2021 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL — GAME 7       
DELAWARE STATE "HORNETS" (3-3; 0-0 MEAC)
VS.                                                                                                                             
SO. CAROLINA STATE  "BULLDOGS"  (2-4 / 1-0 MEAC)
SAT., OCT. 23, 2029 (2:05 p.m.)   
ALUMNI STADIUM  (6,800) - DOVER, DEL.  
TELEVISION: ESPN3/ESPNU                                                                                                                                                         
 Live Audio - HSRN.com (DSU broadcast) 
 
THE GAME
Delaware State kicks off its 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule at home against South Carolina State in the Hornets' annual homecoming contest.  DSU has been idle since a 56-6 victory over Division II Virginia University of Lynchburg on Oct. 9 at home, the Hornets' second straight win. Delaware State is seeking its first three-game win streak since 2012 when it defeated Norfolk State, South Carolina State, North Carolina A&T and Morgan State in consecutive games. In Delaware State's last outing vs. Va. Lynchburg, the game was scoreless after the first quarter before the Hornets put a school-record 42 points on the board in the second quarter and never looked back.  South Carolina State is coming off a 37-17 triumph over Morgan State in its  MEAC opener last week  The SC State defense held the Bears to 196 yards of total offense and the Bulldogs forced seven turnovers in the contest, including five interceptions.
 
THE HORNETS
Delaware State continues to lead the MEAC in total defense, allowing 319.3 yards per game. The Hornets are giving up a league-low 203.3 yards per game by the pass and are second in the conference in run defense at 116.0 yards per game. DSU also leads the MEAC with nine interceptions and a +1.00 turnover margin per game (+6). The Hornets are second in the league with 14 forced turnovers. Defensive back Esaias Guthrie is tops in the conference with four interceptions and is tied for second in the MEAC in passes defended at 1.00 per game (pass break-ups + INTs) per game. Rommell Harris-Freeman is second on the Hornets with two INT's and is tied for fifth in the MEAC in passes defended (0.83 pg). Linebacker Ronald Holmes (fr.) is also having a stellar season on the defense, leading the MEAC in tackles for loss at 1.50 per game (7.5 total) and is fourth in the league with three sacks (0.50 pg). Linebacker Ka-mari Jackson (jr.) is tops on the Hornets and tied for 10th in the MEAC at 5.5 tackles per game (33 total). Jackson is tied for second in the league 27 solo stops and has six assists through six games. Isaiah Williams is tied for fourth in the league with 3.0 sacks. Offensively, Delaware State is third in the MEAC in scoring at 25.2 points per game, but fifth in total offense at 275.0 yards per contest. DSU is averaging 148.8 rushing yards per game to rank second in the league, but sits at the bottom of the conference in passing at 126.2 yards per outing. Individually, Delaware State running back Sy'Veon Wilkerson (fr.) continues to shine. Wilkerson is the MEAC's  rushing leader with 529 yards (88.2 ypg) after topping the 100-yard mark in the last two games, including a career-high 169 yards on a school-record 40 carries at Wagner on Oct. 2. He was selected as the Stats Perform FCS Freshman of the Week and MEAC Rookie of the Week for the performance at Wagner. Wilkerson has a league-high seven rushing touchdowns this year. Quarterback Jared Lewis (so.) had his best game of the season in the Wagner contest, completing 16 of 26 passes for 169 yards and a career-best four touchdown passes. For the season, Lewis has connected on 40 of 74 throws (54.1%) for 453 yards with eight  touchdowns and just one interception. After catching four balls for 40 yards and a touchdowns in the last game vs. Va. Lynchburg, Trey Gross (sr.) is tops on the Hornets and fourth in the MEAC with 24 catches (4.0 per game) and is fifth in the league with 257 receiving yards (42.8 per game). He is also second in the MEAC with five touchdown catches.
 
THE SERIES
This is the 50th meeting between the long-time conference rivals, who first met in the inaugural season of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1971. South Carolina State has won four straight and six of the last seven meetings to open up a 32-17 series lead. The Hornets and Bulldogs were two of the three MEAC teams (Howard) to compete in the spring of this year after the league cancelled its 2020 competition due to Covid-19. South Carolina State and DSU played twice in the spring, with the Bulldogs winning 17-9 in Orangeburg, S.C., and 31-28 in overtime at Delaware State. In the first spring meeting, the Hornets drove to the SC State 35 yard line on their final possession late in the fourth quarter but could advance no further. In the second DSU/SCSU spring meeting, the Hornets missed the potential game-winning 36 yard field goal as time expired in regulation and committed a turnover on the first overtime possession. SC State kicked the game wining field goal (23 yards) five plays after the Delaware State turnover.