Defense prevails in FAMU's first win

DOVER, Del. — A lot of what coach Joe Taylor expected from his Florida A&M football team didn't materialize, but he was thankful Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. Taylor's biggest thank you after watching the film could go the Rattlers' defense, which turned away Delaware State twice during the final seven minutes to secure a 17-14 victory in FAMU's first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game.

"It's always been tough to play up here," Taylor said, "but we will take a victory." Neither team could do much offensively early on. The teams mustered just 16 points in the first half with the Rattlers taking a 10-6 lead at halftime.

PHOTO GALLERIES

• FAMU 17, DSU 14

Without kicker, DSU loses close one

DOVER, DE -- The good thing is that Delaware State's football team might be just one swift kick away from solving its problems. The bad thing is that Mario Diaz-Aviles, the Hornets' freshman placekicker, sat on the bench with a severely injured ankle against Florida A&M University and won't be ready to come back anytime soon.

The lack of a reliable placekicker put DSU coach Al Lavan and his Hornets at a sizable disadvantage in field position -- and scoring -- against the Rattlers.

Hornets quick hits

Delaware State's football team wore stickers with the initials "KG" on their helmets during Saturday's game against Florida A&M in honor of New York City firefighter Keith Glascoe, a DSU graduate who played for the Hornets in the early 1980s and was among those killed while performing rescue efforts at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

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