The two programs' long layoff mattered less than the gap in where each was building from. ODU lost every starter on its offensive line off last year's team, but the two-touchdown favorite status held anyway given the level difference between an FBS Sun Belt club and an FCS MEAC one. Norfolk State was still just a season removed from a 1-11 finish, and Vick's rebuild was always going to be judged more on trajectory than on a single night against a bigger, deeper roster.
A thunderstorm rolled through Norfolk for kickoff, the kind of weather that can make an opener sloppy for both sides regardless of the talent gap. It didn't change who had the better team on the field, but it did add some early unpredictability before Old Dominion's class started to show.
The Monarchs grabbed the lead in the first quarter and never let go, but Norfolk State's response points to some fight in this group — a touchdown drive in the second quarter briefly made it a game before Old Dominion pulled away with 10 more points before half. From there the Monarchs put it away with two more third-quarter scores, while the Spartans could only answer with a field goal.
For Old Dominion, this is exactly the start a rebuilt offensive line needed — a game to shake off the rust without needing to be perfect. For Norfolk State, the rivalry renewal was never really about the scoreboard against a program four games up in the all-time series; the more useful marker is whether the fight the Spartans showed for a quarter and a half shows up again once the MEAC schedule starts.