NORFOLK, Va. – The Sacred Heart University football team delivered another resilient road performance on Saturday afternoon, outlasting Norfolk State in a thrilling 31–28 victory at William "Dick" Price Stadium.
Sacred Heart built a 24–14 advantage early in the second half before Norfolk State rallied to pull within a field goal. With just over five minutes to play,
Jack Snyder's touchdown run pushed the lead to 31–21. The Spartans answered quickly with a 29-yard touchdown strike, but the Pioneers' defense forced a missed field goal in the closing seconds to preserve the victory.
Final Score:
Sacred Heart - 31
Norfolk State - 28
Records:
Sacred Heart (3-1)
Norfolk State (1-3)
Top Performers:
Offense –
(QB)
Jack Snyder: Passing (8-13, 92 yards) | Rushing (9 attempts, 79 yards, 2 touchdowns)
(RB)
Mitchell Summers: 26 attempts | 122 rushing yards | 1 touchdown
(RB)
Trey Eberhart III: 13 attempts | 89 rushing yards | 1 touchdown
Defense –
(LB)
Kyle Hall: 6 tackles
(S)
Tyler Jameson: 6 tackles | 1.0/1 TFL-Yds
(DB)
Maximus Mongelli: 5 tackles | 1.0/6 TFL-Yds | 1 interception | 1 pass break-up
How it Happened:
Sacred Heart wasted little time showing its intent, putting together a crisp nine-play, 70-yard drive. Quarterback
Jack Snyder provided the spark, finishing the series with an explosive 18-yard touchdown run that sliced through the Spartan defense. With
Matt Kling's extra point good, the Pioneers jumped ahead 7–0 just five minutes into the game.
Norfolk State answered immediately, orchestrating a 14-play, 75-yard drive that consumed over six minutes and ended with a touchdown to tie the game at 7–7.
The second quarter saw the Spartans seize momentum early. An eight-play march ended with X'Zavion Evans slipping through for a seven-yard score, giving Norfolk State a 14–7 lead.
Sacred Heart slowly regained momentum later in the quarter.
Maximus Mongelli intercepted a pass on a first-and-10, and
Jaylin Johnson recovered a fumble on a second-and-nine. On the Pioneers' next drive, Snyder led a seven-play, 71-yard march that ended with a 28-yard rushing touchdown from
Trey Eberhart III, knotting the game at 14–14.
After a defensive stand forced a Norfolk State four-and-out, SHU's offense returned to the field. With 1:54 left in the quarter, Snyder connected with
Dean Hangey for gains of 18 and seven yards, setting up
Mitchell Summers, who powered 22 yards into the end zone. Kling's extra point gave the Pioneers a 21–14 lead at halftime.
Starting the fourth quarter up 24–14 following a late third-quarter field goal from Kling, SHU saw Norfolk State quickly trim the deficit to three, 24–21. But the Pioneers answered on defense, as
Ryan Palmieri recovered a fumble on Norfolk State's 49-yard line. With just over five minutes left, Snyder capped a nine-play drive with a seven-yard quarterback keeper, extending the lead to 31–21.
The Spartans responded with a 74-yard drive, culminating in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Otto Kuhns to DreSean Kendrick, narrowing the score to 31–28 with under four minutes remaining. Norfolk State had one final chance, reaching the SHU 24-yard line, but a 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right, sealing the victory for the Pioneers.
Up Next:
The Pioneers return home after a three-game road stretch, hosting Delaware State on Saturday, Sept. 27, for Family Weekend. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Campus Field.
