TOWSON, Md. - Exploding for 28 points in the second quarter, 23rd-ranked Delaware (5-2, 3-2) built a 35-0 halftime lead and ruined the Tigers' (2-4, 1-2) Homecoming with a 49-21 Colonial Athletic Association victory over the Tigers before a rain-soaked crowd of 6,026 at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.
The Blue Hens, who scored on the last play of the first half and the opening kickoff of the second half, extended their lead to 49-0 after three quarters before holding off Towson in the fourth quarter.
"We are disappointed in the result but we are pleased with the effort," said Towson Coach Rob Ambrose. "We were behind by 49 points in the fourth quarter, it was cold and wet, and most of the crowd had left. But we amped it up in the fourth quarter, created some turnovers and scored three touchdowns. That makes me very proud."
Early in the fourth quarter, sophomore safety Danny Collins of Towson recovered a fumble at the 50-yard line. Led by freshman tailback Dominique Booker, the Tigers marched 50 yards for their first touchdown of the game. Booker scored his first career TD on a one-yard run to cut the deficit to 49-7 with 10:30 remaining in the game.
Midway through the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Tommy Chroniger broke loose for a 71-yard run, giving the Tigers a first down at the Delaware 12-yard line. Four plays later, Chroniger scored the first touchdown of his career on a five-yard run to make it a 49-14 game.
On Delaware's first play after the kickoff, linebacker Chris Patterson recovered a fumble at the Blue Hens' 44-yard line. Six plays later, freshman Tremayne Dameron scored his fifth touchdown of the season on a five-yard run. Dameron's touchdown pulled Towson to within 49-21 with 2:33 remaining.
While Towson outscored Delaware by 21-0 in the fourth quarter, the Blue Hens dominated the first three quarters and built a 49-0 lead.
"Having a 49-point lead in a CAA game is very unusual," admitted Delaware Coach K.C. Keeler. "But we played really well and the whole thing came together. I told our team to smile and enjoy it.
"This is a really good win for us," he added. "This could have been a trap game. We practiced hard and we played hard."
The Blue Hens rushed for 204 yards in the win and piled up 331 yards of total offense.
Despite the cold, rainy conditions, the Blue Hens took a lead on their opening drive of the game. Taking advantage of two defensive penalties against Towson, they marched 80 yards for a touchdown that gave them a 7-0 lead with 6:59 left in the first quarter. Junior quarterback Pat Devlin directed the drive and picked up 24 yards on two rushing attempts. Freshman running back Leon Jackson capped off the drive with a two-yard run, giving the Blue Hens a 7-0 lead.
On Towson's second possession, quarterback Peter Athens ran for 13 yards to the Tiger 42-yard line. Athens was injured on the play and did not return. He was replaced by sophomore quarterback Blair Peterson.
Early in the second quarter, a punt by Delaware's Ed Wagner pinned the Tigers back at their one-yard line. On fourth down, punter Bill Shears shanked his punt under pressure. Delaware took possession at the Towson 26-yard line after the short punt.
Wasting no time, Devlin fired a 26-yard touchdown pass down the middle to senior Mark Duncan, giving the Blue Hens a 14-0 lead with 12:57 left in the second quarter.
On their next possession, the Blue Hens increased their lead when they drove 64 yards in eight plays. Jackson's second touchdown run made it 21-0 with 7:11 remaining in the half.
Late in the first half, quarterback Brian Potts of Towson hooked up with Hakeem Moore on a 37-yard pass play to move the ball to the Blue Hens' 30-yard line. However, junior defensive back Anthony Bratton intercepted a pass at the Delaware five-yard line and returned it to the 42-yard line with 1:05 remaining.
Once again, Devlin took advantage of the excellent field position and threw a 43-yard TD pass to Duncan, giving Delaware a 28-0 lead with 42 seconds remaining in the first half.
But the Blue Hens weren't finished with their first half scoring. On the final play of the first half, Potts threw deep toward the end zone. Senior defensive back Charles Graves intercepted at the 10-yard line and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown, putting Delaware ahead by 35-0 at halftime.
Any hopes of a Towson comeback were dashed on the opening kickoff of the second half. Senior Jerry Butler took the kickoff at the Blue Hens' 11-yard line and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown and a 42-0 advantage. It marked the second year in a row that Butler returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Towson.
Midway through the third quarter, Delaware marched 66 yards on 13 plays for its final touchdown. Jackson's third touchdown of the game, a one-yard run, completed a drive that ate up 8:24 of the game clock and put the Blue Hens ahead, 49-0.
"Towson is growing through some growing pains right now," said Keeler. "When you're building a program, these things will happen. But I'm sure Rob (Ambrose) will get it done. His brother, Jared, was an assistant coach for me the last two years and now he's here at Towson. I know he's going to help them get things going.
"Towson can be a hidden gem in the CAA," he added. "They've got a beautiful campus and some great facilities."
The Tigers, who ran for a season high 231 yards, were led by Chroniger, who ran for 97 yards on 11 carries despite playing just the second half. Booker ran for 66 yards on ten carries while Dameron rushed for 31 yards on 11 attempts.
Butler led the Blue Hens by rushing for 82 yards on 13 carries. Jackson, who scored a career high three touchdowns, ran for 52 yards on 17 attempts.
Devlin, the CAA's Offensive Player of the Week the last two weeks, completed 9 of 15 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Duncan led the Blue Hen receivers with six catches for 99 yards.
Junior cornerback Jeremy Gardner led the Tigers with 12 tackles while junior cornerback Ollie Thomas made seven tackles, including two for lost yardage.
The Tigers return to action next week when they visit Northeastern University in Boston.
TIGER TIDBITS: The cold, rainy weather probably cut the crowd in half ... A near-capacity crowd was expected ... Each team forced two turnovers and scored 14 points off turnovers ... Graves' interception return for a touchdown marked the third time this season that Towson allowed an interception return for a touchdown.
The Tigers used four quarterbacks in the loss to Delaware ... Delaware has now beaten Towson three times in a row.
Coming into the game, Towson and Delaware had played the two toughest schedules in NCAA FCS football.
Casey Cegles, Tamba Tongu, Smith and Butt served as the Tigers' game captains.
