DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University football team improved to 8-0 overall and earned its 43rd consecutive conference victory with a thrilling 27-14 win over the visiting Wilkes University Colonels in front of a packed homecoming crowd.
The Aggies head into their bye week with a perfect 6-0 mark in league play and alone in first place atop the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) standings. Meanwhile, the Colonels fell to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
Over 4,000 fans piled into James Work Memorial Stadium for the homecoming festivities and they were treated to an early highlight reel touchdown by junior wide receiver Tahmir Barksdale. On 1st-&-10 from their own 22-yard line, Barksdale caught a slant pass over the middle and sprinted away from the defense for a 78-yard catch-and-run touchdown. It was the longest reception of the season and the third touchdown for Barksdale, and it gave DelVal an early 6-0 lead.
The Aggies next drive began on their own 20-yard line and the offense used 13 plays to go 80 yards for another score. Early in the drive, Jahaire Johnson converted a big 3rd-&-16 with a 23 yard reception from sophomore quarterback Louie Barrios IV and senior fullback Walt Truxell capped the drive with his first career touchdown, a one-yard run to make it 13-0.
DelVal held Wilkes to just 49 yards on 10 plays in the first quarter and the offense ended the stanza with another big play. This time it was Barrios finding Dez Austin deep down the middle of the field for a 65-yard gain to set the team up at the Colonels' 17-yard line to start the second quarter.
The next four plays were all runs for the Aggies including a one-yard touchdown burst from Jay White to give the home team a 20-0 lead. It was White's team-leading seventh touchdown of the season.
DelVal maintained its three-score lead into the second half.
Wilkes took the second half kickoff and drove down the field covering 65 yards with 11 plays culminating in a six-yard touchdown pass to Devin Higgins from Xavier Powell to make it 20-7 early in the third quarter. That was the only scoring drive of the third quarter as the Aggies went into the fourth leading by 13.
With 7:32 left in regulation, Barrios and wide out Nahsir Morgan connected on a long 53-yard touchdown pass to extend DelVal's advantage to 27-7. It was Morgan's third touchdown catch of the season.
The Colonels countered on their ensuing drive as Powell found Zane Grover deep down the middle of the field for 53 yards and Elijah Jules took a handoff off right tackle and sprinted to the pylon for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-14 with just over six minutes to play.
The Aggies recovered the onside kick attempt and never gave the ball back as they wasted the final 6:05 of regulation to close out their 14th homecoming victory in a row.
DelVal racked up 517 yards of total offense with a balanced attack that included 231 rushing yards and 286 passing yards. Barrios finished 18-for-23 for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while White carried the ball 18 times for 118 yards and a touchdown. Barksdale led the receivers with six catches for 104 yards and Morgan followed with three catches for 54 yards. Austin chipped in two catches for 79 yards.
Defensively, Cole Kitchen led the way with seven tackles and two pass breakups while Ahmad Jones had the lone sack to go with five tackles and two tackles for loss. DelVal held Wilkes to 256 yards of offense on 54 plays including 100 rush yards. Blaine Netterman picked up an interception on a hail mary heave at the end of the first half.
Powell completed 11-of-31 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown and ran the ball 12 times for 60 yards. Tailback Elijah Jules had nine carries for 40 yards and a touchdown and Zane Grover led the receivers with 64 yards on two receptions.
After the team's week nine bye, the Aggies will host FDU-Florham for its final home conference game of the season at 12 p.m. on Saturday, November 5th.
