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November 13, 1999
With the win, the Blue Hens (7-3, 5-2 Atlantic 10) won their third straight game and stayed in contention for an NCAA I-AA playoff berth. Rhode Island (1-9, 1-6), whose seventh-year head coach Floyd Keith announced this week his resignation effective at the end of the season, lost its third straight game. "We went into this game with a great deal of trepidation," said Delaware head coach Tubby Raymond, who will celebrate his 73rd birthday today (Sunday). "This was an emotional game, I didn't know how they (Rhode Island) would react to their news this week. I thought that anything could happen. And in many ways I was right. They came out strong but I think by halftime they were ready to go home. This was the best we've played this year and I was pleased to see us hang in there and play the whole game. We finally ran like we are capable." Delaware held Rhode Island to 215 total yards and eight first downs, including just 82 yards and two first downs in the second half, in posting its first shutout since a 14-0 win over William & Mary in 1997. Freshman linebacker Dan Mulhern led the UD effort with a school record tying three interceptions. "I wish I could take something positive from this," said Keith, now 23-51 in seven years with Rams. "We were embarrassed and we were outplayed in every facet. We did nothing on offense." Downs, a junior who was the Hens' leading rusher a year ago but delegated to a backup role behind top rusher Butter Pressey, started for the injured Pressey and erupted for a career-high 169 yards, the most for a UD runner since 1994, and two touchdowns. Junior James O'Neal, a first-year transfer from Iowa State, added 140 yards on 12 carries to pace an offense that registered a season-high 391 yards on the ground. Downs started the scoring on a three-yard run with 7:31 left in the first quarter and the Hens took a 14-0 lead just 42 seconds into the second quarter on a 12 yard touchdown pass from senior Brian Ginn to Veach. Veach extended the lead to 21-0 when he scored his first collegiate rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter on an end around. The nine-yard scamper capped a five-play, 94-yard drive. Veach's score was set up by O'Neal's 69-yard run to the Rhode Island 25, the longest play from scrimmage this season for Delaware. Downs scored his second touchdown of the day when Delaware drove 80 yards in four plays to start the second half. The sophomore from Philadelphia, PA ran 26 yards for the score to give Delaware a 28-0 lead. O'Neal capped the scoring on Delaware's next possession when the Lake Grove, NY native went up the middle eight yards for the touchdown. The Blue Hens held the Rams to just two first downs and 82 yards of total offense in the second half. After the first quarter, Rhode Island possessed the ball for just 17:24. The win was Delaware's ninth straight over Rhode Island dating back to 1988. It was the first time Delaware shutout the Rams since Sept. 9, 1978. AGATE
RHODE
ISLAND............0.....0.....0.....0.....-
0
SCORING SUMMARY First
quarter Second
quarter Third
quarter Attendance: 17,227
TEAM
STATS...............URI..........UD INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING - RHODE ISLAND: Jamison 11-59, Williams 2-23, Nedimyer 6-17, Mastrole 4-minus 15. DELAWARE: Downs 11-169, O'Neal 12-140, Cummings 9-44, Conway 7-26, Watkins 3-20, Veach 1-9, Irvin 2-8, Nagy 1-4, Ricco 3-3, Tillman 1-2, Zebley 1-1, Pressey 2-5, Kowalski 2-minus 3, Medley 2-minus 9, Ginn 6-minus 23. PASSING - RHODE ISLAND: Mastrole 27-14-2-76, Nedimyer 12-4-2-55. DELAWARE: Ginn 15-9-0-161, Nagy 4-0-0-0, Medley 1-0-0-0, Kowalski 1-0-0-0. RECEIVING - RHODE ISLAND: Birkett 4-45, Jamison 4-1, Tajong 3-33, Williams 2-22, Gibson 2-9, Henry 1-9, Fanopolous 1-7, Wellington 1- 5. DELAWARE: Veach 5-49, VanKerkhoven 2-37, Cummings 1-60, Penecale 1-15.
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