OWINGS MILLS (MD) – Delaware Valley College sophomore quarterback Aaron Wilmer threw three touchdown passes while junior tailback Kyle Schuberth scored three times as the Aggies notched a 34-10 victory at Stevenson University in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) game.
Delaware Valley, the four-time defending MAC champions, improved to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference. It was also the 52nd win for seventh-year head coach Jim Clements (52-19) as he surpassed the late Al Wilson (51-53-1 in 11 seasons) as the Aggies' all-time victory leader (official records start with 1948 when it became a four-year institution). The Mustangs saw their record fall to 0-3 and 0-2.
Wilmer finished the day 17-for-25 for 212 yards and the three scores, and he also rushed for 50 yards on eight carries. Schuberth carried the ball 15 times for 51 and two touchdowns and also caught four passes for 29 yards and one trip to the end zone. The tandem were the lone returning offensive players at the skilled positions that were all-conference honorees last season.
Delaware Valley forced a turnover on the first drive of the game as a pass was tipped at the line and intercepted by linebacker Jim DiLisio. The Aggie offense took over at the Stevenson 48-yard line. An 11-yard keeper by Wilmer was followed by a 36-yard screen pass from Wilmer to tailback Alquann Jones. Schuberth found the end zone from a yard out to cap the quick scoring drive that took just 28 seconds. Brandon Snyder added the extra-point for a 7-0 lead with 12:52 left in the opening quarter.
The Aggie defense set up the team again as linebacker Chad Wisniewski picked off an Anthony Reid pass and returned it four yards to the Mustang 44. They drove the ball to the nine-yard line and faced a third-and-four when Wilmer hit Chris Ruiz in the middle of the end zone. Snyder added the point-after to up the advantage to 14-0 with 6:51 left on the clock.
Delaware Valley's offense continued its strong play as it used a 10-play, 65-yard scoring drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock. Schuberth ended the drive with a three-yard scamper into the end zone and a 21-0 lead with 11:24 remaining in the first half.
Later in the half, a fumble on a Delaware Valley punt attempt gave Stevenson the ball at the Aggie 17-yard line. The Mustangs managed just one yard on three plays and settled for a Charlie Cornell 33-yard field goal and a 21-3 score with 5:10 to go before the intermission.
Delaware Valley responded on its ensuing drive and took the ball down to the Stevenson 21-yard line where it faced a third-and-10. Wilmer scrambled for seven yards to bring up a fourth-and-three, and he followed it up with a seven-yard keeper to move the sticks. On second down, Wilmer hit Schuberth out of the backfield and Schuberth went untouched into the end zone for his third score of the day. It capped a 15-play, 84-yard drive and Snyder added the extra-point for a 28-3 Delaware Valley lead with just 28 seconds left in the half. It was a half that saw the Aggies outgain the Mustangs, 248-59.
Delaware Valley increased its lead on the second drive of the second half as, on fourth-and-three from the Stevenson 41, Wilmer hit Ruiz around the 20-yard line and Ruiz took care of the rest for the touchdown. A bad snap took place on the extra-point attempt, leaving it a 34-3 ballgame with 5:27 left in the third.
The Aggies ran most of the clock out in the fourth quarter with an 18-play, 86-yard drive. They reached the one-yard line but fumbled into the end zone on the next play and Stevenson recovered for the touchback. The Mustangs drove and put the last points on the board with 10 seconds to go as John Gasparovic completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Smith on a fourth-and-goal.
Delaware Valley finished with 432 yards of total offense while allowing just 213 (four passing). Ruiz had a career day as the senior caught eight passes for 111 yards and the two trips to the end zone. Jones, a freshman, nearly eclipsed the 100-yard mark as he finished with 92 yards on 16 carries. Defensively, John Robinson had nine tackles while Bernard Avery and Dwayne Shaw finished with seven apiece.
Stevenson running back K.K. Smith set school record with 32 carries for 170 yards. Reid was just 3-for-8 for four yards while Gasparovic was 2-for-2 for 10 yards and a score. Antonio Lyle notched 19 tackles in the losing effort.