Michael Vick Brings Norfolk State Into South Carolina State's Sold-Out Homecoming Looking for Payback

ORANGEBURG, S.C.

Michael Vick has not forgotten what South Carolina State did to his homecoming. He said so himself this week, without a single diplomatic word wasted.

"I'm excited that we get to line up and face them, just like we did last year when they came to our house and beat us by 30," Vick said. "Now we get to go down there, in front of their crowd, and try to spoil their Homecoming like they spoiled ours. I won't sugarcoat that. That's the fun part about this game."

On Oct. 25, 2025, South Carolina State walked into William "Dick" Price Stadium and detonated Norfolk State's homecoming, 51–20, with a 35-point second quarter in front of 47,273 people. On Saturday, the Spartans return the visit — walking into the Bulldogs' homecoming at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, where every reserved seat sold out days ago, for a 1:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN+ that opens MEAC play for both teams.

It is billed, without much argument, as the "Livest Homecoming in America." Garnet and blue everywhere. A step show Friday night, a parade Saturday morning, and then the standard of the conference defending its crown.

The giant of the conference

South Carolina State (5-2) is the two-time defending MEAC champion and the defending Black college national champion, having beaten Prairie View A&M 40–38 in four overtimes in the 2025 Celebration Bowl. Head coach Chennis Berry is 10–0 in conference play, and the Bulldogs have won 11 straight league games dating back to 2023, by an average of nearly 23 points. A third straight outright MEAC title would be the league's first three-peat since Hampton's run from 2004 to 2006.

The numbers explain the fear. South Carolina State leads all of FCS in scoring offense (43.6 points per game), total defense (241.6 yards allowed) and rushing defense (90.7). Running back Mason Pickett-Hicks has 741 rushing yards at 7.48 yards a carry, third-best in the subdivision. Josh Shaw has 12 rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Keely Watson has thrown 11 touchdowns against a defense that has recorded 22 sacks, led by edge rusher Ka'Von Chisolm, the MEAC's sack leader.

"We know we're up against the giant of the conference," Vick said. "They've run this conference for years. But everything is subject to change."

The crack — and the challengers

For the first time in the Berry era, the giant wobbled. After a 5–0 start, South Carolina State lost consecutive games for the first time under its coach — 34–31 at home to The Citadel on Oct. 3, then 49–39 at Charleston Southern on Oct. 10 — before last week's open date. Both teams arrive off a bye. Only one of them arrives angry on schedule.

Norfolk State (4-3) is built to make a favorite uncomfortable. The Spartans lead the FCS with 11 interceptions and 16 turnovers gained. They run for 214 yards a game, rank second in the MEAC in both total offense and total defense, and have returned three punts for touchdowns this season — Jason Wonodi has two of them. Their last time out, they shut out Virginia-Lynchburg 62–0 before a school-record homecoming crowd of 48,357.

And Vick is betting the conference opener on a freshman. True freshman quarterback Da'Jean Golmond — 774 passing yards, six touchdowns, one interception, plus 157 rushing yards and two scores — gets the start over Deljay Bailey, who is back from a shoulder injury and will back him up.

"I'm going to go with Da'Jean since he's been playing well," Vick said. "I don't think it's fair to him, the way he's been playing, to take him out of rhythm right now."

The Spartans' locker room is not pretending this is just another Saturday. "They came to our Homecoming and ruined our Homecoming," senior defensive back Kaleb Broadbent said. "So our goal is to go down there and do the same. … To become the man, you've got to beat the man."

What it decides

Every MEAC team starts 0–0 in the league today, but the road to the Celebration Bowl has run through Orangeburg for two years, and South Carolina State — ranked No. 3 in the Black College Football Poll to Norfolk State's No. 9 — holds a 23–5 series lead and three straight wins in it. Norfolk State's last win in the series came in this stadium, 42–38 in 2022.

This is also Norfolk State's third straight homecoming game in October — a visitor at Robert Morris', the host of its own, and now the would-be spoiler at the biggest one of all. Vick calls conference play "playoff season." Broadbent put the whole afternoon in one line: "Everybody wants to chop the head off the monster. We want to be the first ones to do it."

By Saturday night, either the three-peat is on schedule — or the monster has a scar, and the MEAC race is wide open.

By the Numbers