NCCU rallies twice, survives final kick to beat Norfolk State 29–28

The answer is a comeback that required more than one recovery. The Eagles climbed back from 21–7, fell behind by 11 again in the fourth quarter, then turned a late fumble recovery into Joshua Jones’s winning 26-yard touchdown pass to Mekhi Wall. Even that left one escape to make: Norfolk State missed a 37-yard field goal with four seconds remaining, preserving North Carolina Central’s 29–28 victory on November 7, 2026, at William “Dick” Price Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia.⁠1⁠2

The result kept the Eagles unbeaten in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at 3–0 and tied for first with South Carolina State. At 5–5 overall, North Carolina Central had restored its season record to even while protecting something more valuable: its place at the front of the conference race. Norfolk State fell to 4–6 overall and 0–3 in league play.⁠2

Norfolk State built its cushion across both opening quarters, scoring 14 points in the first and seven in the second. North Carolina Central managed seven in the first quarter and none in the second. The 21–7 halftime score left the Eagles needing to recover two touchdowns before they could even think about taking control.⁠11

They began by keeping Norfolk State off the scoreboard throughout the third quarter. Jones found Luke Bracey for an eight-yard touchdown, and Riley Daniels added a 25-yard field goal. Ten unanswered points cut the deficit to 21–17, turning a game that had been slipping away into a one-score contest.⁠1

But the Spartans did not simply surrender their lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Jalyn Daniels scored on a 13-yard run to make it 28–17. North Carolina Central had spent a quarter repairing the halftime damage, only to face another double-digit deficit. Jones supplied the next answer himself, running seven yards for a touchdown that brought the Eagles within 28–23.⁠1

That score changed the distance, not the requirement. A field goal would no longer do; North Carolina Central needed another touchdown. Norfolk State, meanwhile, still had opportunities to make the Eagles’ task harder—or finish the game before they got another chance.

A 25-yard field-goal attempt missed with 2:24 remaining. The Spartans also lost a fumble late in the game, and North Carolina Central’s recovery provided the short field for the decisive possession. The Eagles needed to cover only 37 yards, but they still had to reach the end zone. They did it in five plays.⁠1

Jones finished the drive by finding Wall for the 26-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left. North Carolina Central finally led, 29–28. Its attempted two-point conversion fell incomplete, leaving the advantage at one point and a Norfolk State field goal enough to undo the comeback.⁠1⁠2

The Spartans reached kicking range on their final opportunity. Their 37-yard attempt with four seconds remaining missed, completing a closing stretch in which two missed field goals and a lost fumble helped turn a protected lead into a one-point defeat. The Eagles had done enough to get ahead; Norfolk State’s last miss allowed them to stay there.⁠1

Jones’s final pass was the defining play, but his contribution ran through the scoring. He threw for 156 yards and three touchdowns—to Tyree Saunders, Bracey and Wall—and added the fourth-quarter rushing score. He accounted for all four North Carolina Central touchdowns.⁠1

The Eagles also had a substantial ground game beyond their quarterback. Gino Addison rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries, averaging about 9.7 yards per attempt. Saunders led the receiving production with six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. Wall finished with four receptions for 38 yards, with the winning 26-yard catch accounting for most of that total.⁠1

Defensively, Khareem Thompson recorded six tackles, including three tackles for loss, along with a sack and a forced fumble. The conference recap does not establish that his forced fumble was the particular turnover that set up the winning drive, but his overall line underscores the defensive contribution alongside the late offensive finish.⁠1

South Carolina State had already beaten Howard 35–28 on Thursday, November 5, reaching 3–0 in the MEAC. North Carolina Central’s escape kept it alongside the Bulldogs rather than chasing them. This was not a championship secured, but a costly setback avoided: after spending much of the game behind, the Eagles left Norfolk still sharing first place.⁠1⁠2