The 1-2 Spartans are feeling good after the win but have quickly shifted focus to another rivalry game this weekend, with Hampton making the trip across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel for the Battle of the Bay.

“You can’t wait till Saturday to be great,” Norfolk State coach Dawson Odums said Monday. “That’s our challenge this week. I always say to sustain winning, to duplicate winning, to repeat winning, is one of the hardest things in winning. And now can we take the next step in getting ready for Hampton this Saturday and doing those small things? I call it, do simple better. If we can do simple better, then we got a chance this week.”

Odums praised the Spartans’ defense during his weekly press conference Monday, specifically how Norfolk State has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season.

Through three games, the most rushing yards a single running back has accounted for against Norfolk State is 67. That number belongs to East Carolina running back London Montgomery, who did so on 14 carries for 4.8 yards per rush.

“Guys are really fitting and doing better, but we want to be dominant,” Odums said.

For context, last season Norfolk State allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of its first three games. The Spartans even allowed a 200-yard rusher in Virginia State’s Bailey Upton.

Norfolk State’s run defense has shown vast improvement early in 2024. In the first three games of 2023, Norfolk State allowed 830 combined rushing yards and 7.1 yards per carry.

So far this season, Norfolk State has allowed less than half that number.

The Spartans’ opponents have combined for 382 rushing yards this season, bringing the average yards per game down to 127.5 from 276.6 in the same amount of time last year.

“I think we’ve shown what we can do,” defensive back Ricky Harleston said. “We’ve always talked about what we were capable of, but actually doing it, I think that was big for us. I think we can take that into Hampton and (bring) that momentum.”

Odums said the improvements can be credited to a combination of scheme, personnel, and growth in communication and discipline.

“When you get 11 guys that do simple better, they got a chance to be successful,” Odums said. “We’re playing with better eyes; our eyes got to get better. Teams are going to always try to, especially on offense, manipulate your eyes. So eye discipline is critical to that — we’ve been pretty good with that. When we haven’t been, teams have made us pay for that. So just getting older and just having a good understanding of what we’re doing, guys have been in the system (for) two and three years. That allows us to have some continuity and some consistency.”

Harleston echoed the sentiment, saying the defensive improvements boil down to the players.

“Everybody on the field, they have a certain kind of passion,” Harleston said. “It’s like fire and we all want to win. We’re all hungry, we’re all flying to the football, and I think that’s big. From being here three years ago to now, we got dogs on the field all over.”

Norfolk State’s defense will face another tough test Saturday in Hampton running back Elijah Burris. The senior ran for 137 yards on 12 carries in the Battle of the Bay last year and is fresh off a 145-yard, two-touchdown performance against Virginia Union last week.

“He is a focal point,” Odums said of Burris. “He’s a very good football player, very talented. He has the ability to go the distance at any point in time, and they’ve been giving him the ball through the first two weeks. Just a dynamic football player that you definitely got to know where he’s at all times.”

Norfolk State also will have to look out for Hampton’s quarterbacks’ ability to factor into the run game. Both Chris Zellous and Malcolm Mays can run the ball efficiently and have done so already this season.

“Both of them can throw the ball, both of them can run the ball, and we’ve seen them in the past,” Odums said. “So I really think both of those guys are kind of ideal players. That’s one reason they probably play both, because as a coordinator, you don’t want to have two game plans. So the game plan doesn’t really change no matter which one is in the game.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Spartans’ victory is their first of the season and their first at home since late in the 2021 season.

“Winning is fun, no matter how you win,” head coach Dawson Odums said. “That’s the goal, that’s the objective at the end of every mission, to make sure that you come away 1-0. This is the first time in a while that we’ve been able to finish a fourth quarter and beat a football team. You can see the growth, and we gotta grow a little bit more if we’re going to continue to feel this kind of feeling. I’m happy for them, the assistant coaches, these players — they put in a lot of hours and time.”

Quarterback Jalen Daniels got the Spartans on the board on their first drive, thanks to a beautiful connection with wide receiver Jacquez Jones. Daniels found Jones on a slant route on third-and-long, and the speedy Jones took the ball 60 yards to the house. The score was the first passing TD of the season for Daniels and the Spartans. Jones finished with 109 yards on four catches.

