Hampton Pirates get defensive; take sting out DSU Hornets

Hampton, Virginia -- The Hampton University football team scored 28 points in the fourth quarter on its way to a 42-6 rout of the Hornets of Delaware State at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday.

Turnovers were the key in the game for both teams. On the second play of the game, Delbert Tyler got his first of two interceptions on the day and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown. Hampton’s defense would force four turnovers in the first half, with three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Following Tyler’s interception, Destin Route forced a fumble before Tyler got his second interception of the game. Micah Pellerin would also get in on the action, when he got an interception to stop a Hornets drive.



After some back-and-forth between the two teams, Hampton went into the half with a 7-0 lead.

Hampton came out in the second half moving a lot quicker. Following a forced punt by the defense and a great punt return by Justin Blake, the Pirates went 45 yards in just three plays for their second score of the day, going up 14-0 when quarterback Bradford Hudson threw his first career touchdown pass to Dyrri McCain.

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DSU's seven turnovers lead to another loss

HAMPTON, Va. — Delaware State committed seven turnovers, including a school-record six interceptions, in a 42-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Hampton on Saturday. The Hornets (2-8 overall, 0-7 MEAC) dropped their eighth straight game.

Delaware State trailed 14-6 after scoring its lone touchdown on a 16-yard run by Travis Tarpley with 12:56 left to play. The score capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive. Hampton scored 28 unanswered points in the last 8:41 to put the Hornets away.

Josh Bailey, a former junior college quarterback who has competed at running back most of the season, played the entire game at quarterback for the Hornets. He completed 17-of-39 passes for 134 yards and six interceptions.

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DSU Hornets Host Wilmington U. in 2011-12 Opener

DOVER, Delaware -- The Delaware State University men's basketball team tips off the 2011-12 season at home against in-state rival Wilmington University tomorrow. Game time is 4:00 p.m. following the DSU/Wilmington women's basketball contest in Memorial Hall.

The Hornets are looking for a fresh start after an 9-21 overall record last season. DSU returns three starters and is expected to dress nine newcomers for the season opener.


NAIA Wilmington returns its top five scorers from a team that posted an 8-18 record last season.

Topping the list of DSU returners are point guard Jay Threatt (sr.) and reigning MEAC Rookie-of-the-Year Casey Walker. Threatt averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.1 steals last season. He led the MEAC in assists, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio during the 2010-11 campaign.

Threatt needs nine steals and 119 assists to hold DSU career records in each category.

Walker was tops on the Hornets and 11th in the MEAC in scoring at 13.4 points per game last season. He also ranked among the league leaders with 73 three-point field goals a year ago.

Delaware State head coach Greg Jackson is in his 12th season with the Hornets.

This will be the fifth meeting between Delaware State and Wilmington. The Hornets have won the previous four games, including a 60-44 victory in the last meeting on November 16, 2009.

NCCU Eagles Send Delaware State To Seventh Straight Loss

Dover, Delaware - North Carolina Central recorded seven sacks and two interceptions en route to a 14-7 win over Delaware State at Alumni Stadium this afternoon. The Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak to notch their first MEAC win of the season (1-5). NCCU improved to 2-7 overall.

The Hornets dropped their seventh in a row to fall to 2-7 and 0-6. The loss overshadowed a career day by Delaware State wide receiver Travis Tarpley, who tied a school record with 11 catches for a career-high 162 yards.

North Carolina Central's Andre Clark scored each of his team's touchdowns, including the game-winner in the third quarter.

Delaware State advanced to the NC Central 23 on the final possession of the game, but Hornet quarterback Nick Elko was sacked by Stephen Young on the last play of the game. Young had 2.5 sacks among his seven tackles in the contest.

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DSU's offensive struggles continue

DOVER, DE — The losing isn’t what bothers Delaware State’s first-year head coach Kermit Blount. He has consistently said that he expected to take his lumps this year as his Hornets adjusted to completely new systems on offense and defense.

But when his team begins to lose games due to a lack of focus, that’s what really gets under Blount’s skin. That’s what happened when Delaware State failed to execute during a last-ditch effort for a touchdown as North Carolina Central pulled out a 14-7 victory over the Hornets in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Alumni Stadium on Saturday.

With DSU driving at the Eagles’ 23-yard line and time quickly running out, quarterback Nick Elko was sacked by Brandon Outlaw, but rather than get up and spike the football, he tried to get another play off.

