Football

Delaware Valley College 55, Lebanon Valley College 14

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - Junior tailback Steve Cook carried the ball 13 times for a career-high 201 yards and a school-record tying four touchdowns in just three quarters of action, and Delaware Valley College set a new mark with 618 yards of total offense as the Aggies downed Lebanon Valley College, 55-14, in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) game.

The win lifted Delaware Valley to a perfect 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the MAC and it was the Aggies' first Homecoming victory since 1998. The Flying Dutchmen fell to 2-3, 1-3.

Cook ran for scores of 2, 3, 35 and 86 yards to tie John Nice's rushing touchdown total, also against Lebanon Valley in 1966. The 201 yards was the fourth-highest, single-game total in Aggie history while his 86-yard scamper was the second-longest run and missed the record by just three yards.

Cook's long run ended his day with 10:56 remaining in the third quarter and a 35-7 Delaware Valley lead. He has now rushed for seven touchdowns in the last two games (three in last week's win at Susquehanna University).

Meanwhile, the Delaware Valley offense netted 342 yards on the ground and 276 yards in the air to set a new total offense record. The 618 yards topped last year's total of 616 yards in a win over Susquehanna.

In the first half, Lebanon Valley forced the Aggies to punt on their first two possessions, but Delaware Valley caught fire and scored on its final four possessions of the half. A 68-yard pass from Adam Knoblauch to Don Marshall was part of a five-play, 84-yard drive that resulted in a two-yard Cook touchdown run and put the Aggies up 7-0 with 5:58 left in the opening quarter.

Delaware Valley then put together a 12-play, 66-yard drive capped by Cook's second touchdown of the game, a three-yard jaunt on the second play of the second quarter.

Lebanon Valley stalled at the Aggie 23-yard line on its next possession. Six plays later, Knoblauch faked a handoff and sprinted up the middle 17 yards for a Delaware Valley touchdown, and a 21-0 lead with 4:51 to go in the half.

Delaware Valley made it 28-0 just 57 seconds later as Cook reversed fields and raced 35 yards down the left side of the field for his third touchdown.

The Flying Dutchmen closed the half with a 12-play, 83-yard touchdown drive as Dan Kelly found Luke Rendine in the back right corner of the end zone for a 21-yard scoring strike. Freshman Eldin Brodlic's extra point made it 28-7 with five seconds showing on the clock.

Lebanon Valley took the opening kickoff in the second half and drove down to the Aggie 10, but Kelly fumbled on a sack by Anthony Silver and Clint LaStella recovered for Delaware Valley on the 14.

The Aggies wasted no time taking advantage of the turnover, as Cook sprinted down the left side of the field for his 86-yard touchdown. They then upped the lead to 41-7 with 6:43 left in the third as Lenzie Davis took a screen pass from Knoblauch in the left flank and raced into the end zone from 79 yards out.

Lebanon Valley got its final score of the day with 1:51 left in the third as Kelly hit Brian Muprhy from seven yards out.

The Aggies padded their lead with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Offensive lineman Alex Barbour rumbled in from a yard out with 11:00 left, and Jake Sheffield scored on a 12-yard touchdown run. Placekicker Bill Miller nailed both extra points and tied a school record with seven in the game.

Sheffield, a freshman, finished with over 100 yards for the first time in his career as he carried the ball 18 times for 107 yards. Knoblauch completed 11 of 16 passes for 240 yards while also rushing for 33 yards and a score. Davis had three receptions for 108 yards, including the lone touchdown.

Defensively, senior lineman Rob Wilkins paced the Aggies with eight tackles while Silver and Brandon Tolbert each had seven tackles and one sack.