Nov. 8, 2008 will be a day marked in the Winston-Salem State record books.
On that dreary day, head football coach Kermit Blount won his 90th game making him the winningest coach in WSSU football history.
“This is very emotional for me…I never thought I’d be this emotional, but my players really showed they loved me in this game,” Blount said.
The Rams showed up big time for Blount beating Delaware State, the defending MEAC champions on the road 27-26.
The game started out fast with the Hornets scoring in just three minutes and 25 seconds, capping the drive with a 14-yard pass from Vashon Winton to Kareem Jones.
The Rams fired back with a three-minute 11-second scoring drive that ended with a four-yard plunge into the end zone by fullback Willie Wilson.
Even though the Rams were holding their own against the Hornets, the game looked very similar to last season’s heartbreaker at homecoming.
The Rams shutout the Hornets in the second half but could not contain Hornets running back Jones who had a staggering 230 yards rushing on 35 attempts.
The Hornets rushing game was a force to be reckoned with, hurting the Rams on a simple play action read handoff from Winton to Jones.
The Rams did not let his massive run totally sway them from their game plan.
Junior quarterback Jarrett Dunston stole the show for a second straight game rushing for two touchdowns and throwing a two-point conversion to Lamarci Jenkins.
The two-hour and 45-minute game ended on a 10-second mistake by Hornets head coach Al Lavan.
With the Rams up by one with less than a minute remaining in the contest, Hornet kicker Peter Gaertner stood anxiously, waiting for his opportunity to be the hero against the Rams once again.
Lavan then decided not to kick the field goal from 37 yards but draw the Rams defense offsides with a hard count.
Winton had a different idea and tried to pick up the first down on his own and it was immediately stuffed by the Rams defense.
During last seasons game, the Rams were defeated by the Hornets on another 37-yard attempt by Gaertner with no time on the clock.
The Rams came out of Dover, Del. unscathed for the first time since 1949 when they tied the Hornets 12-12.
As for Blount he was thankful after the game.
“They really stuck to it in the second half, never let up, and we came away with the win,” he said.
“It is an honor to even be mentioned in the same sentence as a man like Bill Hayes, and to do it at the institution that I love so much and played my college football at. It is truly a special moment.”