In a game that has reshaped the MEAC championship race, DeSean Jackson and the Delaware State Hornets stunned North Carolina Central, in a 31-24 victory to crash the Eagles’ homecoming. The win didn't just vault the Hornets into the top spot in the MEAC after the first year of conference play; it broke a 48-year drought, marking the first time the Hornets had defeated the Eagles in North Carolina since 1977.
The victory was a complete validation of the physical, run-first identity Jackson installed in his first season—an identity perfectly suited for MEAC competition. The first quarter was a tight, defensive battle, ending with a mere 3-0 lead for North Carolina Central via a field goal. What became immediately clear, however, was that Delaware State was built to compete. They were physical and adept at running the ball, employing inventive misdirection plays beyond simple inside zone handoffs to maximize their gains on the ground.
The first quarter was a tight, defensive battle, ending with a mere 3-0 lead for North Carolina Central via a field goal. What became immediately clear, however, was that Delaware State was built to compete. They were physical and adept at running the ball, employing inventive misdirection plays beyond simple inside zone handoffs to maximize their gains on the ground.
North Carolina Central attempted to establish an up-tempo pace to prevent Delaware State from controlling the clock, which Oliver alluded to doing in Monday’s MEAC Coaches Call. But the Hornets' defense was stout, holding its own against the run and applying pressure on third-down passing situations.
The defensive effort paid dividends late in the second quarter when DSU blocked a field goal attempt that would have put NCCU up 13-7, leaving the score 10-7 heading into halftime with the Hornets receiving the ball to start the second half.
North Carolina Central answered quickly when Walker Harris found Chanston Crosby for a 32-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead, 10-7, in what became a relentless, back-and-forth flow of points. Delaware State fully unleashed the power of its running attack to open the third quarter, but the first play was actually a deep pass: Bennett connected with Lolly on a 72-yard touchdown pass down the seams to put the Hornets up 14-10.
Bennett then found Lolly again for a 25-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 21-10. DSU largely leaned on its adept running ability to sustain long drives, finishing the third quarter with 158 rushing yards on 33 attempts. Bennett, though highly deployed as a running threat, still found success passing.
North Carolina Central would not concede. Harris found Chauncey Spikes for a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to momentarily regain the lead, 24-21. But this only hardened Delaware State’s resolve.
Delaware State then took complete control, dominating the fourth quarter by relying on its run game to drain the clock and control the time of possession. Marquis Gillis was the closer, first scoring a spectacular 33-yard touchdown run, maneuvering through NCCU defenders for paydirt. Gillis then scored his second touchdown on a two-yard run with under two minutes left in the game, essentially icing the contest.
North Carolina Central’s final chance was thwarted by a critical mistake. Star running back Chris Mosley caught a pass from Harris and maneuvered 20 yards toward the end zone before fumbling the ball at the one-yard line with just 46 seconds left, cementing the Hornets’ 31-24 victory.
Delaware State, after being projected last in the MEAC preseason poll, now sits atop the conference standings with a definitive path to the MEAC Championship and a Celebration Bowl berth in DeSean Jackson’s first year.
Next up, Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets will face Michael Vick's Norfolk State Spartans at Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, this Thursday at 7:00 p.m., broadcast on ESPNU.
