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Delaware State tops error-prone WSSU
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Published: November 8, 2009
A comedy of errors in the first half was too much to overcome for Winston-Salem State yesterday afternoon at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The Rams had five turnovers on their way to losing 24-21 to upstart Delaware State.
It was another downer in a forgettable season for the Rams (1-8). Coach Kermit Blount had little to say afterward.
"We keep giving them away," Blount said. "I think we turned it over four or five times in the first half and you can't do that. There's nothing else to say."
Despite falling behind 24-7 at halftime, the Rams managed to make the game close thanks to two touchdown passes from quarterback Jarrett Dunston. The first one went to Dominique Fitzgerald from 6 yards and the second was 16 yards to Omar Kizzie with 5:24 left in the game.
After Landen Thayer's point-after attempt was good, the lead was cut to 24-21.
The Hornets (2-6) got the ball back and were seemingly stalled on fourth down and punting near midfield with 3:31 to play. But a roughing-the-punter penalty on Jared Mitchell gave the ball back to the Hornets and they kept it the rest of the game.
"I have to look at that on film," Blount said of Mitchell's penalty. "That was a big play, but even at that point if we would have played better in the first half we wouldn't have been in that position."
The Rams also had a good chance to score early in the fourth quarter but Thayer's 42-yard field-goal attempt banged off the right upright and was no good.
"It's beyond frustration," Fitzgerald said. "We try to overlook the last game that we've lost and try to stay positive and look ahead."
From the five turnovers in the first half, the Hornets scored 17 points, including a 21-yard fumble recovery by Jerome Strums that made the score 10-0. On that play Dunston made a poor pitch on an option to running back John Harris.
Blount, trying to spark the offense, alternated Jarrett and Branden Williams at quarterback. Williams had a touchdown pass in the first half to Fitzgerald, but he also had two interceptions.
"You can't do too much when the other team has the ball all the time," Fitzgerald said of the turnovers. "That's something we have to correct next week."
The Hornets, who are down to their last scholarship running back in Jaashawn Jones because of injuries, used him effectively. He rumbled for 143 yards on 35 carries with one touchdown.
Coach Al Lavan of the Hornets said: "We're happy to get an ugly win, but it was beautiful."
Lavan said he was surprised that the Rams had that many turnovers. "They usually don't have five turnovers in five games," he said.
The Rams have lost six straight at home and 10 of their past 11 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
"We are a family and we have to go through the adversity together," Fitzgerald said.
Blount said he'll try to get his team to be positive this week in practice.
"Nothing has come easy for us this year," Blount said.
WSSU plays its final home game next Saturday against N.C. Central in a 1 p.m. start.
jdell@wsjournal.com
727-4081
Delaware State
10 14 0 0 -- 24
WSSU 7 0 7 7 -- 21
First Quarter
DSU--FG Flickinger 26, 6:24.
DSU--Strums 21 fumble return (Flickinger kick), 5:52.
WSSU--Fitzgerald 7 pass from Williams (Thayer kick), 1:32.
Second Quarter
DSU--J.Jones 6 run (Flickinger kick), 14:18.
DSU--Glaud 1 run (Flickinger kick), 8:26.
Third Quarter
WSSU--Fitzgerald 6 pass from Dunston (Thayer kick), 7:29.
Fourth Quarter
WSSU--Kizzie 16 pass from Dunston (Thayer kick), 5:24.
A--4,719.
TEAM STATISTICS
DSU WSSU
First downs 16 14
Rushes-yards 45-153 37-122
Passing 102 124
Comp-Att-Int 8-21-1 10-20-2
Return Yards 54 30
Punts-Avg. 6-34.2 4-38.5
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 3-3
Penalties-Yards 9-55 4-52
Time of Possession 33:45 26:15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSH
ING--Delaware State, J.Jones 35-143, Glaud 6-6, Rosseau 3-5, Team 1-(minus 1). Winston-Salem State, Dunston 12-46, Munford 13-40, Williams 4-27, J.Harris 6-8, Hickman 2-1.
PASSING--Delaware State, Glaud 8-21-1-102. Winston-Salem State, Dunston 7-13-0-70, Williams 3-7-2-54.
RECEIVING--Delaware State, Charles 4-32, Jackson 1-29, E.Jones 1-22, Toliver 1-13, Dixon 1-6. Winston-Salem State, Kizzie 5-73, Fitzgerald 2-13, Wynn 1-18, Julmiste 1-12, Whidbee 1-8.
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