ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Every time one team scored, the other countered. For Delaware and Navy, it was that kind of game.
Joe Flacco threw four touchdown passes, Omar Cuff rushed for four scores and Delaware upset Navy 59-52 on Saturday.
The Blue Hens (7-1), one of the top teams in the Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), rolled up 581 total yards against the Midshipmen (4-4), who play in the top tier of Division I football.
"We just beat a team that went to four straight bowl games and is probably going to a fifth straight bowl," said Delaware coach K.C. Keeler. "We had two weeks to prepare for them, we needed it."
The 59 points is the most scored by the Blue Hens since a 59-42 win over Villanova on Nov. 18, 2000. It was also the most points Navy has allowed since a 65-19 loss to N.C. State in 2002. It was the most combined points scored in a Navy football game since 1919, when Navy beat Colby 121-0.
Navy has now allowed 40 points or more to three straight opponents and has surrendered 305 points through eight games.
Delaware scored on nine of its 11 possessions.
"We tried everything I know of (to stop them)," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "We have to get better at what we have."
Joe Flacco completed 30 of 41 passes for a career-best 434 yards.
Omar Cuff rushed for 141 yards and set a single-season touchdown record for the Hens as he scored on three 1-yard runs and iced the win with a 37-yard score with 2:02 to play.
"I saw the hole open like the Red Sea," said Omar Cuff of his long run, which capped an 89-yard drive after Navy had closed to 52-49. "I broke through an arm tackle and next thing I know, no one is around me and I was like 'let's put them away' "
Omar Cuff now has 28 touchdowns, 24 rushing, for the season. His 168 points is also a single-season school record.
Joe Flacco's scoring passes went to Kervin Michaud for 11 and 13 yards, Mark Duncan for 23 yards and Aaron Love for 34 yards. Michaud had eight catches for 96 yards and Robbie Agnone had seven catches for 133 yards.
"We know that we can come in and compete with these guys and we really wanted to show what we had," said Joe Flacco. "To come on the road and do a great job like we did was unbelievable and I think we proved a lot today."
Navy rushed for 342 yards and had 506 yards total offense.
Navy's starting quarterback Kaipo-Nao Kaheaku-Enhada rushed for 72 yards and scored short TD runs in the first quarter to give Navy a 14-7 lead. He was replaced in the third quarter after Delaware scored two straight touchdowns to take a 42-35 lead.
Jarod Bryant, Kaheaku-Enhada's backup, ran for 25 yards and completed 8 of 11 passes for 126 yards. His 51-yard pass to Zerb Singleton set up Navy's last touchdown, which made it 52-49 with 4:25 left.
"Kaipo was a little stiff, looked a little tentative out there. We have confidence in Jarod," Johnson said. "We needed to run the ball inside, we thought making a change might not be a bad thing."
Adam Ballard led Navy's ground attack with 94 yards and scored on a 55-yard run. Eric Kettani added 92 yards and scored twice.
Reggie Campbell had 173 yards on six kickoff returns. His 74-yard return to open the second half set up a short scoring drive capped by Kettani's 1-yard run and gave the Mids a 35-28 lead. Campbell also scored on a 2-yard run and had 219 all-purpose yards.
Joey Bullen's 29-yard field goal with 31 seconds left for Navy made it 59-52. After his field goal, the onside kick failed and Delaware ran out the clock.
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