It turned out to be to no avail as time expired while the Hornets were trying to get organized at the line of scrimmage, sending NCC into celebration before a gathering of 1,795 spectators, and leaving DSU’s players with an empty feeling of “What if?”

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DSU gets fresh start after bye; Team hopes for homecoming win, end to 5-game losing streak

Dover, Delaware -- Delaware State's football team is coming back from a much-needed week off. Now a weekend's worth of homecoming festivities await the Hornets as they look for reason to celebrate on the field.

Delaware State (2-5 overall, 0-4 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) hosts Morgan State (4-3, 3-1) in its homecoming game on Saturday at 1 at Alumni Stadium.

"I'm hoping we got a lot of stuff corrected and hopefully we can get off to a fast start for a change," DSU quarterback Nick Elko said. "That's what we're looking to do against Morgan State. Our main goal for this week is to try and get our seniors a win for homecoming. We want to send them out the right way."

First-year DSU head coach Kermit Blount said the bye week gave his players a chance to step away from a program mired in a five-game losing streak.




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A&T defensive challenge awaits Delaware State Hornets

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State's football team did not make its last scheduled trip to North Carolina A&T. Instead, the Hornets forfeited the 2009 game because they scheduled a trip to play at the University of Michigan that same weekend. DSU lost that game 63-6 but earned more than $500,000 in the process.

Since those days, DSU has added a new athletic director in Derek Carter, a new head football coach in Kermit Blount and a renewed commitment to being a member of the MEAC. This afternoon, Delaware State (2-4, 0-3 in the MEAC) tries to stop a four-game losing streak when it visits North Carolina A&T (3-2, 2-0) at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

"I've been saying all along that this thing is going to turn and we're just not an inch, a half-inch, a quarter-inch, we're maybe a 16th-of-an-inch from being able to flip it around and make something real positive happen," Blount said.



DSU Hornets (2-4, 0-3) at North Carolina A&T (2-0, 3-2)
TIME: 1:30 p.m.
RADIO: WWTX-1290, WDOV-1410


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Blount enjoying life at Delaware State

Dover, Delaware - Kermit Blount had no plans to give up on coaching. Relieved of his job in 2009 after a 1-10 finish in his 16th season at Winston-Salem State, Blount remained positive about his future.

He completed the obligations of his contract in 2010, spending the final year helping new athletics director Bill Hayes raise money, then landed the head-coaching job at Delaware State. His 2-4 Hornets will play Saturday at N.C. A&T.

"I'm doing what I love," Blount said recently. "You know my passion is coaching." Blount, WSSU's career leader in victories (91-87-3) and a 30-year veteran, said finding the right situation for him and his wife, Ava, was a key to his taking the job at Delaware State.

He has surrounded himself with assistants he can trust ...

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Norfolk State beats Delaware State 38-21

(Photo by Mark's Digital Photography)

DOVER, Del.--The Norfolk State football team maintained its hold on first place in the MEAC with a 38-21 win at Delaware State on Saturday.

Quarterback Chris Walley completed 28 of 37 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third to pace the Spartans (5-1, 3-0 MEAC) over the Hornets (2-4, 0-3) and set up an interesting Battle of the Bay matchup with Hampton next Saturday.

Norfolk State took a 24-7 lead into halftime and Matthew Grant stopped the Hornets’ only real chance to make the contest close by blocking a 27-yard field goal on Delaware State’s first drive of the second half. The blocked kick was Grant’s third of the season.

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Spartans "deserve" MEAC title if they run table, Pough says

Norfolk State is now in the driver’s seat for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. A look at the Spartans’ remaining six conference games looks more than favorable with their two toughest remaining games (Hampton on Oct. 15 and Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 20) taking play at home and three winnable road games at Delaware State today, Savannah State on Nov. 5 and Morgan State on Nov. 12.

Should Norfolk State run the table to claim the MEAC title outright, South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough is already lining up to be among the first to give a congratulatory call to head coach Pete Adrian.

"If they win both those guys, let me tell you something. They deserve it," Pough said. "If they beat South Carolina State, Hampton and Bethune, then let me tell you something. They deserve to be conference champions. I’ll pat them on the back and say ‘Go get them’ and we’ll try again next time."

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Delaware State braces for FAMU

Tallahassee, Florida - Delaware State's new head coach, Kermit Blount, sees two things in the way FAMU rallied last weekend that he could use to motivate his football players who are coming off two humiliating defeats.

