# Delaware State Hornets football
**Delaware State Hornets football** is the college football program of Delaware State University, a historically black university in [Dover, Delaware](https://www.edgepedia.org/dover-delaware), that competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of [NCAA Division I](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i) as a member of the [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/mid-eastern-athletic-conference) (MEAC). The team plays its home games at Alumni Stadium in Dover.[1](https://static.dsuhornets.com/pdf/2011-12_media_center/football/2011footballmediaguide/section8.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)[2](https://meacsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=5657) |
| Home field | Alumni Stadium, Dover, Delaware; constructed in 1980, listed capacity 7,000[1](https://static.dsuhornets.com/pdf/2011-12_media_center/football/2011footballmediaguide/section8.pdf) |
| Highest achievement | 2007 MEAC championship and the program's first FCS playoff berth[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx) |
| 2007 playoff result | First-round loss to Delaware, 44-7, under head coach Al Lavan[4](https://static.meacsports.com/custompages/Records/Football%20Record%20Book.pdf) |
| 2007 season record | 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the MEAC at the time of the title game, with seven straight wins[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx) |
| Recent season | The 2026 team opened 4-3, with wins over Stony Brook, Bowie State, Towson, and Franklin Pierce[2](https://meacsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=5657) |
## Home field
The Hornets play at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Delaware. The 2011 media guide states the stadium was constructed in 1980 and had hosted 155 Hornet football contests, with a listed capacity of 7,000.[1](https://static.dsuhornets.com/pdf/2011-12_media_center/football/2011footballmediaguide/section8.pdf) Later publications give slightly different figures: a 2018 visitor guide lists seating capacity as 6,828,[5](https://static.dsuhornets.com/pdf/2018dsu_football_visitor_guide.pdf) while a current stadium directory lists 7,193.[6](https://cfbvibes.com/teams/delaware-state/stadium/) The 2007 MEAC championship game against Norfolk State was played before a capacity crowd there.[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx)
## The 2007 MEAC championship
The 2007 season produced the program's most successful run in the retrieved record. Delaware State overcame an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Norfolk State 28-21 in overtime on November 10, 2007, winning the MEAC championship and earning the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA FCS playoffs for the first time in team history.[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx) The title was the program's first outright MEAC championship since 1989.[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx)
**How the comeback unfolded.** Norfolk State led 21-3 after a 19-yard Daryl Jones run late in the third quarter. Quarterback Vashon Winton then threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Shaheer McBride, Adam Shrewsbury scored on a one-play rush with a two-point conversion, and kicker Peter Gaertner tied the game with a 28-yard field goal as time expired. In overtime, reserve linebacker Eric Sewell, lined up at fullback, caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Winton, and cornerback Akeem Green sealed the win by sacking Norfolk State quarterback Casey Hansen on fourth down.[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx)
The game carried individual milestones. Winton completed 28 of 44 passes for 245 yards, each a career high, to 11 different receivers. McBride became the first player with 3,000 receiving yards at Delaware State, and his touchdown catch was his 33rd, tying John Taylor (1982-85) for the team record. Gaertner's two field goals gave him a school-record 17 for the season, breaking his own previous record of 16 set in 2005.[3](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx)
**Playoff exit.** In the FCS playoffs, the Hornets lost 44-7 to Delaware in the first round.[4](https://static.meacsports.com/custompages/Records/Football%20Record%20Book.pdf) Delaware went on to reach the 2007 FCS title game, falling 49-21 to Appalachian State in [Chattanooga, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/chattanooga-tennessee).[7](https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fcs)
## Recent play
The 2026 Hornets opened the season 4-3. Wins came against Stony Brook (41-34), Bowie State (21-6), Towson (33-28), and [Franklin Pierce](https://www.edgepedia.org/franklin-pierce) (34-0); losses came at [William and Mary](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-and-mary) (15-22), at [South Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-florida) (17-59), and at UAlbany (3-28). The remaining conference schedule includes North Carolina Central, Norfolk State (in Philadelphia), Morgan State, Howard, and South Carolina State.[2](https://meacsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=5657)
## References
1. [DSU Football Facts, 2011 Football Media Guide, Delaware State University](https://static.dsuhornets.com/pdf/2011-12_media_center/football/2011footballmediaguide/section8.pdf)
2. [2026 Delaware State Football Schedule, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference](https://meacsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=5657)
3. [Hornets Stun Norfolk State in OT - To Win MEAC Championship, Delaware State University (November 10, 2007)](https://dsuhornets.com/news/2007/11/10/1309523.aspx)
4. [MEAC Football Record Book, Postseason History](https://static.meacsports.com/custompages/Records/Football%20Record%20Book.pdf)
5. [2018 DSU Football Visitor Guide, Delaware State University](https://static.dsuhornets.com/pdf/2018dsu_football_visitor_guide.pdf)
6. [Alumni Stadium: Home of the Hornets, CFB Vibes](https://cfbvibes.com/teams/delaware-state/stadium/)
7. [FCS Football Championship History, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fcs)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › 2026 season articles › FCS team season articles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license