DSU Hornets look for repeat title

DOVER -- The Delaware State University football team has shown steady improvement in each of coach Al Lavan's four seasons. And that is all Lavan asks of the Hornets. Coming off a year in which DSU won its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football title since 1991 and earned its first bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, Lavan is not expecting anything less as his team prepares for the 2008 season.

Delaware State University has a two-head football monster in defensive coordinator Ray Petty (former head coach at Howard University) and head coach Al Lavan. Coach Lavan has a 29-16 record in four years of resurrection of the DSU Hornets.

Delaware State's players will arrive on campus for preseason practice on Friday morning. Their MEAC title defense begins when the Hornets face Florida A&M at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Lavan knows it is in the heat of preseason camp that the foundation will be laid for his team's ultimate level of success. "Each year that we have been here, we've been able to improve our talent," Lavan said. "I think the players that are in our program have taken a step forward each year."

DSU Hornets name Livingston offensive line coach

Delaware State University today named Lawrence Livington offensive line coach for the football team. Livingston, 46, has coached at several Division I-A programs, including UTEP, Washington State, Texas A&M and Army. Livingston replaces Jeff Braxton, who left DSU to become head coach at Cheyney University.

“Coach Livingston stood out among the many fine candidates for the position because of his broad experience and track record of success.” head coach Al Lavan said in a press release. “He was highly recommended by some of the most respected names in college football. I am confident he is the right person to lead our offensive line to even greater success.”

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DSU Football Game Times Announced

Photo: DSU quarterback Vashon Winton, 6-2/195, Senior, Chicago, IL (Simeon HS).

Courtesy: DSU Athletic Media Relations

DOVER (June 12, 2008) – The Delaware State Athletic Department has announced the times for the 2008 football season. Comprised of 11 games, the 2008 schedule has the Hornets hosting six home games in defense of their 2007 MEAC Championship.

The Sept. 6 contest between the Hornets and the Florida A&M Rattlers will be start at 7:30 p.m. to kickoff the 2008 campaign. Two weeks later, DSU will host the Central Connecticut Blue Devils on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m.

A 1:00 p.m. kickoff is scheduled for the remainder of DSU’s slate – Hampton (Oct. 4), North Carolina A&T - Homecoming (Oct. 18), South Carolina State (Nov. 1) and Winston-Salem State (Nov. 8).

Tickets for the 2008 DSU football season can be purchased by calling (302) 857-7497 or toll free at (866) 378-2845. Season ticket packages are available for purchase with Early Hornet discounts for any packages purchased before July 25. Season tickets include parking, reserved seating for all six home games, a 2008 DSU Football media Guide and first priority for post-season ticket purchases. Single-game tickets go on sale on August 11. Tickets can also be purchased by logging on to the team’s official website http://www.dsuhornets.com/

Delaware State Hornets extend Lavan's contract

DOVER, DE -- Al Lavan took the Delaware State football team to its first NCAA Division I-AA playoff game last fall. On Thursday, he was rewarded with a one-year contract extension through the 2012 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Lavan had been earning $200,000 annually after signing a one-year extension last spring. DSU athletic director Rick Costello said Hornets coaches typically receive a 5 percent annual raise.

Costello would not say if Lavan's assistant coaches also would get a raise. "It's well-deserved and he's done a super job as coach, and the faculty and administration is certainly happy to have him as our football coach," Costello said of the new deal. Since his arrival in 2004 from Eastern Michigan University, Lavan has compiled a 29-16 record. Last year's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship was the school's first since 1991.

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Delaware State football team adds two VT transfers

Football coach Al Lavan confirmed Wednesday evening that two former Virginia Tech football players plan to enroll at Delaware State University in the fall, running back Elan Lewis and linebacker Matt Wright.

Lewis and Wright are both from Hampton, Va. Both graduated from Phoebus High, Lewis in 2005 and Wright a year later. Neither played in 2007, but Lavan welcomes what the two could bring. "They bring skills and experience to our team," Lavan said. "We expect both players to come in and compete and be a significant addition to our program."

