Coming off a tough loss to Central Connecticut State, the Delaware State Hornets host Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Hampton at Alumni Stadium this afternoon. Today's meeting (34th all-time between the two schools) is an important one, as the winner will have the inside track towards this year's MEAC title. With their nine-game conference winning streak on the line, the Hornets will look to sink the Pirates for the second time in as many years.

The Hornets enter Saturday's game, looking to snap a current two-game, losing skid. Despite having lost two straight, Delaware State is still in a comfortable spot in the MEAC standings (tied for second with South Carolina State) with a 1-0 record just behind Hampton which sits atop the conference at 2-0. Coming into today's game, the Hornets are 13-2 all-time in MEAC competition at home under Head Coach Al Lavan.

Quarterback Vashon Winton, who currently ranks No. 19 among the career-passing leaders in the MEAC (4,662 yards on 431-of-755 passing), will take the field today and attempt to earn his 22nd-career conference victory. The Chicago, Ill., product has totaled 388 yards through the air, completing 59.7 percent of his passes (46-of-77). Winton has completed one touchdown pass through the air and has run for five in 2008. His five rushing touchdowns are two shy of his single-season record (seven during the 2006 season).

Joining Winton in the backfield is running back Chris Strother. Strother is the team leader in rushing yards this season recording 255 yards on 52 carries (4.7 yards-per-carry). The Miami, Fla., native is averaging 82.0 yards-per-game and is tied for second on the team in receptions (9). The 5-foot-11 running back also leads the team in all-purpose yards with 307, averaging 102.3 all-purpose yards-per-game.

Senior Derrick McNeil leads all DSU receivers with 13 catches through the first three games. The Petersburg, Va., native has recorded 45 receptions during his Delaware State career. Sophomore Larrone Moore is coming off a career night, grabbing a personal-best six catches for 74 yards versus the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State (Sept. 27). Moore leads the club with 109 yards receiving, averaging 36.3 yard-per-game.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Hornets are led by a strong corps of linebackers. Anchoring that corps is senior Kevin Conner. The Richmond, Va., native leads the team in tackles this season, notching 26 heading into today's game. Conner had 11 tackles during the Hornet's last home game. Middle linebacker Jackie Watkins enters today's game with 17 total tackles, while redshirt junior Josh Pope has tallied nine tackles on the season (seven versus the Blue Devils ? Sept. 27).

The defensive line is led by Akiel Russell, who has recorded 18 total tackles (second-most on the team this season) along with senior Ronn Spinner, Jr. (12 total tackles) and redshirt sophomore Andre Caroll (13 tackles in 2008). Caroll had a career night versus Central Connecticut State, registering a team-high 12 tackles.

Game Notables
- The Hornets enter the game riding a nine-game home winning streak in conference play.
- DSU has not lost back-to-back home contests since Al Lavan's first season (2004). The Hornets dropped the first three home games of the 2004 season before defeating Hampton, 28-23 (Oct. 2, 2004).
- The Hornets are looking to hand Hampton Head Coach Jerry Holmes his first conference loss of his career.
- Coach Lavan has the highest winning percentage in among active MEAC coaches in conference play (25-7, .781).
- Coach Lavan owns a 13-2 record at home versus MEAC opponents.
- Coach Lavan is looking to improve on his home record at Delaware State (17-6, .739).
- Saturday marks Coach Lavan's 49th game as DSU head coach.
- Saturday's game will mark Vashon Winton's 37th-career start.
- Winton ranks No. 19 all-time among MEAC quarterbacks (4,662 yards).

A Quick Look at Hampton
The Hampton Pirates enter Saturday's game having won two-straight MEAC contests and sit atop the conference standings. Led by first-year coach, Jerry Holmes, the Pirates are averaging 32.50 points-per-game (No. 23 in the nation). Holmes served as the team's defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for three seasons prior to being appointed to his current position. His defense currently ranks No. 69 in the nation (No. 34 versus the run). Hampton dismantled North Carolina A&T during the team's last outing (44-7 on Sept. 20), holding the Aggies to just 197 yards of total offense (87 yards rushing).

