Another dramatic win gives Delaware State MEAC crown

NCAA Football Betting Lines

11/11/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Just call Delaware State the heart- palpitating Hornets.

Once again, the No. 10-ranked Hornets had the 6,682 fans that filled Alumni Stadium to overflowing on the edge of their seats before winning the Mid- Eastern Athletic championship with a 28-21 overtime victory over Norfolk State.

The win clinched the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs after Delaware State (9-1 overall, 7-0 in league) trailed 21-3 well into the fourth quarter in this title showdown.

"We just had to make good plays," said safety Akeem Green. "We've been in this position before, but this was the biggest deficit. We just had to dig deeper and make big plays."

The Hornets scored two touchdowns, a two-point conversion and Peter Gaertner's 28-yard field goal on the final play of regulation for 18 fourth-quarter points to send the game to overtime.

Gaertner had won the last two games with last-second field goals.

Junior linebacker Eric Sewell, playing in a multiple tight-end set on third and goal in the extra session, hauled in the first reception of his career to put DSU ahead for the first time and the Hornet defense finished off the Spartans.

Hansen (7-of-17, 146 yards) was hurried on one pass by Kelly Rouse and had two passes dropped before Green sack on a full blitz ended the game.

Delaware State had come back in the fourth quarter for MEAC wins over Morgan State (25-18), South Carolina State (17-16) and Winston-Salem State (23-20) in the past three weeks.

But those rallies paled in comparison to this one.

Norfolk State (7-3, 6-2) scored touchdowns on its second and third drives on Casey Hansen's five-yard scoring strike to Jamar Johnson and Daryl Jones' 16- yard touchdown romp.

Jones' second touchdown of the game on a 19-yard burst made it 21-3 with 4:55 left in the third period. Jones finished with 24 carries for 108 yards.

But the Spartans failed to deliver a knockout punch on the Hornets.

"We came up one play short," said Hansen. "We worked hard all year to get here and we came up one play short."

NSU fullback Adam Shrewsbury was stripped of the ball on a pouch kickoff by Andre Twine after the second Jones touchdown and Dustin Johnson recovered to give the Spartans possession at the DSU 36.

But two plays later, Hansen was pressured by Reggie McCoy and lost the ball to Green. Green, who had returned a fumble recovery 107 yards to spark the Hornets' comeback win against Morgan State, tried to scoop it up with free sailing to the end zone, but could only fall on it after taking a tumble.

"The turning point was when we got the turnover on the kickoff and they stopped us," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. "We could have gone up 28-3."

Delaware State's offense was rendered largely one dimensional after wide receiver and MEAC offensive player of the year Shaheer McBride sprained an ankle in the third quarter.

McBride was told by DSU's medical team that he was done for the game and his helmet was returned to the locker room. But with his team on the ropes, McBride grabbed one of his teammates' helmets and snuck on the field with less than nine minutes left.

"McBride wasn't even suppose to be on the field, I didn't realize he was until I saw the formation," DSU coach Al Lavan said. "When he ran out there limping, it sent a message to the team."

Hornet quarterback Vashon Winton (28-of-44, 245 yards passing) wasted little time throwing to his wounded teammate and McBride out-battled a defender for a six-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to start the Delaware State comeback with 8:09 remaining.

"Basically, we needed to score points," said McBride. "I felt as though I had to come back for the team. I felt it would help change the momentum."

Five minutes later, Shrewsbury slammed across the goal line to cap a three- play, 65-yard drive and it was 21-16. Winton's 53-yard strike to Derrick McNeil, splitting the NSU secondary, set up Shrewsburys score.

"We'd only given up two touchdowns in the second half all year," said Adrian. "Give Delaware State credit, they scored two in the fourth quarter."

DSU went for two points, attempting to make it a three-point game and McBride served as a decoy, going in motion for Shrewsbury, who bounced out of a pile at the goal line to sprint in.

The Hornets kept the game alive by forcing a three and out and Winton drove DSU from its own 44 to the Spartan 15 with three seconds left. After Norfolk State was called for 12 men on the field, Gaertner banged through his 28-yard field goal and it was on to only the second overtime game in Delaware State history.

And a few minutes later, the Hornets were celebrating a championship. DSU will close out the regular season next Saturday against Howard and will find out the next day where it will be for the opening round of the playoffs.

"It's resiliency and leading," Lavan said. "We had a chance and I don't know how else to put it, we've been a part of a lot of comebacks."