“I’ve been watching film all week. Coach was saying the middle of the field was gonna be wide open,” Jones said. “So as Coach was calling the play, I can see them bring pressure up the middle, so I’m like, ‘JD, I know I’m getting this ball.’ As soon as I stuck my foot in the ground, the ball was there and I did the rest.”

Virginia State was able to tie the game right away with a score on the ensuing drive. Former Norfolk State wide receiver Kevin Gayles, covered head to toe by a Spartan defensive back, made a phenomenal grab in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown. Gayles’ catch capped a 12-play, 92-yard drive for Virginia State.

After forcing Norfolk State to go three plays and out, the Trojans jumped ahead 14-7 with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Jimmyll Williams that capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive.

A little bit of luck helped Norfolk State tie the game at 14 on its next possession. Spartans running back X’Zavion Evans ran the ball up the middle, but had the ball punched out by a Virginia State defender. The fumbled ball flew forward and was kicked even farther by a Norfolk State player before it was eventually picked up and taken all the way to the red zone for a massive gain. A few plays later, Daniels waltzed in for a 11-yard touchdown run.

Norfolk State was able to add to its lead the next time its offense took the field. The Spartans strung together a crisp seven-play, 55-yard drive that was capped by a 22-yard touchdown catch by Kam’Ryn Thomas.

The score put Norfolk State ahead 21-14, and it remained that way heading into halftime after the Spartans missed a 45-yard field goal on their final offensive drive of the first half.

There wasn’t much offense in the third quarter, but the defense was plentiful on both sides. The first three drives of the third quarter ended in turnovers — Norfolk State fumbled the ball, Virginia State threw an interception and then Norfolk State threw another interception.

“I told them before the game, offense has (the) defense back, defense has (the) offense back, special teams has all (our) back,” Odums said. “Whoever is out there, you can turn the game around, you just have to believe and execute. We have a lot of work to do to get better, but it feels a lot better coming in after you’ve won a football game. They’re gonna see the film and they’ll get better, which they’ve done every week.”

Only three points came from the three turnovers: a 28-yard field goal from the Trojans after Daniels’ interception. The field goal cut Norfolk State’s lead to 21-17.

Outside of the fumble and interception, Daniels had put together a solid performance. He finished 14 of 21 through the air for 210 yards and two touchdowns while adding 31 yards and a score on the ground.

“Not good enough,” Daniels said of his performance. “That third quarter, (offensive coordinator Jason Phillips) and I talk a lot about not inserting yourself into the play, because he’s a great OC. So I inserted myself a bit in that third quarter, made (the game) a bit closer than it had to be. But I got back to my roots fourth quarter and yeah, we got the win.”

Oscar Smith High product Kevon King extended Norfolk State’s lead to two scores on the ensuing drive with a 64-yard rushing touchdown. King finished the game with a team-high 137 yards on 20 carries. As a team, Norfolk State finished with 257 rushing yards.

Both teams swapped punts on the next two drives, but Virginia State was able to cut into the lead, thanks to a touchdown from quarterback Romelo Williams with just more than five minutes remaining in the game. Williams finished 14 for 20 through the air for 171 yards and a touchdown.

The Trojans attempted to go for two, but failed, leaving Norfolk State with a 28-23 lead. The Spartans were eventually able to ice the game with a few clutch third-down conversions on their final drive.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Pirates have been “blessed” with two starting-caliber quarterbacks.

Malcolm Mays and Chris Zellous are still fighting to earn the permanent starting job for the Pirates. Zellous, the incumbent starter, was the first quarterback under center in Hampton’s opener against Morgan State but swapped back and forth with Mays, the 2022 starter, for the first half.

Interim head coach Trent Boykin said the plan was to let both quarterbacks play in the opener and then eventually ride with whoever got the hot hand.

“When we came in, we said, ‘Hey, Chris took two (drives), Malcolm took one,’” Boykin said. “Chris took two again, Malcolm took one, and we felt like that was going to get us right about to halftime. Six possessions takes you about right to halftime and then kind of see where we’re at that point. Malcolm took us down and we scored right there before the half, so he kind of had the hot hand.”

