Football

Knoblauch Reaches NCAA Milestone, Aggies Clinch MAC Title With 58-27 Victory At Juniata

HUNTINGDON (PA) - Delaware Valley College quarterback Adam Knoblauch threw for 350 yards and reached a rare NCAA milestone as the Aggies clinched its second consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship with a 58-27 rout of host Juniata College.

The win was the 20th straight in the regular-season for the eighth-ranked team in Division III as they improved to 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the MAC and claimed the automatic berth to the NCAA playoffs that goes with the conference title. Wilkes can still finish as co-champions with the Aggies should the Colonels beat King's and Delaware Valley lose to Widener, next Saturday, but the Aggies get the playoff nod thanks to a 17-14 victory over Wilkes in week three.

Knoblauch notched 420 yards of total offense on the afternoon in the first half and became just the fifth quarterback in NCAA history (all Divisions) to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career. He upped his career total to 10,223 passing yards and 1,297 rushing yards to join current Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair (Division I-AA Alcorn State), Doug Nussmeier (Division I-AA Idaho), Curt Anes (Division II Grand Valley State) and Adam King (Division III Howard Payne) on the exclusive list.

"It's a great honor and something I'll remember, but I'll remember this day more for winning the MAC championship than the record," Knoblauch said.

Knoblauch reached the milestone with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter as he completed a pass over the middle to Joel Foreman an 18-yard gain. The completion was his sixth in as many attempts for 143 yards at the time.

Later in the drive, Knoblauch kept the ball himself and went untouched from 17 yards out. He then hit John Kiphorn for the two-point conversion and a 21-7 advantage with 22.6 seconds remaining in a high-scoring first quarter.

Knoblauch played just three quarters and completed 19 of 25 passes for two scores while also rushing for a score as Delaware Valle set school record for points and total yards (687) in a contest. He was deadly in the first half, going 15-for-18 for 284 yards as the team had 49 points and 461 yards in the first 30 minutes.

Knoblauch wasn't the only Aggie to have a record-setting day as junior wideout Don Marshall was at the other end of the passes. He caught 10 passes for a school-record 251 yards and two scores. Marshall also moved into third place on the school's all-time list with 2,398 yards.

Delaware Valley took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards on 10 plays, capped by Steve Cook's two-yard touchdown run. Matt Mariano's extra-point attempt sailed wide left, leaving the Aggies with a 6-0 lead with 11:15 left in the quarter.

After Juniata went three-and-out, an Eagle punt trapped Delaware Valley at its own nine-yard line. However, on the first play, Knoblauch found a streaking Don Marshall for an 89-yard pass play down to the Eagle 2. Three running plays later, Rob Snyder went into the end zone from a yard out. Mariano hit the extra-point for a 13-0 lead with 8:46 remaining in the quarter.

Juniata hit the scoreboard on its next possession as Duane Ehredt, Jr. found the end zone from five yards out to complete a 16-play, 65-yard drive. Dan Heinlein added the extra-point to pull the Eagles to within six, 13-7, with 3:09 left in the first.

Knoblauch's touchdown run on the ensuing drive was followed by a 57-yard touchdown on a flea flicker as Knoblauch hit Marshall in stride for a 57-yard touchdown. Mariano added the point-after for a 28-7 score just 18 seconds into the second quarter.

Delaware Valley added to the lead as Jake Sheffield capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run with 9:23 to go before halftime. It became 42-7 less than three minutes later as John Kiphorn took a pitch on an end round and went untouched from 25 yards out. Knoblauch then concluded the scoring in the half with his second touchdown pass of the day, a 10-yard strike to Marshall with 1:52 remaining.

Juniata came out strong in the second half and scored two touchdowns in first 5:33 of the stanza. The Eagles took the opening kickoff and went 71 yards on eight plays, culminated by Jay Leonard's one-yard touchdown toss to Tom Kimmel. Delaware Valley fumbled the ensuing onsides kick, Juniata recovered and later scored on Leonard's 24-yard pass to Jason Koch for a 49-20 score.

The Aggies responded as Jake Sheffield burst free for a 73-yard run down to the one-yard line. Senior offensive lineman Matt Reich got the call and plunged in for his first collegiate touchdown. Mariano's extra-point made it 56-20.

Delaware Valley's final points came on a safety as Juniata snapped the ball out of the end zone on a punt attempt. Ehredt, Jr. added a three-yard touchdown late in the fourth for the 58-27 final.

Sheffield led the Aggie rushing attack with 114 yards and one score on just four carries. He also caught two passes for another 33 yards. Cook finished with 60 yards on 13 carries while Foreman caught five passes for 70 yards. Defensively, Chuck Hodges and John Pursell had eight tackles apiece to pace Delaware Valley.

Ehredt, Jr. finished with 161 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries for Juniata. Leonard was 19-for-36 for 184 yards and two scores.