Former NFL Star Michael Vick Loses CFB Coaching Debut as Towson Beats Norfolk State

The Michael Vick era began for Norfolk State on Thursday.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, things didn't start on a positive note as Norfolk State fell to Towson 27-7.

Norfolk State went scoreless through the first three periods, but trailed by just two possessions as its defense managed to limit the damage too much. The Spartans got on the board early in the fourth when running back Jaylen Laudermilk found the endzone on the ground.

But just as Norfolk State found some momentum, Towson scored a pair of touchdowns to make it a 27-7 lead. The Spartans couldn't overcome the deficit and dropped their first game of the season.

Vick assessed his team's performance after the fourth quarter, pointing out the mistakes that killed their early drives.

"Just got into a rhythm on offense and just setting ourselves back in every way," Vick said. "Flags all over the field every time we get a good play... We gotta get some consistency going."

Vick also made sure the attention stayed on the game itself rather than the fact that he was making his coaching debut.

"We just want to compete for four quarters. We know it's going to be a long game," he said. "Only thing we can do is battle, we've got to fight, got to fight till the very end, and it's not over till it's over."

While it's clear Vick and the Spartans still have work to do, his presence on campus has generated plenty of hype around the program.

Vick is coaching college football for the first time in his career, so there were bound to be growing pains. The good news is that he has a long season ahead to get things moving in the right direction.

Up next for Vick and Norfolk State is a matchup against Virginia State next Saturday.