Mays finished 13 for 17 with 168 passing yards and two touchdowns along with a team-leading 63 yards on the ground, while Zellous was 6 for 9 through the air for 48 yards and an interception.

The sample size is small, but Mays made the most of his time on the field against Morgan State. His Pro Football Focus offense grade of 84.2 was a team-high for the Pirates and was the highest of any quarterback in the Coastal Athletic Association who logged at least 15 dropbacks. His run grade of 78 was also a team-high and No. 2 for quarterbacks in the CAA last week.

“I was confident, whether me or Chris was in there, that we had a good game plan,” Mays said after the game. “(Quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Joe Dailey) has been coaching us hard, making sure that whoever was in there had an opportunity to go out there and be successful. So just sticking to the game plan, understanding what our job is, each and every player, just doing our job, not trying to do anything more than that.”

Some fans on social media were quick to assume Mays would be the guy going forward, but it appeared Boykin’s mind still isn’t quite made up when speaking with The Pilot on Wednesday.

“This week, I don’t know what we’re going to do as far as that,” Boykin said of his quarterback plan. “But we always have a plan for both quarterbacks, because, like I said, we feel blessed we’ve got two starting quarterbacks back. We’ll have some type of plan ready for this week.”

There is some tactical advantage to alternating between two quarterbacks. Boykin recalled a year ago when Hampton’s own defense was “all up in arms” while game-planning for William & Mary when the Tribe played two quarterbacks.

Boykin said people assume that Zellous is the better runner and Mays is the better passer, but the quarterbacks have similar skill sets and are good at both. This makes it harder for opposing defenses to properly scout Hampton.

“Everybody’s mind is, Malcolm’s a passing guy — but he ran for 63 yards,” Boykin said. “Chris is a running guy — but Chris can also throw the ball. So you can’t just come in and say, ‘Hey, this guy, we got to stop Malcolm because he’s a passer,’ because he ran for 63 yards. Chris is throwing the ball way better, (with) a lot more accuracy, so you can’t go in and say, ‘Hey, we’re just going to stop him on running the football,’ because he can throw for 200 yards.”

It appears that Boykin and his staff will use this week’s game against Virginia Union as another opportunity to evaluate the two quarterbacks. Regardless of what Boykin ultimately decides to do, it seems he’s not in a rush to select a starter and is comfortable with playing both Mays and Zellous for as long as he needs to.

“I haven’t really etched in stone what I want to do yet,” Boykin said. “I know there’ve been programs that have played two quarterbacks the whole year. If it comes down to that, then so be it. If someone really emerges himself in the next couple weeks, then that may be the scenario also. So I’m really, pretty much doors open for kind of what’s going to be the best fit for us.”

Some might assume switching between quarterbacks might mess up the rhythm of Hampton’s offense, but wide receiver Kevin Johnson made it clear after the Morgan State game that’s not the case.

“The offense is gonna flow regardless,” Johnson said. “We step on that field, we’re gonna play ball, so it doesn’t really matter who is out there.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Sure, Norfolk State is 0-2 and Hampton is 0-1, but there have been flashes for both teams that show they can get back on track — especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Hampton

The Pirates lost their opener to Morgan State 30-28 last weekend, but Boykin was still impressed with how the defense played.

“They flew around,” Boykin said Wednesday. “They played with some confidence. They knew certain calls or certain blitzes, they knew what they were doing, they were executing exactly where they were supposed to be.”

Hampton gave up 244 rushing yards, but Morgan State ran the ball 55 times. Despite that, Hampton’s highest team defensive grade for the game came on run defense, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Pirates’ defense wound up with a 70.4 grade against the run. Boykin said the defense did a good job of being “gap-sound,” which will be important Saturday against a Virginia Union team that ran for 379 yards in its season-opening win against Kentucky State.

Hampton’s defense kept showing up in big ways against Morgan State and kept the Pirates in the game. The Pirates did struggle with getting off the field on third down, including allowing two conversions on third-and-long that allowed Morgan State to ice the game, but Boykin said those things are correctable.

