NEWARK, DE -- Sophomore Omar Cuff (right) scored a school-record five touchdowns, including a three-yard run with 20 seconds left to send the game in overtime and a 16-yard scoring pass from Sonny Riccio on the third play of the extra session as 10th ranked University of Delaware rallied for a 34-33 football victory over No. 14 Lehigh Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.

The Blue Hens (1-0), who won their seventh straight home game at Delaware Stadium, overcame a sluggish start and rallied from a 27-13 deficit with 9:34 remaining in regulation to pick up the unlikely victory in their season opener. Lehigh, which won its opener 54-26 last week over Monmouth, fell to 1-1. The game was played before a sellout
crowd of 22,537 that was treated to plenty of drama.

Cuff scored on a broken play in overtime when Riccio scrambled and found him all along on the right sideline for the touchdown. Freshman Zach Hobby’s extra point gave the Hens the 34-27 lead. Lehigh converted a big fourth and two in its possession in overtime and scored five plays later on a one-yard run by Eric Rath. But Lehigh kicker Justin Musiek, who had converted a 31-yard field goal and two extra points earlier, was wide
left on the extra point attempt, setting off a wild celebration among Blue Hen fans.

Cuff, who didn’t even play running back for the Blue Hen until breaking into the lineup midway through the 2004 season, rushed 23 times for 101 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 53 yards and two scores. His one-yard run with 7:36 left to play started the comeback, cutting the Lehigh lead to 27-20, and his three-yard burst with 20 seconds left capped a 67-yard drive. Hobby’s extra point sent the game into overtime.

The first three quarters of the game belonged to the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh took a 10-0 lead after the first quarter on Musiek’s 31-yard field goal and a five-yard run by Borda. After Cuff’s 15-yard scoring pass from Riccio early in the second quarter put the Hens on the board, Lehigh took a 20-6 lead as the Mountain Hawks scored a safety off a bad snap that Delaware backup quarterback Ryan Carty recovered and on a 15-yard scoring pass from Borda to Gerran Walker.

Cuff cut the lead to 20-14 on a six-yard run with 12:26 left to play, but Lehigh upped the lead back to 14 points on a 20-yard scoring run by Rath with 9:54 left in regulation.

Borda, who threw six touchdown passes in last week’s win over Monmouth, completed 32 of 52 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, hitting Lee Thomas eight times for 82 yards. Delaware’s Riccio was 20 of 31 for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams have been among the nation’s top programs over the last few years with Delaware capturing the 2003 NCAA I-AA title and advancing to the I-AA quarterfinals and perennial Patriot League power Lehigh advancing to the I-AA playoffs last year. Delaware, which has won 14 of its last 17 season openers, has now defeated Lehigh eight times in the last nine meetings. The teams have now met 46 times since 1912.

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