SAVANNAH, Ga. - One of the goals for Savannah State University's football team is to go 5-0 at home this season. The Tigers, who beat Fort Valley State in their home opener, will take their second step toward reaching that goal when they play Delaware State at 6 p.m. Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium.
 
When SSU (1-3) and Delaware State (0-3) face off in both teams' Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener, SSU first-year head coach Earnest Wilson III said he hopes his Tigers will play the entire game the way they played the final 4 minutes, 31 seconds against Fort Valley State. Against the Wildcats, SSU's special teams unit blocked a punt, the offense scored a touchdown and the defense intercepted a pass in the end zone as time expired to seal a 27-20 victory.
 
"Our goal is to be undefeated at home," Wilson said. "Anytime we can get the fan support out there and get a little pump-me-up, we need it. We need that support. These kids get up at 6 o'clock in the morning every day and they don't go to bed until after study hall. Study hall ends at 9 o'clock at night, and then they've probably got to go study some more. Just to know that people are behind them and supporting them keeps them going."
 
SSU should have plenty of fan support, considering it will be "Community & Armed Forces Night." For those who can't attend, the game will be radio-broadcast by WHCJ 90.3 FM.
 
SSU is coming off a 77-7 loss to the Miami Hurricanes, a Football Bowl Subdivision member, last Saturday. The Tigers lost to FBS member Troy University on Sept. 7 and fell to Football Championship Subdivision member Georgia Southern on Aug. 31. But it's SSU's victory over NCAA Division II Fort Valley State that Wilson and his assistants keep pointing to.
 
"If we can play like that for 60 minutes, we're going to be pretty good," Wilson said.
Delaware State is coming off a 51-0 loss at FCS No. 1 and defending national champion North Dakota State last Saturday. The Hornets lost to No. 4 Towson on Sept. 14 and fell to Delaware on Sept. 7.
 
This will be the third meeting between the teams and the first since SSU joined the MEAC in 2011. Delaware State is 2-0 in the series. The Hornets beat SSU, 45-22, in 2001 in Savannah and won, 41-9, in 2002 in Dover, Del.
 
WIERZBICKI EARNS PRAISE
SSU defensive end Alex Wierzbicki garnered national exposure last Saturday when numerous media outlets replayed game footage of him making a clean hit on Miami quarterback Stephen Morris and forcing him out of the game with a leg injury.
 
Wierzbicki, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior from Beaufort, S.C., drew praise from Palm Beach Post reporter Matt Porter for his performance against Miami offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, a 6-foot-8, 345-pound senior.
 
Porter graded Miami's performance and gave the Hurricanes' offensive line a "B." All of the Miami's other positions, and its coaching staff, received an "A."
 
"Seantrel Henderson continues to be a work in progress," Porter wrote. "He manhandled a much weaker front on the first few drives, yet had a false start penalty and was beat on the play during which Stephen Morris was hurt. Henderson was outworked by Savannah State defensive end Alex Wierzbicki, who despite being five inches shorter and 100 pounds lighter escaped and launched himself at Morris' rear, landing on his leg."
 
TIGERS BELIEVING
If you missed the ESPN3.com live broadcast of SSU's game against Miami last Saturday, and if you missed the replay Monday night on CSS, you missed seeing an SSU team that still played scrappy late in the fourth quarter.
 
Several Tigers stood up to Miami players and jawed back and forth with them after plays. Seeing his players feisty and still competing, rather than accepting defeat and going through the motions, inspired Wilson.
 
"Our kids believe in what we're doing, and they can see how it's going to work," he said. "It may not be working right now but they understand the concepts. And that's what I really wanted to instill this year: the concepts of what we're doing and how we're doing it; a certain work ethic.
 
"I think they know that, 'Hey, if we keep doing this, if we stay on the positive tip no matter what other people are saying, we're going to be pretty good in the future.' They know. They believe. And there's no reason not to believe. It makes you feel good as the head coach that people believe. We just need to let the fans know that we're trying for a winning season this year. Not many people expect too much but we're expecting to have a winning season, and we want everybody to come with us."
 
BOSTICK LIKELY TO START AT QB
Wilson said SSU senior Antonio Bostick is "probably going to start" at quarterback against Delaware State.
 
But Wilson said he is still looking for a leader to emerge at the quarterback position.
 
"I've been disappointed with our quarterbacks so far; the interceptions," Wilson said of Bostick, Zach Hutcheson, Leon Prunty and Victorian Hardison, who have combined for 10 interceptions.
 
Bostick and Hutcheson have been intercepted four times apiece, while Prunty and Hardison each have had a pass picked off.
 
DIXON, SMITH LEADING TACKLERS
SSU linebackers Justin Dixon and Marquis Smith are tied for the team lead in tackles with 34 apiece. Linebacker Trevion Ashford is third with 28 tackles, while cornerback John Wilson is fourth with 27 tackles.
 
DELAWARE STATE OUTLOOK
Delaware State averages 243.3 yards passing and 49.3 yards rushing per game, while SSU averages 141.2 yards passing and 47.8 yards rushing. Wilson said he believes the Hornets will attack primarily with the passing game but he does not expect a high-scoring game.
 
"They're a passing team. They run a spread offense," he said. "Once they get down inside the 25, they start running a little bit more. But they are a passing offense.
 
"I don't think our offense has proven that we're a shootout team yet. What we've got to do is play a good, solid game on defense and the offense has got to execute."
 
Delaware State quarterback Cory Murphy leads the Hornets in rushing with 49 yards on 29 carries. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound redshirt senior also leads in passing, going 69 of 127 (54.3 percent) for 691 yards and three touchdowns. He has been intercepted four times.
Wide receiver Milton Williams III, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior, has a team-high 22 catches for 277 yards and a touchdown.
 
Defensive back Davon Moore, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound redshirt junior, has made a team-high 27 tackles. Defensive back Joe Boyd, a 6-foot, 198-pound senior, is second with 24 tackles.
 
"I think they're going to be ready to play," Wilson said of Delaware State. "They've got outstanding defensive linemen. No. 95 (Rodney Gunter) is pretty good. And No. 53 (Ernest Adjei) is a pretty good linebacker. They've got good wide receivers and the quarterback leads the team not only throwing but rushing. They've got some weapons."