Football

Widener University 13, Delaware Valley College 10

CHESTER (PA) - Widener quarterback Matt Campbell connected with Jim Kilkenny for a 12-yard touchdown pass with 6:03 remaining as the Pride downed visiting Delaware Valley College, 13-10, in a Friday night, rain-soaked battle of first-place teams in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC).

Widener is now 6-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play, a half game ahead of Albright College (6-1, 4-0), which plays Lebanon Valley on Saturday. The win also gave the Pride the Keystone Cup, which goes annually to the winner of Delaware Valley-Widener contest, for the first time since 2002.

The Aggies saw their four-game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 4-4 overall and 4-1 in the MAC. They now need to win their final two games and get help in other MAC contests in order to capture at least a share of the conference crown.

Delaware Valley held a 10-6 lead in the fourth quarter and forced a pair of turnovers deep in its own territory to keep the advantage. Senior safety Quincy Thaxton was involved in both turnovers as he intercepted a pass in the end zone and later recovered a fumble off a Greg Rissinger forced fumble.

However, the Pride got the ball back on the Aggie 14 as Delaware Valley quarterback Mike isgro fumbled the ball on a sack by Keith Wilson and it was recovered by Brian Pastor. Two plays, later, Campbell scrambled and found an open in the end zone from 12 yards out. Laurich's extra-point regained the lead for Widener at 13-10.

Delaware Valley stalled on its own 45 on its next drive and the Pride took over at their 33-yard line with exactly four minutes remaining. They failed to gain a yard and punted the ball back over to the Aggies, who took over on their own four-yard line with 2:50 remaining following a 63-yard kick by McHugh.

Delaware Valley faced a fourth-and-two from its own 12-yard line with 1:58 remaining and decided to go for it. Isgro was stopped for a loss of two back to the 10 and the Pride took over. Ian Decker netted nine yards on the first three plays putting the ball at the one-yard line with one minute left on the clock. On fourth down, Jesse Jayne was stopped at the goal line, giving the Aggies a final chance with 55 seconds left and no timeouts.

Isgro's first-down pass was incomplete. On second down, Joel Foreman caught a pass and tried to lateral it to a teammate, but the ball skidded across the turf and Widener's Orlando Brown fell on top of it to seal the win.

The game was played through a steady downpour, making it a defensive showdown. Delaware Valley had the first big play of the game as, on third-and-12, Isgro hit Foreman around the first down marker. Foreman made one defender miss and reached the Widener 19 for a 56-yard play. The Aggies gained four more yards and Shane Toohey kicked a 31-yard field goal through the rain to give the squad a 3-0 lead with 4:22 left in the first quarter.

The Pride tied the game with 2:22 to go before halftime thanks to a big play on special teams. Kevin Fisher caught a Steve Giovacchini punt on the run and returned it 24 yards to the Delaware Valley 22. They then reached the eight-yard line and settled for Tom Laurich's 25-yard field goal.

The Aggies took the ensuing kickoff and drove downfield in the closing seconds of the half thanks to big running and passing plays by Isgro. They reached the Pride four-yard line with six seconds left and Toohey came on the field for a 21-yard field goal attempt. However, a bad snap forced a scramble by the holder, Foreman, and he was tackled to end the half at 3-3.

In the second half, Delaware Valley was forced to punt from its own end zone and Widener took over at the Aggie 33-yard line. They drown to the one, but a substitute infraction bumped the ball back to the six. Delaware Valley held and Laurich booted a 22-yard field for a 6-3 Widener advantage with 6:19 to go in the third quarter.

Widener's had a short field to work with on its next possession and the drive stalled at the Aggie 17. Laurich's 34-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left to keep it a three-point game with 2:40 left in the quarter.

Delaware Valley took over at its own 20 and, later reached Pride territory on a 21-yard pass play from Isgro to Dan Heiland. Later in the drive, the Aggies faced a second-and-10, but Isgro pump faked and found a wide open Heiland for a 33-yard touchdown. Toohey added the extra-point for a 10-6 lead just 46 seconds into the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing drive, the Pride marched to the eight-yard line, but Campbell's pass was tipped by Joe Barnicle and intercepted by Thaxton in the end zone for a touchback. Delaware Valley was stopped on its drive and Widener took over on its own 46. The Pride once again moved the ball, but Decker was stripped of the ball by Rissinger and Thaxton recovered it for Delaware Valley at its 24-yard line. However, an Aggie turnover led to Campbell's touchdown pass to Kilkenny and the Widener victory.

Delaware Valley managed just 267 yards of offense on the evening. Isgro was 17-for-27 for 194 yards and a touchdown. Heiland finished with 77 yards and a score on five catches while Foreman added four grabs for 94 yards.

Defensively, senior linebacker John Pursell racked up 10 tackles and, in the process, became the fourth player in Aggie history to record 300 tackles in a career. Kyle Reuter added nine stops while Travis Albanesius and Kyle Gesswein had eight tackles and one sack apiece.

Campbell was 16-for-25 for 141 yards and a touchdown for the Pride. Decker netted 101 yards on 24 carries, including 76 yards on 18 attempts in the second half. Joe Favinger paced the defensive effort with 10 tackles and two sacks.