DeSean Jackson earned his first victory as head coach of Delaware State in unforgettable fashion, guiding the Hornets through a 37–32 marathon win over Albany State that stretched deep into the night due to multiple weather delays.
“We fought, man. That was an everlasting game. One of the longest games I ever been a part of,” Jackson said. “It just speaks to the resiliency, man, and the mindset that this culture and this team has…In those circumstances and those conditions, man, you never know how you can stay engaged. We had one postpone, it was 30 minutes, and then we had another we had to go in for the locker room for at least three hours.”
Even with adversity mounting, Jackson stressed discipline as the separating factor. “In order to win football games, man, like I keep talking about it, we cannot shoot oursel in the foot. I preach discipline all the time. I preach executing your job all the time. Right now, we’re shooting oursel in the foot in those areas. We’ll clean that up.”
Hornets win! 37-32! THE FIRST W UNDER COACH JAC! 🔴🔵 @DelSt_Football pic.twitter.com/HSpNAbvvrZ
— Delaware State University (@DelStateUniv) September 7, 2025
The Hornets showed flashes of growth with young talent. Freshman running back Sean “Deuce” Weston Jr. impressed in his debut. “Man, Deuce just had a heck of a game. He had an opportunity, his numbers was called… our running back room is very special and we’ve been knowing that all year long,” Jackson said.
Jackson also clarified late-game drama on special teams. A fake punt was not in the playbook. “That was not a called fake…that was a bonehead decision he made that could have cost us the game,” he explained, while still showing confidence his punter would learn from it.
Now the Hornets turn their attention to Bowie State. “Every week we play, man, we respect our opponents. But my philosophy has never been about the opponent, it’s been about ourselves,” Jackson said. “They’re going to feel like we shouldn’t be on the field with them, and we’re going to feel like they shouldn’t be on the field with us. It’s just the mindset we bring.”
Delaware State hosts Bowie State on Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Dover. Kickoff is 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
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