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It appears the Hornets have signed two solid players...

Running back Elan Lewis came to Virginia Tech as the No. 2 recruit in Commonwealth of Virginia in 2005. He is the class AAA (Virginia's largest school classification) career rushing leader with 7,156 yards at Phoebus High. The torn ACL has been his major setback and he has been battling a weight problem during his career. He is 5-8/238 and runs the 40 in 4.54.

Inside linebacker Matt Wright is 6-2/215 and runs the 40 in 4.55. He is ranked as a Rivals.com 3-star player with a 3.0 gpa. Wright was AP First Team AAA All-State as a linebacker. He also played tight end in H.S. He was rated the No. 24th inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com; was rated as the No. 17th player in Virginia in the Top 100; and his high school team complied a record of 46-5 during his career. Wright's brother, D.J. Parker played for VT as the No. 1 free safety for the Hokies, 2004-2006.

The MEAC/SWAC usually does not receive this level of talent with three years of eligibility.

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Lavan wary as Hornets look to build on 2007

Photo: Delaware State University Hornets head football coach Al Lavan.

DOVER -- Al Lavan has maintained an important principle during his more than 35 years of coaching football: Forget your accolades.

That's not easy, particularly when a team comes off a season like Delaware State had in 2007. But Lavan will be preaching his mantra when the Hornets open spring practice tonight at Alumni Stadium.

"You don't want to dwell on it," Lavan said of last season, when DSU went 10-2, won its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship since 1991 and qualified for the ...

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DSU Lavan to coach in American Heritage Bowl

Photo: Delaware State University head football coach Al Lavan will coach the Navy Northeast team against the the Marine Corps Southwest team in the American Heritage Bowl.

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif -- Delaware State coach Al Lavan and his staff, along with seven Hornet seniors have been invited to the American Heritage Bowl at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Field. The first Navy-Marine Corps All-Star Classic will feature some of the top HBCU senior football players and will be played on Jan. 26 at 6:15 p.m.

The game will be shown on tape delay on ESPNU Feb. 8 at 4 p.m.

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Great way for DSU senior players Akeem Green (CB), Russell Reeves (MLB), Jeremy Breath (OG), Kelly Rouse (DE), Peter Gaertner (PK), Josh Bright (P) and Jeff Postell (TE) to end a championship career for the Hornets.

ESPN focuses on UD, DSU

By KRISTIAN POPE and KEVIN TRESOLINI, The News Journal

Failure to meet in football examined

The ESPN show "Outside the Lines" will feature an upcoming segment on the lack of a Delaware-Delaware State football rivalry.

Producers from the show were in Dover on Tuesday to tape interviews with representatives from DSU. They are scheduled to meet with University of Delaware officials in Newark today.

A telecast date has not been announced.

Delaware and Delaware State, two NCAA Division I-AA programs, have never met in a football game. But, as of now, both teams are in contention for a I-AA playoff berth and, under NCAA guidelines, the two could meet in a first-round game Nov. 24 at Delaware Stadium.

Hornets coach Al Lavan said Tuesday he was to be interviewed for the ESPN show with DSU athletic director Rick Costello and senior linebacker Russell Reeves. The network also is planning to tape footage of DSU's game Saturday against Morgan State at Alumni Stadium. Crews shot footage of Delaware's win over Northeastern last Saturday.

"It's good exposure for us," Lavan said. "It is what it is. They are just doing some followup to the recent stories."

The story received national attention when Delaware graduate and former Sports Illustrated reporter Jeff Pearlman wrote a column for ESPN.com that lambasted UD for not scheduling a game with DSU.

DSU (5-1, 4-0) shares the lead in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference; the champion earns an automatic NCAA bid.

Delaware (6-1, 4-1) is second in the CAA's South Division, but in the running for an at-large bid. The overall conference winner earns the CAA's automatic bid.

