Dover, DE --- One week after clinching the 2007 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, Delaware State wrapped up a perfect league season with a 29-13 win over Howard at Alumni Stadium Saturday. The Hornets won their eighth straight to wrap up the regular season with a 10-1 overall record and an 8-0 mark in the MEAC, each the best in team history. Delaware State, which clinched the league's automatic berth in the 2007 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time last week, will learn its playoff opponent and destination on Sunday. The Hornets scored 29 unanswered points after trailing 7-0 to send Howard to its third straight defeat. The Bison ended their season with a 4-7 overall record and 2-6 mark in the MEAC. Delaware State scored 12 points in a 1:55 span of the third quarter to take control of the game. The score was 7-7 when DSU linebacker Russell Reeves sacked Howard quarterback Brian Johnson in the end zone for a safety to give the Hornets a 9-7 lead with 14:06 left in the third quarter.
After the free kick by Howard, Delaware State moved from its 40 to the Howard seven before Peter Gaertner connected on a 24-yard field goal to give the Hornets a 12-7 lead with 12:21 left in the third. On the ensuing Delaware State kickoff, Howard's Jarahn Williams fumbled the return. The ball was recovered by DSU's Brandon Hudson, who returned it 10 yards for a touchdown to give the Hornets a 19-7 lead with 12:11 remaining in the third quarter. Delaware State stretched its lead to 22-7 when Gaertner nailed his second field goal of the game, a 33-yarder, with 12:03 left in the fourth quarter. The DSU kicker has a school-record 19 field goals this season. The Hornets pulled ahead 29-7 when Lennox Norville capped off a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run with 4:39 left to play. Quarterback Vashon Winton completed three-of- four passes for 46 yards on the drive.
Winton completed 16-of-24 passes for 185 yards on the day. Delaware State's Kareem Jones rushed for a game-high 53 yards and a touchdown. The Hornets trailed 7-0 when Jones scored on a five-yard run to tie the game with 29 seconds left in the second quarter. The score capped off a 12-play, 83-yard drive. Jones also had five catches for 68 yards. Reeves led the Delaware State defense with 10 tackles. He also had two of the Hornets' seven sacks.
Akeem Green and Alimayo Wilder also had two sacks for the Hornets. Howard quarterback Brian Johnson completed 16-of-29 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Bison defensive end Rudy Hardie led all players with 14 tackles. He also had his MEAC leading 11th sack in the game.
NOTES --- Delaware State is the third MEAC team to post an 8-0 league record since the conference expanded to nine teams in 1998, joining North Carolina A&T in 1999 and Hampton in 2005. The Hornets are 10-0 vs. Football Championship Subdivision competition this season. DSU's only loss was to Football Bowl Subdivision Kent State on Sep. 15 . ...Delaware State is 5-0 at home this season, and 14-1 in their last 15 games at Alumni Stadium ... Winton is 25-7 as a starting quarterback.
Media Quotes vs. Howard University
*James Romain on defense:
We started slow but picked it up and started to come together as a unit. Felt team had a little more momentum. When we need to make a play we make it.
*James Romain on fumble:
If I hadn't stumbled, it would have definitely been another six points.
*Coach Lavan on team:
We were focused towards trying to play good. We've won a lot of games with different units. The strength of the team is that the offense, defense and special teams really can play the game together. They play more effectively when there is a balanced production.
*Coach Lavan on three units:
It's very clear we are not going to win every week on offense, defense or special teams. Some people play better then we are but there aren't many teams that can stop all three units.
*Coach Lavan on Shaheer McBride and the touchdown record:
We were just putting Shaheer in initially just to get a catch and depending on the coverage we might get a chance to throw him the ball and score but they definitely were not going to let that happen. It just wasn't to be on this day.
*Coach Lavan on Playoffs:
We play the schedule they schedule us to play. It is what it is...the game could be played at Alumni Stadium or out in the Mid West
*Kareem Jones on the offense improving:
We keep continuing to improve on offense. We've made a lot of progress. The offensive lineman stood up today so a lot of credits go to them. We just need to keep going...Work Day just like coach says.
