Delaware Valley University 26, King's College 10
DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley University netted 391 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while its defense permitted just 28 rushing yards as the Aggies posted a 26-10, Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) victory over visiting King's College.
It was just the second home football night game in program history as Delaware Valley picked up a wild, 54-35 victory over Wilkes University under the lights last season. This year's night triumph improved the team to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play while the Monarchs fell to 1-3 and 1-2.
The Aggies, who finished with 449 rushing yards in last week's win at Misericordia University, came close to matching that total against King's. They ran the ball 38 times, averaging 10.3 yards per carry and did so without the services of two-time all-MAC left tackle Josh Wallace (injury).
Meanwhile, the DelVal defense gave up the 28 rushing yards on 30 plays (0.9 avg). Part of that was six sacks for losses of 37 yards. The unit also forced two turnovers.
Sophomore transfer Devauntay Ellis put the Aggies on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter as he took a handoff, bounced to the outside and raced 66 yards for the touchdown. Brendan Hanagan added the extra-point for a 7-0 lead with 6:45 left in the quarter.
King's responded with a 13-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard field goal by Mikhail Kniaziewicz. The Monarchs had a first-and-goal from the seven, but managed just three yards before Kniaziewicz's boot. It came with 53 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Back came DelVal and a big, 29-yard pass play from Danny Farley to Michael Hammock on a third-and-14 kept the drive alive. The Aggies then faced a fourth-and-three from the 17 when Ellis took it off left tackle and found the end zone. Hanagan's point-after upped the DelVal lead to 14-3 with 12:43 to go in the first half.
Later in the quarter, the Aggies were driving, but Jake Manetti intercepted a Farley pass and returned it 31 yards to the DelVal 49. King's then ran off 10 plays with the last being a two-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tom Hehre with just 11.5 seconds left before the intermission. Kniaziewicz added the extra-point to pull the Monarchs to within four, 14-10.
In the third quarter, DelVal took over at its own 15-yard for its second drive of the half. Backup quarterback Dashawn Darden took the field as he does for a number of plays. He took the snap and sprinted untouched for an 85-yard touchdown run, the first of the freshman's collegiate career. The extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving the score at 20-10 with 6:18 left in the third.
It remained a 10-point game until early in the fourth when the Aggies' Rashaad Lighty forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Devante Forde at the King's 24. On the very next play, sophomore Armani Fuller-Williams found the end zone for a 26-10 lead with 10:09 left on the clock.
Lighty forced another turnover on the next Monarchs' possession, this time at the six-yard line. However, DelVal was stopped and a 20-yard field goal attempt by Hanagan clanked off the left upright. King's drove deep into Aggie territory on the ensuing possession, but turned the ball over on downs and DelVal had the win.
Ellis finished with 157 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries (17.4 avg) while Darden had 98 yards and a score on six touches (16.3 avg). Robert Cleveland and Fuller-Williams added 49 and 48 yards respectively. Farley finished 2-for-7 for 41 yards.
Defensively, Lighty notched six tackles, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Ethan Snyder and Danny Wynne led the way with nine and eight tackles respectively.
For King's, Hehre completed 25 of 39 passes for 222 yards with Mike Palmer grabbing seven passes for 75 yards. Gabe Brown led the rushing attack with 36 yards on 14 carries. Michael Martina finished with seven tackles and a sack while Chad Curtice added six stops and one sack.