On a windy, misty night at Alumni Stadium, Delaware State sophomore punter Matt Noll came into Saturday’s non-conference matchup against Robert Morris with a feeling that he’d be able to help swing the game in his team’s favor.
Noll didn’t predict a muffed return that would be recovered for an insurance touchdown in the Hornets’ 14-9 victory over the Colonials, but everything else the MEAC pre-season first team punter prepared for worked out in DelState’s favor.“I tell Coach Milstead every week that I’m here to put my team in the best position possible to win,” Noll said after his 11 punts for 480 yards kept Robert Morris (0-4) pinned deep enough all game for the Hornet defense to keep a handle on things. “I watched the weather all week and [the wind] makes you prepare differently. You can’t focus on what’s going wrong, just work on doing things right.”
“Matt did a phenomenal job, especially with the wind tonight,” Hornets head coach Rod Milstead said. “He’s been a blessing to us, and credit goes to our special teams coach Arthur Smith because he has those guys practice these situations all the time. It paid off for us today.”
Delaware State (3-2) took the first lead as Milford High’s Marquis Gillis zipped right side for 41 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter and the Colonials could only add a 38-yard field goal by Jayson Jenkins before halftime.The third quarter looked to be scoreless as well until a Noll punt bounced off the hands of RMU returner Parker Fetterman and freshman cornerback Coleon Williams recovered it for a touchdown and a 14-3 DelState lead with 1:37 to go in the period.
The Hornet defense continued its bend but don’t break mentality, as a batted pass by Kevin DeShields found its way into Corey St. John’s hands to kill one Robert Morris drive and an interception from Aiden Weber ruined another.
The Colonials finally scored on a three-yard run from running back Anthony Purge with 4:14 to go, but after a failed two-point try and an onsides kick that led to a procedure penalty, the Hornets were able to run out the clock thanks to two first-down runs from running back Wade Inge.
“We have a great bond as a defense and our coaching staff stays on us,” DeShields said. “They don’t play any games with us so we know when it’s time to lock in. They make sure we have everything correct and crisp and in crunch time tonight, you saw what happened.”
The Hornets will now enjoy a bye before a two-game roadtrip to start the MEAC schedule. They will travel to Norfolk State on October 15th, followed by a visit to Howard on October 22nd before returning for homecoming on October 29th against North Carolina Central.
