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Delaware Looks To Build On Big JMU Win Saturday vs. Sacred Heart

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Delaware Blue Hens will be back home on Saturday as they welcome Sacred Heart to town.

The Blue Hens sit at 3-1 and they are developing a flare for the dramatic this season.

On Saturday in their CAA opener, they went down to Harrisonburg, Virginia, and beat James Madison, in overtime, 30-23. The Blue Hens got a touchdown pass from Trent Hurley to Jerel Harrison in the overtime period to take the lead and then the defense turned the Dukes away on 4th and goal from the 1 to seal the win.

"It was a terrific win and really a character win for the players and the program," Delaware head coach Dave Brock tells KYW Newsradio. "It gives you a chance to keep marching forward and get a little momentum going into the Sacred Heart week. Really, a good place to go win a game, hard to win CAA games on the road. It gives us some confidence moving forward, as we attempt to continue to win games."

This win over JMU came two weeks after the Blue Hens scored two touchdowns in the 4th quarter, the second with under a minute left, to rally from 11 points down and beat Colgate.

"I think it helps you from a mental standpoint," Brock says. "I think the players understand that if a game comes down to the end, if a game comes down to some critical situations where you really have to play well in a pressure filled environment, that we have the ability to do it. And James Madison tells you that we have the ability to do that on both sides of the ball."

Sacred Heart, which calls the Northeast Conference home, is 3-1 this season and coming off a bye week.

"Good football team, good defense," Brock says. "They're kind of helter-skelter, they move around a bunch. They give you really a fair amount of schematic problems, lot of sacks, really good run defense, statistically. They move around a lot. For us, it is more of a scheme issue. They have some good players. Their nose guard's a really good player, they've got a good safety."

On offense, Brock says the Pioneers run the read-option.

"They have a really good running back, (senior Keshaudas) Spence," Brock says. "He's a nominee for the Walter Payton (Award), top player in FCS football. The quarterback (junior) R.J. Noel's a really good player."

Delaware and Sacred Heart will kick-off at 3:30pm on Saturday in Newark.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.

 

 

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