After surviving a cross-country trip that had the potential to be a season-breaking ordeal, the Delaware State football team showed that their Hawaiian experience only strengthened them.
The Hornets earned a gutsy 17-15 win over FCS independent Sacred Heart last Saturday night, their first win against an FCS opponent since November 2022.
During Monday’s MEAC coaches’ conference, Hornets head coach Lee Hull explained how the experience prepared them for the next game, as well as the rest of the season.
“I think the Hawaii trip with all the travel snafus that we had, all the time we spent in hotels and airports together really brought us closer together as a team,” Hull said. “And you can see that the camaraderie is high. They believe in each other. They really got to know each other through this trip. That bonding really helped us.”
Despite challenges out of their control, our Hornets remain positive! Let’s send our football team some love and support ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/CoGAnbZIGQ
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After playing the Rainbow Warriors’ close for three quarters in Week 0, the Hornets were able to make enough plays in all three phases of the game to knock off the Pioneers, who, as recently as 2022, were an FCS playoff team. Quarterback Marqui Adams threw for 150 yards and a touchdown, and running back Jaden Sutton rushed for 86 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown burst that gave Delaware State some breathing room.
“In that Hawaii game, I think we played really well, and then this past week against Sacred Heart, you can tell we’re coming closer as a program,” Hull said.
After an eventful two weeks on the road, the Hornets are off this weekend before welcoming Wagner of the Northeast Conference to Alumni Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 14. The bye was divine scheduling for the Hornets, as this is one of two off weeks they will have this season.
“We were supposed to play Hawaii this week, but they had a week 0, so we decided to play them then so we could have that bye afterward,” Hull explained.