Boxscore
Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware holds football bragging rights in the state after posting a 27-17 victory over Delaware State in the inaugural First State Cup matchup Saturday afternoon at sun-splashed Delaware Stadium.

But it wasn't easy.

Delaware junior quarterback Pat Devlin (bottom right) ran for two scores and threw for 227 yards, including a fourth quarter touchdown to freshman Rob Jones (top right), and the stingy Blue Hen defense held the Delaware State offense to just one touchdown on the day as the Hens (2-1) outlasted the Hornets (0-2) in the first-ever regular season matchup between the two teams. The game drew a spirited crowd of 20,585.

Dubbed The First State Cup in a state-wide naming contest, the games featured the state's only NCAA Division I football programs. The team met for only the second time following Delaware's 44-7 NCAA first round playoff win over Delaware State in 2007. Delaware was awarded the trophy in a post-game ceremony and will keep possession of the cup until the teams resume the rivalry again in 2012.

This time the game was much closer as the Hens came away with a hard-earned win against the Hornets. Delaware increased its lead to 21-3 after Devlin's 17-yard scoring strike to Jones with 10:56 left to play, but the Hornets kept it close by scoring two touchdowns in the final 5:01. A three-yard touchdown run by Leon Jackson with 3:36 left gave the Blue Hens some insurance.

"This was a great football game," said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. "We have so much respect for Delaware State and this was a hard-fought win for our team. We were out of sync offensively in the first half but we came out and did a great job in the second half. There could have been some panic in our team because everyone was telling them all week that they should win this game. But we knew we were playing a good football team."

Devlin completed 19 of 29 passes for 227 yards and scored on one-yard sneaks with 7:41 left in the first quarter to open the scoring and again with 1:26 left in the third quarter to increase the lead to 14-3. He completed all five of his pass attempts for 47 yards in leading a 59-yard march that culminated with his 17-yard scoring toss to Jones in the back of the left end zone early in the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 21-7.

Both teams struggled all day to mount long drives and each finished with 343 total yards. The game also featured 10 punts, 13 penalties, and three turnovers, including a crucial interception by Delaware safety Anthony Bratton (middle right) at the Blue Hen 22-yard line with 7:56 left in the third quarter as Delaware was clinging to a 7-3 lead.

Another Delaware State turnover, a fumble by running back Jason Randall that was forced by Siddiq Haynes and picked up by Michael Atunrase at the 41-yard line, set up Devlin’s scoring toss to Jones.

Randall led all runners on the day with a career-high 93 yards on 20 carries while Delaware State quarterback Anthony Glaud connected on 23 of 40 passes for 208 yards. Darius Jackson, who caught seven pass in the Hornet’s season-opening 21-12 loss at Florida A&M two weeks ago, caught eight passes for 81 yards on this day.

Delaware’s defense, which has allowed just two offensive touchdowns in three games this season, posted three quarterback sacks and six other tackles for loss while also breaking up four passes.

The Hens were stopped on their first drive when Jon Striefsky’s 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide. But Delaware State was whistled for a personal foul penalty, giving the Hens a first down at the Hornet 12-yard line. Four plays later Devlin bulled into the end zone from one-yard out to open the scoring.

Delaware State got on the board with its next possession when a Delaware interception by Marcus Burley was negated by a penalty. The Hornets took advantage and four plays later cut the lead to 7-3 as Riley Flickinger booted a career-long 42-yard field goal.

Neither team scored again in the first half as Flickinger’s 44-yard field goal attempt with 13:27 left in the half sailed wide and the Blue Hens ended the half stranded on the DSU one-yard line when Jackson was stopped at the goal line by Hornet linebacker Kevin Green.

Delaware State had the chance to take the lead on its first drive of the second half as the Hornets drove all the way down to the Delaware 22-yard line. But the drive ended when Bratton made a diving interception on the left sideline of a Glaud pass.

Delaware’s offense finally began to click in the second half as the Hens needed just four plays to drive 70 yards and capped the march with Devlin’s one-yard scoring burst with 2:54 left in the third stanza to up the lead to 14-3. Devlin’s 19-yard pass to Mark Mackey and a 38-yard strike down the middle to Tommy Crosby highlighted the drive.

The Hens made it 21-3 on Devlin’s 19-yard scoring pass to Jones with 10:56 left before Delaware State made a comeback. After Flickinger had a 35-yard field goal attempt block, the Hornets came right back as safety Jerome Strums gathered in a Devlin pass off the finger tips of UD receiver Mark Schenauer and stormed down the left sideline with a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown.

But Delaware responded and went back up 21-10 with 3:36 left as a 56-yard kickoff return by Jerry Butler gave the Hens the ball at the Delaware State 23-yard line. After an eight-yard run by Butler and a 12-yard scamper by Devlin, Jackson scored from three-yards out to tack on some insurance.

The Hornets capped the scoring with their longest drive of the day when they marched 74 yard on 10 plays and cut the lead to 27-17 on a one-yard run by Glaud with 31 seconds remaining. Glaud completed five of for 57 yards to highlight the drive.

Delaware will return to Colonial Athletic Association action next Saturday when they travel to No. 5 ranked William & Mary for a 7 p.m. game in Williamsburg, Va. Deaware State travels to Hampton next Saturday in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action.