DSU Falls To 0-10, Rocked By NCA&T

Courtesy: DSU Athletics

North Carolina A&T proved why it’s one of the nation’s top FCS teams and star running back Tarik Cohen a serious contender for national player-of-the-year  with a 45-14 MEAC win over Delaware State in the Hornets’ 2016 home finale at Alumni Stadium this afternoon.
The Aggies, ranked ninth in the national FCS coaches poll and 10th in the media poll, improved to 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the MEAC this season. NCA&T will face arch-rival North Carolina Central, also undefeated in league play, for the conference championship and Celebration Bowl berth in its regular season finale next week.
The Hornets are winless in 10 games this season, including seven league contests.
Cohen rushed for 221 yards, including touchdown runs of 84 and 59 yards, to lead the Aggies. It was the eighth career 200-yard game for Cohen, the MEAC’s all-time rushing leader. He’s rushed for 1436 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Delaware State wide receiver Aris Scott had a season-high eight catches for 100 yards, while senior quarterback Gil Rivera passed for 224 yards and a touchdown to lead the Hornets.
DSU opened the scoring with a well-executed touchdown drive on the game’s opening possession. Rivera capped of the nine-play, 80-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Isaiah Williams.  The touchdown was the second of the season for Williams. Rivera, playing in his final home game, completed three-of-four passes for 48 yards during the three-minute-52 second march.
The Aggies took advantage of a DSU special teams mishap to tie the game. Four plays after recovering a Hornet fumble on a run by placekicker Wisdom Nzidee out of field goal formation, Cohen ran 59 yards to the end zone with 6:21 left in the first quarter.
Cohen struck again early in second quarter with an 84-yard touchdown run to give the Aggies the lead.
North Carolina A&T second-string quarterback Oluwafemi Bamiro, starting in place of injured No. 1 QB Lamar Rayford, connected with Elijah Bell for a 22-yard touchdown pass and with Denzel Keyes for an 11-yard score to stretch the Aggies’ lead to 28-7 early in the third quarter.
Delaware State snapped the Aggies’ string of 28 unanswered points on a one-yard touchdown run by Mike Waters. The key play in the seven-play 92-yard drive was a 49-yard run by Brycen Alleyne to the NCA&T 23. Waters also had runs of 15 and 11 yards during the drive. The touchdown run tied him with Alleyne for the team lead with three this season.
Back-up running back Marquell Cartwright had two touchdown runs (43, 10) and Cody Jones nailed a 44-yard field goal for the Aggies to close out the scoring.
Delaware State will try to avoid its first winless season since 1998 when it wraps up the 2016 campaign at Howard next Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m. in Washington, D.C.
The Hornets posted their lone victory in 2015 against Howard, 32-31 at Alumni Stadium.
STINGERS
Scott has 18 receptions for 308 yards and three touchdowns in the last three games after tallying 19 catches for 202 yards and one score in the first seven contests this season … Delaware State defensive lineman Jacob Jones had a career-best seven tackles (five solo) to tie for game-high honors … Rivera started his second straight game at quarterback for the Hornets.