#24 Blue Hens Stifle #23 New Hampshire, 16-10, in Defensive Battle

Saturday, October 19

1 p.m.

University of Delaware

New Hampshire

Photo by: Mark Campbell

#24 Blue Hens Stifle #23 New Hampshire, 16-10, in Defensive Battle

10/19/2019 4:30:00 PM | Football

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – The No. 24 Delaware football team handed No. 23 New Hampshire its first CAA loss Saturday afternoon at Delaware Stadium by a 16-10 final in an old-school affair, dominated by running backs and defense.

"I'm just really proud of our team and really proud of our coaches. This was a hard week, this was one of the hardest weeks I've had in a long time," said head coach Danny Rocco. "There's always hope if you're willing to fight, and if you care and this team cares. These coaches care, our administration cares. We've got fight, and we've got passion."

After a scoreless first quarter, senior Jake Roth opened the scoring with a 26-yard field goal to cap-off a 10-play drive before the Wildcats answered with a 45-yarder of their own.

It would be 10-unanswered by New Hampshire after it capitalized on a turnover, but the Blue Hens' ground attack would tie things up before the half on a five-play, 74-yard drive, all via the ground as redshirt freshman Will Knight broke a 39-yarder and redshirt junior DeJoun Lee capped it off with an eight-yard score.

Both Knight and Lee broke the century mark on the ground for the first times in their careers with Lee going for 103 and Knight rushing for 101.

It was the start of 13-unanswered as the Delaware defense pitched a shutout for the final 33:23 that included two interceptions, three sacks and fumble.

Redshirt freshman Matt Palmer set the tone with an interception, deep in Delaware territory on the first possession and classmate Amonte Strothers had a pivotal interception to put an end to a New Hampshire drive early in the fourth quarter.

It was the redshirt senior Cam Kitchen who had his finger prints all over the game with seven tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss and three swats at the line of scrimmage. His biggest play of the day came at the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter when he made a strip sack and fell on his own forced fumble.

That play would set up Roth's 29-yard field goal, his third of the day, to make it a touchdown advantage with under three minutes to play.

As it did all afternoon, the defense rose to the occasion and held off the Wildcats final heaves to the endzone for a bounce-back victory.

Palmer and redshirt junior Tim Poindexter each made nine stops apiece while Poindexter had a tackle for loss.

It was nearly a month between home games for Delaware and it will get to stay in the first state for next week's matchup with Richmond at 1 p.m.