|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept. 3, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. W 33-30 The Blue Hens opened the 1998 season under the lights with a hard-fought 33-30 victory over the much-improved Massachusetts Minutemen.UMass (0-1), under the direction of first-year head coach Mark Whipple and coming off a 2-9 season, led for most of the game until the Blue Hens rallied in the second half. The game, sponsored by Conectiv Communications, was just the second collegiate night game in Delaware Stadium history. Delaware sophomore Craig Cummings, who rushed for a career-high 100 yards and two touchdowns, put the Hens up for good with a six-yard touchdown run with 6:12 left in the third quarter. That score was set up by a blocked punt by freshman Jamin Elliott deep in UMass territory. Delaware added some insurance with a 21-yard scoring toss from Brian Ginn to Eddie Conti with 11:00 left to play. That score became important when UMass cut the lead to 33-30 with 9:31 left on a 31-yard scoring pass from Todd Bankhead to Jimmy Moore. UMass had the chance to win but Kerry Taylor bobbled a pass in the end zone with 43 seconds left to play. Bankhead, a junior college transfer, hit on 26 of 45 pass for 323 yards and four touchdowns, two to Taylor, to stake Massachusetts to a 23-20 halftime lead. The Hens, who improved to 27-6 in season openers under Tubby Raymond, got on the board first with a two-yard scoring pass from Ginn to tight end Jody Russell on the first drive of the game. |
