NORFOLK, Va. — Michael Vick has his first Division I victory as a college football head coach.
Norfolk State pulled away from Hampton for a 42-21 win Saturday at William “Dick” Price Stadium, giving Vick another marker of progress in his second season leading the Spartans.
The victory was Vick’s third as Norfolk State’s head coach, but the first against a Division I opponent. His first career win came against Division II Virginia State in 2025, a 34-31 overtime victory. Norfolk State opened the 2026 season by beating Division II Winston-Salem State 56-0.
This time, the Spartans broke through against Hampton, an FCS program and one of Norfolk State’s oldest rivals.
Norfolk State takes over after halftime
It wasn’t easy early.
Hampton scored first and Norfolk State held only a 14-13 halftime advantage. But the Spartans took control after the break and scored the final 28 points of the game.
Norfolk State finished with 424 yards of total offense, including 240 on the ground. Quarterback Deljay Bailey completed 17 of 25 passes for 184 yards while adding 50 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Jalyn Daniels led the rushing attack with 102 yards on 22 carries, while Ravon Moore Jr. added 84 yards and a touchdown.
Special teams provided an even bigger spark. Jason Wonodi returned three punts for 170 yards and two touchdowns, while kicker Marco Peery connected on four field goals.
The Spartans’ defense also generated six sacks. The performance came after consecutive road losses against FBS opponents Old Dominion and No. 25 Virginia. Norfolk State entered the Hampton matchup 1-2 after falling 59-3 at Virginia one week earlier.
Vick said the experience against Virginia helped his team understand the level it is trying to reach.
“We was able to look at it from the other side and say, ‘We want to be that,’” Vick said.
Michael Vick sees growth beyond wins
For Vick, Saturday’s result was another sign of a larger transformation.
“After what we went through last year, knowing that we had to work extremely hard to get better in all three phases and a lot of different categories, we’re doing it,” Vick said. “It’s happening in real time.”
Vick went 2-10 in his first season at Norfolk State, with the Virginia State victory serving as his first win as a head coach. Saturday gave him his first opportunity to walk off the field after beating a team from Norfolk State’s own Division I subdivision.
He said the progress goes beyond football.
Vick revealed that Norfolk State’s team GPA has climbed to 3.0, something he said means as much — if not more — than the victories.
“I’m really proud of that, probably more proud of that than the two wins that we have,” Vick said, “because we winning in that department, and that structure creates a winning environment.”
The scoreboard offered another piece of evidence Saturday.
After two Division II victories, Michael Vick now has his first Division I win.
