NORFOLK, Va. — Daniel Richardson threw three touchdown passes and Florida A&M rallied to defeat Norfolk State 24-23 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday night.
It was the first game at Florida A&M for Richardson, who previously played at Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan. It was also the debut for James Colzie III as coach of the Rattlers.
Richardson's 55-yard pass to Jamari Gassett gave the Rattlers their first lead, 17-14 early in the third quarter. Later in the third, Richardson threw to Gassett for a 9-yard touchdown and the Rattlers led 24-17.
Norfolk State closed to within 24-23 when Kevon King scored on a 2-yard run with 6 1/2 minutes left in the game. FAMU's Jameel Sanders blocked the PAT but was flagged for being offsides. With the ball at the 1-yard line, the Spartans opted to go for two points and the lead, but quarterback Jalen Daniels was stopped short of the goal line.
FAMU then ran off 11 plays and 63 yards to wrap up the win.
Richardson completed 22 of 30 passes for 286 yards. Gassett had eight catches for 110 yards.
King had 14 carries for 146 yards with two touchdowns and Daniels completed 7 of 9 passes for 142 yards for Norfolk State.
King had 123 yards rushing in the first half and his 82-yard burst on the third play of the game gave the Spartans a 7-0 lead. A quarterback sneak by Daniels made it 14-0 later in the opening quarter.
Florida A&M bounced back with a 20-yard TD pass from Richardson to Thad Franklin Jr. and a short field goal by Cameron Gillis to trail 14-10 at halftime.
-Associated Press
11:10 — FAMU holds on to win
It was a close game but an ultimate opening-day loss for the Norfolk State Spartans, who fell to the Florida A&M Rattlers 24-23.
10:45 — Kevon King TD, but a failed two-point conversion
Oscar Smith alum Kevon King is having himself a game, scoring his second touchdown in the fourth quarter. But after a blocked extra point that was taken back by a FAMU off-sides call, followed by a missed two-point conversion attempt, NSU still finds itself trailing by only a single point, 24-23.
10:22— FAMU back on top
The quarter is over, and FAMU has regained the lead over the Spartans, 24-17.
10:00 — FAMU takes the lead... briefly
FAMU began the third quarter with a drive that resulted in a touchdown and them taking the lead, 17-14. In the next drive, NSU came right back to kick a field goal that tied the game.
9:15 — NSU still leads at halftime
Florida A&M was able to score a field goal, but that was it for either team in the second quarter. They go into halftime with NSU winning, 14-10. The Spartan Legion marching band will take to the field for a halftime show.
RELATED: Spartan Legion marches into Atlanta
In addition to Kevon King's touchdown, one of the biggest plays in the first half came from defensive back Devon Allen (Ocean Lakes HS grad), who made a deflection in the end zone to prevent a FAMU touchdown.
8:30 — 14-7 NSU after first quarter
The Spartans are holding a 7-point lead after the first quarter of play.
7:45 p.m. — NSU strikes first!
The game is officially underway and NSU took little time to take the lead, scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter. The TD was made by Oscar Smith legend and Chesapeake native Kevon King.
What to know about FAMU vs NSU matchup:
Norfolk State and Florida A&M universities kick off the 2024 college football season tonight in the nationally televised MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
The annual showdown puts a team from each of the two NCAA Division I conferences made up entirely of HBCUs — the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) — in the national spotlight.
This year's game will be Norfolk State's first MEAC/SWAC challenge appearance, while Florida A&M has won and lost the challenge in two previous appearances.
Newer fans of the Spartans and Rattlers may not know that the schools used to be conference rivals in the MEAC. However, they haven't been in a matchup since before FAMU moved to the SWAC in 2021.
In total, NSU and FAMU have played against each other 16 times, with Norfolk State taking the win only three times, according to NCAA.com. Their last matchup was in 2019, when FAMU won by just two points, 30-28.
This year, both teams enter the season with notable changes: both have new starting quarterbacks, and FAMU has a new head coach.
Florida A&M football is coming off a 12-1 season, while Norfolk State went 3-8 last year and hasn't had a winning season since 2021 when the Spartans went 6-5.
Spectators can expect a spirited game Saturday night, as the teams showcase their talent in the HBCU primetime showdown. Also expect a memorable showdown tonight between the NSU and FAMU marching bands, the Spartan Legion and the Marching 100.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on 13News Now (ABC).
For details on players to watch and storylines for each team going into the game, watch our pregame show "A Battle to Behold: NSU vs FAMU" at 7 p.m.
Then, stick around after the game for 13News Now at 11, and then our post-game show at 11:30 p.m.
2024 Norfolk State football schedule:
- August 24: vs. Florida A&M in Atlanta
- August 31: at East Carolina
- September 7: vs. Virginia State
- September 14: vs. Hampton
- September 21: at VMI
- September 28: vs. North Carolina Central in Indianapolis
- October 5: at Sacred Heart
- October 12: vs. Towson
- October 19: Open
- October 26: vs. Howard
- November 2: at Morgan State
- November 9: Open
- November 16: vs. Delaware State
- November 23: at South Carolina State