Sophomore Herbert Bynes is Hampton's signal caller, averaging 240.0 yard-per-game through the air. Bynes has tossed seven touchdown passes on the season, registering an efficiency rating of 137.49. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native has completed 60.7 percent of his passes (74-of-122) in 2008. Bynes' favorite targets are Kevin Teel (sr., Bowie Md.) and Justin Brown (sr., Dover, N.J.) Teel, the team's leading receiver has registered 23 catches for 241 yards and one touchdown this season. Brown leads the Pirates with five touchdown receptions through four games. Hampton's biggest threat is First Team All-MEAC selection Jeremy Gilchrist. The 5-foot-10 wide receiver has caught 15 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown. Gilchrist leads the conference in punt returns, averaging 18.85 per return and has scored two touchdowns on punt returns already this season.

Defensively, the Pirates are led by senior Wakeem Goode and sophomore Jonathan Wade. Goode leads the team in total tackles (39) and has taken down the opposition behind the line of scrimmage six times. Wade has registered 33 total tackles on the season, including a team-high 20 unassisted tackles. As a team, Hampton has picked off the quarterback six times and broken up receptions 20 times in 2008. The team's biggest number is the 13 sacks Hampton has recorded in four games. Defensive end Chris Baker has notched three and one-half sacks to lead the team.

Home Sweet Home
During his five years as Delaware State head coach, Al Lavan has accumulated a record of 17-6 at Alumni Stadium. Lavan has guided the Hornets to perfect home records twice (2005, 2007) and has lost only one home game in the last three years. Lavan's only losing season at home took place during his first season at the helm (2004). The Hornets finished that season with a 2-4 record at home.

Hornets at Home (under Lavan)

Lavan vs. the MEAC (home)

Clear Channel Communications, the nation's premier radio group, will carry the game on a delayed broadcast over selected stations, including 50,000-watt WCKY, AM 1530, Cincinnati, beginning at 11 p.m. Eastern time.

WCKY, Clear Channel's sportstalk property in Cincinnati, has a nighttime signal that covers all of the territory east of the Mississippi, plus a portion of the country west of the Mississippi and several Canadian provinces. The game will also be carried over WCKY's website, www.1530homer.com.

The broadcasts are produced by Clear Channel in conjunction with Broadcaster Marketing Services (BMS), which is fast-becoming a player in the sports syndication area.

Winton in the MEAC Record Books
With Vashon Winton's 14-of-26 passing performance for 122 yards versus the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, the Chicago, Ill., native has moved up to No. 19 on the MEAC's career passing leaders list. Winton has compiled a 4,662 yards through the air on 431-of-755 passing during his four seasons with DSU. The 6-foot-2 quarterback is 199 yards shy of passing Morgan State's Orlando Persell (?90-'93) for No. 18.

Moore Sets Career Mark
Sophomore wide receiver Larrone Moore notched a career-high six catches for 74 yards during DSU's loss to Central Connecticut State (Sept. 27). His previous career-best was a four-catch, 46-yard outing versus Howard on Nov. 17, 2007. Moore has recorded nine catches for 109 yards in three games this season.

Caroll Makes His Presence Felt
Redshirt sophomore Andre Caroll registered a team-high 12 tackles versus Central Connecticut State (Sept. 27). The 12 tackles not only led the team, they proved to be a career-high for the Neptune, N.J., native. Previously, Caroll recorded just one tackle in four appearances during the 2007 season. This season, Caroll has recorded 13 tackles in three games played.

Team Honors
Each week the Delaware State Hornets football team will select its Most Valuable Players from each game. Below is a listing of those selections:

Week 3 (vs. Central Conn. State - Sept. 27, 2008)
Offensive MVP - N/A
Defensive MVP - Andre Caroll
Special Teams - Jon Newman

Week 2 (at Kent State - Sept. 13, 2008)
Offensive MVP - Chris Strother
Defensive MVP - James Romain
Special Teams - Zacharri Charles

Week 1 (vs. FAMU - Sept. 4, 2008)
Offensive MVP - Chris Strother
Defensive MVP - Jerome Strums
Special Teams - Nick Lochner