In a thrilling game that suffered a long weather delay, DeSean Jackson and his Delaware State Hornets picked up their first victory of the season against the University of Albany. The Hornets weathered the storm to start the game, giving up a 75-yard touchdown thrown by Albany's Jack Shields to Tavahri Grooves at the 14:18 mark of the first quarter. But Delaware State was undeterred.
Perhaps the biggest star for the Hornets is running back Marquis Gillis. It seemed as if the Great Danes had no answers for him in the rushing game, which greatly helped the Delaware State offensive attack as they looked to provide answers to Albany's scoring consistency. The game was ultimately delayed 7 1/2 hours in total because of a weather delay, with lightning striking in the area. But it didn't stop the epic finish that was developing.
Before the first delay, Shields found his Steven Mahar Jr. for a 7-yard touchdown that put the score at 32-31. They then failed at a two point conversion in the hopes of making it a three point game. There was 4:38 left on the clock before, a few moments later, both teams left the field. The first lightning delay lasted for approximately 40 minutes. Following the resumption of play, Delaware State advanced to the UAlbany 44-yard line with just under two minutes left in the half.
As more lightning was detected, the teams were forced off the field again, resulting in a second, much longer delay that lasted around three hours. The game-winning touchdown came from Bennett, who started by running up the middle and danced around the pocket to elude the defense. He then used his legs to make a play, outrunning the Great Danes defense to secure a 27-yard touchdown that ultimately secured the victory for Jackson and his Hornets.
Delaware State's next game is against CIAA opponent Bowie State University on Saturday at 3 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
