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Undefeated Hens prepare for battle against Navy

11:20 a.m., Oct. 20, 2003--After sending a large Homecoming crowd home happy, the undefeated University of Delaware football team now sets its sights on a key game against the U.S. Naval Academy at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, at Navy Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

Andy Hall

Navy is 5-2 after a 38-6 victory over Rice University and carries a three-game winning streak into the game against the Fightin’ Blue Hens.

The Midshipmen are coached by Paul Johnson and run the powerful triple option offense he employed successfully in leading Georgia Southern University to two national NCAA Division I-AA titles. Currently, Navy is ranked No. 1 in rushing in NCAA Division I with 322.1 yards per game.

UD, which is 7-0, dominated the University of Rhode Island 55-10 in an Atlantic 10 Football Conference game played Saturday afternoon at Delaware Stadium before 20,795 fans.

The UD defense forced six turnovers and held Rhode Island's triple option attack to just 277 total yards.

The Hens, who got four touchdown passes from senior quarterback Andy Hall and 268 total yards on the ground, led 35-0 at halftime and were up 45-0 before Rhode Island finally got on the board with 1:49 left in the third quarter.

"We had as good a week of practice as you can have," UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler said. "Our defense was outstanding today. We did as good a job as you can do stopping their running game and our offense did a good job of moving the ball. Rhode Island is a pretty good football team."

Rhode Island (3-4 overall, 2-3 in the Atlantic 10) lost three fumbles, threw three interceptions—two of which were picked off by UD junior safety Dave Camburn—and gave the Hens the ball at their own 19-yard line after a bad snap on a punt.

Rhode Island managed just 179 total yards rushing, well under their average of 353.3 yards per game that ranked No. 2 nationally in NCAA Division I-AA entering the game. UD entered the game ranked fifth nationally in rushing defense at 85.7 yards per game.

UD posted 11 tackles for loss, including three sacks, and was led by senior defensive end Shawn Johnson, who had three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Junior linebacker Mark Moore posted a game-high 10 tackles, including one and one-half for loss.

Hall, a Walter Payton Award candidate, completed 16 of 22 passes for 153 yards and four touchdowns, the most touchdown passes by a Blue Hen since 1998, in just over a half of action.

Junior wide receiver G.J. Crescione hauled in two touchdowns, a 19-yarder with 3:20 left in the first half that gave the Hens a 28-0 lead and a 57-yarder from Hall on the Hens' first drive of the second half. Hall also fired a two-yard touchdown pass to fullback Sean Bleiler and a five-yard scoring pass to David Boler with just 19 seconds left before halftime.

Senior Germaine Bennett led a Delaware ground game that piled up 268 yards. Bennett ran for 91 yards while Hall added another 71 and freshman Niquan Lee added 58, including a 37-yard scoring jaunt up the middle with 12:18 left for his first career touchdown.

Kicker Brad Shushman also converted two field goals to lead the UD charge.

For the Hens, the 55 points was a season high and the fourth most the team has scored in an Atlantic 10 game. The 463 yards of total offense was the second highest this season, and UD has now surpassed 400 total yards in eight straight games including the 2002 season finale.

Rhode Island suffered its biggest loss against an NCAA Division I-AA opponent since a 51-0 setback to Idaho State in the 1981 playoffs.

"We did a poor job of preparing for this game, we just weren't ready to play," Rhode Island Head Coach Tim Stowers, whose team had defeated Delaware in each of the last two meetings, said. "Coach Keeler has his team headed in the right direction. You can't stay on the field with a team like that when you turn the ball over like we did."

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