The 16-team I-AA field will be announced Nov. 18.

The NCAA handbook reads as follows:

1. The teams awarded the top four seeds are placed in the appropriate positions in the bracket (Nos. 1 and 4 in the upper half, and Nos. 2 and 3 in the lower half), and will be paired with teams that are in closest geographic proximity;

2. The remaining teams will be paired according to geographic proximity and placed in the bracket according to geographic proximity of the four pairings previously placed in the bracket.

The four seeded teams are given a chance to host a game if they can meet the I-AA tournament's minimum financial guarantee requirements: $30,000 for the first round, $40,000 for quarterfinals and $50,000 for semifinals. After that, the NCAA's first three criteria for selecting a host site are "quality of facility," "revenue potential" and "attendance history and potential."

While 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium routinely is filled to capacity during the regular season, playoff crowds always are smaller, in part because students have to pay for tickets and most aren't on campus Thanksgiving weekend.

Delaware's State's 6,800-seat Alumni Stadium would not, therefore, be considered for a Hens-Hornets playoff game.

Delaware State Lavan won't get complacent with good start

Photo: Head Coach Al Lavan, Delaware State University.

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Coach says No. 17-ranked Hornets have areas needing improvement

DOVER -- Tyron Hurst avoided the heat. He simply stayed inside. Meanwhile, his coach at Delaware State, Al Lavan, ventured outside to answer questions about his football team while at a local restaurant this week.

Lavan pulled off his suit jacket and sat down.

"Are you sure you want to sit in the sun?" Lavan said with a grin. "I'm getting too old for that. At this age, I need shade."

Whether he likes it or not, Lavan is stuck in the sun these days. Today, the 61-year-old reaches the midpoint of his team's season against North Carolina A&T with his program in its best shape since the late 1980s.

The Hornets are tied for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference lead with Norfolk State at 3-0 and are 4-1 overall and ranked No. 17 in the NCAA Division I-AA poll, their highest ranking since 1993. They are trying to go 4-0 to start the MEAC schedule for the first time since 1989, when they reached 5-0.

What's behind the early success? Several things, according to Lavan.

Pass protection. Line coach Jeff Braxton arguably has the best group in recent DSU history. Adrian Brown, Jeremy Breath and Nick Richmond anchor a front line that has allowed just three sacks of quarterback Vashon Winton this season.

Photo: #2 Vashon Winton, QB 6-2 195 Jr., Chicago, IL (Simeon HS) and #77 Adrian Brown, OL, 6-6/327Jr. ,
Baltimore, MD (Hudson Valley CC) (Randallsstown HS)

Pressuring the opposing QB. The Hornets defensive line has been equally successful, recording 12 sacks in a new scheme under new coordinator Ray Petty. The defense has placed less emphasis on blitzing than in previous seasons, but has gotten more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Still, Hurst, a sophomore defensive lineman, and Lavan believe that improvements must be made if Delaware State is to win its first MEAC title since 1991 and make the I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history.

"There are some little things we need to tweak," Hurst said.

Even with his team in the race for the MEAC title, Lavan pointed to several areas on which the team has begun to focus. Among them:

Sustaining long offensive drives. Lavan said he's discouraged by the lack of long drives, which he considers to be possessions lasting at least six plays.

Under Lavan, the Hornets have been known as a team that can score quickly when needed. But to have true success, Lavan said, an offense needs to have quick-strike ability and be able to grind out long drives.

"In the end, it shows you're controlling the football," Lavan said. "It's still about real estate."

One statistical indication of DSU's lack of sustained drives is its league-low 64 first downs. Morgan State is first with 118. DSU has had fair success on first-down plays and is dependable on second down with its running game. Beyond that, drives often sputter.

Third-down conversions. Through five games, DSU is 12-of-59 on converting third downs. Lavan said that if not for the punt team's 35.5 net yards per attempt, the defense would feel much more pressure from opponents. Punter Josh Brite has averaged 38.9 yards per kick.

