New Delaware State University football coach Lee Hull joked with his players following the Hornets’ annual Red vs. White spring game Saturday afternoon that the result wasn’t important.
“It doesn’t matter who wins or loses, right?” Hull asked, only for his team to playfully answer that it does matter.
The game ended in a 37-37 tie, and in the eyes of Hull, who replaced Rod Milstead earlier this past winter, the outcome will only make his team better once they return for pre-season practice later this summer.
“I feel like the tie was a great result because no one can come out of this feeling like their side lost, and we were able to stay healthy,” Hull said. “The tie shows there was a lot of give and take, which is how it’s been all spring long.”
The Hornets finished 2022 5-6 overall and 2-3 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. DSU has not had a winning season since 2012.
Hull, who led Morgan State to an FCS playoff appearance during the infamous four-way MEAC championship season of 2014, hopes to restore the Hornet program to its former glory.
“Some of the things we did at Morgan and Howard, you’ll see here,” said Hull, who was the offensive coordinator at Howard last season. “We have coaches who’ve been in the league before, and I’ve been here two different times, so we’re looking forward to bringing the experiences and knowledge that I think will help us win.”
The Hornet offense was the question mark of 2022, and both quarterbacks that played Saturday had their moments.
Rising sophomore QB Marqui Adams showed great touch on scoring passes to Ny’Ghee Lolley and Konnor Blount-Foster. In contrast, redshirt sophomore C.J. Henry, who ended last season as the starter, also threw a touchdown pass and led several sustained drives.
Running backs Michael Chris-Ike and Wade Inge also had some space thanks to improvement on the offensive line. Defensively, linebacker Maurio Goings and defensive lineman Kyle Williams headed up an aggressive Hornet defense, which gave up the fewest yards per game and third-fewest points per game in the conference a season ago.
“The main thing is we’ve got to get better,” Hull said. “We weren’t perfect on offense, defense, or special teams, but I like the way our guys competed today. The mistakes we’re making now, we won’t be making them in fall camp.”
Delaware State begins the 2023 football season at home against Bowie State of the CIAA on Saturday, Sept. 2.
