Delaware Claims Division I-AA Title

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Delaware left no doubt about which team was the best in Division I-AA.

Andy Hall threw two touchdown passes to David Boler and the Blue Hens defeated Colgate, 40-0, Friday night to win the national championship.

“This is what you dream about, to finish on top,” Hall said. “I feel like Michael Jordan.”

The Blue Hens (15-1) continued the dominance they established in the playoffs, outscoring their previous three opponents, 109-23. They recorded the only shutout ever and biggest margin of victory in the I-AA championship game.

Delaware led, 20-0, after some early miscues by the Raiders (15-1). Colgate, playing in its first title game, had its 21-game winning streak stopped. It is only the second non-scholarship team to make it to the championship game since I-AA was formed in 1978. The other was Lehigh, which lost to Eastern Kentucky in 1979.

“The problem with the playoffs is you either go all the way and win a national championship or you lose and feel lousy,” Colgate Coach Dick Biddle said. “This is the best team Colgate has ever had.”