DELAWARE STATE "Hornets" (3-2 / 0-0 MEAC)
VS.                                                                                                                         
NORFOLK STATE "Spartans"  (1-5 / 1-0 MEAC)
SAT., OCT. 8, 2022 (2:02 p.m. kickoff)   
Dick Price Stadium (30,000) - Norfolk, Va.  
Live Video: MEAC Digital Network (ESPN+)                                                                                                                 
Live Audio - HSRN.com (DSU broadcast)
Live Stats - DSUHornets.com

THE GAME
Delaware State begins 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play with a visit to Norfolk State. The Hornets (3-2; 0-0 MEAC) have been idle since a 14-9 victory over Robert Morris of the Big South Conference on Oct. 1. It was Delaware State's first victory against a Division I opponent this season. The Hornets forced three turnovers, one resulting in a special teams touchdown, to highlight the win. The Hornet defense recorded two interceptions and held Robert Morris to 240 total yards. DSU's special teams touchdown came on a  muffed punt that the Hornets recovered in the endzone in the third quarter. In addition, punter Matt Noll averaged 43.6 yards on 11 kicks, including three of 50-or-more yards, and two that landed inside the Robert Morris 20-yard line. Despite tallying just 115 yards of total yards, Delaware State's offense produced the first big play of the game.
Running back Marquis Gillis capped off a five-play, 62-yard drive with a 41-yard touchdown run, the longest scoring run for a Hornet since Thomas Bertrand-Hudon's 48-yarder vs. Norfolk State in 2019. On the ensuing Robert Morris possession, the Colonials marched 61 yards in 10 plays to the Delaware State 21, but had to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Jason Jenkins to cut the Hornets' lead to  7-3 with 11 seconds left in the first quarter. The score remained the same until the third quarter when Noll's 50-yard punt was muffed by RMU's Parker Fetterman at the Colonials' three-yard-line. The ball rolled into the endzone and recovered by Delaware State's Coleon Williams for a touchdown to stretch the Hornets' lead to 14-3 with 1:37 left in the third quarter. Robert Morris drew closer on a three-yard touchdown run by Anthony Purge to cap off a 10-play, 62-yard drive to cut the Hornets' lead to 14-9 with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter. The Colonials failed on a two-point attempt following the touchdown. On the final possession of the game, the Hornets ran off the remaining time, notching two first downs on third-down runs by Wade Inge.
Norfolk State notched its first win of the season with a dramatic 24-21 victory at Morgan State in the first MEAC game of the 2022 season. The Spartans led 17-0 before the Bears scored 21 unanswered points to open up a 21-17 lead after a touchdown with 1:53 remaining in the game. Norfolk State drove 66 yards on nine plays in a minute-43-seconds and scored the  game-winning touchdown on a three-yard pass from Jaylan Adams to Da'Quon Felton with five seconds left to play. NSU quarterback Otto Kuhns completed 25 of 34 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown in the game.    

THE SERIES (DSU 17-9)
This is the 27th meeting between the Hornets and Spartans. Delaware State snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with its come-from-behind victory in Dover, Del., last season. DSU trailed 26-0 before scoring 28 points in the final 24 minutes for the second biggest comeback in team history. The Hornets scored the winning touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Jared Lewis to senior wide receiver Trey Gross on fourth and five with 1:53 left to play. Lewis completed 11-of-22 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns, each in the fourth quarter to fuel and comeback. Running back Wade Inge had two fourth quarter touchdown grabs.            

DELAWARE STATE RISES IN  HBCU TOP 10 POLL
Despite being idle last weekend, Delaware State has risen a spot in the Top 10 of a poll of Historically Black College and University teams. The Hornets are now ninth in the latest Press Box to Press Row HBCU Coaches Poll. Delaware State was No. 10 in the previous week. The Hornets also received votes in the "Box To Row" media poll. Jackson State, led by NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is No. 1 in both polls. The MEAC is also represented in the BoxToRow coaches poll by North Carolina Central (4-1) at No. 2 and defending conference and HBCU champ South Carolina State at No. 10 (1-4).