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DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Leading the MEAC with a Bowl Game in Sight
Published:
DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets defeated Michael Vick’s Norfolk State Spartans 27-20 at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night:
D Jax has the Hornets at 6-3 with a 2-0 conference record. They lost the opener to FBS Delaware, then ripped off three wins in a row against Albany, Bowie State, and Saint Francis. They dropped two road games to Sacred Heart and Monmouth, then smoked the Southern Connecticut State Owls before opening the MEAC slate with wins against NC Central and now Norfolk State.
The MEAC only has six teams, so they play seven non-conference games and five conference games. DSU has to play at 3-5 Morgan State, then they finish at home to 4-4 Howard and 5-3 South Carolina State. If they win the conference, they earn a berth to the Celebration Bowl, which is the only FCS bowl in the country. It’s played annually between historically black colleges from the MEAC and the SWAC, who meet up in Atlanta in mid-December. Both conferences forfeit entry into the FCS postseason bracket to play the Celebration Bowl instead, which began in 2015 as the successor to the Heritage Bowl and the Pelican Bowl.
Delaware State has never played the Celebration Bowl, so if D Jax gets it done, it would be a huge accomplishment in year one. Hell, this is a DSU team that hadn’t broken .500 since 2012! DeSean has more wins this year than the Hornets did in 2023 and 2024 combined. Incredible!
If the Hornets do make the bowl game, no jinx, they’re likely playing Jackson State or Alabama State. Bethune-Cookman is right there at 3-1 as well.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com