The Hornets' time of possession, a byproduct of their failure on third downs, ranks fourth in the MEAC at 31:26 per game.

"This speaks more to execution," Lavan said. "When you do sustain drives, that shows you've executed well."

DSU Lavan gets reacquainted with MAC

Photo: Delaware State Head Football Coach Al Lavan

DSU at KENT STATE, Saturday, 4 p.m., WXXY/1660 AM

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Hornets coach recalls being snubbed at Eastern Michigan for full-time post.

DOVER -- Al Lavan had just led Eastern Michigan to a 2-1 record as interim football coach when he made one last attempt to secure the full-time job.

After the 2003 season finale, Lavan walked from his office to the school's secretary for athletics and turned in a job application.

He knew it was a fruitless gesture. If he was wanted, Lavan thought, EMU surely would have asked him to apply. "You kind of know the handwriting is on the wall at that point," Lavan said Tuesday.

On Saturday, Lavan, now Delaware State's coach, is heading back to the Mid-American Conference, which includes Eastern Michigan.

The Hornets will visit Kent State, their first NCAA Division I-A opponent since 1987. DSU, 2-0 and ranked No. 24 in Division I-AA by The Sports Network, plays the Golden Flashes (1-1) at 4 p.m. at Dix Stadium.

Lavan vividly remembers his MAC experience. After starting the 2003 season 1-8, Eastern Michigan fired Jeff Woodruff and turned to Lavan, the running backs coach.

As interim coach, Lavan's team beat Central Florida and Ball State before losing to Northern Illinois.

Even so, Lavan was not considered for the full-time job, he said. Had he been hired, it would have been his first full-time head coaching job at any level. He had been a I-A and NFL assistant since 1970.

"I was given the opportunity to be a head coach, and I did what I thought should be done," Lavan said. "They chose to go in another direction. It turned out to be more experience that I can put in my pocket."

Instead, Eastern Michigan hired Northwestern assistant Jeff Genyk, who has gone 9-27 over four years. Lavan, in his fourth year at DSU, is 21-14.

"This conference is tough; everyone is on the same playing level," said Kent State coach Doug Martin, who was hired in 2004, the same year Lavan took over at DSU. "There isn't anyone who has a talent disadvantage. It makes you be sharp as a player, especially watching a team like Delaware State. They have a lot of guys who could play in the MAC."

During the offseason, Lavan said, DSU had "multiple offers" to play Division I-A opponents more successful than Kent State.

But it was Lavan's previous MAC experience that proved to be the clincher in deciding to accept the Golden Flashes' offer. DSU will receive about $100,000 to play at Kent State.

"It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up," Lavan said. "You don't get them very often. This was an opportunity to play a team that's going to challenge for the MAC title."

The Hornets' only other game against a I-A foe was a 1987 win over current MAC member Akron.

Kent State was picked to win the league's East Division in several preseason guides. So far, it has a 23-14 victory at Iowa State and a 56-20 loss last weekend at Kentucky.

Lavan said he will reinforce to his players what lies ahead in facing a Division I-A opponent.

"The quality of preparation is always king," Lavan said. "Emotionally, we're trying to teach them to appreciate the caliber of opponent. It's always different when you play someone new."

Hornets buzz

DSU running back Kareem Jones (knee) and receiver Shaheer McBride (shoulder) are listed as day-to-day, but should be ready to play against Kent State, Lavan said. Jones was held out of the starting lineup in last Saturday's 20-7 win at Florida A&M to protect his knee, which was injured in the season opener. McBride hurt his shoulder late in the FAMU game and was held out of practice for precautionary reasons. ... The Golden Flashes defense is allowing 35 points a game, but the offense features two players averaging more than 100 yards rushing a game. Running back Eugene Jarvis averages 122 yards, while spread-offense quarterback Julian Edelman adds 105 yards per game. Edelman has 290 yards passing with two touchdowns.