NORFOLK — For Norfolk State, the miscues keep stacking up. Costly turnovers, ill-timed penalties and missed chances have defined the Spartans’ season, and Saturday was no different.
Despite moments of promise, those same issues doomed NSU in a 31-28 loss to Sacred Heart in front of 8,127 fans at Dick Price Stadium.
“This one stung,” NSU coach Michael Vick said. “We put ourselves in a position so many times to win the game, to put the game out of reach, and every single time we had an opportunity to do that, we took a step back.”
The most costly of those mistakes came late in the fourth quarter as NSU (1-3) was building momentum for a comeback. On the first play of a potential go-ahead drive, running back Kevon King was hit hard and fumbled, handing the ball back to the Pioneers. Sacred Heart turned that into a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jack Snyder, extending the lead to 31-21 with 5:32 left.
The comeback effort started with a breakaway 57-yard touchdown run by King to trim the lead to 24-21. Then, on the next drive after the fumble, Dre’Sean Kendrick came away with a spectacular catch, then ran down the sideline for a 29-yard score to once again trim the lead, this time to 31-28.
NSU’s defense forced a stop to give the offense one last chance.
QB Otto Kuhns and the Spartans worked into field-goal range, but kicker Evan Helfrich’s 42-yard attempt in the final seconds was no good, sealing the defeat.
“I think we did good things just like we practiced,” Vick said. “Pretty much the things that we practice always come to fruition in the game. But you can’t simulate in-game kicking situations. It only happens in-game, so he has to be ready for that moment. … And I expect Evan to make those kicks, especially moving forward.”
Even with the miss, Vick knows how tough it was for Helfrich, especially going 0 for 2 on kicks at the buzzer.
“He’s a young man who’s trying to play a game at a high level,” Vick said. “Everybody is human. Everybody makes mistakes. It’s just unfortunate that in the position that he’s in, he’s required to almost be perfect.”
Norfolk State had started strong. After falling behind early on Snyder’s 18-yard touchdown run, the Spartans answered with an 18-yard score from X’Zavion Evans in the first quarter. Evans added a 6-yard touchdown early in the second, giving NSU a 14-7 lead.
That momentum didn’t last. Later in the quarter, Kuhns threw an interception inside Sacred Heart territory, and had a fumbled snap on the following possession. The Pioneers capitalized on the latter with a 28-yard Trey Eberhart touchdown run to tie it at 14. SHU then added a 22-yard scoring run by Mitchell Summers to take a 21-14 halftime lead.
NSU nearly cut into the deficit before halftime, but a 23-yard chip shot sailed wide — one of several missed opportunities.
Sacred Heart (3-1) leaned on its run game to control the second half, piling up 295 rushing yards. Summers carried 26 times for 119 yards, while Snyder added 79 and two scores on the ground. The Pioneers also got a 19-yard Matt Kling field goal to extend the lead to 24-14 in the third.
The Spartans matched with strong production of their own, rushing for 210 yards. King carried 11 times for 72 yards and a touchdown, while Evans added 13 carries for 60 yards and two scores.
Kuhns and the passing attack were at the forefront in the first half and down the stretch. Kuhns finished 24 of 41 for 340 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His top targets were Kam’Ryn Thomas (eight catches, 112 yards) and JJ Evans (seven catches, 113 yards).
Overall, NSU had 550 yards of offense, but nine penalties, three turnovers and two missed kicks proved too much too overcome.
“Momentum is a real thing,” Vick said. “So they’re learning how to win. They gotta learn how to keep themselves out of trouble and not putting themselves in the position where they give the game away.”
Norfolk State now begins a three-game road stretch, starting with Wagner next Saturday.
