2022 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL — GAME 8
DELAWARE STATE "Hornets" (4-3 / 1-1 MEAC)
VS.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL "Eagles" (5-2 / 1-1 MEAC)
SAT., OCT. 29 2022 (2:02 p.m. kickoff)
Alumni Stadium (7,000) - Dover, Del.
Live Video: MEAC Digital Network (ESPN+)
Live Audio - HSRN.com (DSU broadcast)
LiveStats - DSUHornets.com
THE GAME
Delaware State welcomes MEAC rival North Carolina Central to Alumni Stadium for its annual Homecoming game. The Hornets (4-3; 1-1 MEAC) are looking to bounce back from a 35-17 MEAC loss to Howard last weekend, snapping Delaware State's two-game win streak. The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a 51-yard field goal by
Jonathan Cardoza-Chicas on the opening possession of the game. Howard answered with a 28-0 scoring run to take control. Delaware State broke the Howard run early in the fourth quarter when
Marquis Gillis scored on a 31-yard scamper on fourth and three to cap off a nine-play, 63-yard drive. Gillis has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the last three games to give him a team-high five this season. Delaware State closed out the scoring on a two-yard touchdown run by
Thomas Bertrand-Hudon to cap off an 11-play, 94-yard drive in the final moments of the game. The Hornets converted a two-point play on a
Wade Inge run following the score with 18 seconds left to play. Delaware State quarterback
C.J. Henry started his third game this season. He completed 15 of 29 passes for 144 yards, but was sacked four times. Gillis rushed for a team-high 87 yards on just eight carries, including a 41-yard run. Linebacker
Aiden Webber had a team-high seven tackles (five solo), while
Isaiah Williams and
Brooks Parker recorded sacks for the Hornets. Entering this week's action, Gillis is third in the MEAC in rushing at 64.0 yards per game (448 total). Delaware State receiver
Jerrish Halsey (sr.) is second in the MEAC in receiving yards at 62.8 per game, and is tied for third in the league with four touchdown catches.
NC Central (5-2; 1-1 MEAC) is also coming off a MEAC loss last week, suffering a 26-24 setback at defending champ South Carolina State in a battle of the top two teams in the league's preseason poll. The Eagles led 24-20 after three quarters, but the Bulldogs scored the eventual winning points on a touchdown with 12:03 left to play. NC Central won the total yardage battle 420-386, but was plagued by two turnovers, key penalties and two missed field goals. NCCU quarterback Davius Richard, a preseason All-MEAC First Team selection, is tops in the league in passing yards (1443) and touchdown passes (15), while ranking second in passing yardage per game (206.1). Running back Latrell Collier is second in the MEAC at 73.7 rushing yards per game (516 total).
THE SERIES (NCCU leads 20-7)
This is the 28th meeting between the Hornets and Eagles. NC Central has won two straight and seven of the last eight encounters to open up a 20-7 lead in the series. The last time the teams met NCCU posted a 34-28 overtime win in Durham, N.C., during the 2021 season. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their lone overtime possession after the Hornets came up empty on the first possession of the extra session. The loss also overshadowed stellar performances by Delaware State quarterback
Jared Lewis and wide receiver
Trey Gross, who connected on four touchdown passes. Gross had a career-high 12 catches for 142 yards and four scores. Lewis completed 20 of 34 passes for 202 yards and the four TDs. The Hornets snapped a five-game losing streak to the Eagles with a 28-13 homecoming victory in Dover, Del., in 2018. It was the first win for head coach
Rod Milstead. The teams did not meet in 2020 due to the pandemic.
HORNETS ATTEMPT TO KEEP MEAC TITLE HOPES ALIVE
Despite the loss at Howard last week, Delaware State is still in the running for the 2022 MEAC championship and Celebration Bowl berth, although there is little, if any, margin for error. It's either do or die for the Hornets in their last three league games as another loss would close the door to their title hopes. South Carolina State (1-0) and Howard (1-0) sit atop the current MEAC standings, while Delaware State (1-1) and NC Central (1-1) are next in line. The Hornets were picked to finish fourth in the six-team MEAC standings this season, while Norfolk State is third in the poll. Delaware State received one first place vote and 58 total points in the poll of league head coaches and sports information directors. Defending MEAC and HBCU national champion South Carolina State tops the poll with eight of 12 first place votes and 124 points. North Carolina Central is picked second with one first place vote and 92 points, followed by Norfolk State with 80 points. Howard has been selected to finish fifth and Morgan State last in the upcoming MEAC football season. Delaware State was 2-3 in the MEAC to tie with Norfolk State for third place in the league standings in 2021. An overtime loss to North Carolina Central in the '21 finale prevented the Hornets from a second-place finish last season.
HOMECOMING
Delaware State is 35-18 in its homecoming game since the 1969 season. The Hornets, however, have dropped their last two homecoming contests, including a 13-7 setback to South Carolina State last season. DSU's last homecoming win was vs. NC Central (28-13) in 2018. The Hornets won 10 straight, and 15 of 16 homecoming games, from 1975 to 1991.
HORNETS FALL FROM HBCU TOP 10 POLL
Delaware State has dropped out of the Top 10 in a poll of Historically Black College and University teams after last week's loss at Howard. The Hornets were ninth Press Box to Press Row HBCU Coaches Poll before last week's setback. . Delaware State received votes in this week's "Box To Row" coaches and media polls, but not enough to make the Top 10. Jackson State, led by NFL Hall of Famer
Deion Sanders, is No. 1 in both polls. North Carolina Central (5-2) is No. 4 the coaches poll and seventh in the media poll this week.