First, the way the Rattlers came back in the fourth quarter to earn a five-point win gives him a power point to show his players there is hope to the end of every game. Secondly, he's been telling them that they can expect more of the same from the Rattlers. DSU comes to Bragg Stadium today for a MEAC matchup with the Rattlers.

"We have to learn how to play through all of the adversity," said Blount, who was hired after this past recruiting period to turn around the DSU program. He was out of coaching for a year after being fired at Winston-Salem State University.

Coaching the Hornets (2-2, 0-1), gives him an opportunity to resume doing ...





TODAY'S GAME
• Delaware State at Florida A&M, 6 p.m.
• RattlerNews.com: Live game blog.
• Radio: 96.1 FM.
. Internet: audio/streaming video LIVE -- FAMU ATHLETICS RATTLER VISION

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South Carolina State routs Delaware State, 69-0

Orangeburg, SC - Saturday started out as "Youth/ROTC Day" for the much of the 15,227 fans arriving at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

It turned into "Career Day" for South Carolina State quarterback Derrick Wiley and his teammates. With six career total touchdowns entering his first start at home, Wiley matched it in a record-setting performance in the 25th-ranked Bulldogs' 69-0 rout of Delaware State.

In leading the Bulldogs (2-2, 2-0) to their biggest margin of victory in the Buddy Pough era and largest since an 86-0 pounding of Fayetteville State in 1966, Wiley threw four touchdowns to tie the single-game school passing mark shared by Reese McCampbell and the man he succeeded, Malcolm Long. He also had two rushing scores to help match the single-game totals record of six set in 1980 by Henry Odom against Morgan State.



"Honestly, coming into the game, I didn't feel it was my day," Wiley said. "I just felt like if the offense can continue to come out and execute and that's what we did."

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Blount looks forward to flying his Hornets in to visit Bulldogs

DOVER, Del. - Kermit Blount has two reasons to look forward to bringing Delaware State to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium this Saturday to face 25th-ranked South Carolina State.

The first one for the first-year Hornets' head coach is returning to familiar surroundings at a school where he previously served as an assistant coach under Willie Jeffries.

The second reason is the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener allows his team to quickly move forward from last Saturday's forgettable 45-0 rout at the hands of in-state rival and sixth-ranked Delaware.

"We shot ourselves in the foot so many times ...




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DSU opens new era of high expectations

DOVER -- The Delaware State football team hopes it will be able to begin to erase the stigma of three consecutive losing seasons when it begins a new era under coach Kermit Blount in its season-opener at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., today.

(L) Coach Kermit Blount and (R) Derek Carter, Athletic Director

Blount, who spent 17 years as the coach of Winston-Salem State, is certainly ready to see if his Hornets are ready to respond to all of the changes in their football program since last winter.

"I'm really, really excited right now, probably a little bit of butterflies, but it's a good thing that [today] is here," Blount said. "We've been tackling each other for the past three-and-a-half weeks and I think it's time now for our guys to actually get on the field and compete against somebody else."

Delaware State and VMI are both coming off 3-8 seasons in 2010, but both have high expectations heading into a new season that kicks off at 1:30 this afternoon at Foster Stadium. This will be the first meeting between the schools.

2011 VMI Football Virtual Guide

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Elko blends in just fine with Delaware State Hornets' mission

QB Nick Elko
(Photo Courtesy: Mike Baker)

Nick Elko will be the starting quarterback for the Hornets in their season opener Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Virginia Military Institute

Dover, DE - Being a white quarterback in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, made up of historically black colleges, doesn't faze Nick Elko, who says he's just one small part of the team at Delaware State University.

Besides, he said, it's not like he's the first white player to ever put on the Hornets' uniform. "When I first came in to Delaware State I thought about it, but it is what it is," Elko said. "I mean, I like it, I feel accepted, and it's just normal for me. It's really no big deal."

That's the way preseason MEAC offensive player of the year Justin Wilson sees it. Elko and Wilson have been working together the past three seasons and have developed a close bond during that time.

"We've always had that chemistry since Day One," Wilson said. "We have different signals that we do [on the field] and all that so we're fine with it. Elko's a really good quarterback and he'll get to show it this season."

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After injury-filled year, Delaware State kickers grab spotlight

Dover, DE - Placekickers are often the misfits of the football field. They practice their craft mostly on the side, while coaches place the majority of their focus on the rest of the team.

