After four and one-half hours, 118 points, and 1,044 total yards, No. 9 Richmond (8-2, 6-1 CAA) finally survived with a 62-56 victory when Josh Vaughan scored on a 13-yard run to open the fifth overtime period and the Spiders then held the No. 6 Fightin' Blue Hens on downs.
Delaware (8-2, 5-2 CAA), which had a three-game win streak snapped, had sent the game into overtime at 38-38 when quarterback Joe Flacco snuck in from one-yard out on a controversial final play of regulation. The Blue Hens lost despite piling up 30 first downs and 585 total yards.
The game was the longest in school history for Delaware and the second longest in CAA history. The 62 points allowed were the most by a Delaware team since the 1921 season and the 118 total points marked the highest combined scoring game in Delaware Stadium history and the second highest scoring game in CAA annals. A total of 347 games have been played at Delaware Stadium since it opened in 1952.
"We are all disappointed, but I was very proud of how we battled,” UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler said. “It's disappointing for our seniors to go out (in their final regular season home game) with a loss, but Richmond did a great job on both sides of the ball. It didn't come down to one play. It was the whole body of work. We just didn't make enough plays and didn't take advantage of our opportunities. We had an emotional win at Navy, an emotional win over James Madison, and now this emotional loss. We have to get over it quickly."
Delaware, which will close out the regular season next Saturday at rival Villanova, should secure one of 16 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision tournament berths with a victory.
The offensive heroes were plenty on a day when the two teams combined to score on 19 of 34 possessions and convert 22 of 38 third down opportunities.
Flacco completed 26 of 38 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns and also scored twice, Mark Duncan caught nine passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns and All-America running back Omar Cuff set a school record with 48 carries and finished with 189 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].
Photo by Mark Campbell
