Photos Courtesy of Bob Burleigh

NEWARK, DE -- The University of Delaware, behind the running of All-American senior Omar Cuff (#28 at top right), broke an early fourth quarter deadlock by scoring on two long drives in the final stanza on the way to a 30-20 Colonial Athletic Association football victory over Northeastern Saturday at Delaware Stadium before a Homecoming crowd of 21,570.

The No. 15 ranked Blue Hens (6-1, 4-1 CAA) rebounded from their first loss of the season last week at New Hampshire by grinding out 463 total yards, including 241 on the ground, and controlling the ball for 10 minutes in the final stanza to down the Huskies.

Cuff, a candidate for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, carried a career-high 39 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a scoring pass as the Blue Hens snapped a personal two-game losing streak against Northeastern but improved to 6-0 all-time vs. the Huskies at Delaware Stadium. Northeastern, which nearly upset No. 9 James Madison last week before falling by a 21-14 score, fell to 1-5 (0-3 CAA).

Cuff scored on a two-yard run in the first quarter and on a 11-yard burst in the third, and gave the Blue Hens the lead for good when he took a screen pass from Joe Flacco at the NU 25-yard line, dodged several defenders, and did a twisting leap into the end zone with 13:53 left to play to give the Hens a 27-20 advantage.

“"We knew Northeastern was very good team,” said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. “We missed on a couple of things in the first half and we didn’t make some plays. But we were very composed at the half and we knew this was a very important game and had to man up. At halftime Omar said “just give me the rock” and we gave him the rock. And what a great drive - a defining drive - we had at the end to put the game away. I’m very proud of the way we played today.”

The nation’s leading scorer with an average of 21.0 points per game entering the contest, Cuff upped his season touchdown total to 24, tying the UD single season mark set by running back Gardy Kahoe in 1971. Cuff also increased his career rushing yardage total to 3,282 to move into No. 2 on the all-time UD list past Chuck Hall, who ran for 3,157 in 1968-70. He also surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark for the second time this season and posted his 15th career 100-yard rushing game.

"I said, 'Let's just take this thing over,',” said Cuff regarding his second half performance. “I ran with more purpose [in the second half], more urgency. We knew we had to keep pushing, and we got the job done."

After Cuff’s third touchdown gave the Hens a 27-20 lead, the Blue Hens put the game away when they drove 91 yards on 21 plays and took eight minutes and 37 seconds off the clock, upping the lead to 30-20 on Jon Striefsky’s third field goal of the game with 1:35 remaining. Cuff carried the ball 14 times for 56 yards to highlight the possession.

Striefsky (#47 middle right) kicked three field goals, from distances of 37, 31, and 19 yards, to tie a UD single game mark and stayed perfect on nine field goal attempts this season, breaking the school record for consecutive field goals set by his predecessor Zach Hobby in 2005-06.

Flacco completed 17 of 26 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown and surpassed the 200-yard mark for the 11th straight game. Tight end Robbie Agnone and wide receiver Kervin Michaud each caught five passes.

Northeastern quarterback Anthony Orio completed 18 of 23 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown - a 76-yard strike to tight end Brian Mandeville in the first quarter - while running back Maurice Murray ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns. The senior went moved into second place on the all-time NU rushing list as he surpassed the 3,000-yard mark. The Huskies stayed close despite being outgained 463-321 and registering 14 less first downs than Delaware.

Delaware jumped out to a 3-0 lead on its first drive of the day as Striefsky converted a career-long 37-yard field goal just 3:29 into the game. But Northeastern came right back two possessions later to take a 7-3 lead when Orio spotted Mandeville across the middle and the tight end rambled past the UD secondary for a career-long 76-yard reception.

The Hens came right back on their next drive to go up 10-7 as Cuff scored on an 11-yard scamper with 4:09 left in the opening stanza, but the Huskies took that lead back midway through the second quarter when Murray scored from two yards out for a 14-10 advantage. A 31-yard field goal by Striefsky 2:54 before halftime cut the NU lead to 14-13 at the break.

Cuff’s 11-yard burst around the left end with 7:58 left in the third quarter gave the Hens the lead back at 20-14 at the 7:58 mark, but the Huskies once again responded and tied the score at 20-20 on a one-yard Murray burst with 1:10 left in the third quarter. Mat Johnson, who kicked the winning field goal as time expired in Northeastern’s 27-24 win over Delaware last season, had the chance to give NU the lead but his extra point attempt was blocked by Delaware defensive tackle Jeremy Kametz (#33 bottom right).

That left the door open for the Blue Hens to post the win. Delaware followed with an 8-play, 71-yard drive that consumed 2:11 and ended with Cuff’s weaving and leaping 25-yard touchdown pass from Flacco that gave UD the lead for good at 27-20 with 13:53 left. The Delaware defense held Northeastern to six yards on its next drive, but NU punter Ron Conway pinned the Hens backk as he dropped his punt on the Delaware eight-yard line with 10:12 remaining.

Backed by Cuff, the Blue Hens proceeded to go 91 yards on 21 plays in 8:37 - all season-highs - and iced the win with Striefsky’s 19-yard field goal with just 1:35 left.

“It was a disappointing day,” said Northeastern head coach Rocky Hager. “I thought we had some things under control in the first half but give Delaware credit. They ran the ball exceptionally well in the second half behind their offensive line and came up with plays that we didn’t come up with.”

Delaware will be off next Saturday while preparing for its next contest - Oct. 27 at Navy in Annapolis, MD.

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