NORFOLK, Va. – Saint Francis University football defeated Norfolk State 45-26 in its final game before four straight conference opponents. The Red Flash had 501 yards of total offense with 300 passing and 201 rushing yards.
What You Need to Know
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Makai Jackson led the offense with nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
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Donnell Brown recovered a fumbled punt snap for a 30-yard touchdown, Defensively, he added one sack and three tackles.
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Dawson Snyder had four catches for 78 yards and one touchdown while
Elijah Sarratt added two catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.
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Gregory Reddick recorded two tackles for loss, while
Marcel Mami led the defensive unit with 10 tackles.
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Justin Sliwoski went 12-of-18 for 180 yards and two touchdowns and added three rushes for 19 yards and one touchdown.
Turning Points of the Game
On the game's opening drive, Sliwoski hit Snyder for a 26-yard touchdown on a fourth and 13 and gave Saint Francis a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing Norfolk State drive, Brown recovered the dropped punt snap for a 30-yard touchdown and opened a 14-0 lead. Saint Francis ended the first quarter with a 21-0 lead after
Cole Doyle hit Jackson for a 10-yard touchdown with 11 seconds in the quarter.
Norfolk State responded to the fast start with two straight touchdowns, one rushing and one passing. On the first touchdown, the Spartans fumbled the extra point snap and failed to convert a two-point conversion on the second and cut the deficit to 21-12.
In the final two minutes on the half, Sliwoski scored on a 27-yard rush and Sarratt scored a 34-yard receiving touchdown to open a 35-12 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Norfolk State scored an 81-yard rushing touchdown with under four minutes in the frame. Scoring stalled until Jackson scored a 19-yard touchdown, which was his second of the game. Norfolk State scored one more touchdown before Saint Francis sealed its 45-26 victory.
Flash Nuggets
The game marks Saint Francis' first time over 500 yards of total offense since Sept. 2, 2017. It is also the first time with 300 passing yards since Nov. 23, 2019.
Jackson has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in three straight games and now has five total touchdowns through his first four collegiate games. After the 2021 team-lead in catches was 44, Jackson sits nine shy of the mark with 35.
Snyder and Sarratt each scored their first collegiate touchdowns. On the season, Snyder has 16 catches for 279 yards and Sarratt has nine catches for 121 yards.
Travell Cook recorded his first interception with Saint Francis and the second for the Red Flash this season.
Browns touchdown marked the second week in a row Saint Francis scored on special teams and was his first-career touchdown. He also took the Saint Francis lead with 4.5 tackles for loss.
Next
Saint Francis has its home opener on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. against Central Connecticut.
