Boxscore

File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- University of Delaware All-Americans Robbie Agnone and Aaron Love sat together at the post-game press conference and smiled, joking back and forth about who had the better passing game.

It really didn’t matter. The two seniors, Agnone a tight end and Love a wide receiver, had just led the Blue Hens to a 17-0 football victory over host Hofstra Saturday afternoon at rainy Shuart Stadium, helping snap a three-game losing streak and sending Delaware to its first Colonial Athletic Association victory of the season.

That both played a key role on offense for the Blue Hens was no surprise. That both did so while sharing the quarterback duties most certainly was.

Pressed into action with starter Robby Schoenhoft back on campus nursing a slight concussion and the flu, backup Lou Ritacco out indefinitely with an eye injury, and third stringer Sean Hakes still trying to learn the offense, the two former high school signal callers combined to complete 8 of 11 passes for 77 yards and lead the Hens (3-5, 1-3 CAA) to the much-needed victory.

The Hens had scored just 20 points during their three-game losing streak, converting just one field goal and producing just 145 total yards in a 27-3 loss to William & Mary last week.

Delaware, which had never opened conference play by losing its first four games, also avoided its first four-game losing streak overall since opening the 1967 season 0-4 under Tubby Raymond. The Blue Hens and Ohio State remain the only NCAA Division I teams who have not had a four-game losing streak in the last 40 seasons.

Senior Junior Jabbie (at right) sparked the Blue Hen running game by carrying 31 times for 155 yards and a touchdown and the reliable Delaware defense held Hofstra (3-5, 1-3 CAA) to just 179 total yards, posting five sacks and intercepting two passes on the way to the team’s first shutout on an opponents’ home field since a 17-0 win at Louisiana Tech in the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA semifinals.

“It’s rewarding to see these two guys (Agnone and Love), a pair of fifth-year seniors, take things on their shoulders, have a productive day, and lead us to a victory,” said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler, whose squad has now defeated Hofstra five straight times in Hempstead since the 1967 season. “It was something to see out there. We had to make a decision this week on who was going to play quarterback. Both are great athletes and good leaders and they know the offense so well. The key this week was getting the rest of our offense to trust these two and they got better every day this week.”

Agnone, who earned All-American honorable mention honors last season when he caught 38 passes for 484 yards for the Blue Hens’ national runner-up team, was a standout quarterback at Red Land High School in Pennsylvania and played that position as a freshman at Pittsburgh before transferring to UD.

Love, also an honorable mention All-American in 2007 and Delaware’s No. 2 all-time leading receiver with 182 career receptions, last played quarterback at Southfield High School in Detroit as a junior.

Agnone completed 4 of 7 passes for 39 yards and scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak to push Delaware’s lead to 17-0 midway through the fourth quarter while Love hit on all four of his passes for 38 yards, ran for 25 yards, and also caught a pass for 25 yards to lead an offense that gained 257 yards and turned the ball over just once.

“I’m just happy to come out and give the offense a boost,” said Agnone. “I can’t lead the team from the tight end position like I can at quarterback. When we found out Monday we would be playing quarterback, I knew we had a chance to turn things around.”

“The coaches put me in a good position to do well all week,” said Love, whose 182 career receptions are just 10 shy of the all-time UD career record. “We got some good looks today and I felt comfortable out there.”

Jabbie also found a comfort level vs. Hofstra Saturday. A first-year transfer from Notre Dame, Jabbie continued his outstanding running after missing most of the pre-season and the early part of the schedule with a high ankle sprain. He carried 31 times for a career-high 155 yards for the game, including 96 in the first half, and scored the Hens’ first touchdown on a seven-yard run up the middle with 6:29 left in the opening quarter. He had carried the ball just 19 times for 82 yards in two appearances entering the game.

“Junior gives us a new dimension in the backfield,” said Keeler. “We knew exactly what Junior would give us today and that if he ran well, it would be a big lift for us. Getting that run game going early certainly helped out our defense.”

Delaware’ defense, much-maligned with injuries but always dependable, put pressure on Hofstra quarterback Steve Probst all day, forcing the first-time starter into 11 of 28 passes for 71 yards and two interceptions. The Pride managed just 108 yards rushing as the Hens posted five sacks for 30 yards.

Defensive end Matt Marcorelle and linebacker Andrew Harrison each had two sacks and Charles Graves intercepted both passing, including one in the end zone. Sophomore safety Sean Scanlon, getting his first start in place of team interception leader Anthony Walters who was serving a one-game suspension, posted a team and career-high nine tackles.

Delaware jumped out to a 7-0 lead thanks to some great field position when Hofstra punter Sean Casciano’s kick into a strong headwind travelled just three yards, giving the Hens possession at the Pride 12-yard line. After a Hofstra penalty moved the ball up to the seven-yard line, Jabbie ran up the middle for his second touchdown of the season.

The touchdown was the first for the Hens since scoring in the second quarter of the Maine game back on Oct. 11 and snapped a string of 106 minutes without a touchdown.

Hofstra got a break when Chris Edmond recovered a fumble by Phillip Thaxton at its own 31-yard line with 12:04 left in the second quarter, but the Pride couldn’t take advantage, losing a yard in three plays on the possession.

Following the punt, Delaware drove 67 yards on 12 plays and upped the lead to 10-0 when Jon Striefsky ripped a 32-yard field goal into the wind with 5:10 left in the half. Jabbie picked up 31 yards during the drive and Love fired 11-yard completions to Mark Duncan and Tommy Crosby.

The Pride came out strong in the second half, holding possession for 13:43 in the third quarter but coming up empty as the Delaware defense held strong. Hofstra took its opening drive of the half and marched to the Delaware 13-yard line on 15 plays. But on a fourth and three from the Delaware 15, Delaware defensive tackle Brandon Gilbeaux stopped Probst with a one-yard loss on a quarterback keeper.

On Hofstra’s next possession, the Hen defense came up big again when Graves intercepted an overthrown pass in the end zone with Hofstra driving at the UD 22-yard line with 14:49 left. Graves, intercepted Probst again at the Delaware nine-yard line off a tip by Harrison with 7:48 left to play, added two tackles and a pass breakup on the afternoon.

Two possessions later, the Hens put the game away when Hofstra snapped the ball over Casciano’s head, giving Delaware the ball at the Pride one-yard line. Two plays later, Agnone bulled his way in from one-yard out to up the lead to 17-0 with 8:01 left.

Delaware’s defense made one more big stand late in the game to preserve the team’s first shutout of any kind since the 40-0 win over Colgate in the 2003 NCAA I-AA national championship game in Chattanooga. Blue Hen punter Stuart Kenworthy bobbled a snap at his own 10-yard line with 44 seconds left to play, giving Hofstra one more possession. But Probst followed with four straight incomplete passes, giving the Hens the victory.

“We can still do something with this season, it can still mean something, and we can have some fun,” said Keeler, whose team will travel to No. 1 ranked James Madison next Saturday. “We play pretty good defense and that will always keep you in the ballgame.”

Game Notes.....Delaware’s first touchdown extended a school record for consecutive games scoring a point to 156 for Delaware, a streak that began in 1996...Love surpassed the 3,000 career all-purpose yard mark with a four-yard carry on the Hens’ first series, becoming the 19th player in UD history to reach the mark...Mark Duncan’s first catch of the game extended his streak to 22 straight games with at least one catch...senior WR Kervin Michaud, out for the season with a broken clavicle, made the trip and took part in the opening coin toss...senior DE Ronald Talley made the trip but was not in uniform due to an ankle injury...Kenworthy had a career-long 62-yard punt in the third quarter to pin Hofstra back at its own 19-yard line.