No. 16 Delaware Picks Up Top 20 Win Over No. 9 S.D. State

Courtesy of Delaware Athletics

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware dominated both sides of scrimmage, piling up 257 yards behind the running of freshman tailback Andrew Pierce and holding South Dakota State to just 25 yards on the ground as the No. 16 Blue Hens posted an impressive 26-3 non-league football victory over the No. 9 Jackrabbits Saturday afternoon at sun-drenched Delaware Stadium.

The Blue Hens (2-0) snapped a six-game losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents and did so in a big way, jumping out to a 17-0 lead after the first quarter and never looking back in a battle of NCAA Football Championship Subdivision powers. The game marked the first-ever meeting between the two schools. South Dakota State (0-1), an NCAA Tournament participant a year ago, was playing its season opener.

“We had some advantages today and we capitalized on them,” said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler, whose team last defeated a Top 10 opponent in 2007 when the Hens upended No. 5 Southern Illinois 20-17 in the FCS semifinals. “This was our second game and their first, we were the home team, and I think we were a little healthier than they were. We controlled both sides of scrimmage today. A.P. (Pierce) and (quarterback) Pat Devlin had good days, but it all started up front for us. That was were the game was won today.”

Pierce, a 5-11, 200 lb. freshman, was a workhorse, carrying 26 times for 165 yards and a touchdown and becoming the first player in UD history to run for over 100 yards in each of his first two collegiate games. His 165 yards was the third highest single game mark ever for a UD freshman and was just 12 shy of teammate Phillip Thaxton’s record of 177 set in 2007. Pierce ran for 119 yards in last week’s season-opening win over West Chester.

Devlin, a candidate for the Walter Payton National Player of the Year Award, completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards and finding seven different receivers in the first quarter alone for Delaware. He tossed a seven-yard scoring strike to Thaxton just five minutes into the game as the Hens jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back.

The Blue Hen defense was just as impressive for the second straight week. After shutting down West Chester by a 31-0 score last week, the Hens almost equalled that effort again as they held the Jackrabbits to just 250 total yards, including just 25 yards rushing on 17 carries. SDSU All-American running back Kyle Minett, who ranked among the national leaders with 1,304 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago, was held to just 32 yards on 14 carries, his lowest single game total since taking over the starting duties as a sophomore.

The Hens also picked off SDSU quarterback Thomas O’Brien three times, including two by All-Colonial Athletic Association safety Anthony Bratton. Delaware kept the Jackrabbits out of the end zone all day, stopping the final drive of the game when Matt Marcorelle intercepted a pass in the end zone. The Hens have now intercepted six passes in two games this season and have held opponents without a touchdown for the last 143 minutes of game action over three games dating back to last season.

“Any turnover we get is a big one, and especially against an opponent like South Dakota State it helps a lot,” said Bratton. “This win really boosts our confidence that much more. We knew this was a game that would show where we stand. I think we aced the test.”

O’Brien finished the day completing 23 of 45 passes for 225 yards with wide receiver Tyrel Kool hauling in nine passes for 107 yards. The Jackrabbits got their only points on a 20-yard field goal by Andy Harris just 1:27 into the second half after recovering a Delaware fumble on the second half kickoff.

Delaware wasted little time taking control. After South Dakota State was penalized on two of its first three plays, Bratton intercepted an overthrown pass by O’Brien on just the fifth play from scrimmage at the Jackrabbit 30-yard line. Eight plays later Devlin found Thaxton wide open across the middle in the end zone for a 7-0 UD lead with 9:51 left in the quarter.

The Hens then upped that lead to 10-0 as Mike Perry capped an eight-play drive with a 40-yard field goal on the second series of the day and increased it to 17-0 as Pierce vaulted over the pile and into the end zone from three yards out with 1:19 remaining. Pierce’s score was set up when Bratton stepped in front of an O’Brien pass for this second pick of the day with 4:-05 left in the first quarter at the SDSU 43-yard line.

Delaware held SDSU to just 35 yards and a single first down in the opening stanza and the Jackrabbits never got closer than the Blue Hen 25-yard line the entire first half. When they got that far, they couldn’t capitalize as Andy Harris was way short on 44-yard attempt after a high snap with 11:56 left in the half. A second Perry field goal, a 27-yarder with 5:41 left in the second quarter, put the Hens up 20-0 heading into intermission.

The Jackrabbits had a golden opportunity to start a comeback in the second half but could not capitalize. Delaware’s Tyrone Grant fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half and Chris Tracy of SDSU recovered at the Blue Hen 11-yard line. But the Jackrabbits picked up just eight yards and had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Harris with 13:33 left.

The Hens built the lead to 26-3 when sophomore David Hayes took a handoff, swept around the left side, and tip-toed his way down the sidelines for a 26-yard scoring romp with 3:03 left in the third stanza.

The Delaware defense then made a point to keep the Jackrabbits out of the end zone, stopping South Dakota State on downs at the Blue Hen six-yard line with 7:42 left to play and then again in the final seconds when Marcorelle intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone.