2020-21 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL — GAME 2       
DELAWARE STATE "HORNETS" (1-0; 1-0 MEAC)
 VS.                                                                                                                                                     
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE "BULLDOGS"  (0-1; 0-0 MEAC)
SAT., MAR. 13, 2021 (2:00 p.m.)   
DAWSON STADIUM  - ORANGEBURG, S.C.    
Live Stream - ESPN3 / MEAC Digital Network
REPLAY: ESPNU (Sun. Mar. 14)     
 
THE GAME
Delaware State hits the road for the first time this spring to take on MEAC rival South Carolina State. This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams in this abbreviated season. Delaware State, under third-year head coach and former Hornet great Rod Milstead, opened this abbreviated season with a 17-10 victory over Howard on Feb. 27. DSU trailed 3-2 before scoring 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take the lead for good. Back-up quarterback Jared Lewis scored the go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard run and completed a two-point pass after the touchdown to give the Hornets a 10-3 lead with nine-and-half-minutes left to play. Later in the fourth quarter, Esaias Guthrie returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown to stretch the lead to 17-3. The win was DSU's first on opening day since a 17-10 win over VMI in 2012, and also snapped a four-game skid against Howard. The Hornets are seeking their first 2-0 start since opening the 2011 season with victories over VMI and Shaw in 2011.
    
THE HORNETS
Delaware State benefitted from solid defensive and special teams play in the opener. The defense held Howard to 264 total yards in the game. DSU's defense allowed 30.8 points and 353.5 yards per game in 2019. The unit also forced two turnovers in the opener after collecting just 13 in 12 games in the last season. Howard was also just 3 for 17 on third down in the opener (17.6%). The Hornets posted a 42% percent average on third down defense in 2019 (72-for-173). Delaware State struggled on offense in game one, combining for just 140 yards, 85 on the ground and 55 by the pass. Hornet QBs combined to complete just 8 of 16 passes in the opener.  On the plus side, the offense was turnover free and held the advantage in time of possession in the opening game ((32:12 to 27:48).  
 
THE SERIES (SC State leads 30-17)
This is the 48th meeting in the series that began when the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference was formed in 1971. South Carolina State has won eight of the last 10 contests to lead 30-17 in the series. The Bulldogs have also won the last two games between the teams, including a 38-24 victory at Delaware State in 2019. The Hornets never recovered after falling behind 17-0 in last year's meeting. After a slow start, DSU quarterback Tylik Bethea passed for a career-high 198 yards vs. South Carolina State last season. SC State quarterback Tyrece Nick completed 16-of-28 passes for 253 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed for 105 yards (long 49) in the 2019 meeting vs. Delaware State. The Hornets have lost their last four games at Dawson Stadium since a victory there in 2007, DSU's last MEAC championship season. The teams are scheduled to meet again this spring on Apr. 17 Delaware State's Alumni Stadium.
 
ROAD WOES
Delaware State gets its first chance this season to end a more than six-year road losing streak. The Hornets have dropped 33 consecutive road games since a 13-10 overtime victory at Norfolk State on Oct. 11, 2014. DSU has dropped 21 consecutive MEAC road games, including a 30-19 setback to South Carolina State in 2018 and a 30-3 loss to the Bulldogs in 2016. The Hornets were 0-5 on the road in 2019.