“We had some breakdowns on third-and-long (and have) some adjustment things that we got to do to fix, which is fine,” Boykin said. “But I just like the fact that they played hard, they flew around, they tackled pretty well. There were some missed tackles, but for the most part, guys were flying around. You could tell they were playing with confidence, like they understood and knew the defensive game plan.”

Norfolk State

Norfolk State might have received a 42-3 beatdown from FBS East Carolina last week, but there were still bright spots for the Spartans’ defense.

The Spartans forced six turnovers — three interceptions and three fumbles — in the loss. Forcing that many turnovers is impressive, but doing it against an FBS team makes it even more impressive. Defensive lineman Keshawn Lynch said it provides a boost for the defense, and he’s confident the results will be translated throughout the season.

Odums said there was an emphasis on winning the turnover battle during fall camp. While the offense didn’t match the defense against ECU, if Norfolk State can continue that trend, it will be in a good spot to win.

“Guys were in position and that’s the biggest thing,” Odums said. “Once you see them in position, now as a coaching staff, we just have to keep them in position because we got guys that can make some plays.”

Defensive back Terron Mallory came up with two interceptions against ECU, earning him an HBCU Defensive Back of the Week nod by the Jim Thorpe Awards on Wednesday. Mallory led the MEAC in interceptions last year and, after a rough game against Florida A&M, said his performance against ECU was a good confidence-booster.

“My coaches keep confidence in me,” Mallory said. “I made a mistake last week. I harped on it, but they didn’t let me harp on it too long. They gave me a second chance to go out there and make a play, and that’s what I did.”

Odums said Mallory’s improved play is indicative of the Norfolk State defense as a whole.

“That’s what you look forward to, is watching these guys grow week to week and just put bad games behind them, bad plays behind them, and continue to move forward,” Odums said.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Gold Standard Collective will be the official NIL Collective for Norfolk State, according to a press release. The collective is powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL).

“The unveiling of the Gold Standard Collective marks a monumental breakthrough for our university and our student-athletes,” Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb said in a release. “Through the help of SANIL’s innovative approach to the world of NIL, Norfolk State student-athletes will now boast a significant advantage in establishing and maintaining a personal brand.”

The Gold Standard Collective will help Norfolk State athletes find tools and resources to promote and maximize their personal brand. Through the collective, athletes will have “increased access” to communicate with local and national businesses.

The press release stated that SANIL is not “officially affiliated” with Norfolk State Athletics, but it “operates transparently” and is complicit with all NCAA, MEAC and state legislation on NIL.

“This is a great day in Sparta and we cannot say thank you enough to our wonderful donors,” Norfolk State football coach Dawson Odums said in a release. “They see the potential in our future stars, and we could not rise without them. The next level of achievement can not happen without you. Thank you for putting the U in NSU!”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

The Spartans will play in-state rival Virginia State at Dick Price Stadium after opening the season with road losses against Florida A&M and East Carolina.

“I think it’s going to be a great environment,” Odums said Tuesday. “I think opening up at home with (Virginia State) is always good. It’s good for the community. It’s good for both fan bases, and we’re definitely looking forward to this football game. They played well in their first game. They’re 1-0 and coming in here, they’re going to be excited. But we’re a different football team than we were a year ago, and we’re looking forward to this matchup.”

When Norfolk State opened last season with a home matchup against Virginia State, 21,640 people packed the stands at Dick Price Stadium for the first matchup between the rivals since 2019.

Virginia State left Norfolk with a 33-24 win last year after a bizarre ending that included the Trojans icing the game with a 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Odums said the way the game ended last year adds “extra fuel” to the latest matchup.

“A lot of guys experienced a lot of losses last year and they were here for that loss at the end of the game,” Odums said. “You gotta live with that for 365 days. Everything that you did in the offseason leads up to this football game and getting yourself ready to play. Just having that understanding that it’s still about going 1-0. These are the certain things we have to do, and if we do these things very well, we give ourselves a chance to win a football game. That’s ultimately what we want is a chance to win a football game and come away with a ‘W.’”

