Delaware State pulls off a 27-24 overtime victory over South Carolina State

Delaware State leads by seven after one-quarter of play.

The game started with the Hornets taking possession of the ball first on their own 31-yard line. DSU’s first drive of the game was a long one as the team burned six minutes and 29 seconds off, as they marched 69 yards in 12 plays to end with running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudson rushing for the two-yard touchdown to give his team a 7-0 lead with 8:31 left in the first quarter.

Quarterback C.J. Henry had two highlights on the scoring drive, as he rushed for a 17-yard gain and found freshman wide receiver Rahkeem Smith for a 29-yard reception. 

Delaware State’s defense was solid in the first quarter as they only allowed South Carolina State to net 19 yards and forced them to punt twice.

The Hornets lead by ten at the end of the first half.

DSU’s next scoring drive would come in the early minutes of the second quarter, where the team would start at the Bulldogs’ 20-yard line. The Hornets had the short field because South Carolina State punted the ball only 16 yards on their fourth down.

Delaware State did not waste the short field as they drove 11 yards in six plays to end with a made 26-yard field goal from freshman kicker Nathan Wilson to push their advantage to 10-0 with 8:02 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs were down double digits, but they would respond by going 75 yards in four plays to end with wide receiver Justin Brown-Smith rushing for a 48-yard touchdown to slice the lead to 10-7 with 5:36 remaining in the first half.

Fast forward to the 1:15 minute mark, where DSU would start their next scoring drive at South Carolina State’s 49-yard line. The Hornets would push around the Bulldogs’ defense on this drive, as the team went 49 yards in three plays to end with Marquis Gillis dashing off for the 17-yard score to extend his team’s advantage to 17-7 at the end of the first half.

DSU would lead by ten points after three-quarters of play.

The third drive of the second half would be where the next score would come from, as South Carolina State would go 25 yards in two plays to end with quarterback Tyrece Nick finding wide receiver Shaquan Davis for the 25-yard touchdown catch to cut the lead to 17-14 with 10:20 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs’ short field was thanks to an interception by defensive lineman Patrick Godbolt.

Delaware State would answer back with a long scoring drive, which would start at their own 26-yard line. The Hornets would drive 74 yards in 16 plays to end with running back Wade Inge throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Myles Morales to push their team’s advantage to ten points (24-14) at the end of the third quarter.

South Carolina scores ten unanswered points and pushes the game into OT.

DSU had the momentum for most of this game, but in the fourth quarter, it would be all Bulldogs as they would climb right back into this one.

South Carolina State would have a scoring drive in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, as the team marched 50 yards in seven plays to end with a made 42-yard field goal from Gavyn Zimmerman to slice the lead to 24-17 with 11:51 left in the game.

Fast forward to the 1:51-minute mark, where the Bulldogs would start their drive backed up at their own 13-yard line. It did not faze South Carolina State being so far in their own territory, as the team drove 87 yards in seven plays to end with quarterback Tyrece Nick finding wide receiver Jordan Smith for the 19 touchdown reception to tie the game at 24 at the end of the fourth quarter.

Four quarters could not give the fans a winner, so the teams would head to overtime to battle it out for victory.

The Hornets win 27-24 in OT!

Overtime would start with the Bulldogs getting possession of the ball first on their own 35-yard line, but the team’s drive would not last very long. South Carolina State’s series would end after two plays, as DSU’s defensive back made a big-time play as he intercepted quarterback Tyrece Nick’s pass to give Delaware State the ball.

On the Hornets’ drive, the key play was Marquis Gillis 22 yard run, which put the team in field goal position at the Bulldogs’ three-yard line.

Three plays later, Nathan Wilson would kick a chip shot of a field goal to give Delaware State a 27-24 victory over South Carolina State.

Team Stats:

First Downs: DSU 15 &  SCS: 16

Third Efficiency (%): DSU (9 of 17) & SCS (0 of 8)

Total Offense: DSU 239 & SCS 288

Net Yards Passing: DSU 115 & SCS 182

Net Yards Rushing: DSU 124 & SCS 106

Penalties: DSU 8-82 & SCS 6-55

Fumbles: DSU 0 & SCS 0

Sacks: DSU 0& SCS 2

Interceptions: DSU 1 & SCS 1

Time of Possession: DSU 53:00 & SCS 22:00