3-4 in away games. The freshman linebacker finished with 69 total tackles and proved he can be the cornerstone of the Norfolk State defense going forward. ![]() The Spartans should return seven out their top 10 tacklers next year, including leading tackler AJ Richardson. It wasn’t all gloom and doom for the NSU defense, though. At one point, the Spartans’ run defense was ranked No. Norfolk State allowed 206.5 rushing yards per game this year, ranking No. Norfolk State did have a relatively young front seven that also dealt with injuries, so some of the lack of success was expected. The defensive unit’s biggest problem came against the run. The Spartans benefited from a strong, experienced secondary that brought in nine interceptions on the year - tied for second in the MEAC. This year, Norfolk State gave up 29.5 points per game and was No. In 2022, the Spartans’ defense gave up 40.4 points per game and more rushing yards, passing yards, total yards and average yards per play (6.7) than any other team in the MEAC. Norfolk State’s defense saw a few strides in the right direction after an abysmal 2022 campaign. Simply put, Pickering’s offense helped keep Norfolk State in games this year, something you can’t say about the Spartans’ 2022 season. Quarterback Otto Kuhns collected 1,244 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Norfolk State had a relatively balanced offense, averaging 168.4 passing yards per game and 173.8 rushing yards per game.Īfter ODU transfer Aaron Moore went down for the season with a hand injury in October, East Carolina transfer Andre Pegues stepped up in his place. The Spartans averaged 342 yards of offense per game and 5.3 yards per play this season, both up from 299.4 total yards per game and 5.1 yards per play last year. E-Pilot Evening Edition Home Page Close Menu
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