The Battle of Norfolk between the Old Dominion Monarchs and Norfolk State Spartans was a day to remember. On Sept. 5, 2026, the homage to the United States of America, our military, Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah, and Taylor Heinicke college football jersey retirement was an epic day in history. Taylor Heinicke's jersey retirement event will take place during halftime of Thursday night's game on October 15 against Georgia Southern. The Monarchs walked away victorious in the Battle of Norfolk. Additionally, the Monarchs protected their home field and beat the Spartans 31-10.  

In the first quarter, the Spartans had the chance to score first. Unfortunately, J. Daniels rushed for 35 yards and fumbled at the Monarchs' two-yard line. Z. Frink forced a fumble, and it was recovered by B. Crutchfield in the end zone. The fumble recovery led to a touchback for the Monarchs. The ball was placed on the 20-yard line, and it took the Monarchs six plays to score a touchdown.

The Monarchs' first drive was 80 yards. Q. Henicle took it into his own hands to rush for 11 yards. Then, Q. Henicle threw a 38-yard pass downfield to J. Harrell; the completion gave the Monarchs a boost in confidence and amped up the home team’s fans. D. Roche rushed for eight yards. The eight-yard rushing gain was followed up by an eight-yard pass from Q. Henicle to L. Haughton Jr. The Monarchs ran a no-huddle and gained two yards. Q. Henicle ended the drive with a 13-yard rushing touchdown to the right side of the end zone.  

The first quarter ended in a close matchup between the Monarchs and Spartans. The Monarchs held a 7-0 lead going into the second quarter. The last play of ODU’s scoring drive in the second quarter was an 11-yard touchdown pass from Q. Henicle to T. Johnson. The Spartans did not score until the late second quarter with 1:17 on the clock. The Spartans, from a Shotgun formation, handed the ball to D. Bailey. D. Bailey rushed for three yards and scored the Spartans' first touchdown in The Battle of Norfolk.

The Norfolk State Spartans Marching Band put on a show at halftime. Before going on the field, the Spartans were lined up on the Monarchs' sideline. Then, the clock struck 0:00. Their horns and percussion made a glorious sound in the stands; they played hit songs, while their dance moves kept them on and off their feet. 

Afterwards, the gap in the lead expanded in the third quarter. The Monarchs scored two touchdowns, while the Spartans made a field goal. Q. Henicle threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to T. Johnson on the first scoring drive. The Monarchs’ second scoring drive was only two plays due to a Spartan fumble. The fumble was recovered by the Monarchs at the Spartans 12 yard line. Q. Henicle scored an additional rushing touchdown, giving the Monarchs a 21-point lead.

Both teams were scoreless in the fourth quarter. At the end of the game, both teams met up in the middle of the field. The Monarchs' next matchup is at Virginia Tech, Sept. 12 at 12 pm. The Spartans will face off against Virginia on Sept. 11 at 7 pm.