Blue Heaven

It was billed as a matchup of Division I-AA's two best players,
but the title game between Delaware and Colgate last Friday in
Chattanooga turned out to be no contest. Colgate junior running
back Jamaal Branch, who'd rushed for 2,271 yards and 29 TDs to
win the Walter Payton Award, was held to 55 yards on 20 carries,
while Delaware senior QB Andy Hall, a Payton finalist, completed
12 of 20 passes for 182 yards and two TDs in leading the Blue
Hens to a 40-0 victory and their first I-AA title. During the
season Hall, a Georgia Tech transfer, played through a broken
finger, a bad back, a hip pointer and finally a separated left
shoulder, which was hurting him on Friday night. Hall didn't mind
it. "To win a national championship at any level is
unbelievable," he said. "I feel like Michael Jordan right now.
I'm going out on top."

COLOR PHOTO: WADE PAYNE/AP (DELAWARE)