Football

Delaware Valley 48, Susquehanna University 14

SELINSGROVE (PA) - Sophomore tailback Jake Sheffield ran 23 times for a career-high 173 yards and two touchdowns to lead Delaware Valley College to its 18th consecutive regular-season win with a 48-14 victory over host Susquehanna University in a rain-soaked Middle Atlantic Conference game.

The win, combined with Widener University's 31-24 loss at King's College, puts the Aggies just one victory away from securing their second straight MAC championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Delaware Valley is 7-0, both overall and in the conference, as they have a two-game lead over Widener, with two conference games remaining. Wilkes University has just one loss, but it came against the Aggies so the tiebreaker is in favor of the defending champions.

Delaware Valley can clinch the MAC crown when it travels to winless Juniata College in two weeks (November 5). The Aggies do play King's next Saturday but it is officially a non-conference game for Delaware Valley in the unique, 11-team, nine-game conference schedule.

Sheffield got the starting nod in the backfield for Delaware Valley and he racked up the 11th-highest, single-game rushing total in school history. As a team, the Aggies netted 410 of their 562 yards on the ground, missing the record by just 15 rushing yards.

Delaware Valley took the opening kickoff and drove 73 yards on eight plays, capped by Sheffield's 15-yard touchdown run. Sheffield accounted for 57 of the 73 yards on four carries and one reception. Bill Miller added the extra-point and the Aggies had a 7-0 lead just 3:15 into the contest.

The teams traded punts two times before Susquehanna (2-5, 1-5 MAC) tied the game as Anthony Edwards went up the middle untouched for a 33-yard touchdown run. Dwight Swaney's extra-point made it a 7-7 ballgame with 3:45 left in the first quarter.

Delaware Valley countered with 21 straight points in a span of 6:26. On its next drive, quarterback Adam Knoblauch used a pump fake and found a wide-open Don Marshall for a 31-yard scoring pass. The yardage put the junior wideout over the 2,000 receiving yard mark for his career, just the fourth player in school history to accomplish the feat. Miller's extra-point upped the score to 14-7 with 1:45 to go in the quarter.

On the Crusaders' next possession, linebacker A.J. Neal made a diving interception at the Susquehanna 46-yard line to give the Aggies excellent field position. Four plays later, Knoblauch used a design run and went into the end zone from 33 yards out and a 21-7 advantage 15 seconds into the second quarter.

Delaware Valley stopped Susquehanna at its own 44-yard line and forced a punt. Dwight Swaney's kick was blocked by Quincy Thaxton and the ball rolled all the way down into the Crusader end zone. Freshman Dave Gerena was the only player in the vicinity and he picked up for his first collegiate touchdown. Miller's fourth extra-point made it a 28-7 game with 12:19 to go in the half.

Edwards scored his second touchdown of the game for Susquehanna on another burst up the middle, this time from 32 yards out to cut into the Aggie advantage at 28-14 with 9:55 remaining before intermission.

Later in the half, a Crusader punt trapped Delaware Valley at its own six-yard line. The Aggies responded with a nine-play, 96-yard drive that culminated in Steve Cook's 22-yard scoring run down the left sideline with 2:13 to go. They racked up 86 of the 96 yards on the ground on the drive with the only passing yards coming on a key, 10-yard reception by John Kiphorn on a third-and-10 situation.

In the final seconds of the half, Susquehanna was forced to punt in its own territory and a low kick was fielded by Kiphorn, who returned it 33 yards to the Crusader 22-yard line with five seconds remaining. Miller came onto the field and nailed a career-long 40-yard field goal to end the half at 38-14. It was also the longest field goal in Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium history.

Miller picked up the lone points of the third quarter as he booted a 30-yard field goal with 4:40 remaining. It was the junior's 13th field goal of his career, tying him for second on the Aggie all-time list. Sheffield ended the scoring with a 21-yard scamper with 11:43 remaining and a 48-14 lead.

Knoblauch completed 14 of 25 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 86 yards and a score on nine carries. In the process, the senior moved into sixth place on the all-time Division III list with 10,831 yards of total offense. He also upped his career passing yardage to 9,666 yards, leaving him 334 shy of becoming just the fifth player in NCAA history (all Divisions) to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career,

Senior Rob Snyder came off the bench to notch a career-high 69 yards on 11 carries and all-time leading rusher Steve Cook added 55 yards on five carries and in limited playing time. Marshall led all Aggie receivers with five grabs for 82 yards and the one score.

Defensively, junior end Anthony Silver was all over the field as he recorded 10 tackles, two forced fumbles and one sack. Thaxton ended with six tackles, an interception and the blocked punt while Neal had five tackles and one pick.

Edwards paced Susquehanna with 30 carries for 170 yards and two scores. Dennis Robertson and Justin Wutti were a combined 9-foir-21 for 83 yards and two interceptions.