EDWARDSVILLE (PA) – Sophomore tailback Kyle Schuberth carried the ball 25 times for a career-high 158 yards and one score while the Delaware Valley College defense made numerous big plays as the 16th-ranked Aggies remained undefeated with a 14-6 triumph over host Wilkes University in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) game.
The win improved Delaware Valley to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play. The Colonels fell to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the MAC.
Schuberth went over the 100-yard mark for the fourth consecutive week, making him just the third Aggie to accomplish the feat. Steve Cook put up four straight, 100-yard games in 2004 and Matt Cook (no relation) did so in the final four contests of the 2008 campaign.
The Delaware Valley defense permitted just 242 total yards on the game with 77 coming on one big play by Wilkes. The unit forced four turnovers and held Wilkes to 5-for-16 effort on third-down conversions. Many of those third down stops came at critical junctures in the second half.
Wilkes took the opening kickoff and drove to the Aggie 24-yard line. However, quarterback Alex George threw a pass into the end zone and Delaware Valley cornerback Troy Green picked it off for a touchback. The Aggies were stopped on its drive and a low snap on a punt resulted in the Colonels taking the ball over at the Delaware Valley 46. Wilkes was unable to take advantage of it.
Later in the quarter, the Aggie defense forced a turnover and gave the team a golden opportunity as Mike Jaskowski sacked George and forced a fumble that Dwayne Shaw recovered at the Wilkes 10-yard line. On third down from the 11, quarterback Aaron Wilmer scrambled for nine yards down to the two. Delaware Valley elected to go for the touchdown and Schuberth found the end zone for the score. Jake Sobchak added the extra-point for a 7-0 lead with exactly two minutes left in the first.
The two teams combined for three turnovers on the next three possessions. After an Aggie fumble, Delaware Valley's defense got its turnover when Terrance Osborne made a leaping interception at the one-yard line. However, Delaware Valley went for the long ball and a Wilmer pass was intercepted by Matt Gunther near midfield.
The Aggies forced a punt and took over at their own 15-yard line. They used their ground attack for most of the drive and got deep in Wilkes territory. They then faced a third-and-goal from the 16 when Wilmer found Rodney Blango open in the end zone for a touchdown. Sobchak's extra-point capped the nine-play, 85-yard scoring drive and gave the Aggies a 14-0 advantage with 4:44 remaining in the first half.
Wilkes went three-and-out and the Aggies broke through and blocked the punt. John Robinson was credited with the block and Jim DiLisio recovered it at the Colonel 16-yard line. However, Delaware Valley could not convert it into points as a Sobchak 27-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
The Colonels, who had just 86 yards of total offense in the first half, picked up 77 on one play in the third quarter as Zach Tivald broke through two tackles and raced to the end zone for the touchdown. The extra-point clanked off the upright, but Wilkes pulled to within one possession at 14-6 with 9:13 left in the quarter.
The Aggies had miscues on back-to-back drives to keep Wilkes in the game. Sobchak had a 25-yard field goal attempt sail wide to the right. Later, a fumbled snap in Wilkes territory gave the Colonels the ball back. Wilkes converted two third-down plays and drove to the Aggie 22 when a Tyler Bernsten pass into the end zone was tipped by safety John Robinson and grabbed by the other safety, Ryan McCullough, for the interception. McCullugh ran the pick out of the end zone to the 10-yard line.
However, the Aggies gave the ball back to Wilkes in Delaware Valley territory as Schuberth was stripped of the ball with just over eight minutes remaining. The Colonels then faced a fourth-and-three from the 17-yard line. Tivald got the call but stopped a yard by nose guard Amadeus Hall with six minutes to go.
Wilmer picked up 11 yards on the ground on a big third down play. Delaware Valley then faced a third-and-11 from its own 33 when Wilmer hit Vincent for a 20-yard completion and a key first down. The Aggies ran the ball twice and the Colonels burned two of their timeouts to set up a third-and-9 from the Wilkes 46-yard line. Wilmer kept the ball for a keeper and got to the outside for a 12-yard run to seal the win.
Wilmer finished 12-for-24 for 167 yards and a touchdown and also added 30 key yards on the ground. Vincent led the wideouts with four catches for 70 yards. Defensively, Chris James had seven tackles while Jaskowski, an All-American last season, added six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
Tivald netted 148 yards, including the 77-yard touchdown, on 25 carries. George and Berntsen combined to complete just five of 22 passes for 71 yards and they were intercepted three times. Tate Moore-Jacobs led the defensive charge with 13 tackles.