HBCU football returned to Alumni Stadium with Delaware State learning an important lesson about the difference between building a lead and finishing a game. The Hornets led Stony Brook by 18 points in the third quarter, watched that advantage disappear and then needed an 80-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive to escape with a 41-34 victory Thursday night.
Sean “Deuce” Weston Jr. scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 16-yard run with 1:53 remaining, but Delaware State still had to survive until the final snap. Stony Brook drove deep into Hornets territory in the closing seconds before its final pass fell incomplete, allowing Delaware State to open the 2026 season 1-0 after a game that showed both the potential of DeSean Jackson’s team and how far he believes it still has to go.
“We’re far from where we want to be, but at the end of the day it’s a work in progress,” Jackson said in a postgame interview with Lynden Campbell of Covered By Campbell. Jackson praised his team’s composure when the game tightened, but his overall assessment sounded more like a coach preparing for the next practice than one interested in celebrating an opening-night victory.
Delaware State watches an 18-point lead disappear
For much of the first three quarters, Delaware State appeared ready to turn its opener into a statement. The Hornets built a 24-6 advantage during the second quarter and stretched the margin to 31-13 in the third, using explosive plays through the air and on the ground to keep Stony Brook chasing the game.
Ui Ale provided an encouraging first look after winning the Delaware State starting quarterback job late in preseason camp. Ale connected with Jaylin Terzado for a 76-yard touchdown, while Samari Collier broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run. Patrick Fisher-Butler added field goals from 41 and 52 yards as Delaware State found multiple ways to produce points.
Stony Brook refused to go away. The Seawolves cut into the deficit throughout the second half and eventually tied the game at 34 with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. A Delaware State team that had controlled most of the night suddenly needed to prove it could respond after losing both its lead and the momentum.
“I just don’t feel like we’re where we need to be yet,” Jackson told Campbell. “I’m expecting them guys to be a lot better than we are. Obviously, we was up like 31 to 13 and they came back and made some plays and obviously tied the game up in the fourth quarter. That’s just frustrating, but at the end of the day we found a way to win. That’s all that matters.”
‘Players over plays’ becomes Delaware State’s answer
Delaware State offensive coordinator Nyema “Nemo” Washington didn’t respond to the fourth-quarter pressure by searching for a perfect play call. With Stony Brook having erased the lead, Washington said the Hornets instead leaned on the players they trusted to make something happen.
“Sometimes it’s not about the plays, it’s about the player you call,” Washington said in a separate postgame interview with Campbell. Washington said he had assured Weston that his opportunity would arrive at the right time, and when Delaware State finally needed its young running back to deliver, Weston answered.
The Hornets took possession with 7:36 remaining and drove 80 yards for the winning touchdown. Ale helped Delaware State extend the possession before Weston finished the drive with his 16-yard touchdown, providing an answer after Stony Brook had spent much of the second half taking control of the game.
“At the end of the day, it’s players over plays,” Washington told Campbell. “We called on our players before we even called any plays.” The philosophy was evident throughout the drive as Delaware State trusted several offensive weapons before eventually putting Weston in position to produce the biggest offensive play of the night.
Deuce Weston delivers when Delaware State needs him
Weston’s touchdown carried more significance because of when it occurred. Delaware State didn’t need him to extend a comfortable lead; the Hornets needed him after Stony Brook had erased that lead and put their opening night in jeopardy.
Weston redirected the credit toward his teammates afterward, particularly an offense that had managed to regain its composure when the game demanded another scoring possession. “It’s not even just me,” Weston told Campbell. “It’s all our teammates, the linemen stepping up, our players, everybody, energy.”
Washington said his confidence in the offense began well before kickoff. Despite what he described as a shaky practice during the week, the Delaware State coordinator told his players they would score 40 points against Stony Brook. He didn’t know exactly how those points would arrive, but the Hornets ultimately finished with 41.
“Honestly, just staying level and trusting my players and my coaching staff,” Washington said of navigating the difficult second half. That trust was tested considerably more than Delaware State anticipated after building its 18-point advantage, but the offense produced the drive it needed when the game was tied.
Jaylin Terzado emerges as Delaware State playmaker
Terzado provided another encouraging development for an offense entering the season with a new starting quarterback. His 76-yard touchdown reception gave Ale an explosive option through the air and helped Delaware State answer after Stony Brook scored first.
Jackson revealed afterward that Terzado’s performance came while the receiver was dealing with physical issues. His ability to still create one of the biggest plays of the game made the performance even more encouraging for a Delaware State offense trying to establish its new group of playmakers.
“Jalen is going through a lot of things with his body right now, and he’s fighting week in and week out,” Jackson told Campbell. “He did a heck of a job in training camp, and obviously it was good to get out here today and see what he was able to do. We got a playmaker in him.”
Jackson also praised Weston and Jayden Jenkins while discussing the offensive weapons around Ale. That depth will be important for an offense replacing major production from a 2025 team that led the FCS in rushing, and Thursday provided the first indication that Delaware State may be able to create explosive plays in several different ways.
Delaware State survives a chaotic final minute
Weston’s touchdown still didn’t guarantee the victory. Delaware State was called for a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty with 57 seconds remaining, helping Stony Brook move into scoring position and giving the Seawolves another opportunity to erase the Hornets’ lead.
Stony Brook appeared to reach the end zone late in the possession, but offensive pass interference erased the touchdown. The Seawolves eventually reached the Delaware State 29-yard line with two seconds remaining, leaving one final opportunity to force overtime before the final pass fell incomplete.
The ending reinforced Jackson’s larger concern about the Hornets’ performance. Delaware State had enough offensive firepower to build a substantial advantage and enough resilience to recover after losing it, but the Hornets also made enough mistakes to turn a game they controlled into one decided on the final snap.
That distinction becomes more important as Delaware State prepares to go on the road. The Hornets survived their mistakes against Stony Brook, but continuing to give opponents additional opportunities could produce a different result against stronger competition.
HBCU expectations have changed at Delaware State
Jackson’s dissatisfaction after a victory reflects how quickly expectations have changed around Delaware State. The Hornets finished 8-4 during his first season after winning only two games across 2023 and 2024, transforming a program that had spent years trying to become competitive into one expected to contend in the MEAC. Jackson’s contract extension through 2028 further demonstrated Delaware State’s commitment to building on that turnaround.
Thursday provided reasons to believe another step forward is possible. Ale helped create explosive plays in his first start, Terzado emerged as a vertical threat, Collier broke a 59-yard touchdown run, Weston delivered in the game’s biggest offensive moment and Fisher-Butler gave Delaware State production from long range in the kicking game.
There was also enough evidence to understand Jackson’s frustration. Delaware State led 31-13 before allowing Stony Brook to tie the game, and the Hornets were still defending their end zone on the final play. The official Stony Brook game recap illustrates just how dramatically the game shifted after Delaware State appeared to have control.
“We’ll do better this week,” Jackson told Campbell. “We got practice tomorrow. We’ll be able to get a jump on this film right here and then move to William & Mary, so we’re looking forward to next week on the road.”
Delaware State left Alumni Stadium 1-0, and ultimately that mattered most Thursday night. The larger HBCU football takeaway, however, may be found between Jackson’s dissatisfaction and Washington’s offensive philosophy. Delaware State isn’t yet where its head coach expects it to be, but when the Hornets needed to rescue their opener, “players over plays” proved enough to get them there.