SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Savannah State University's football team has had two weeks to prepare for its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against Delaware State, and SSU head coach Earnest Wilson III believes his Tigers are ready for conference play.
 
"It gives us (coaches) a chance to catch up and it gives the kids a chance to catch up on their education, their academics," Wilson said about not playing a game last Saturday.
 
"The young guys that were in awe when we were first teaching the playbook, now they've gotten a chance to sit back and be able to put that to film, and actually see themselves on film. I thought it was pretty neat to do that. They seem like they've gotten better as far as play execution goes."
 
SSU (0-3) will play Delaware State (0-4) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Del. The game will be radio-broadcast by WHCJ 90.3 FM.
 
Delaware State is 3-0 in the series against SSU. The Hornets and Tigers are meeting for a second consecutive season and for the first time at Delaware State since 2002. The Hornets won the last meeting, 24-22, in Savannah.
 
Delaware State is coming off a 59-0 loss to Football Bowl Subdivision member Temple University last Saturday. It is the largest margin of victory in Temple's history, breaking the 56-0 record the Owls set against Holy Cross in 1974.
 
SSU is coming off a 42-28 loss to NCAA Division II member Fort Valley State University on Sept. 13. The Tigers will travel by airplane Friday morning to Philadelphia and take busses to Dover, Del.
 
"Two trips are long enough for us to fly this year and that's Delaware State and BYU," said Wilson, whose Tigers will end the season Nov. 22 in Provo, Utah.
 
Wilson said he and his assistants are happy to have the non-conference portion of the schedule behind them.
 
"It's going to help when we get our first win," Wilson said. "As we start getting more wins, the MEAC is going to be more meaningful. I think, right now to Savannah State and some alumni, it's not as meaningful because they're so used to the Fort Valleys and the Albany States. But when we start really getting into the conference (games) and getting wins in the conference, then we will be able to build more rivalries. That's what I'm looking forward to. I think we're going to start knocking people off. We've just got to keep playing hard."
 
SOME SSU STARTERS SUSPENDED
Wilson said some SSU players, including starters, have been suspended and will not play against Delaware State.
 
"We've got some guys that didn't attend our mandatory study hall who will not be playing in the game," he said. "We're trying to get these kids their education."
 
SMITH REMAINS STARTER AT QB
SSU's Tino Smith will start at quarterback for a third consecutive game, Wilson said. Smith, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound freshman transfer from Fork Union Military Academy, is ninth in the MEAC in passing efficiency with a 102.5 passer rating. He is 22-of-37 passing (59.5 percent) for 174 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
 
"Right now, Tino is still No. 1," Wilson said. "He's been making progress. Unfortunately, he got hurt the last game. But as you could see (against FVSU), he took the team right down the field and scored. And after that, he got hurt. He's fine. He practiced last week."
 
STANDOUTS IN THE SECONDARY
SSU cornerbacks Stephen Reynolds and Jalen Bush, and safety Juwuan Tolbert, have made a good impression on Earnest Wilson.
 
"The guys who are doing well, I look at the young corners," Wilson said. "You've got Stephen Reynolds and you've got Juwuan Tolbert, and he's playing safety. And then our other corner, Jalen Bush. Those guys are doing outstanding."
 
Reynolds, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound freshman from Tucker, Ga., is tied for fifth on the team in tackles with 12 in three games. Bush, a 5-foot-10, 178-pound freshman from Leesburg, Ga., has made one tackle in two games. Tolbert, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound freshman from Augusta, Ga., has made six tackles in three games.
 
"And, of course, you've got (Alfred) Ansley, who has been a leader," Wilson said of the 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back from Jacksonville, Fla., who is second on the team in tackles with 20 behind Justin Dixon's 25 tackles. Ansley also made one of SSU's two interceptions this season and recovered a fumble.
 
"On offense, you see Tino coming along," Wilson said. "There have been some other guys, like Cantrell Frazier, who have stepped it up."
 
FRAZIER VERSATILE
Frazier, a 5-foot-11, 193-pound junior from Fulton County, Ga., started the season on offense, was moved to defense and was moved back to offense. He is SSU's leading receiver with 10 catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Against FVSU, Frazier ran for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter and made an 11-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Defensively, he has made one tackle.
 
"Last (game), he played both (offense and defense)," Wilson said. "He's playing both sides of the ball. He stepped up. We have him playing in the slot (on offense). We just put him anywhere. With that type of speed, you've got to play him everywhere. We're beginning to grow. We're beginning to know our football players. I think you'll see us change people around further, depending on our play selection."
 
DELAWARE STATE OUTLOOK
Delaware State's defense is led by lineman Rodney Gunter, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior from Lake Hamilton, Fla., who is fourth on the team in tackles with 20, including a sack.
 
"On the defense, No. 95 is the total package," Wilson said of Gunter. "He's something else."
 
Defensive back William Burton, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound sophomore from New Jersey, is tied for second on the team in tackles with 22. He intercepted a pass against Temple.
 
"And their free safety is a good football player," Wilson said of Burton.
Linebacker Alex Perry, a 5-foot-11, 225-pound senior from Jacksonville, Fla., leads the Hornets in tackles with 26.
 
"No. 45 at linebacker has been pretty good," Wilson said. "That's three guys I'm concentrating on and hope to figure out."
 
Quarterback Gilbert Rivera, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound sophomore from Los Angeles, is 52-of-95 passing (54.2 percent) for 507 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. His favorite target is wide receiver Milton Williams III, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior from Washington, D.C. Williams has made 19 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown. He is second in the MEAC in receiving yards (69 per game) and fourth in catches (4.8 per game).
 
"Their quarterback, I believe, was voted one of the best quarterbacks in the conference," Wilson said. "And I think they have a receiver who is supposed to be the real deal."
Running back Malcolm Williams, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound redshirt senior from Reading, Pa., has run 55 times for 212 yards and two touchdowns.