Delaware State at Michigan football game set for '09

DSU Coach Al Lavan takes a giant step in facing Michigan Wolverines at Ann Arbor in '09.

Oct. 17 contest gives Michigan a 12th game

ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Michigan football team finalized its 2009 schedule with the addition of Delaware State, a historically black college. Delaware State will fill the Oct. 17 slot in Michigan's 12-game regular season, a source within the athletic department confirmed. Delaware State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and is a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly Division I-AA, team.

Delaware State's coach, Al Lavan, was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan and also spent 18 seasons in the NFL as an assistant.

Lavan became coach at Delaware State in 2004. In 2007, the Hornets won 10 games and the MEAC championship, the school's first since 1991. Last season, Delaware State was 5-6. Delaware State will be the second FCS school Michigan has played in three years. Appalachian State stunned the Wolverines, 34-32, in the 2007 season opener.

Michigan's 12-game schedule now features nonconference games at Western Michigan in the Sept. 5 opener, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan and Delaware State, all at Michigan Stadium.

2009 U-M schedule
Date Opponent
Sept. 5 Western Michigan
Sept. 12 Notre Dame
Sept. 19 Eastern Michigan
Sept. 26 Indiana
Oct. 3 at Michigan State
Oct. 10 at Iowa
Oct. 17 Delaware State
Oct. 24 Penn State
Oct. 31 at Illinois
Nov. 7 Purdue
Nov. 14 at Wisconsin
Nov. 21 Ohio State

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The Hornets are making a helluva step-up from Kent State and Central Connecticut State, who beat, DSU 24-3 and 28-10 respectively, in '08. But how many opportunities will the Hornets get to play a $50 million BCS football program (MI 2005/06 football revenue) chock full of Rivals.com 4-5 star recruits--before 111,000 at the Big House? Michigan will pull in $5 million for this home game alone in ticket sales and that's after cutting a check for $400,000 to DSU.

You will have to make this game, as it will be one of the greatest experiences in MEAC history. The Hornets, with a student enrollment of 3,500, average less than 4,000 at their on campus Alumni Stadium that seats around 7,000 for football games.

-beepbeep