By David A. Willauer
Special to The Capital Sports Report
Newark, DE — On a warm and rainy day before a crowd of 16,898 looked on, The Delaware Blue Hens were able to win their second game of the season. The 15th-ranked Blue Hens were able to defeat their downstate rival, Delaware State, by the score of 38-14 at Delaware Stadium.
It is the annual Route One Rivalry after years of not playing each other.
“We played a good football team in the University of Delaware,” said Delaware State head coach Kermit Blount. “Our kids played hard and aggressive football but we turned the ball over and you can’t give points away and we couldn’t get out of this situation.”
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Delaware linebacker Paul Worrilow received the Nate Beasley Game Most Valuable Player Award. The award was named after the former All-American who played for both schools.
Worrilow was the only Delaware player in the starting lineup for either team. He had a career-high 18 tackles and one tackle for a loss. He also broke up a pass.
“Paul Worrilow made tackles for us,” said Blue Hens head coach K.C. Keeler. “What helps is that we tried to play him in the 3-man line in the middle position to play a guy like Paul has done well for our defensive squad.”
Horns quarterback Nick Elko was driving the team down the field and threw an interception. His pass was intercepted by Delaware defender Ricky Tunstall, who ran in back for 91 yards and a touchdown. The interception put the Blue Hens up 7-0 in the first period.
“Ricky Tunstall made a great play on the interception for 91 yards for the touchdown,” Keeler said. “We almost made him a receiver this year but he is better on the other side of the ball.”
The Hens scored 2 touchdowns in the second quarter on Trent Hurley’s 14-yard pass to Michael Johnson, along with a Hurley 1-yard run to go up 21-0. Delaware State came back and scored their first touchdown of the game as Nick Elko threw an 18-yard pass with the PAT good to make the score 21-7.
Jerel Harrison scored the other TD for the Hens on a 6-yard pass from Tim Donnelly to go up 28-7 at the half.
After the half, there was a lot of rain and high winds being blown all over Delaware Stadium along with some lightning in the forecast for a 50-minute rain delay.
In the third quarter, Sean Baner kicked a 20-yard field goal to put the Hens up 31-7. The Hornets came back as Nagee Jackson scored on a 1-yard touchdown to make the score 31-14.
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The Hens scored another touchdown as Jerel Harrison scored his second touchdown an 18-yard pass from Trent Hurley to make the final score 38-14.
“Jerel Harrison has stepped up for us with 2 touchdowns that says a lot about him,” said Keeler. “He was in my doghouse.”
The first time these two teams played each other was in 2007 after years of not playing one another. The Blue Hens are 4-0 in the series after today’s game.
In 2007, the Blue Hens won 44-7 at Delaware Stadium. Two years later, the Blue Hens won 27-17 at Delaware Stadium.
In 2011, the Blue Hens won 45-0 over the Hornets. Then, this year, they won 38-14.
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