Homecoming humbling & the legends battle

So, episode six of BET’s The Coach Vick Experience showcased a lot. First, we got a chance to see the flow of the game during Norfolk State’s Homecoming matchup. We saw in last week’s episode that Michael Vick was confident they could upset the reigning MEAC champions, but the reality was a little bleaker than Vick or anyone at Norfolk State could have predicted.

At that time, South Carolina State was still trying to figure things out. They had significant roster turnover from the previous season, when they made the Celebration Bowl and won the MEAC Championship, so things weren’t smooth sailing on the out-of-conference slate. But, as Chennis Berry tends to do in his head coaching career, his teams rise to the occasion in conference, and it was unfortunate that Vick and his Spartans were in the way of their bid to repeat as MEAC champions.

While Norfolk State had some good moments at the beginning of the game, even hopping out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter, nothing seemed to work. Seeing the game in cinematic form was interesting because it showcased the onslaught South Carolina State delivered on Norfolk State’s Homecoming. It was interesting to see that Vick had chosen not to play Kevon King in the Homecoming matchup, given that it was King’s final Homecoming game as a graduating senior. Kevon King is only one person, but maybe he could have helped jump-start the offense even more, as he said in his confessional interview.

Nevertheless, Homecoming didn’t yield much, and Vick made it a point to let it be known that he isn’t a loser and wants to find players who can win. But it seems like, again, that Vick is blaming everybody else but himself for the predicament that Norfolk State is in. Sure, maybe the coordinators weren’t doing what they needed to do, and yes, the players definitely needed to step up, especially on defense. But Vick needed to take as much accountability as he was attempting to give out, not just in this episode but throughout this season writ large.

The Coach Vick Experience pivoted quickly from the Homecoming game to the “Battle of the Legends” matchup between Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson in Philadelphia. The game was arguably one of the most highly anticipated on the calendar, given the fact that Vick and Jackson were teammates with the Eagles in the early 2010s and were both starting their coaching careers in the MEAC.

The docuseries excels at juxtaposing Vick’s playing career with its ties to his coaching journey. That, arguably, is the best element of the episodes, outside of chronicling the players and their backstories. But what we found in several of these episodes is that there’s not much to really cover if the result of these games is Norfolk State losing.

In many of the games Norfolk State played, they were simply beaten and outclassed. Plus, we didn’t see the footage from the Spartans’ game against Sacred Heart, which was a close one in which Sacred Heart escaped with the victory. It seems as if Vick and Norfolk State didn’t provide much on-the-field material for the SMAC production team to work with in putting together the narrative for the episodes.

However, I think they had plenty of content to showcase for the Battle of Legends. The game was actually close, as I vividly remember from October 30. Norfolk State did have some good moments, such as Otto Khuns’ touchdown that put them back in contention for a win, but once again, we saw the difference between Norfolk State under Vick and Delaware State under Jackson. Even Vick noted it when they had the moment in that room before they went on Good Morning America.

DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets developed an ironclad identity. They were content to run the ball, establish the run to set up the pass, and be a tough team that controlled the flow of the game. Even the most experienced teams on their schedule couldn’t stop their rushing attack.

They recruited players from high school and the transfer portal, which helped them demonstrate their offensive attack. Sure, Delaware State’s defense had issues similar to those Norfolk State showcased, but their unique offensive identity helped them win games, including a pivotal win over North Carolina Central the week before the Battle of the Legends.

If Michael Vick is watching the series like the rest of us, he should take note of this and rebuild the team culture heading into his second season. But we’re nearing the end of the journey as they’ve almost chronicled the entire season. Next week is going to be a pivotal episode as we see their near-upset of North Carolina Central and Otto Khuns’ tragic injury that prevented him from playing for the rest of the season.

The Coach Vick Experience airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. Central on BET.