University of Delaware Athletics
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#rv/- William & Mary
Another Heartbreaker: William & Mary Rallies in Fourth Quarter to Upend Blue Hens 24-17
10/15/2016 7:07:00 PM | Football
• Boxscore
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- The University of Delaware suffered late-game heartbreak for the second straight week Saturday afternoon as host William & Mary scored 21 fourth-quarter points to rally for a 24-17 victory over the Blue Hens at Zable Stadium.
Delaware (2-4, 0-3 Colonial Athletic Association), which suffered its fourth straight setback, took a 14-3 lead into the final quarter after quarterback Joe Walker broke through for a 34-yard scoring run with 6:17 left in the third quarter.
But the final stanza was littered with pitfalls for the Blue Hens as William & Mary intercepted a pass in 
the end zone on the first play of the quarter, drove 80 yards to cut the deficit to 14-10, and then used a successful onside kick to regain possession and move 54 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:12 left.
The Tribe (3-4, 1-3 CAA), which snapped a three-game losing streak of its own, sealed the deal when Aaron Swinton intercepted his second pass of the day and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown with 1:43 remaining for a 24-14 lead.
Dave BrockWalker completed 9 of 19 passes for 112 yards and also rushed for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown to lead a 379-yard effort. Walker became the first Blue Hen quarterback to surpass the 100-yard rushing mark since Andy Hall ran for 159 vs. Hofstra during the 2003 national championship season.
Despite playing without leading rusher Wes Hills due to a lower body injury, the Hens still managed 
to pile up 267 yards on the ground thanks to Walker. Thomas Jefferson (right) added 94 yards rushing while Jalen Randolph gained another 57 yards. Hills had gained 242 yards in last week's loss to Maine.
Jefferson also caught three passes for 45 yards while tight end Charles Scarff had his best day as a Blue Hen with three receptions for 51 yards.
Defensively, the Hens held William & Mary to 346 yards as Tribe running back Kendall Anderson (115 yards) and quarterback Steve Cluley (24 of 31 for 204 yards) did most of the damage.
Delaware cornerback Nasir Adderley led the Hens with a career-high 10 tackles while linebacker Charles Bell added eight stops.
William & Mary drove 48 yards on its first possession and opened the scoring when Kris Hooper converted a 41-yard field goal just 4:21 into the game.
But Delaware came right back to take the lead, driving 82 yards on 11 plays over a span of 6:07 capped by sophomore wide receiver Jamie Jarmon (below left) taking a hand-off from Walker and running around the left side for a nine-yard touchdown, the first score of his career.
The 11 plays tied a season-high, the 82 yards was the longest first-half drive of the season, and the 6:07 marked the second longest possession of the season for Delaware.
That lead stood up into halftime and the Hens built on it midway through the third quarter when Walker found a seam on a third-and-four play and sprinted untouched 34 yards for the touchdown to give UD a 14-3 advantage at the 6:17 mark.
But things went awry from there. Delaware was driving for another likely score late in the third quarter 
and had the ball on the Tribe 14-yard line. But Walker's pass to Diante Cherry in the end zone on the second play of the final quarter was picked off by Swinton. The Tribe then drove 80 yards on 11 plays and pulled to within 14-10 on a one-yard dive by Anderson with 9:05 left.
Things changed in a big way on the following play as William & Mary attempted an onside kick and recovered it at their own 46-yard line. Ten plays later Cluley sneaked in from four yards out to give the Tribe the lead for good at 17-14 with 4:12 remaining.
Similar to last week in the 28-21 setback to Maine, the Hens still had the chance to win the game but a big defensive play thwarted those chances. Delaware had the ball at the William & Mary 44-yard line but Walker's pass to Cherry in the flat was picked off by Swinton and the junior cornerback returned it 63 yards for a score and a 24-14 lead with 1:43 left.
Delaware refused to give up and cut the lead to 24-17 on a 41-yard field goal by Frank Raggo with eight seconds left. But the Hens' were not as fortunate on their onside kick attempt as Raggo's kick was covered by the Tribe's Anderson to seal the victory.
"You have to look forward and have a short memory," said Walker of the Hens' recent woes. "If you look too much into the past you won't get where you want to go. We will learn from this."
HEN SCRATCHINGS:
• Delaware averaged 6.7 yards per carry for the game
• Blue Hen junior fullback Eric Patton blocked a punt in the second quarter to give Delaware the ball at midfield. It marked the second straight year the Hens have blocked a punt vs. the Tribe
• Delaware had scored at least 20 points in all previous five games this season, the longest streak to open the season since 2007
• The Blue Hens fell 33 rushing yards short of reaching the 300-yard mark in three straight games for the first time since 1994
• Delaware, which entered the game ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in fewest penalty yards and No. 3 in fewest penalites, were flagged for just three penalties for 26 yards
• Delaware converted 5 of 11 third downs and 1 of 2 fourth down attempts
• William & Mary is now 12-10 all-time vs. Delaware in Williamsburg with two straight wins
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
