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Blue Hens win football thriller over Massachusetts

11:31 a.m., Nov. 17, 2003--The University of Delaware football team earned a thrilling 51-45 triple overtime victory against the University of Massachusetts before 21,804 fans at Delaware Stadium on Saturday.

The Atlantic 10 Football Conference game was a classic battle featuring two of the leading NCAA Division I-AA teams. Entering the game, Massachusetts was ranked No. 3 in the nation and the Fightin’ Blue Hens No. 6.

With the victory, UD raised its record to 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the Atlantic 10. Massachusetts fell to 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference, with the team’s only other loss coming at the hands of Kansas State.

The Hens can win the conference title, and the accompanying automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, with a win over Villanova University on Saturday, Nov. 22. Kickoff for the game, which is at Villanova, will be at 4 p.m.

UD secured the win in the third overtime period when quarterback Andy Hall hit wide receiver Justin Long on a four-yard touchdown pass, after which the Hens stopped Massachusetts on downs. The game was the longest in UD history in terms of the number of overtime periods played.

On the day, Hall completed 28 of 39 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a score to lead a UD offense that piled up 432 total yards.

Massachusetts quarterback Jeff Krohn completed 25 of 48 passes for 354 yards and five touchdowns and led an offense that compiled 518 yards of offense. However, UMass was hurt by five turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble by Krohn.

"I told the team after the game 'we're back'," UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler, whose team suffered its first loss of the season last week at Northeastern, said. "This was a great win all around. This was a really important win for us, and our team showed a lot of courage to come back. The big key was getting all those turnovers."

Hall threw two touchdown passes each to Long and David Boler, who had 10 catches for 109 yards.

Running back Germaine Bennett rushed for 85 yards and went over 1,000 yards for the season, becoming the first UD back to reach the mark since 1994.

Krohn threw three touchdown passes to Jason Peebler, who caught six passes for 132 yards, including a 25-yard scoring pass from Krohn to send the game into the final overtime session.

Massachusetts running back Steve Baylark rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown and also went over 1,000 yards for the season.

"This was just an awesome football game and one of the best I've ever been associated with," Massachusetts Head Coach Mark Whipple said. "Nobody deserved to lose this game. Both teams battled back."

UD took a 17-14 lead into halftime as Hall and Boler hooked up on a seven-yard scoring pass, their second of the half, with 1:53 left before intermission. Krohn threw scoring passes of nine yards and 30 yards to Peebler in the opening stanza to stake Massachusetts to an early advantage.

In the second half, the game went back and forth with the Hens taking a 31-24 lead when Hall hit Long on a three-yard scoring pass with 6:32 left in regulation. The score was set up when UD’s Jamie Rotonda recovered a fumbled punt.

Massachusetts stormed back to send the game into overtime, capping an 89-yard drive with a six-yard scoring pass from Krohn to Johnson Owumi with 2:26 left in regulation for the 31-31 tie.

The Hens struck first in the overtime session as Bennett scored on a 16-yard run on a fourth down play. Massachusetts came back as Baylark scored from six yards out on a four-play drive.

Massachusetts got the ball first in the second overtime and scored on its first play when Krohn found Peebler in the right side of the end zone. UD came back, tying the score at 45-45 on Hall's 13-yard touchdown run.

UD got the ball first in the third overtime and capped a nine-play drive with Hall's four-yard touchdown pass to Long for a 51-45 lead. Massachusetts took over but could not move the ball, the game ending when Krohn misfired on a fourth down pass to Jimmie Howard.

UD, which won its seventh straight home game and its 12th in the last 13 games in Newark, captured the 100th Atlantic 10 victory in school history since joining the league in 1986.

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