NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — For openers, Norfolk State couldn’t have asked for much more. With quarterback Chris Walley’s near-perfect passing, a dominating defense and a solid kicking game, the Spartans trounced Virginia State 37-3 in Saturday’s season opener for both teams.
Walley was 25-for-29 passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers. His primary target, Reggie Garrett, had seven receptions for 74 yards. Victor Hairston and Xavier Boyce each caught a touchdown pass.
Norfolk State’s running game wasn’t bad either. The Spartans rushed for 178 yards, 65 of them by Takeem Hedgeman. Placekicker Ryan Estep also chipped in with three field goals.
Virginia State did little against the Spartans’ defense, which held the Trojans to just 30 yards rushing. Late in the second half, Ricardo Volcin returned an interception 46 yards to give the Spartans a commanding 20-0 lead with 1:05 left in the first half.