But Delaware State University's football team learned firsthand the importance of kickers when its starter got hurt last season. Starter Mario Diaz-Aviles severely sprained his ankle in the first game. Then, after backup kicker Nick Elko also suffered an injury, the Hornets found their cupboards bare.

Without a reliable kicking option, DSU had to go for touchdowns when it got deep in the opposition's territory, rather than trying for what normally would have been routine field goals. New Hornets coach Kermit Blount doesn't want a repeat. To that end, he has added kicking depth.

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DSU Scrimmage Gets Mixed Reviews

Dover, Delaware - Delaware State University head football Kermit Blount says his team has a lot of work to do after the Hornets' first preseason scrimmage at Alumni Stadium this evening.

"I was pleased with our intensity, but we made too many mistakes on offense and defense," said Blount, who is in his first season at DSU. "It's a good thing the season opener is two weeks away because we are not ready for real competition right now."

Saturday's offense vs. defense scrimmage was plagued by six turnovers and a number of penalties. The offense scored just one touchdown on ten possessions.

Delaware State first-string quarterback Nick Elko completed 12-of-20 passes for 144 yards, but was intercepted three times. Defensive back Matt Spicer returned an Elko interception 15 yards for a touchdown. The offense also lost three fumbles and surrendered four quarterback sacks.  The highlight for the offense was ...

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Patience Pays Off for DSU's Elko

Dover, DE -- Despite a record-setting high school career, Delaware State University quarterback Nick Elko has waited more than three years for the opportunity to start at the college level.

Although Delaware State first-year head coach Kermit Blount has not announced his starters for the 2011 opener at VMI on Sep. 3, Elko has taken the majority of snaps with the No. 1 offense during the Hornets' preseason camp. In addition, the Odenton, Md., native has the most experience among the four QBs on the roster.

After sitting out the 2008 season as a freshman redshirt, Elko has appeared in 15 games with the Hornets, including a memorable start before more than 106,000 fans at Michigan in 2009.

Last season, he competed in 10 games off the bench, completing 39-of-68 passes (57.4%) for 540 yards and seven touchdowns. Elko ranked second in the MEAC in passing efficiency (149.2) and was seventh in passing average (54.0 ypg) during the 2010 season. He threw at least one touchdown pass in six games.

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New Coordinator Brings Winning Attitude to Hornets

Dover, DE - Delaware State University's new offensive coordinator is hoping the keys to success he learned with the NFL champion San Francisco 49ers in the early 1980s will pay dividends for the Hornets this season.

"The success of the 49ers was the result of a winning attitude in all areas," said DSU offensive coordinator Arrington Jones, III, who was selected by San Francisco in the fifth round of the 1981 NFL draft. Jones spent most of the '81 season with the 49ers, which defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.

"Everything about the San Francisco organization was geared toward winning; from camp, to practice, to our walk, talk, speech, dress and attitude," said Jones, who also played professionally for the United States Football League's Washington Federals from 1983 to '86.  Jones was tapped by new DSU head coach Kermit Blount to direct the Hornet offense. He served three years as Blount's offensive coordinator when the two men were at Winston-Salem State University.

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MEAC preseason honor gets DSU receiver Wilson revved up for Hornets' season

Justin Wilson
(Courtesy DSU Athletics)

DOVER, DE -- Justin Wilson has weathered the storm of three consecutive losing seasons at Delaware State University. But the junior wide receiver says the difficult times have spurred him to work harder, because he knows football isn't a sport about individual glory but about reaching team goals.

So while getting the nod as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's preseason offensive player of the year was nice, Wilson said he's more concerned about the prediction that DSU will finish eighth in the MEAC under first-year coach Kermit Blount.

"It means a lot," Wilson said, of his preseason recognition. "It just shows that all of the hard work we did [last] season paid off. I know our record didn't show it as much, but it just motivates me to work even harder and get more accolades as the season goes on."

Wilson opened some eyes around the MEAC last season as a player that defenses had to key on.

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Former Delaware State Player and Coach Jackie DeVane named Head Women's Basketball Coach at West Virginia Wesleyan

Coach Jackie DeVane

Buckhannon, WV - West Virginia Wesleyan College Director of Athletics Ken Tyler announced today the hiring of Jackie DeVane as Head Women’s Basketball Coach. DeVane was selected from a pool of almost 100 applicants.

