The Black Knights let one get away this past week at ULM. Thankfully, they’re back home this weekend with a chance to get things turned around in front of a friendly crowd. 

The Army offense maybe needs a get-right game to tune-up their new offense before heading into the heart of the season. Thankfully, this week offers exactly that opportunity.

Getting you set for our home on Saturday! #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/m0aJgCDhzT

— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) September 6, 2023

Delaware State Hornets

Delaware State is an HBCU in the MEAC. The Hornets went 5-6 in 2022 and 2-3 in conference play to finish third in their conference. They then hired new Head Coach Lee Hull in December, formerly the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Howard University. Howard won a share of the MEAC Title last year. Hull is an experienced head coach, having previously served as the Head Coach at Morgan State from 2014 to 2015.

Alas, Hull’s tenure is off to a tough start. His team got beat this past weekend by Division II Bowie State, losing 22-11 in an early-season HBCU showdown.

Offense

The Hornets’ offense left something to be desired last week. They played two quarterbacks, Marqui Adams and Aaron Angelos. Neither was particularly accurate, finishing a collective 16/30 passing for just 134 yards with 1 touchdown thrown by Angelos late in the game. Adams added 8 carries for 18 yards, making him the team’s second leading rusher.

Delaware State struggled to move the ball throughout last week’s contest. They finished the game just 2/15 on 3rd down, though they went 2/2 on 4th down. With that, they fell behind 13-0 in the first half after a backfield fumble led to a scoop-and-score just before the break. Worse, Delaware State didn’t put any points on the board until the 4th quarter and finished the game with just 196 yards of total offense and just 62 yards rushing.

Week 2️⃣ in the MEAC🏈 pic.twitter.com/3U4InQEZlW

— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) (@MEACSports) September 5, 2023

Defense

Delaware State’s defense looked better than their offense. They held Bowie State to just 51 yards rushing on 38 carries, a paltry 1.3 yards/carry. They also got after Bowie State QB Amir Jenkins, sacking him several times and forcing a sack-fumble.

That’s the good news. 

The bad news is that Delaware State still let Jenkins go 18/25 through the air for 247 yards. Bowie State went 4/14 on 3rd down but just 1/3 on 4th down. They still put together some sustained offensive drives, however, especially early in the game.

There are no highlights of this game, but it seems likely that the Hornets’ D-Line is the best part of their team but that their secondary remains a work-in-progress.

@DelSt_Football coach Hull will try to end @DSUHornets ' streak of not having a winning season but it won't be easy. @TheStateNews https://t.co/yzJX3OJqKz

— DSN Sports (@DSNsports) August 27, 2023

Special Teams

Delaware State K Nathan Wilson made his only field goal from 31 yards out. P Jonathan Cardoza-Chicas punted *8* times, averaging 37.8 yards/punt. Moreover, the Hornets punt return team allowed just 3 returns for a net 10 yards. 

That’s pretty damned good.

Terrain & Weather

As of this writing, the forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms in the morning, becoming steadier as the afternoon wears on. Temperatures should range from the upper-70s to the lower-80s with little to no wind.

Michie Stadium doesn’t have a ton of cover, so you might want to bring a raincoat and a hat. I expect we’re gonna get wet.

Week 1 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/mSJray1Yf7

— Connor Waltz (@connor_waltz32) September 5, 2023

Final Thoughts

This is a team that the Black Knights should beat handily. However, they were outstanding against the run last week and did a nice job getting after the quarterback and forcing turnovers. 

If they can hit a few big plays, Delaware State might keep this game close. However, if Army plays with commitment and discipline on both sides of the ball, we ought to see three-quarters of the bench get into this one before it’s over.

Go Army! Beat Delaware State!!!

Cover image via USMA Flickr.