NORFOLK, Va. (November 15, 2008) ? For the second-straight season, the Delaware State Hornets (4-6, 4-3 in MEAC) came from behind to beat the Norfolk State Spartans (4-7, 3-5 in MEAC), 34-28. DSU scored 27 unanswered points for the sixth-straight win over NSU. A one-yard touchdown run by Jaashawn Jones with 26.2 seconds left in the game sealed the Hornet's victory and maintained Head Coach Al Lavan's perfect record versus the Spartans (5-0).
"I am extremely proud of the way our guys fought today," said Head Coach Al Lavan. "They showed the heart of a champion. The key to today's game was that our kids never gave in to adversity. This game had a lot of ebb and flow. There were good and bad points of the game but, our guys kept fighting."
QB Vashon Winton finished the day with 176 yards through the air and a touchdown. The running back duties were split between seniors Chris Strother (18 carries for 81 yards) and Kareem Jones (16 carries for 71 yards) who both added big runs when the team needed it.
Strother carried the entire load during the tail end of the third quarter and all of the fourth, after K. Jones suffered an ankle injury. The game-winning drive, in which Strother accounted for 30 yards on four carries, including an 18-yard run down to the two-yard line with time winding down, went for 58 yards on five plays and ate up thee minutes and 17 seconds.
"I've got to give a lot of credit to my offensive line," said Strother. "They make my job easy. We just never gave up. On that final drive, we just wanted to pound them with the run. We noticed they were getting fatigued and we wanted to take advantage of that. We weren't going to let our energy down. As Coach Lavan says ?We run in September to win in November'. I just wanted to pick up where Kareem (Jones) left off."
The Hornets took their first lead of the contest, scoring 28-unaswered points with J. Jones' third-career touchdown. The go-ahead score was set up defensive back Francis Adjei's second intercepted pass of the season, picking off NSU's Dennis Brown and retuning the ball to the Delaware State 42-yard line. The interception came with 5:02 left in the game with the score knotted at 28-all.
"I knew if I pressed the receivers that their quarterback would try and throw the ball deep," said Adjei. "I baited them to throw the ball, dropping off the press coverage and then made a break on the ball."
The DSU defense, which allowed 216 yards of total offense in the first half, held the Spartans to just 67 yard during the second half, including the squad's only turnover of the game (Adjei's pick).
"The coaches told us that we really needed to buckle down and play our style of defense," said Adjei. "Our team never quits. We play till the clock says 00:00. The coaching staff kept us strong, focused and because of that, we were able to execute our style of play."
In the first half, Norfolk State jumped out all over Delaware State, taking advantage of some key turnovers, resulting in great field position.
Norfolk State found the end zone late in the opening quarter as Brown hit wide receiver Jamar Johnson on the run for a seven-yard touchdown and the 7-0 lead. Brown scrambled for 51 yards to set up the Spartans' first red zone opportunity of the game. The scoring drive lasted 10 plays for 90 yards in 5:10.
The Spartans were handed their second scoring opportunity of the contest early in the second quarter as cornerback Don Carey picked up a John Newman fumble and took it 49 yards for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
DSU capitalized on its first red zone possession of the game as Winton scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown to cut the Spartan lead in half at 14-7. The Chicago, Ill., native's 10th rushing touchdown of the season was set up by a botched onsides kick and a 16-yard reception by wide receiver Erick Jones. The redshirt junior leads the team with three touchdown receptions on the season. E. Jones' receptions capped off a five-play, 45-yard drive lasting 1:56.
The Spartans recaptured their 14-point lead (21-7) on a nine-play, 57-yard drive late in the second quarter. Brown rushed through the middle for a 16-yard touchdown. The rush was preceded by an 18-yard reception by freshman wide receiver P.J. Hayden deep in DSU territory.
With 00:41 left in the first half, Norfolk State extended the lead to 28-7 right when Brown lofted a pass to the right side of the end zone where Johnson caught his second touchdown pass of the game. Carey's fifth interception of the season allowed the Spartans to start the drive on the Hornets' 32 yard-line.
DSU kicker Riley Flickinger concluded the first half with a 21-yard field goal to cut the NSU lead to 28-10 as time expired. Wide receiver Larrone Moore's 60-yard kickoff return gave the Hornets a starting position right outside the Spartan red zone. Winton then completed a 17-yard pass to Eddie Brown to set up field goal attempt for the junior from Gresham, Ore.
The Hornets started the scoring in the second half when Winton completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Jackson, the first of his young career. Winton engineered a drive that lasted seven plays and covered 67 yards in 3:05 and was highlighted by a 22-yard run by K. Jones down to the Spartan 20 yard-line. The score cut NSU's lead to 28-17 with 8:55 left in the third quarter.
DSU converted a fake field goal with 14:50 left in the game when Brandon Hudson took the snap and rushed for a 12-yard touchdown run down the left side of the field. The Hornets converted the two-point conversion on a quarterback keeper by Winton to cut Norfolk State's lead to three at 28-25.
With Flickinger's second field goal of the afternoon, the Hornets tied the game, 28-28, with 5:08 to go in the contest. Winton's 18-yard pass to Jackson, and a 10-yard run by Strother allowed Flickinger to connect from 32 yards out.
Delaware State will travel to Washington, D.C. to face Howard in the final game of the 2008 season, on November 22. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
