DeSean Jackson's Delaware State Hornets ultimately pulled out a tight victory against Morgan State after a missed field goal in the final seconds, but the 14-12 final score reflected far more than a typical win. In a game where the Hornets were held to arguably their worst offensive output of the season, Morgan State crafted the definitive blueprint on how to possibly beat DeSean Jackson’s surging team as the regular season draws to a close. This game also provides intrigue for the November 22nd matchup between Delaware State and Chennis Berry's South Carolina State Bulldogs.
The opening moments of the game suggested an easy victory for Delaware State. Leaning into the prolific running attack that defines their championship aspirations, the Hornets saw James Jones evade and bounce off defenders on the first drive to spring a huge 68-yard touchdown run, putting them up 7-0 and suggesting a runaway win was imminent. The second touchdown, a goal-line fumble recovered by Delaware State offensive lineman Amori Francis, pushed the lead to 14-3, highlighting the kind of gritty luck that seems to propel the Hornets this season.
Morgan State's Defense Stepped Up
However, the aggressive defense deployed by Damon Wilson's Bears immediately made the necessary adjustments. After that early big play, Morgan State’s defensive front was relentless, quickly proving to be the most physical unit Delaware State had faced all season.
The defense successfully held the top rushing team in the FCS to uncharacteristic numbers, recording only 93 rushing yards on 31 attempts through the midway point of the fourth quarter. Their stifling performance knocked the Hornets completely off their square, holding them to a paltry 3.1 yards per rush attempt—a far cry from their season average of 6.8.
The Hornets ultimately finished with 114 rushing yards, with James Jones having 115 yards but being hampered by Bennett and the rest of the running back room, who finished the game with -1 rushing yard. You read that correctly. If you take out Bennet's -14 rushing yardage total and Sean Weston's -1 rushing yard, as well as Jones's stellar numbers, the run game for Delaware State only yielded 14 yards.
The Bears effectively forced quarterback Kaiden Bennett to try and beat them with his arm, exposing what appears to be a crucial weakness in the Delaware State offense: its one-dimensional nature. Bennett, a talented signal-caller, has not shown the propensity for heavy passing this year, and under intense pressure, his passing attack was ineffective, resulting in two costly interceptions. Morgan State successfully forced the Hornets to utilize a heavy passing attack, and it didn't work the way Jackson might have intended.
But, as has been tradition for the Bears, Morgan State's offense couldn't capitalize on the defense's fervor and intensity.
Morgan State's offense misses a huge opportunity
While quarterback Raymond Moore III showed glimpses of promise, including making big plays by evading tackles and scrambling for first downs (which accounted for his 17 carries on the night), his passing game was stagnant. Finishing the night with only 112 yards on 10-of-24 passing, Moore was unable to find the consistency needed to fully capitalize on the opportunities his defense provided. This inability to move the ball downfield and score meant the Bears were always chasing points, and they failed to find the offensive rhythm required to win a drag-out, physical game.
The result of this offensive struggle came down to the final seconds. A targeting call against Delaware State gave Morgan State a 15-yard push into field goal range with 38 seconds left, leaving DeSean Jackson visibly beside himself on the sideline, as ESPN's cameras aptly captured his displeasure with the call as he knew it could spell defeat for his team. Yet, kicker Alex Amaya ultimately missed the 45-yard field goal wide right, allowing Delaware State to survive and pull out a victory in what was arguably their worst-played game of the season.
Is the book out on Delaware State?
Though Morgan State could not pull off the upset, they provided the MEAC with the instruction manual for disrupting the Hornets' run to the Celebration Bowl. James Jones is special and can still make things happen, but the rushing attack is the engine of the entire operation. Stop the run, force Kaiden Bennett to pass, and that offense becomes tricky to manage.
This game serves as a perfect precursor for what DeSean Jackson and Delaware State will ultimately have to deal with when they face Chennis Berry and the South Carolina State Bulldogs. South Carolina State is notorious for its rough, aggressive defensive front, which brings pressure and excels at stopping the run. I don't think that Larry Scott's Howard University team this year will be up to the task to take out Delaware State next week, but Berry's Bulldogs have the philosophy and personnel to do exactly what Morgan State did tonight on November 22nd.
That final weekend matchup between Delaware State and South Carolina State in Dover, which will likely determine the MEAC's representative in the Celebration Bowl, now has a rich, new context thanks to the effort of Damon Wilson's Morgan State Bears. It will certainly be must-see TV and a great finale to an awesome season in the MEAC.
