2011 DELAWARE STATE FOOTBALL                          GAME 1   

      DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY HORNETS (0-0; 0-0 MEAC)                                                                            VS.

                          VMI KEYDETS (0-0; 0-0 Big South)

                                SAT., SEP. 3, 2011 (1:30 P.M)

      FOSTER STADIUM/ALUMNI FIELD (10,000) - LEXINGTON, VA.

THE GAME
Delaware State kicks off the 2011 season and the era of new head coach Kermit Blount with a non-conference game at first-time opponent VMI. The Hornets are coming off a 3-8 overall record in 2010. DSU was seventh in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with a 2-6 mark in the league. Blount, who served 17 years as head coach at Winston-Salem State University before accepting the Delaware State post, replaced Al Lavan at DSU.   

VMI is also looking to rebound after posting a 3-8 mark last year. The Keydets were 2-2 after their first four games, but dropped six of the last seven to close out the 2010 season. VMI was 2-4 in the Big South a year ago.   

THE SERIES 
This will be the first meeting between the teams. VMI is the only first-time opponent on Delaware State's 2011 schedule. It will also mark the second straight year that the Hornets have faced a Big South Conference opponent. Delaware State suffered a 34-14 loss at Coastal Carolina last season in their most recent contest against a Big South team. The Hornets also faced Coastal Carolina in 2005 and '07. Liberty is the only other current Big South school to square off against the  Hornets,  although the Flames were independent during a majority of the 14 meetings between the teams. Delaware State is 6-11 all-time vs. current Big South teams.