The Fightin' Blue Hens broke an early fourth quarter deadlock by scoring on two long drives powered by senior running back Omar Cuff. The co-captain, a candidate for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, carried 39 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a scoring pass.
“"We knew Northeastern was very good team,” said Delaware Head Coach K.C. Keeler. “We missed on a couple of things in the first half and we didn't make some plays. But we were very composed at the half and we knew this was a very important game and had to man up. At halftime Omar said 'just give me the rock' and we gave him the rock. And what a great drive, a defining drive, we had at the end to put the game away. I'm very proud of the way we played today.”
The nation's leading scorer with an average of 21 points per game entering the contest, Cuff increased his season touchdown total to 24, tying the UD single season mark set by running back Gardy Kahoe in 1971. Cuff also increased his career rushing yardage total to 3,282 to move into No. 2 on the all-time UD list past Chuck Hall, who ran for 3,157 in 1968-70. He also surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark for the second time this season and posted his 15th career 100-yard rushing game.
"I said, 'Let's just take this thing over,'” Cuff said of his second half performance. “I ran with more purpose [in the second half], more urgency. We knew we had to keep pushing, and we got the job done."
UD quarterback Joe Flacco completed 17 of 26 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Robbie Agnone and wide receiver Kervin Michaud each had five catches. Kicker Jon Striefsky had field goals of 37, 31 and 19 yards.
The Hens have a bye week to prepare for a trip to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., for a game at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].
Photo by Bob Burleigh
