UNION (Nj.) – Senior running back Donte Simmons scored three times and the defense allowed just 56 yards as the Delaware Valley University football team rolled to a convincing 57-6 victory over host Kean University in the 2021 season opener.
COIN TOSS
- DelVal won the toss and elected to receive.
FIRST QUARTER
- DelVal's first drive started on its own 33-yard line and went for six plays and 16 yards, but ended in an interception near midfield.
- Simmons got the Aggies on the board with 4:59 left in the first quarter as he capped a five play, 45-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0, DelVal.
- The Aggies held the Cougars to just 21 yards on 11 plays in the first quarter.
- Junior safety Blaine Netterman forced the first turnover of the year for DelVal with an interception in Kean territory on its third drive of the game.
- Senior quarterback Daquan Bohannan was picked off twice in the first stanza.
- The Aggies maintained a 7-0 lead after one.
SECOND QUARTER
- On the very first play of the second quarter, senior tailback Quadir Strothers got great blocking from the offensive line and sprinted to a 24-yard touchdown to make it 14-0, DelVal.
- The Aggie defense forced Kean into turnovers on two consecutive drives early in the second. Junior cornerback Jamir Prevard got his first interception of the year and Yusuf Aladinov recovered a fumble that put the offense in the red zone midway through the second quarter.
- DelVal ran the ball four times for 11 yards, with Simmons rushing for his second of the day, to go ahead, 20-0, after a failed PAT.
- Kean's next drive went for six plays and -12 yards.
- Aggies countered with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Bohannan to Tavian Dorsey to make it a 27-0 game at the half.
THIRD QUARTER
- On the first play from center, Cougars' running back Zymir Mobley fumbled and Aladniov recorded his second fumble recovery of the night to set DelVal up at Kean's 27-yard line.
- Senior kicker Pat Moran converted his first field goal attempt of the year, a 23-yard field goal with 12:31 left in the third quarter, to give the Aggies a 30-0 lead.
- With 9:13 left in the third quarter, Bohannan could not handle the snap, and the Cougars recovered the fumble at the DelVal 22-yard line.
- The first play after the turnover, sophomore quarterback Justin Lucia found senior wideout Myles Toppin with a back shoulder throw for a 22-yard touchdown. It was Kean's first touchdown of the year and made it a 30-6 game with 8:52 left in the third quarter.
- On the ensuing kickoff, senior Ralph Hyland went for 64 yards to Kean's 26-yard line.
- Simmons scored his third of the game from one yard out, extending the lead to 36-6.
- Kean had 22 yards of offense on 11 plays in the third, compared to 22 plays for 105 yards for DelVal. The Cougars ran the ball twice for -7 yards.
FOURTH QUARTER
- With 13:22 left in the game, Ralph Hyland scored his first touchdown of the year with a two-yard touchdown run to make it 43-6.
- Backup quarterback Casey Decker played 14 snaps and went 4-for-5 for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
- Decker's first pass was completed to Dez Austin for 39 yards and the next play, first-year running back Julian White broke off a 40-yard run inside Kean's 10-yard line.
- Decker found junior Jaelyn Gaither for his first touchdown pass, and later connected with Austin from 15-yards out for his second of the quarter.
- Kean was held to 12 plays for 22 yards and a fumble lost in the stanza.
KEY STATS
(DVU) Simmons – 24 runs, 111 yards, 3 touchdowns
(DVU) Austin – 2 receptions, 54 yards, 1 touchdown
(DVU) Tedesco – 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
(KEAN) Myles Toppin- 5 catches, 33 yards, 1 touchdown
(KEAN) Aaron Cottrell – 17 tackles
(KEAN) Dante Capozzolli – 11 tackles
Takeaways
DVU- 5 takeaways – 2 interceptions, 3 fumbles
Kean- 3 takeaways – 2 interceptions, 1 fumble
Time of Possession
DVU- 36:29
Kean- 23:31
UP NEXT
DelVal will play its home opener next Saturday (9/11) at 1pm when it welcomes the Montclair State Red Hawks for the final non-conference bout of the year.
