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UD football team downs Rhode Island, 24-17
10:58 a.m., Sept. 25, 2006--Seizing control of the game in the fourth quarter, the University of Delaware football team defeated the host University of Rhode Island 24-17 in an Atlantic 10 Conference game played Saturday afternoon at rainy Meade Stadium. “Any win on the road in the Atlantic 10 is a great win,” UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler, whose squad also trailed 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter, said. “We had a tough loss last week (to the State University of New York at Albany) and to let things get away would have been a bad thing. We had a championship week of practice. I really liked the way we came back. Our kids never panicked. The offense they were seeing was brand new but our kids battled and did a pretty good job. We could have collapsed a few times in the second half but our kids responded.” The Fightin' Blue Hens (2-1 overall, 1-0 in conference) fell behind 3-0 just three minutes into the game but came back to tie quickly, with kicker Zach Hobby hitting a 36-yard field goal set up by a 51-yard pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Mark Duncan. Rhode Island regained the lead 10-3 late in the first quarter but the Hens answered on an 11-yard run by Jared Bradley to tie the game 10-10 at the half. The Hens' 74-yard touchdown drive featured a 21-yard completion from Flacco to wide receiver Kervin Michaud and an 11-yard run by the quarterback. Rhode Island took the initiative in the third quarter, and put the Hens down 17-10 after a Stuart Kenworthy punt went just 28 yards to give the Rams excellent field position. UD came to life in the fourth quarter, however, after defensive lineman Bubba Jespersen forced a fumble at the Rhode Island 30-yard line and defensive back Roger Brown recovered. The Hens took advantage with a nine-play drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown scamper by All-America running back Omar Cuff. “Omar really took over for us in that final quarter,” Keeler said. “He was spectacular. When it came down to it, Omar came up big for us.” The UD defense again stopped Rhode Island, giving the Hens the ball on their own 38-yard line as they began the game-winning drive. The big play was a 42-yard pass from Flacco to tight end Ben Patrick. After a three-yard run by Cuff put the ball on the three, Flacco scored on a quarterback keeper around the left side to give the Hens a 24-17 lead. The Hens got the ball one more time and ran out the clock at the Rhode Island 1-yard line. Flacco hit on 15 of 30 passes for 205 yards while Cuff run for 76 yards on 19 carries and Patrick caught six passes for 91 yards. Cuff moved into 10th place on the all-time UD rushing list with 2,103 yards, moving past Dan Reeder (2,067 yards in 1982-84). Punt returner Aaron Love had a 42-yard return that gave the Hens the ball at the Rhode Island 21-yard line in the third quarter but UD was unable to capitalize and turned the ball over on downs. UD will return home to face the No. 1 team in the nation, the University of New Hampshire, at 7 p.m., Saturday, at Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium. |
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