That loss to Virginia State was the first of four home losses for the Spartans last year and was one of three that came by less than 10 points. The trend of home losses isn’t unique to 2023, though.

Norfolk State is just 3-10 when playing at home under Odums. The Spartans haven’t won a home game since they beat Morgan State during Odums’ first season in 2021.

“Winning at home is big because you have to defend home turf,” Odums said. “We did not do a very good job of that in 2023, but this football team is destined to do some really great things. I think we’ve gotten better, we’re a better football team, we have a better mindset. Now you gotta put it all together and go show it, and it starts by defending our home turf against Virginia State.”

Defensive back Terron Mallory, who had two interceptions for Norfolk State against ECU last week, and defensive lineman Keshawn Lynch both said they’ve been waiting for Saturday’s game against Virginia State.

“It’s one of those games that’s been marked up on my schedule,” Lynch said. “I don’t really talk a lot, so you know, it’s just, I can’t wait to play honestly.”

Both Mallory and Lynch transferred to Norfolk State in the past few years — Mallory from Sacred Heart after the 2021 season and Lynch from Old Dominion after the 2022 season — meaning neither of them have won a home game during their time with the Spartans. That only adds more importance to the game.

“I think it’s just one of those things where we literally have to win because it’s been so long,” Lynch said. “Everybody’s coming to the game. It’s one of those games everybody wants to see, and it’s been two years. So why not make it this year that we win our first home game?”

Norfolk State has played inspired football so far in 2024. Although the Spartans are 0-2 with a 24-23 loss to nationally-ranked Florida A&M and 42-3 loss to FBS program East Carolina, Odums said he’s noticed bright spots and improvements week to week.

Mallory said he’s excited to be back on Park Avenue this weekend after starting the season on the road and is hoping to get a home win for the Spartans fans.

“It definitely feels good to get back home and be able to play in front of our fans,” Mallory said. “We’ve definitely been able to pack it out. It’s gonna be electrifying attendance, for sure. And I’m just ready.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Though Hampton never led, it never felt like the Pirates were out of the game, even when Hampton was down by 14 in the second quarter.

“Our guys played hard,” interim head coach Trent Boykin said. “We just have to fix the small things. This game is always about the little things and so we’ve got to do those things. Our guys fought. I’m proud of the fact that they played for four quarters. They didn’t quit, they didn’t give up. We played all the way to the end. It’s my responsibility, and our coaching staff, to go back and look at this film and see what the little things (are) that we can fix so that we can end the game victorious.”

Morgan State got up 20-7 in the middle of the second quarter after an interception by Hampton quarterback Chris Zellous set up a brief, three-play scoring drive that started in the red zone.

Malcolm Mays, who started most of the 2022 season at quarterback for the Pirates, came into the game and found Elijah Burris for a 33-yard touchdown reception to cut the score to 20-14.

Despite Zellous making the start, he and Mays received equal playing time in the first half. Zellous was 6 for 9 through the air for 48 yards along with the interception. Mays captained the Pirates’ offense for the entire second half.

“We already knew we were going to play both of them,” Boykin said. “… They both had great camps. At that time, we just said, we’re going to start Chris off for two (drives), and then Malcolm come in, and then Chris for two (drives), and Malcolm in and kind of get a feel for it. So that was something that was already discussed, probably at the beginning of the week, that we knew we were going to do. Just kind of see who had the hot hand at that point, and Malcolm came out and showed that he could get it done. So we left him in and let him run with it.”

Mays finished the game 13 for 17 with 168 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also added a team-leading 63 yards on the ground.

“I was confident, whether me or Chris was in there, that we had a good game plan,” Mays said. Quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Joe Dailey “has been coaching us hard, making sure that whoever was in there had an opportunity to go out there and be successful. So just sticking to the game plan, understanding what our job is, each and every player, just doing our job, not trying to do anything more than that.”

The second half was back and forth, with Hampton pulling within two points twice. Morgan State nearly iced the game with an interception in the third quarter, but offsetting penalties gave the Pirates new life. That set up a eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Hampton scoring on a 2-yard run from Ja’Quan Snipes.

