Inside the MEAC · recap

Delaware State loses at home for the first time

Delaware State scored a touchdown 71 seconds into Friday night's game. It did not score again until the last play.

North Carolina Central 31, Delaware State 12. It was the Hornets' first loss at Alumni Stadium this season and the first MEAC game for both teams.

We picked the wrong team

On Wednesday we wrote that we would still take Delaware State over North Carolina Central, as we had in August. The Hornets had not lost at home and the Eagles had not won on the road.

North Carolina Central won by 19. We had it wrong.

The run game

The preview said the game would come down to the run game on both sides.

North Carolina Central ran 52 times for 272 yards. Gino Addison, a freshman, carried 31 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns, the best day of his career. Zion Dobson added 57 and a touchdown.

Delaware State ran 26 times for 117. Two weeks after 419 rushing yards against Franklin Pierce, no Delaware State player had more than five carries.

The Eagles held the ball for 37:18. Delaware State had it for 22:42.

Two drives

North Carolina Central led 10-6 at halftime. Its two longest drives took almost sixteen minutes between them.

The first came in the second quarter: 15 plays, 77 yards and 7:09, finished by a 25-yard Riley Daniels field goal.

The second was the opening drive of the second half: 16 plays, 75 yards and 8:34, with a fourth-and-2 conversion at the Delaware State 12 on the way. Addison scored from six yards out, and it was 17-6 with 6:26 left in the third quarter.

Addison added a 16-yard touchdown run early in the fourth. Cobey Thompkins threw 21 yards to tight end Luke Bracey for the last Eagles touchdown with 2:06 left. Thompkins finished 15 of 18 for 155 yards.

The quarterback question, answered for one night

We asked after homecoming whether Jayden Sauray was the new starter, and on Wednesday we wrote that Delaware State still had not said.

Sauray started. He went 2 of 7 for 50 yards with two interceptions, both to freshman defensive back Amari Sifford. The second came at the North Carolina Central 5 with 1:11 left in the first half, with Delaware State at midfield.

Ui Ale played the second half. He went 9 of 10 for 74 yards and ran for 18. Marqui Adams took over late in the fourth quarter and ran in the final touchdown from 10 yards out as time expired.

Delaware State has still not said why Ale did not play against Franklin Pierce, or why Sauray started on Friday.

The opening minute

The first interception came on Delaware State's second snap. Sifford picked off Sauray at the North Carolina Central 28 and fumbled on the return, and Terrence Rone recovered for Delaware State at the 26.

Kyree Benton ran 26 yards for a touchdown on the next play. The extra point failed, and it was 6-0 with 13:49 left in the first quarter.

Between that touchdown and the last play, Delaware State had the ball seven times. It punted five times, threw the second interception and missed a 47-yard field goal.

Where it leaves them

Delaware State is 4-4 and 0-1 in the MEAC, and it has now alternated wins and losses in all eight games. It is 4-1 at Alumni Stadium and 0-3 away from it.

North Carolina Central is 3-5 and 1-0. The win ended a four-game losing streak, and Trei Oliver is now 6-1 against Delaware State.

Next Saturday Delaware State plays Norfolk State at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the rematch of DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick.