Delaware defensive back Nijuel Hill (16) can't stop Rutgers' Brandon Sanders on a second quarter touchdown reception at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. Ud At Rutgers
Noah Vedral passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights rolled to a 45-13 win over the visiting Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens on Saturday.
Isaih Pacheco rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns for Rutgers (3-0), which is 3-0 for the first time since winning the first seven games of the 2012 season.
Vedral completed 21-of-25 passes, including 10 straight at one point. Bo Melton caught five of Vedral’s passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Delaware (2-1, 1-0 CAA), which came in ranked sixth in the STATS Perform FCS poll, fell to 0-10 against FBS opponents since a 59-52 win at Navy in 2007.
Dejoun Lee gained 121 yards on 15 carries, including a 71-yard dash that set up the Blue Hens only touchdown. Nolan Henderson was 11-for-20 for 95 yards and a touchdown.
The Scarlets Knights took the early lead when Vedral found Melton down the right side for 28-yard touchdown with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Vedral hit Melton for 57 yards to the Delaware 27. Three plays later Isaih Pacheco ran 20 yards for a score and Rutgers led 14-0.
The Blue Hens answered quickly. On the first play from scrimmage, Lee got around the right end and raced 71 yards to the Rutgers one-yard line. On the next play, Henderson passed to Thyrick Pitts for the touchdown with 11:46 left in the half.
Then it was Rutgers turn for a quick strike as Vedral, on the first play from scrimmage, found Brandon Sanders down the middle for a 62-yard catch and run touchdown to give Rutgers a 21-7 lead.
Ryan Coe matched his career high with a 53-yard field goal to pull Delaware within 21-10, but Rutgers’ Aaron Young scored from six yards out to finish a 60-yard drive and Aron Cruickshank capped the Scarlet Knights first half with a 62-yard punt return touchdown to make it 35-10 at intermission.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter and then Rutgers went 75 yards in 12 plays with Pacheco scoring on a 1-yard plunge with 10:16 remaining in the game.
–Field Level Media