By Kendrick Marshall
(Source: HBCU Sports)
Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick faced the media with candor and resolve after his Spartans suffered a lopsided 60-10 defeat at the hands of Rutgers on Saturday.
Vick acknowledged the pain of the setback but insisted his team must “go back to the drawing board” as MEAC play looms.
The game quickly got away from Norfolk State, as Rutgers capitalized on two blocked kicks to build a 13-point lead in the opening minutes. “We definitely didn’t expect to lose by that wide of a margin,” Vick said. “We started out slow. Gave them a 13-point deficit right off the break, two blocked kicks, and from there, the game plan just changed.”
Big plays continued to haunt the Spartans, whose defense surrendered chunk yardage in both facets. While there were “some good plays,” Vick stressed that his squad “couldn’t get any stops on defense.” The coach added, “We just got to go back to the drawing board to clean this up. There’s a lot to clean up, and this one is going to sting for a long time regardless of who the opponent is.”
Vick preaches accountability, perspective
Despite Rutgers pouring it on late, Vick showed no signs of complaint over gamesmanship, stating, “It didn’t bother me at all… It’s football. They’re entitled to do whatever they want to do. It’s our job to stop them and get off the field”. He stressed that self-inflicted mistakes—not any late runs by Rutgers—were the main issue: “We fumbled the ball… That’s a lack of focus, us not taking advantage of the opportunity.”
Vick, who played against the Scarlet Knights more than two decades ago, drew a blunt line between his playing days and the present but credited the Big Ten squad: “That’s a well-coached football team, a good football team. It’s strong. Got some good players and it was a good test for us.”
Even after the rout, Vick emphasized that every rep and opportunity counts, especially for an HBCU program often “overlooked” on the national stage. “These games are important. Every game is important. It’s an opportunity to go out and compete hard… Every experience matters.” He stated his message: “Go into the game knowing that we’re going to win, not hoping.”
Pressed for positives, Vick pointed to some offensive rhythm in the middle quarters, particularly with the rushing attack:
“Running the football is something we want to do. We want to always try to get Kwan going. But when you fall to these types of deficits, now you’ve got to slow it down… We were at a disadvantage in a lot of situations”.
In the end, Vick kept his vision on progress over regret. “We’ve got to find ways to get better… We’re not in the business of losing. We’re in the business of winning, and that’s just what it’s going to be moving forward”. He also noted the support and respect between coaches, recalling a positive postgame exchange with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano: “He’s always offering advice, offering help. He’s just another guy I can reach out to if I need to.”