The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 47

Dec. 7, 2003 Section Sunday News Journal, Wilmington, Del. www.delawareonline.com men rtiy fcijiii tcday fcr win The Hens (4-1) overcome a 13-point deficit to beat Maryland-Baltimore County. D1 1 Skiing, D2 Flyers tie, D3 Golf, D4 Women's college basketball, D12 Scoreboard, D13 Baseball, D14 News tips for Sports: 324-2801 or sportsdelawareonline.com Sports editor Ron Fritz, 324-2919 BLUE HENS 37, NORTHERN IOWA 7 run r-x r.ft Another fast start keys Hens 1 By KEVIN TRESOLINI Stafl reporter NEWARK On its first possession Saturday the University of Delaware football team traveled 54 yards across the largest visible expanse of grass in town vr to score a touchdown. Then things snowballed.

The Hens kept going, adding 10 more first-quarter points. When the afternoon was done, Delaware was the proud owner of a 37-7 victory over Northern Iowa and a ticket to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. Delaware's quarterfinal triumph came in surroundings that bordered on surreal, as it was the first game played following a snowstorm in the 51-year history of Delaware Stadium. More than 24 hours of plowing the tarp-covered turf and a sudden end to the snowfall two hours before kickoff left the outcome up to the two teams, who had to deal with a cold north wind rather than snow. The superiority of Delaware was evident on that first series, which ended with Germaine Bennett's 2-yard touchdown run.

Delaware converted a Northern Iowa fumble and a blocked punt into 10 more points Sea HENS 09 SATURDAY'S I-AA QUARTERFINALS 1 I I 1 The News JoumaVGINGER WALL Delaware's Antawn Jenkins bulls into the end zone for a first-quarter touchdown during the Hens' 37-7 quarterfinal win over Northern Iowa on Saturday. 37 7 Blue Hens do a number on Gateway foes BlueHens Northern Iowa Colgate Western Illinois 28 27 BlueHens Review Who and what is Wofford, Delaware's next playoff opponent? D8 Scores of fans braved the cold, snowy weather to see the Blue Hens win. D8 Once again, special teams played a big part in this win. D8 Vi Go to www.delawareonline.com to watch a video about the UD fans who braved the cold. ons.

Rhode Island and Richmond should think about changing conferences. At least that way, they could make it to the postseason. Too bad Western Kentucky and Western Illinois, the other Gateway teams, lost Saturday. Now Delaware won't be able to win the conference championship during these playoffs. By the way, explain to me how the Gateway got four teams into the playoffs.

See FRANK -D8 NEWARK Now we know why they call it the Gateway Conference. As in, the conference of overmatched and beleaguered teams serving as Delaware's gateway to the national semifinals. As in, the conference of a playoff first-timer and a fair-weather dome team having its gateway to the next round shut emphatically in its face. Two weeks in a row, Delaware pounded a team from the Gateway in these Division I-AA playoffs. UD took Wofford 34 Western Kentucky 17 Florida Atlantic 48 Northern Arizona 25 Semifinals, Dec.

13 Blue Hens (12-1) vs. Wofford, at Delaware, 1 p.m. TV: ESPN2 Colgate vs. Florida Atlantic it to Northern Iowa 37-7 on Saturday, one week after dismantling Southern Illinois 48-7. That's a cumulative score of 85-14 against the conference's co-champi MARTIN FRANK COMMENTARY K-State stuns No.

1 Oklahoma Road to NFC East title goes through Eagles N0. 13 KANSAS ST. 35, NO. 1 OKLAHOMA 7 INSIDE: COLLEGE FOOTBALL How Saturday's action will affect the BCS standings, D10 Navy rolls past Army, which drops to 0-13, D10 College football roundup, D10 esta Bowl, its first BCS game in school history With the Sugar Bowl appearing to be wrapped up before the game, the Sooners came in hearing talk about where they rank in history. Roberson and the Wildcats (11-3) delivered an emphatic answer second best in the Big 12.

The Wildcats have won seven straight since a three-game skid early in the season. This was the crowning achievement in coach Bill Snyder's career at the school. When he took over in 1989, Kansas State was viewed as one of the worst programs in the nation. But Snyder built it from scratch and after many heartbreaks finally came through in a big game, beating a top three team for the first time in school history Oklahoma failed to generate a runninp- game against Kansas Stave's stout front and By JOSH DUBOW Associated Press KANSAS CITY Mo. Oh no, Oklahoma! The top-ranked Sooners got a taste of what it's like to get steamrolled when they were shocked 35-7 by No.

13 Kansas State on Saturday night throwing the national championship picture into chaos. The loss in the Big 12 title game is certain to drop the Sooners in the polls. However, the big question is can they still hang on to finish in the top two of the BCS rankings to make the Sugar Bowl or whether they even deserve to go. Ell Roberson threw four touchdown passes, Darren Sproies ran for 235 yards and the Wildcats shredded Oklahoma's vaunted defense to earn their first conference title in 69 years. "They outplayed us in every part of the game," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.

"They took it to us in every part of the game." Despite the overwhelming defeat, experts still believe the Sooners (12-1) will wind up in New Orleans on Jan. 4 once the BCS standings are released today. Their opponent would be either Southern California or LSU, and whichever one-loss team is kept out of the title game will surely feel slighted. Kansas State will go to the Fi- By KEVIN NOONAN Staff reporter PHILADELPHIA The tide has turned. The Eagles can clinch a playoff berth for the fourth straight season with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys today at Lincoln Financial Field.

Plus, this game could help determine the NFC East title. The Eagles (9-3) are a game ahead of the Cowboys (8-4), and no other team in the division is in position to threaten the two front-runners. But the situation was much different when these rivals met back on Oct. 12. Dallas won 23-21 to take a seemingly firm grip on the division the Cowboys were 4-1, the Eagles were 2-3.

But the Eagles have since won seven straight, Dallas has lost two of its last three, and now the Eagles are on top. It was after that first Dallas game that Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb who was mired in the worst slump of his career proclaimed that the Eagles were still the class of the division. And, in a statement that has gained new life this week in Texas, McNabb said the road to the NFC East championship still went through Philadelphia. Apparently, McNabb knew what he was talking about. The INSIDE NFL preview, C6 Eagles preview, C7 COMING MONDAY Eagles review and full NFL coverage Eagles are back in first place and primed to win their third straight division title.

"You all laughed, probably smirked and went home and told all your friends that I was stupid," McNabb said to reporters this week. "But I guess you understand that what I was saying was right. We thought it -would happen. I don't know if anybody else would have." That we're-still-the-champs quote was pinned on the Cowboys' bulletin board this week and some players, including defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, took offense. But safety Darren Woodson, a 12-year veteran who played onthree Super Bowl teams in Dallas, said McNabb was on the mark.

"We know that the only way we're going to get to where we want to be is to go through Philly," Woodson said last week. "I know Donovan made that statement earlier, and he was i See EAGLES -D7 1 ii mi it APREED HOFFMAN Kansas State defenders Korey Klein (left) and Byron Garvin pull down Oklahoma running back Kejuan Jones during the Wildcats' upset win In the Big 12 championship game. by Ted Sims for a score to make it 35-7 early in the fourth quarter. White also missed an open Lance Donley on a fourth-and-1 play late in the second quarter. Roberson threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter, including a 60-yarder to Sproies and a 63-yarder to James Terry, the Wildcats seized control.

gave little protection to quarterback Jason White. White was under constant pressure from Thomas Houchin, and endured many hard hits. The Heisman Trophy favorite finished 27-for-50 for 298 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. White's first pick stopped a drive in the end none, and his second was returned 27 yards.