Football

Salisbury University 36, Delaware Valley College 16

SALISBURY (MD) - Salisbury University scored 26 points in the final 19 minutes as the 18th-ranked Sea Gulls remained undefeated with a 36-16 victory over visiting Delaware Valley College in a non-conference game.

The Sea Gulls improved to 4-0 on the season while the Aggies fell to 0-3 with road losses to Division I-AA Iona College and a pair of nationally-ranked Division III teams in Wesley College (No. 7) and Salisbury. Delaware Valley begins Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play next Saturday as the Aggies host King's College for the home opener. The next seven weeks will determine the MAC champion and the conference's NCAA playoff representative.

Down 10-7 at the intermission, the Aggies received the second-half kickoff and went 82 yards on 16 plays while taking eight minutes off the clock. They converted a fourth-down play and later had a Salisbury pass interference penalty put the ball on the Sea Gull nine-yard line. A one-yard loss on first down put the ball back to the 10, but Jimmy Smith caught a swing pass from Mike Isgro, broke a tackle and dove into the end zone for his first Aggie touchdown. Steve Giovacchini's point-after gave Delaware Valley a 14-10 advantage.

Giovacchini's ensuing kickoff was designed to be a squib kick, but it hit a Salisbury player and bounced back to Giovacchini, who covered it up at the Aggie 39. A 45-yard diving reception by Joel Foreman put the ball on the Salisbury 16. Delaware Valley then reached the one-yard line and appeared to have a touchdown on a dive over the pile by Jake Sheffield. However, the officials ruled that Sheffield was stripped of the ball before he crossed the goal line and Salisbury's Justin Acker recovered it for a touchback.

Salisbury capitalized on the turnover as the Sea Gulls needed two plays to go 80 yards and swing the game in their favor. Jamar Garner was the ball carrier on both plays and his second rush saw him break a tackle and sprint 59 yards into the end zone and give Salisbury a 17-14 lead with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter.

Isgro was intercepted on the Aggies' next possession, but the defense held and forced a 44-yard field goal attempt by Brendan Kincaid. The kick went off the left upright, but a five-yard, running into the kicker penalty was called on the fourth-and-four play to give Salisbury a first down. Later in the drive Ronnie Shockley found the end zone from seven yards out made it 24-14 with 14:54 remaining in the contest.

Salisbury scored again with 10:11 remaining as Shelby Fisher notched his second touchdown of the game on a seven-yard run. Kincaid's point-after was blocked by Zach McCann and Charles Squitiere returned it the distance for a two-point play and a 30-16 score.

The Aggies had more chance as they reached Sea Gull territory under the five-minute mark. However an Isgro pass was intercepted at the line by Paul Cynewski and returned to the Delaware Valley 26. Garner found the end zone from 12 yards out with 48 seconds remaining. McCann blocked the extra point again for the 36-16 final.

Delaware Valley scored the game's first touchdown early in the second quarter as, on a third-and-18, Isgro connected with Foreman in the back corner of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. Giovacchini added the extra point for a 7-0 Aggie lead with 11:28 remaining in the half.

The Sea Gulls quickly answered as Fisher scored on a six-yard run just three minutes later. Kincaid made it a 10-7 ballgame as he boomed a 46-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.

Delaware Valley racked of total offense. Isgro was 21-for-38 for 181 yards and two scores but was also intercepted three times. Foreman hauled in five passes for 75 yards and one score. Matt Cook paced the ground attack with 70 yards on 12 carries.

Defensively, McCann had a career day as the junior linebacker finished with nine tackles, 2.5 sacks and two blocked kicks. Greg Rissinger added six tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Garner carried the ball just nine times but netted 127 yards and two scores for Salisbury. Shockley added 83 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.