DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Delaware Valley football shut out the Eastern University Eagles 27-0 on Senior Day, with four different Aggies finding the end zone, all on the ground.
After receiving the opening kickoff, Delaware Valley was set back by a penalty on its opening drive. Meanwhile, Eastern was able to move the ball downfield, reaching the DVU 26-yard line. However,
Barry Turner intercepted a pass from quarterback Brett Nabb with six minutes remaining in the first quarter, marking his first career interception.
The Aggies' offense responded with a series of solid plays.
Alvaro Lora and
Luan Avdijaj each caught passes for more than ten yards, and a ten-yard run by
Louie Barrios IV set up the Aggies at the one-yard line.
Jack Fallon plunged into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. However, a two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving DelVal with a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Eastern's next drive stalled thanks to strong defensive stops by
Jacquez Mabin and
Jovan Tyrell. After a sack and fumble by Barrios, the Aggies handed the ball back to the Eagles. Punts followed from both teams until the two-minute warning. Starting from their own 10-yard line, Barrios connected with
Nahsir Morgan for a 25-yard gain, followed by a 12-yard burst by Fallon. A 40-yard pass to
Karmi Hicks then moved the Aggies to the Eastern six-yard line. Barrios capped the drive with a rushing touchdown up the middle, but the extra point attempt was blocked, leaving the score at 12-0.
The second half began with Eastern going three-and-out. A 15-yard punt gave the Aggies excellent field position. Morgan caught two passes for 20 yards, and despite a penalty setback, Barrios found Avdijaj for a key gain to regain lost yardage. On the very next play, Lora caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Barrios, and the Aggies converted a two-point attempt to increase their lead to 20-0.
On Eastern's next drive, Nabb's fourth-down run was thwarted when Mabin forced a fumble.
Janiel Taveras pounced on the loose ball, marking his first career fumble recovery. The Aggies handed the ball back to Eastern after a fumble was overturned, but a third-and-long interception gave possession back to the Eagles.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Delaware Valley started its drive at midfield. Short gains by
Deshawn Wiggins and Wlijah Williams kept the chains moving, and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Eastern added more yardage to the Aggies' cause. A completion to
Matt O'Dunlami put the ball on the 11-yard line, and
Nick Arcaroli's run to the two-yard line set up Wiggins for his first touchdown as an Aggie, giving DelVal a 27-0 lead.
With the victory, the Aggies improve to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the MAC. Delaware Valley will close out its regular season next week with a matchup against Widener for the Keystone Cup.