Tyler stated, "We are very pleased to welcome Coach DeVane to West Virginia Wesleyan. She brings a wealth of successful experience, as well as strong enthusiasm for teaching and coaching. Jackie will be a real asset to Wesleyan."

DeVane has spent 15 years as a collegiate head coach, including 10 on the Division I level. She began her career at Division II Cheyney University, where she led the Lady Wolves to their first 20-win season in 10 years. From Cheyney, DeVane was hired as the head coach at Division I Delaware State University, where she earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors. In addition, she coached the men’s basketball team for the final three games of their season and the conference tournament.

In 2000, DeVane accepted the head coaching position at Division I Monmouth University where she compiled an overall record of 75-57, made an appearance in the NEC finals, won the most games (18) since Monmouth joined the NEC, and set a school record with four consecutive winning seasons.

After so many years on the road, DeVane left coaching in 2005 to raise her daughter Kiki in a more stable environment. Kiki will be a freshman student-athlete at Bethune-Cookman University this fall. From her new base in Houston, Texas, DeVane stayed active in the game by coaching AAU and helping young athletes move on to college. During her 15-year head-coaching career, DeVane served on the Board of Directors of both the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association and the Black Coaches’ Association.

DeVane earned a bachelor’s degree from Delaware State, a master’s from Penn State, and has completed doctoral work at Temple University. DeVane was a four-year letter winner and captain at Delaware State and led the team in rebounding three years. She pulled down a school-record 28 rebounds in one game her freshman year, and was inducted into the DSU Hall of Fame in 1997.

DeVane summed up her hiring by stating, "I am excited to be a part of the West Virginia Wesleyan family. I think Ken Tyler is doing a wonderful job with the athletic department and I love that President Balch is so supportive of athletics! It’s an awesome feeling to be back in the saddle, and I’m looking forward to working with the student-athletes in the program."

What they’re saying about Jackie DeVane:

"She is a hard worker who pays close attention to dotting her I’s and crossing her T’s. Jackie is very diligent, is a great communicator, and is very smart when it comes to achieving educational goals."
-Hall of Fame Coach John Chaney, formerly of Temple University

"Wesleyan has hired a quality individual who also happens to be one of my favorite people. She is intelligent and relates extremely well to young people. She knows the game and is a great basketball coach who has always had a great love for the game. I think you guys got someone who the community will love. She is a very, very good recruiter and you’ll be very proud of the job she does with the young women that make up your basketball program. Congratulations on hiring such a beautiful person."
-Former Syracuse University Head Coach Marianne Freeman (DeVane’s coach at Delaware State)

By West Virginia Wesleyan College Sports Information

DSU's Caroll, Adjei Sign Professional Football Contracts

DOVER, Del.- With the National Football League currently on lock down, two former Delaware State University standouts are pursuing their professional football dreams north of the border.

The Canadian Football League Winnipeg Blue Bombers have announced the signing of former DSU defensive tackle Andre Caroll to two-year contract, while the CFL's Hamilton Tiger Cats have inked former Hornet cornerback Francis Adjei to a three-year deal.

Caroll was a 2010 All-MEAC First Team and SportsNetwork FCS All-America Third Team selection. Last season, he was tops on the Hornets and fifth in the MEAC in tackles (8.7 pg). He set a Delaware State record for defensive linemen with 96 total tackles last year. In addition, Caroll was eighth in the MEAC in tackles-for-loss (1.23 pg … 13.5 total) and 13th in sacks (0.36 pg … 4.0 total). The Neptune, N.J., native was also credited with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, five quarterbacks hurries and an interception. Caroll was an All-MEAC Second Team pick in 2009.


Videographer: Da1nOnly99;

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NSU to play for MEAC baseball title today

NSU Coach Claudell Clark

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Freshman Justin Bhatti tossed a four-hitter and senior outfielder John Rasberry (Greenbrier Christian) drove in a season-high four runs to send No. 4 seed Norfolk State to today's MEAC baseball tournament championship round with a 9-3 win over No. 2 Delaware State in the losers' bracket final on Friday night.

NSU (24-28) will face top-seeded Bethune-Cookman at 2 p.m. The Wildcats topped the Spartans 8-0 earlier Friday. NSU must beat Bethune-Cookman twice today to capture its first MEAC baseball title. The Spartans will be making their fifth MEAC championship-round appearance, and first since 2008.

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