Heading into this year’s annual Battle of the Blue, Delaware’s struggles in recent years against Villanova was not lost on its head coach.

“I lost five years in a row to these guys; don’t think I don’t know it,” KC Keeler admitted following the game.

If there was ever a year to turn the tables in this rivalry, it was 2011 against a talented but young Wildcats team.

Delaware DE Michael Aturase had one of the Blue Hens' three sacks. Aturase and his defensive teammates forced Villanova's freshman QB Chris Polony into committing three turnovers.

In the first ever American football game played at PPL Park in Chester, PA, Delaware (7-4, 5-3) overcame a fourth quarter deficit to defeat Villanova, 26-16.  With the Blue Hens holding a 19-16 lead with less than two minutes remaining, Ricky Tunstall (Bridgeton, NJ) returned his second interception of the day 54 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.

Andrew Pierce led the Blue Hens on offense with 109 rushing yards and a touchdown, as Delaware owned a distinct advantage in time of possession (39:15 to 20:45). Pierce had 40 of Delaware’s 59 rush attempts in the game, and spearheaded their 181 yards on the ground.

Meanwhile Villanova’s offense was also led by a running back.  Freshman Jamal Abdur-Rahman scored on runs of 58-and-43 yards, finishing with 119 rushing yards on only seven attempts. The Philadelphia native received high praise from his head coach for his electric effort.

“I don’t even remember Brian Westbrook having a game like that as a freshman,” Andy Talley said.  Abdur-Rahman’s performance led Villanova (2-9, 1-7) to outgain Delaware 338-334, but two turnovers in the red zone would doom the Wildcats.

As identified in the Zone’s preview of the game, there were three areas that directly impacted the outcome of the game – Delaware’s rushing attack, Villanova’s turnover margin and red zone scoring.

Delaware’s rushing attack

The Blue Hens rushed for 181 yards on 59 attempts, though three of those attempts were kneel-downs to conclude the game. Although the longest Delaware run was only 18 yards, the consistency of the play-calling contributed to the win. After the first quarter, Delaware had a time of possession advantage of 31:46 to 14:14.

Villanova’s defense was stout enough to limit Delaware to 3.1 rushing yards per attempt for the game. Villanova even stopped Delaware’s two short-yardage third down attempts in the third quarter, and forced a turnover on the Hens’ final third-quarter rush attempt. But Keeler stuck to the game plan the coaches had devised, and the team moved the ball just enough on offense.

“We knew – and (Villanova) knew – we were giving him the ball,” Keeler said in discussing Pierce’s play.  “It’s who we’ve become on offense.”

Villanova’s Turnover Margin

In Villanova’s two wins this season, their turnover margin was plus-seven. Against Delaware, however, they were minus-two.  Quarterback Chris Polony (Whitehall, PA) completed 14 of 24 passes for 139 yards Saturday, rushing for another 38 on seven designed runs. But the freshman committed three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble), and the Hens’ two touchdowns came following the interceptions. The fumble occurred at Delaware’s 10, squandering a possession in Delaware’s red zone.

The first interception came midway through the second quarter, when Villanova had driven to Delaware’s 15 while leading 10-6.  His pass on second down was intercepted in the end zone by Tunstall. Delaware’s offense then drove 80 yards for a touchdown that put them ahead 13-10 at halftime. As mentioned previously, Polony’s second interception was returned for a touchdown by Tunstall late in the game to seal the win.

Villanova’s offense moved the ball effectively throughout the game, but turnovers prevented the Wildcats from putting enough points on the board.

Red Zone Scoring

Villanova had only three red zone opportunities Saturday, and two ended with turnovers as discussed above. The only scoring chance converted was a 19-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter.

Conversely Delaware scored on five of its six red zone chances, including four field goals by placekicker Sean Baner (Southampton, PA).  Baner’s first fourth-quarter field goal tied the game at 16 points apiece; his second in the final frame gave Delaware its decisive points. Delaware’s only offensive touchdown came on a one-yard run from Pierce with twelve seconds left in the first half.

For the first time in years, neither participant of the rivalry has reached the FCS playoffs.  The NCAA selection committee did not provide Delaware an at-large bid despite seven wins, and Villanova was not under consideration with its losing record.

Still, the future is bright for both teams. Coach Talley noted that 20 starters from Saturday’s game return next season, including ten freshmen, and the Wildcats showed significant improvement as the season went on. Delaware loses four starting offensive linemen but return nine starters on defense, as well as Pierce.

With such depth returning for both teams, fans should expect the 2012 Battle of the Blue to revert to form and produce at least one playoff team.