Photo: Jeff Fannon
The University of Delaware’s football team earned their eighth win of the season on Saturday with a 24-21 victory over the University of Rhode Island Rams.
Related:
Game Recap:
The Blue Hens trail by seven points at the end of the first quarter.
Rhode Island would get the ball first in the game but ended the possession after moving 54 yards in nine plays without a score.
Delaware’s first drive would end with points, as the team went 92 yards in seven plays to end, with sophomore quarterback Nick Minicucci dashing one yard for the touchdown to put his team up 7-0 with 6:43 remaining in the opening quarter.
Another highlight of the possession was on the third play of the drive at their own 34-yard line, where senior running back Marcus Yarns galloped 44 yards to the Rams’ 22-yard line.
Fast forward to the 2:35 minute mark, where URI was set up at the Hens 35-yard line after recovering a fumble from Minicucci on the team’s fourth play of the drive.
Rhode Island cashed in on the short field, as the team drove 35 yards in three plays to end with their quarterback Hunter Helms finding his wide receiver Marquis Buchanan for a 22-yard touchdown reception to tie the game up at seven with 1:45 left in the first quarter.
The turnovers would continue for UD, as on the first play of the new drive, the team fumbled the ball and it would get picked up by Devin Hightower, who took it for 21 yards for the score to give URI a 14-7 edge at the end of the opening quarter.
Delaware holds a three-point lead at the end of the first half.
After two drives ending in miscues, the Hens would put together a scoring drive in the early minutes of the second quarter. The Blue Hens would cruise 71 yards in six plays to end with Marcus Yarns rushing 27 yards for the touchdown to tie the game up at 14 with 13:36 left in the first half.
Four possessions later, Delaware would score again, as the team went 68 yards in 14 plays to end with senior kicker Nate Reed booting a 25-yard field goal through the uprights to give his team a 17-14 edge at the end of the first half.
UD leads by ten at the end of the third quarter.
Fast forward to the 9:02 minute mark, where the Hens lined up at their own 48-yard line in the second possession of the third quarter. Delaware would march 50 yards in 12 plays to end with quarterback Nick Minicucci finding his senior wide receiver Jake Thaw for a seven-yard touchdown catch with 3:56 left in the third to give their team a 24-14 advantage.
The Hens take home a 24-21 victory!
Rhode Island would get the next score of the game in the middle of the fourth when they went 74 yards in nine plays to end with their quarterback Hunter Helms hitting his wideout Greg Gaines III for a 20-yard touchdown reception to slice the deficit to three points (24-21).
Two possessions later, the Rams would get their final chance to either tie or win the game, but neither of those things would happen. On the fourth play of the drive, their quarterback Helms would be intercepted by sophomore linebacker Gavin Moul to seal a 24-21 win for the Hens.
Stats & Standouts:
The offensive standouts in the game for Delaware were quarterback Nick Minicucci, running back Marcus Yarns, and wideout Jake Thaw.
Minicucci completed 25 of his 34 passes for 187 yards for one touchdown in the win. He also rushed for a touchdown in the game.
Yarns rushed for 174 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown in the game. He also surpassed 2,000 yards rushing for his career in the win.
Thaw had five receptions for 26 yards with one touchdown in the win.
On the defensive side, Graduate student linebacker Dillon Trainer led the team in tackles in the victory with eight tackles. The Blue Hens had two sacks in the game, which came from Levaughn Lewis (.5), Graduate student defensive lineman Jack Hall (.5), and senior defensive lineman Nick Karika (1). Gavin Moul also had an interception in the win.
| Team Stats |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 16 | 21 |
| 3rd down efficiency | 4-11 | 8-16 |
| 4th down efficiency | 0-0 | 2-2 |
| Total Yards | 300 | 390 |
| Passing | 211 | 187 |
| Comp/Att | 17/27 | 25/34 |
| Yards per pass | 7.8 | 5.5 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 0 |
| Rushing | 89 | 203 |
| Rushing Attempts | 24 | 38 |
| Yards per rush | 3.7 | 5.3 |
| Penalties | 7-62 | 4-35 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 0 |
| Possession | 23:06 | 36:54 |
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