Morgan State responded with a touchdown to extend the lead to nine again, thanks to a 15-yard touchdown run from J.J. Davis.

The Bears relied heavily on the run game all night, totaling 55 carries for 244 yards. All four touchdowns Morgan State scored came on the ground.

Despite Morgan State’s high rushing stats, the Pirates’ defense performed relatively well all night, though the Bears converted 7 of 14 third downs.

“We played well defensively,” Boykin said. “It’s just these couple of third downs where we had them in third-and-long and and let them off the hook. So it looked like they were doing things. but for most of the game, our defense was playing tough.”

Hampton had a shot to get back in the game almost immediately after Davis’ touchdown that made the score 30-21. But right when the Pirates were on the edge of the red zone, a fumble by Hampton wide receiver Dorrian Moultrie gave the ball back to Morgan State. Hampton’s defense bowed up and forced Morgan State to punt.

On the ensuing drive, Mays led the Pirates 79 yards to a touchdown that made it 30-28. Wide receiver Kevin Johnson, a Nansemond River High product, made two big catches on the drive, including the 29-yard scoring grab. Johnson hasn’t played much in his two years since transferring to Hampton, but he came up big Saturday with a team-leading 70 receiving yards.

“I was just chopping wood and carrying water,” Johnson said. “I was staying focused, trying to be the best for my team.”

Unfortunately for the Pirates, Morgan State got the ball back with a little more than four minutes left and never relinquished possession. The Bears iced the game with two third-down conversions and were able to kneel out the clock to secure the victory.

Boykin will have to wait another week to get his first win as Hampton’s head coach, but he’s confident in what the Pirates showed on Saturday night.

“We were down, we came back, we were down, we came back, we were down, we kept coming back,” Boykin said. “So the thing that I see out of all of this is these guys didn’t didn’t quit.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Boykin was tabbed the interim in May, and when he takes the field on Saturday, it’ll be the first time he’s been a head coach in a college football game in almost 15 years.

“Having done this before, having been in this program before, I think again, that’s what’s keeping me even-keeled,” Boykin said. “I’ve been here for four years. People are saying, ‘Oh, but now you’re the head coach’ and all that, but I’m still the same guy. I know the guys, I know the system. I may get more phone calls about tickets and things like that, but I think it’s just more nervous excitement than being nervous.”

After a long fall camp, Boykin said it’s refreshing to finally be shifting into game mode. A win Saturday over a scrappy Morgan State team would officially start the Pirates on their journey to their first winning season since 2018. Hampton enters this season with an experienced roster, Boykin said, and he expects the Pirates to continue to improve in 2024.

Standouts

Elijah Burris, RB, Sr., 5-10, 205:  Burris was one of the best running backs in the Coastal Athletic Association last year. He played in just seven games because his season was cut short due to injury, but still finished second in the conference with 803 yards and an average of 100.4 yards per game. His stats landed him on the 2024 Black College Player of the Year Award watch list. The All-CAA running back is feeling 100% healthy, and the Pirates’ offense will likely run through him again. If Burris can replicate his production from last year, Hampton will be in a good spot.

Darren Burton, DB, Soph., 5-11, 185. After making an immediate impact as a freshman last year, Burton is primed for a solid sophomore campaign. He played in all of Hampton’s games last year and totaled 24 tackles and an interception. His Pro Football Focus defense grade of 76.8 was the second-highest of any Pirate, and his coverage grade of 80 led the team. Burton’s talents are starting to garner him some national attention. Earlier this month, he was named to the watch list for the Aeneas Williams Award, which is given to the best defensive back in HBCU Division I football.

Xavier Marshall, LB, graduate, 6-2, 195: The “biggest hitter on the team” is back for another year after his 2023 season was cut short due to injury. Marshall brings a wealth of experience to Hampton’s defense, and he will be an anchor in the linebacker room. He played three years for Richmond prior to joining the Pirates and started in every game he played. Marshall will play a crucial role on and off the field.

