Nov. 13, 2007

Complete Game Notes

VILLANOVA, Pa.-- Two longtime conference rivals meet in the regular season finale on Saturday in a game that is being billed as the "Battle of the Blue" between Villanova and Delaware. Saturday's game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised live on CN8. Click on the PDF link at the top of this release for complete game notes. Below is a complete preview of the game.

VILLANOVA-DELAWARE PREVIEW

Two longtime conference rivals meet in the regular season finale today in a game that is being billed as the "Battle of the Blue" between Villanova and Delaware. The series between the teams dates all the way back to the 1895 season, but the rivalry between the programs has grown much more in recent years. The Blue Hens lead the series by a 20-19-1 margin but the Wildcats claimed their first win in four years last season with a 28-27 victory.

Villanova enters the game with a 6-4 overall record and 4-3 mark in conference play. The Wildcats have assured themselves a winning record for the second straight year and 10th time in the past 12 seasons. Delaware is ranked among the top-10 teams in the nation and is a contender for a playoff spot. The Blue Hens enter this game with an 8-2 overall mark and 5-2 record in CAA games.

On the road last Saturday, Villanova came away with a 14-12 victory over Towson. The Wildcats did not allow the Tigers a touchdown until the closing minute of the fourth quarter and used a stifling defensive effort to come away with the victory. The contest featured a quiet offensive start for both sides and Towson led 3-0 at halftime. Villanova went ahead 7-6 by the end of the third quarter and stretched the advantage to 14-6 before a late score and failed two-point conversion attempt by the Tigers.

The dominant defensive effort against Towson helped the Wildcats dominate control of the ball and produce a strong running game. Villanova held possession for more than 38 minutes and ran for 194 yards. Senior running back Matt Dicken rushed for 103 yards in the second half alone and finished with 133 yards on 30 carries. Redshirt freshman Aaron Ball generated 46 yards on the ground and his two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter got the Wildcats on the scoreboard and was the first touchdown of his career. Early in the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Chris Whitney threw a touchdown pass to Phil Atkinson to stretch the Villanova lead. Atkinson tallied his third touchdown reception in the past two games and Whitney finished an efficient 16-of-21 for 116 yards. Defensively, sophomore Tim Kukucka registered five solo tackles, counting three tackles for losses of 19 yards (two sacks) in that total. He also forced two fumbles.

With one game remaining, Villanova features a balanced offense that averages 149.9 yards per game on the ground to go along with an average of 179.4 passing yards. Dicken has accounted for more than half of the team's rushing total, running for 788 yards and four touchdowns. In five games at quarterback since taking over for the injured Antwon Young, true freshman Whitney has completed 47-of-79 passes for 517 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Atkinson leads the team with eight touchdown receptions and has caught 30 passes for 314 yards. Senior tight end Matt Sherry leads the team with 35 receptions and 434 receiving yards. He has caught five touchdown passes and overall has at least one reception in nine of 10 games played.

Defense and special teams play have been a calling card for the Wildcats. Sophomore linebacker Osayi Osunde leads the team with 75 total tackles and is one of four Villanova players with at least 50 total tackles. Kukucka has tallied 12.0 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown. He often teams with junior Greg Miller, who has 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and six passes broken up. The Wildcats lead the CAA in average yards gained on kick returns. Sophomore Angelo Babbaro has averaged 29.8 yards on 20 kick returns, including a 95-yard return for a touchdown in a win over Hofstra earlier in the year.

Delaware comes into today's game on the heels of a heartbreaking loss at home to Richmond in a battle of two top-10 teams. The game took five overtimes to complete and the Blue Hens were eventually dealt a 62-56 loss. Senior quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns while running in for two other scores. Running back Omar Cuff carried the ball 48 times for 189 yards and two scores.

The Blue Hens have been a dominant offensive team, averaging 487 yards of offense and nearly 41 points per game. Cuff leads the entire nation with 198 points on 33 touchdowns (29 rushing, four receiving). Flacco ranks eighth in the nation with a 160.41 efficiency rating, and has thrown for 3040 yards with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has completed 234-of-333 pass attempts (70.3%). Mark Duncan and Aaron Love have been the team's top two receiving threats. Love has made 48 catches for 662 yards and three touchdowns, while Duncan has 46 catches for 670 yards and four scores. Defensively, Delaware owns a +13.8 scoring margin. Linebacker Erik Johnson and safety Anthony Bratton have made 79 and 78 tackles, respectively, while sophomore Matt Marcorelle has made 38 total tackles. Of those 38 stops, 9.5 have been for a loss, including 5.5 sacks totaling losses of 46 yards.

Villanova is making its seventh appearance on regional television this afternoon and will have its fifth straight game televised. The contest between the Wildcats and Delaware is airing live by CN8.