Delaware State, William & Mary prepare for potential game of the weekend appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Both Delaware State and William & Mary pulled off resounding wins that have earned the attention of the football world. Delaware State opened the season on Thursday with a dominant performance against Stony Brook that nearly turned into a horrendous loss as the Seawolves made an 18-point comeback. But the Hornets held on and scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown to win 41-34.
William & Mary's journey was different. Facing a top-10-ranked FCS program in Villanova, William & Mary found themselves down 32-25 with 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter. They were able to secure an onside kick and score another touchdown to tie the game at 32-32 before getting a crucial interception on a Villanova pass from quarterback Winston Watkins to set up a Max Lipinski 45-yard field goal.
Now both programs face off in what will become a nexus point as the season starts. Delaware State looks to prove itself against a William & Mary team that has seen its fair share of success in the FCS over the past few years. Meanwhile, William & Mary looks to reestablish itself as a dominant football program and a perennial FCS contender.
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In my recap of Delaware State's victory over Stony Brook , I boiled down the game to three factors: the QB battle still rages, the Hornet secondary is still bendable, and Delaware State played with their food and almost choked. This is what ultimately scares me about their matchup against a William & Mary program that showed considerable amounts of talent and resiliency on Friday evenings.
Ui Ale was named QB1 for the Hornets ahead of the season opener, and he is really good. He's way better than Kaiden Bennett was as a passer, but he also showed some competency in the run game. Delaware State also has Samari Collier, who stepped up and was used like a Wildcat quarterback. They had him running consistently in the game to the tune of 70 yards on 6 carries and 1 touchdown. Collier had some explosive runs (averaged 11.7 yards per run) that fit what we saw from Delaware State last year.
So now I wonder: is Samari Collier the QB1 heir apparent, or is Ui Ale the guy because of his passing talent? I was very impressed with Ale, but Collier was explosive, and I know how I like running quarterbacks. I dislike the running style more now because it opens up quarterbacks to injury. And the last thing that Delaware State needs is an injury to one of their two quarterbacks to ultimately be what decides the quarterback battle that's brewing with the Hornets. But ultimately DeSean Jackson is going to have to make a decision. You can't run two-quarterback all season. Eventually, for the sake of the stability of the offense, one QB1 has to be named.
But even more pressing than the impending quarterback battle between Ale and Collier is the fate of Delaware State's secondary. Stony Brook ultimately put together an explosive performance in the passing game, with 323 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception put up by Stony Brook quarterback Quinn Boyd. Delaware State looked to be cruising to a victory and they allowed Stony Brook to come back primarily because Stony Brook kept testing that secondary, and the receivers passed the test. Jackson and his coaching staff have to figure that out.
The Hornets had an 18-point lead, going up 31-13 early in the third quarter. Then, late in the 4th quarter, the game is tied at 34. Although the season is early, that isn't indicative of a team ready to compete with some of the best in the FCS. And William and Mary is a perfect proof of concept of what Delaware State can become this season.
Winston Watkins is coming off of William & Mary's huge win over Villanova, throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns with one interception on 19 of 33 passes. Will he have the same success against Delaware State's secondary?
This is the time for Delaware State to make a name for itself nationally. This is how Jackson, who has broader aspirations in his coaching journey, gets the attention of a group of five and even power five institutions. Your stock rises when you beat teams such as William & Mary and Villanova. And you not only beat them, but you showcased your team's dominance. Being up 31-13 is a great look and shows that dominance, but sustained success is what truly sends a message. Can Jackson send that message against William and Mary?
Unfortunately, I don't think we'll see that.
My prediction:I'm picking William & Mary. It's going to be a good game, and I'll be happy to be wrong. But William & Mary is going to win this game, and they're not going to have to come back. They'll probably win convincingly and show where Delaware State can improve.
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