Pictured from top: Andrew Pierce (#30), Anthony Walters (#9), Pat Devlin (#17) (Photos by Mark Campbell)

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NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware posted another early-season win over West Chester Thursday night as freshman running back Andrew Pierce ran for 119 yards in his collegiate debut, All-American candidate Pat Devlin threw for three touchdowns, and Anthony Walters led the defense with two interceptions as the No. 16 Hens posted a 31-0 victory in the season opener at Delaware Stadium.

The Blue Hens (1-0) didn’t show mid-season form just yet, fumbling the ball away twice and committing six penalties, but it was an effective effort as Delaware downed the NCAA Division II power Rams for the 17th straight time and posted a shutout over the Golden Rams (0-1) for the second straight year. The Hens have won each of the last eight meetings by at least 18 points.

“In many ways I thought we dominated this game as much as we ever had (vs. West Chester),” said ninth-year Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. “We just put the ball on the ground too many times and had too many penalties. We just need to finish off some plays. I thought our defense played well. We are definitely a good football team. We just have to learn how to play clean and if we do, I think we will be tough to beat. It was great to see A.P. (Pierce) have a big day. He is only a freshman but he has great feet and does not make a lot of mistakes. Our offensive line played well in front of him.”

Pierce, a sturdy 5-11, 200 lb. native of Bridgeton, N.J. (Cumberland Regional High School), earned the starting nod over two returning veterans during pre-season and showed just why Thursday night as he rushed 13 times for 119 yards, including a 22-yard burst around the left side that gave Delaware a 14-0 lead just over a minute into the second half.

“It was a wonderful feeling tonight,” said Pierce, who attended community college last fall before enrolling at UD this spring. “Just having that feeling back and being on the field again was a great experience. Coming out with a win tonight was exactly what we wanted.”

Devlin, a senior and second-year starter who is a candidate for the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the NCAA Divison I Football Championship Subdivision, was efficient as usual, completing 14 of 23 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to backup Trevor Sasek late in the third quarter.

Delaware, looking to rebound from a 6-5 record a year ago, treated the opening night crowd of 19,421 to a fun evening as the Hens jumped out to a 21-0 lead at halftime and never looked back.

The Hens opened the scoring late in the first quarter as Devlin hit sophomore wide receiver Nihja White in the right flat and White outraced a Ram defender to sneak into the front corner of the end zone. Pierce gave the Hens a 14-0 lead on his 22-yard burst early in the second quarter, and Devin found Tommy Crosby on a fade pattern in the left side of the end zone with 3:12 left in the half. Delaware had the chance to make it even more, but sophomore Rob Jones fumbled just two yards shy of the end zone with just 21 seconds left in the half.

A 10-point third quarter helped the Hens put the game away as Mike Perry connected on a 43-yard field goal on his first career attempt with 9:55 left in the stanza and Phillip Thaxton capped the scoring on a 23-yard catch and run on the right flat from Devlin at the 5:03 mark of the stanza.

No. 22 ranked West Chester, a perennial NCAA Tournament qualifier and the pre-season favorite to capture the East title in the grueling Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, could never get anything going all night. Quarterback Matt Mattei, making his first career start, hit just 9 of 20 passes for 68 yards but was intercepted three times, including twice by All-Colonial Athletic Conference safety Anthony Walters.

The Rams, who crossed midfield just five times in 13 drives and never got closer than the Delaware 18-yard line, managed just 115 total yards on the night and gained only 39 yards on 31 rushing attempts. Delaware’s defense intercepted three passes, broke up four others, and held West Chester to negative yards on nine plays.

Linebacker Andrew Harrison collected a team-high eight tackles and Walters added seven tackles, including two for loss, along with his two interceptions. Delaware senior Tyrone Grant also intercepted a pass, picking off Mattei at the Delaware one-yard line late in the third quarter. Walters’ first interception also came at the goal-line to end a Ram drive.

Delaware is now 45-6-1 all-time against the Rams, a school located just 45 minutes away. The series is scheduled to end following the 2012 season. The teams have played every season since 1968 except for the 2001 season when the game was cancelled due to the 9/11 tragedies.

The Hens will return to action next Saturday when they host South Dakota State at 1 p.m. at Delaware Stadium. South Dakota State, which will make its first-ever visit to Delaware, advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago and is currently ranked No. 9 in the Sports Network national poll.