WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Make no mistake, University of Delaware senior running back Omar Cuff is back at full strength. And in a big way.

Cuff (at right), a 2005 All-American who missed several games a year ago with an ankle injury, got the 2007 season off to an explosive start Thursday night as he rushed for a career-high 244 yards and tied an NCAA record by scoring seven touchdowns, including six on the ground, to lead the No. 19 ranked Blue Hens to a season-opening 49-31 football victory over host William & Mary at Zable Stadium. The game marked the inaugural Colonial Athletic Association game.

The Blue Hens, looking to rebound from a disappointing 5-6 record a year ago and boasting an offense that returns 10 starters, showed why they are expected to be one of the nation’s top offensive units this fall. Delaware piled up 483 total yards with a nice balance of 281 yards rushing and 202 yard passing on the way to the victory, their fourth straight regular season win over the Tribe.

“An 18-point victory on the road in this league is a big deal,” said sixth-year Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. “We played very well tonight and we’re proud of them. We have to clean some things up on defense, but our offense clicked tonight and it was a great way to open the season. Our offensive line was the key tonight, we just kept grinding all night. And what can you say about Omar. You realize how special he is when you consider how much time he missed last season. He might be one of the best backs in America.”

Cuff, who is trying to become the first player in school history to lead the team in rushing all four seasons, carried the ball 30 times for 244 yards and scored six touchdowns and caught four passes for 52 yards and one score to lead the way. He set school and CAA records for rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns in a game and tied the NCAA Division Football Championship Subdivision for total touchdowns in a game. Archie Amerson of Northern Arizona (1996) and Jessie Burton of McNeese State (1998) share the record. Cuff’s 244 yards was his 13th career 100-yard effort and eight more yards than his previous high and was the second highest in school history, trailing only a 272-yard performance by Daryl Brown vs. Northeastern in 1994.

“It’s nice, I guess this was my night,” said the modest Cuff, who missed all or parts of five games in 2006 with a knee injury but still led the team with 541 yards and eight touchdowns. “I love those guys on the offensive line. I ran pretty well tonight but I’m still a little cautious (due to the injury) but I was able to open things up and it worked well for me.”

Delaware senior quarterback Joe Flacco, like Cuff a candidate for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player at the FCS level, completed 19 of 23 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown, surpassing the 200-yard mark for the sixth straight game dating back to last season. Kervin Michaud added to the offense as he rushed for 39 yards and caught seven passes for 75 yards.

After falling behind 3-0 late in the first quarter, the Hens scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 21-3 lead at halftime. After William & Mary cut the lead to 21-10 early in the second half, Cuff responded with his fourth touchdown of the night just under four minutes later and the Hens led by at least 18 points the rest of the way.

William & Mary showed its offensive might as well. The Tribe, looking to bounce back from a 3-8 record a year that was the team’s worst mark since 1982. Quarterback Jake Phillips, who won the starting job late in pre-season camp, completed 26 of 41 passes for 433 yards and two touchdowns and also scored. D.J. McAulay caught seven passes for 162 yards and tight end Drew Atchison hauled in six passes for 139 yards with each catching a scoring pass. The Tribe piled up 542 total yards on the night, the ninth highest total allowed in school history.

The Tribe struck first as they capped a 20-play, 80-yard drive with a 20-yard field goal by Brian Pate with 3:59 left in the opening stanza. But the Hens wasted little time in showing what their offense is made of. Cuff scored on two one-yard dives and added a 38-yard jaunt to give Delaware a 21-3 advantage at the break.

The Tribe cut the lead to 21-10 when Phillips hit Atchison on a 50-yard scoring pass just 2:07 into the second half, but Cuff followed with a two-yard scoring run just four minutes later and extended the UD lead to 35-10 with a 20-yard burst on the first play of the final quarter.

The teams then traded scores the rest of the way, combining for five touchdowns over the last 14 minutes of action, but the Tribe never got closer then two touchdowns. Phillips scored on a one-yard run and added a 19-yard touchdown pass to McAulay in the final stanza while Cuff added a 19-yard score off a screen pass from Flacco and capped his scoring frenzy with a 10-yard touchdown run with 9:06 left to play.

William & Mary, which has now lost seven straight conference home games since 2005, closed out the scoring when Terrell Walls scooped up a fumble by Delaware freshman running back Corey Broyles and returned it 28 yards for a score with 5:17 left.

Delaware, which opened the season on the road for the first time since 2000, improved to 5-1 in season openers under Keeler and the Hens are now 16-3 over their last 19 openers. The Hens will host West Chester in their home opener next Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

(Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell )

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