By Andy Walter

KINGSTON, R.I. — When the play starts, all Dejoun Lee is thinking about is picking up a few yards to keep the drive alive.

But, in the next moment, when Lee realizes he’s through the defensive line and there’s nobody else waiting for him, it’s a pretty amazing feeling.

“It’s exciting,” said Lee, Delaware’s senior running back. “When you make that first guy miss and nobody else is there, the job is to score at that point. I just did what I needed to do.”

Twice on Saturday, Lee turned short-yardage plays into breakaway touchdown runs as the No. 11 Blue Hens cruised to a 35-21 victory over No. 18 Rhode Island in a CAA spring football showdown at Meade Stadium.

While Delaware (3-0 CAA, 3-0 overall) gave up its first three TDs of the season, the Hens also seemed to be in control most of the afternoon in handing the Rams (2-1 CAA, 2-1 overall) their first loss. The Hens finished with decisive advantages of 551-221 in total yards and 27-11 in first downs.

Lee had the biggest game of his career, running for 221 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

The 5-foot-7, 185-pounder’s 36-yard scoring bolt on a fourth-and-short on the eighth play of the game gave Delaware an early 7-0 lead.

Lee then sprinted 74 yards on a third-and-two in the fourth quarter to help seal the Hens’ first 3-0 start to a season since 2012.

UD coach Danny Rocco told offensive coordinator Jared Ambrose early in the week that he thought they’d be able to run the ball at URI, which is learning a new defensive scheme this spring.

“Let’s hit them up the gut, let’s run the power play,” said Rocco. “And then let’s get them running sideways with some of those jet sweeps that we have — to keep them off balance. ... When we got them blocked, we were able to gash them for some big yards.

“I even said it last night in the coaches meeting. I said, if we can keep the ‘D’ linemen from rolling off blocks, or jumping across blocks and diving at his legs, Dejoun’s going to run out. We just can’t let the ‘D’ linemen keep him from getting started.

“I didn’t really know our stats — I didn’t know Dejoun ran for that many yards,” said Rocco. “That’s pretty impressive.”

Delaware ran for 361 yards in the contest as Khory Spruill added 88 yards on 15 carries. That’s one reason the Hens finished with a big 41:34 to 18:26 advantage in time of possession.

With quarterback Nolan Henderson completing 17-of-22 passes for 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Lee said he doesn’t really care how Delaware moves the ball — just as long as they move it.

“I just want to win,” he said. “Whatever they want to do and put on the field, I’ll do whatever it is. Run game or pass game, I don’t really care.”

The Hens did have to work harder to win this game than their first two, though.

Delaware, which hasn’t trailed yet this season, didn’t take the lead for good until backup QB Anthony Paoletti scored on a one-yard run with 3:51 left in the first half. The TD capped off a 12-play, 64-yard march that lasted 6:18.

In the third quarter, the Hens scored on another fourth-and-short. This time Henderson faked the handoff up the middle, rolled to his right and hit tight end Bryce DeMaille on a 22-yard scoring pass.

DeMaille reached up with one hand and knocked down the ball, pulled it in and ran the remaining 12 yards for the TD. Rocco said it’s the kind of big-play potential he always sees in DeMaille.

“To me, he’s that kind of a weapon,” said Rocco. “I grabbed him when he came off the field and said, ‘He’s baaaack.’ You’ve got to be a big-time football player to make that play.”

When Henderson drilled a four-yard TD pass to receiver Thyrick Pitts later in the quarter, the Hens had built their advantage to 28-7.

But, for the first time this season, the Hens also gave up some big plays.

Late in the third quarter, the Rams got loose for a 62-yard catch and run to set up a short touchdown.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Delaware was leading 35-14 and seemed to be driving for another TD after a 51-yard breakaway run by Spruill. But Henderson forced a short pass into the flat where it was intercepted and returned 49 yards to set up the Rams’ final TD with 3:08 left.

The ensuing onsides kick attempt went out of bounds, however, and the Hens ran out the clock.

As long as it added up to another win, Delaware will take it.

“I think there’s still a lot of plays to be made on the field,” said safety Kedrick Whitehead, who forced and recovered a fumble to set up UD’s first touchdown. “Overall, I guess I’m OK and satisfied with our performance but I know there’s a lot more (to do).

“I think the confidence is high,” he said about the team as a whole. “We know there’s still work to do. We’re nowhere near where we want to be — we’re nowhere near when we can be. There’s a lot of football to be played.”

Extra points

Ryan Coe missed three field-goal attempts, although all of them were from 45 yards or longer. ... Pitts had 64 yards on four receptions. ... Linebacker Johnny Buchanan had a team-high five tackles. ... Delaware returns home to play Albany next Saturday at noon.