Delaware Pulls Away in Big Second Half to Upend Football Before Sold-Out Crowd

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Newark, Del. -- Johnathan Smith rushed for two touchdowns and nationally-ranked Delaware used a suffocating defense to pull away in the second half for a 38-7 victory over UAlbany on Saturday evening before a sold-out crowd of 22,196 fans at Delaware Stadium.

Delaware (2-2) reached paydirt on its first four possessions after the intermission to build a commanding 31-point advantage. Quarterback Robby Schoenhoft, an Ohio State transfer, keyed the first drive when he beatthe blitz with a 44-yard strike to wideout Aaron Love. Schoenhoft, at 6-foot-6, 250-pound junior, later fired a 20-yard scoring pass to Martwain Johnston. All-America kicker Jon Striefsky then finished off an eight-play march with a 43-yard field goal for a 24-7 margin.

The Blue Hens, who avenged a 17-10 upset in the first meeting between these programs two years ago on this field, would score on the first play of the fourth quarter when Smith took an option pitch and rumbled three yards to the end zone. Schoenhoft, who connected on 10-of-16 for 166 yards following a four-interception game the previous week against Furman, kept the sequence alive with a third-and-eight completion to Love for a first down at the UAlbany 9. Reverse running back Jerry Butler later ended a 71-yard march with a 4-yard run with 8:19 remaining.

“They are an excellent defensive team and have a couple of kids who will play on Sundays,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford, whose squad was held to 150 total yards and nine first downs. “We didn’t have a first down in the third quarter and you can’t do that to the defense. They came off the corner with more pressure and the blitz hurt us badly. We battled, especially in the first half, but were not effective enough with the pass.”

The Blue Hens, who are ranked No. 12 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 17 by Sports Network, took a 7-0 lead with a six-play, 60-yard drive midway through the opening quarter. Kervin Michaud bounced off a pile and sprinted 37 yards to the UAlbany 10. Smith, who carried 17 times for 59 yards, scored on a 1-yard run three plays later, one of his seven touchdowns over the last three games.

The Great Danes, who were playing their fourth consecutive Colonial Athletic Association opponent to begin the season, regrouped with a 16-play march that took seven-plus minutes off the clock. David McCarty lugged the ball nine straight times to finish the sequence, including a 1-yard blast that just crossed the goal line on fourth down.

Delaware’s defense provided the go-ahead touchdown when cornerback Tyrone Grant picked off Vinny Esposito’s errant throw and returned the interception 60 yards to the end zone for a 14-7 lead. UAlbany later marched deep into UD territory in the closing seconds of the first half, but defensive end John Higginson sacked Esposito on third down and then blocked Herb Glass’s 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

“We played well again in the first half, but our kryptonite has been the second half,” explained McCarty, who was limited to 47 yards on 22 carries and in the process had his nine-game, 100-yard rushing streak snapped. “Their defensive style was similar to UNH (New Hampshire), but we were unable to tame them. They were quick to the ball and made plays when we could not.”