Dorrian Moultrie, WR, graduate, 5-11, 190: After HU lost its top two receivers from last season, Moultrie’s role will likely grow in 2024. The Georgetown transfer finished No. 3 on the team last year with 24 catches and 213 yards. Moultrie’s experience from last season will be important, considering he’s the only returning wide receiver who brought in more than 10 catches for Hampton last year.

Chris Zellous, QB, redshirt Jr., 6-3, 220: Zellous showed sparks of what could be last year. He finished with 1,497 yards passing and 13 touchdowns while adding 559 rushing yards and a team-high nine rushing touchdowns. There’s room for improvement, though, as Zellous racked up 14 interceptions last year. If he continues to improve, Hampton will be in good hands with Zellous functioning as a solid cornerstone of the offense.

Storylines

Boykin’s audition continues: Boykin is the interim head coach this season, but he’ll have the next four months to make his case to Hampton athletics director Anthony Henderson that he deserves the job. He certainly has the backing of his players, who have lauded him throughout camp and said they don’t view him as an interim. Boykin agreed with the sentiment and has said he’s not worried about the future. He’s focusing on the 2024 season. Henderson could be looking to make a big hire of his own, similar to what he’s done to multiple sports since he got the job.

Another tough schedule: Hampton saw an improvement in its second year as a member of the CAA, going 3-5 in the conference after an abysmal 1-7 in year one. Unfortunately for the Pirates, the schedule will only get tougher in 2024. Hampton will play all three of last year’s co-CAA champions in Richmond, Albany and Villanova, with the Spiders and Wildcats making the trip to Armstrong Stadium. To make matters worse, seven of Hampton’s opponents were ranked or receiving votes in the preseason FCS Top 25 poll. The tough schedule isn’t a surprise, considering the CAA is arguably one of the best FCS conferences. That being said, Hampton is 5-1 in non-conference play over the past two seasons and has a favorable slate this year. So there’s still a solid shot the Pirates can come away with their first winning season since 2018.

Who is QB1?: When people say there’s something in the water in Hampton Roads, they aren’t referring to the plethora of college football fall-camp quarterback battles. But they certainly could be. Hampton is the latest to find itself with one, with incumbent starter Chris Zellous and 2022 starter Malcolm Mays once again locked in a dead heat for the starting spot. Boykin told The Pilot on Wednesday he planned to name a starter Thursday. That information may remain within the locker room as Zellous and Mays were listed with an “OR” in between them on the two-deep chart Hampton sent out in its weekly game notes. Boykin said he liked both players, they received equal reps with the starters during camp and thought they could both play against Morgan State.

2024 schedule

Aug. 31: vs Morgan State, 6 p.m.

Sept. 7: vs Virginia Union, 6 p.m.

Sept. 14: at Norfolk State, 4 p.m.

Sept. 21: vs Howard, 4 p.m. at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 28: at William & Mary, 6 p.m.

Oct. 5: vs Rhode Island, 2 p.m.

Oct. 19: at North Carolina A&T, 1 p.m.

Oct. 26: vs Elon, 2 p.m.

Nov. 2: vs Villanova, 1 p.m.

Nov. 9: at Towson, 1 p.m.

Nov. 16: vs Richmond, 1 p.m.

Nov. 23: at Albany, 1 p.m.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Jones told the media Monday the classroom adoptions will replace the usual back-to-school bash the Spartans hold.

“Because of the timing of when schools started — some schools started (Monday), some schools started last week, some next week — we just decided to adopt a classroom,” Jones said. “So we wanted to do one or two classrooms in every city in the 757, and so far, we’ve been able to do that.”

Jones and the Spartans have adopted classrooms at seven schools for the year, each representing a city in Hampton Roads. A class from Independence Middle School, Western Branch Middle School, Lake Taylor High School, Rena B. Wright Primary School, Nansemond River High School, Booker T. Washington Middle School and B.M. Williams Primary School will all have their supplies paid for.

The classes were selected after Jones tweeted out a PSA last week.

“We put it out on social media and really it was kind of like a voting system,” Jones said. “So the people who got the most hits, or the most votes or the most mentions, we gave the school supplies to. So what they did was they sent their wish list, and we were able to take care of that Amazon wish list, and now they have school supplies for the semester.”

The team plans to go out and spend time with the classes this week and throughout the year, Jones said. The classes were also invited to Norfolk State’s game against Hofstra on Dec. 9.

Jones said the class adoptions are a great way to give back to the community, while also showing his players that the Norfolk State program is about more than basketball.

“It’s just having a holistic approach with your program, showing that it’s more than just on the court; it’s off the court things too,” Jones said. “The community, they show up and support you. You got to give back a little bit so they can continue to show up and support you. It’s a two-way street. Also, when you’re in a position of power, or able to give back, you should give back.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

“Tough loss for us, but I really like where we are,” Odums said Monday. “I think this football team has the makings of something special. The vibe that we had going into that game was locked in, everybody’s on the same page, the execution was there. Watching the film, a couple mistakes here and there, (but) everything’s correctable, but the effort was very pleasing. I think if you can play with that kind of effort week in and week out, you give yourself a chance to be successful.”

The run game stood out in what was new offensive coordinator Jason Phillips’ first game calling the shots for the Spartans’ offense.

Norfolk State ran the ball 43 times for 227 yards and an average of 5.3 yards per carry. While there may have been times the Spartans’ offense seemed to stall out, they dominated the then-No. 25 Rattlers at the line of scrimmage for most of the game.

Odums gave the impression the offensive game plan wasn’t necessarily to run the ball more than 40 times, but it was working. So the Spartans kept going with it.

“Well, it’s kind of like, take what they give you,” Odums said. “They gave us opportunities to run the football, and we took full advantage of it. I tell the guys all the time, keep doing what works. They never stopped us, even when we didn’t gain the yards. We had plays where we still had gaps there. We just got to be better at our execution later in the game. But they never stopped us from running the ball. And my thing is, why change?”

During his weekly press conference Monday, Odums said he received several texts over the weekend saying Norfolk State finally looked like a “Dawson Odums football team” during the Florida A&M game. While Odums himself may have been referring to the effort the Spartans played with, it certainly can apply to the run game.

Last year, Norfolk State averaged 41.6 carries a game and ran the ball over 40 times in five games, including against Towson when the Spartans ran the ball 54 times. In 2023, Norfolk State ran the ball less than 35 times just once. Success in the run game isn’t new for the Spartans. After all, they were No. 26 in the country last year with an average of 173.8 rushing yards per game.

While the success on the ground isn’t new, it certainly appears to have found a new gear. The Spartans’ offense received an 80.2 offense grade from Pro Football Focus against Florida A&M, the fourth-highest against a Division I opponent in Odums’ tenure at Norfolk State. The same goes for Norfolk State’s run-blocking grade of 76.

While history shows Norfolk State will likely be a run-first team, Odums maintains the Spartans’ offense will adapt to its opponent week-to-week rather than being hyper-focused on one strategy.

“I think every offensive coordinator, the good ones take what you get and they cash in on that,” Odums said. “So (Florida A&M) was giving up the running game, and we took it. We’re not a run-first offense or pass-first offense. We’re a take-what-the-defense-gives-you offense. If (they’d) given us plenty of opportunities in the passing game, we would’ve been throwing the football. But I do know when you run the ball on first down for eight yards, that’s second and two. When you throw the ball on first down and it’s incomplete, it’s second and 10. So it’s like keeping the sticks in our favor and moving the football down the field.”

Former Oscar Smith High standout Kevon King rushed for a career-high 146 yards on 14 carries for an average of 10.6 yards per rush. The junior believes his performance, and the offense’s performance in general, on Saturday isn’t a one-off.

“I’m very confident,” King said. “My O-line is being more consistent, running backs are being more consistent. We’re just a brotherhood.”

Odums praised King on Monday, but also gave credit to the offensive line for putting the team in a position to make plays.

“I thought our O-line gave (King) an opportunity to showcase his skill set,” Odums said. “He’s very talented. He went the distance. The question was, do we have a running back that can go the distance? Checked that box. Do we have a running back that can run between the tackles? Checked that box. So when you start checking off boxes, it gives us an opportunity to realize that we have a special talent.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com