The first two weeks of the 2023 season have not gone the way new Delaware State head football coach Lee Hull has wanted, but he does see some bright spots as the Hornets head to Richmond this weekend to take on the Spiders.
“There were a lot of positives to take from [the game],” Hull said of DSU’s 57-0 loss at Army last Saturday. “Offensively, we moved the ball, but once we got down to the 30-yard line and into the red zone, we self-destructed. We missed two field goals, so we have to clean that up. Defensively, I thought they played well early, and it just got away from them a little bit. Army has the triple option, but they also threw the ball and did some things differently that we only had a week to prepare for.”
Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily threw three touchdown passes, ran for two as Army built a 36-0 halftime lead, and cruised from there. With Aaron Angelos leaving the game due to injury, the Hornets turned again to redshirt freshman Marqui Adams at quarterback, and he completed 14 of 24 passes for 170 yards, getting the DSU offense moving before turnovers and blocked kicks ruined their scoring chances.
“He’s a good athlete, has a strong arm, and has to learn how to control that a little bit,” Hull said of Adams. “I think he can be good in this league. He can throw and run, but he’s going through his learning curve. I look for him to get better and better each game the more he plays.”
The Army game is already in the rear-view mirror for the Hornets as they prepare for Richmond, a team who has already seen MEAC competition this year and didn’t like it as Morgan State defeated them 17-10 in the Spiders’ season opener. Hull doesn’t see any reason to change strategy or routine as the Hornets enter another tough game.
“We don’t think it’s the end of the world,” he said of the 0-2 start. “We want the guys to believe in themselves. We have enough talent in these types of games to learn from it. The biggest thing is for us to improve each week. Getting in games, learning how to win and believe in ourselves.”
