DelVal Readies For Husson In NCAA Second Round
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The ride will continue for the Delaware Valley University football team on Saturday when the Aggies host Husson University in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.
DelVal opened the playoffs with an impressive 35-0 win over Western New England University in the first round last weekend. The Aggies found the end zone on offense, defense and special teams in the victory.
"It was a great team win," Del Val head coach Duke Greco tells KYW Newsradio. "Defensively, they've had an amazing season. It's at the point where they had a shutout and you almost expect it from that unit, they're playing great. Special teams, we played very well as well. Vinnie Nelson had a punt return for a touchdown. On offense, we made a couple big plays but it might have been our toughest day of the year so we need to regroup there and have a better performance this week."
The win improved the Aggies to 11-0. Just how dominant have they been? DelVal has trailed in a game this season for exactly seven minutes. Total.
"I think with our team in general, we have great chemistry here, I mean these guys love to play football," Greco says of his team's success. "They're here for an education, but at the same time I think the type of guy that is here, football's important to him. They practice hard and we play with great effort. Not because they need to, but because they enjoy doing it. As a team that's what we have, we have a bunch of guys that just love to play the game."
The Aggies will face a tough challenge in this Husson team that calls Bangor, Maine home. The Eagles are 10-1 and coming off a 23-21 win in the first round over Springfield. Husson features a very talented running back on offense named John Smith. The senior has rushed for 2,081 yards and 30 touchdowns on 308 carries this season.
"He's a violent runner," Greco says. "He's a tough kid. They're going to give him the rock, I mean they run the football. They also have a couple of guys on the outside, #7 [Kyree Calli] one wideout who can make some plays. Quarterback [Cory Brandon] is very good."
The Eagles are the champions of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference. Their one loss this season came at the hands of the same Western New England team that the Aggies beat in the first round.
Saturday's game in Doylestown gets underway at noon.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @Mattleonkyw.