DeSean Jackson and his Delaware State Hornets currently stand at the top of the HBCU football world. In the span of a few days, they beat one of the MEAC's perennial powers in North Carolina Central and then reigned supreme in a prime-time clash against former teammate-turned-rival, Michael Vick, and his Norfolk State Spartans at Lincoln Financial Field in front of a crowd of over 47,000 people. Jackson now has the runway clear to achieve his stated goal from the moment he set foot on campus: winning the Celebration Bowl in his first year.
With two key MEAC conference wins under their belt, the next three weeks will be crucial. But Jackson cannot afford to look ahead, because in the MEAC, every single game matters, and Morgan State could very well be the team that plays spoiler to the Hornets’ storybook season.
Morgan State's defense is always top-tier
Morgan State has been in an interesting position since Damon Wilson took over as head coach. Wilson arrived at the national treasure in 2022 after years of leading Bowie State University to Division II football excellence, dominating the CIAA and making deep runs into the NCAA playoffs. The expectation was that he would bring that level of success to the Bears, leveraging more expansive resources to rewrite the program’s foundation.
But in his four seasons, Wilson hasn't been able to fully break through; Morgan State has not yet had a winning season under his leadership. While they have challenged teams like North Carolina Central and South Carolina State in the past, they’ve never been able to truly serve as a factor in who wins the conference. The consistent knock on the Bears has been their offense, as many fans and prognosticators believe they are just a quarterback away from true success, and they still seem to be searching for the right signal-caller.
The one thing that the Damon Wilson era has always hung its hat on is defense. This formidable unit nearly led them to knocking off FBS program University of Akron in 2023, and their dominant defense stunned the University of Richmond in the 2023 season opener, holding an FCS playoffs contender to only 10 points and 264 yards of total offense.
The statistical reality is clear: Morgan State ranks third in the MEAC in rushing defense, holding opponents to just 127.3 rushing yards per game. They always hung their hat on defense, and that could be the proper counterweight to Delaware State's rushing proficiency.
The Equation for Victory
This contest boils down to a fundamental question: Can Damon Wilson’s formidable defense stop DeSean Jackson’s prolific rushing attack?
The Hornets lead the MEAC with an offense averaging 302 yards per game and 28 total touchdowns, driven by the elite running back duo of Marquis Gillis and James Jones. Last week’s game against South Carolina State, although a loss for the Bears, showed their potential to challenge the best in the conference; they put up 30 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter, putting the reigning champions on their heels. Bears quarterback Raymond Moore III threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns, demonstrating that while their offense may not be perfect, they do have the propensity to score when necessary.
Prediction: I believe DeSean Jackson and Delaware State are motivated to defy the odds and win the conference, booking their ticket to Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl. They will continue to cleave to their established game plan, utilizing their dominant run game to escape with a hard-fought victory.
However, I won’t count out Morgan State. If anybody can give Delaware State a run for their money outside of South Carolina State, it is Damon Wilson’s Bears, but they will first have to solve the equation that not even North Carolina Central could figure out. This contest promises to be an interesting battle of wills and philosophies this Friday.
