Blue Hen News:
Football Closes Out Spring Ball with Annual Blue-White Spring Game
4/19/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team concluded its spring practice schedule on Friday night with the annual Blue-White Spring Game at Delaware Stadium. In front of a strong contingent of UD fans and family members, the Blue Hens exhibited a lot of talent on both sides of the ball that will be on full display for the upcoming 2024 season.
The evening started with a fun meet-and-greet in the Whitney Athletic Center where fans had the opportunity to meet with several Delaware alums. The list of attending alumni included former All-Americans, current and former NFL players and Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame members.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The defense started strong with a three-and-out and had some big plays throughout the night with multiple sacks and a pair of fourth-down stops.
The offense got going with a strong second drive that was capped by an 11-yard touchdown run from Ronnie Heath.
Ryan O’Connor connected on a deep pass to JoJo Bermudez that eventually setup an 11-yard score by Jo’Nathan Silver on a shovel pass.
Nate Reed, who was 3-for-3 on PAT attempts, connected on a 45-yard field goal that brought excitement to the crowd.
Quincy Watson found the end zone on a five-yard run before, on the final play of the night, Daniel Lipovski found Santino Correa for a 15-yard touchdown as Correa dove over the goal line.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will open the 2024 season on August 29 when they welcome Bryant to Delaware Stadium. Season tickets and partial plan packages are on sale now.
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Game Times Announced for 2024 Football Season
3/29/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware athletic department, in conjunction with the CAA, has announced the kickoff times for the upcoming 2024 football season. Fans will have seven opportunities to catch the Blue Hens in action at Delaware Stadium.
For the first time since the 2020-21 spring season, the Blue Hens will open the season at home as they host Bryant in a Thursday night matchup at 7 p.m. on August 29. Because the game was originally scheduled before Bryant joined the CAA, it will not count as a conference game.
After an early bye week, Delaware will travel to North Carolina A&T to open conference play on September 14. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and it will be UD's first trip to Greensboro as the Aggies joined the conference prior to the 2023 season.
The Blue & Gold will return home for a pair of games at Delaware Stadium starting with a matchup against Penn at 6 p.m. on September 21. The Blue Hens will close out nonconference play with a 3:30 p.m. contest on September 28 against Sacred Heart, which will be a part of Delaware's Parents & Family Weekend.
Delaware will head back on the road for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Monmouth on October 5, before returning home to Newark the following week for a matchup against Maine. Kickoff against the Black Bears is set for 1 p.m. on October 12. The Blue Hens will travel to Richmond on October 19 for a matchup against the Spiders that is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.
A three-game homestand will begin against UAlbany, a 2023 FCS semifinalist, at 3 p.m. on October 26 at Delaware Stadium. The contest will be a part of the University of UD's Homecoming Weekend. Following a second bye week, Rhode Island will make its first trip to Newark since 2018 for a 1 p.m. game on November 9. The homestand will conclude on November 16 when Campbell makes its first-ever trip to Delaware Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The 2024 season will conclude on November 23 when the Blue & Gold visits Villanova at 1 p.m. for the Battle of the Blue.
Individual game tickets will go on sale later this spring. Season tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now. Due to high demand, seating in the best locations in Delaware Stadium is limited. Season ticket membership for the 2024 season locks in pricing for 2025 for the Blue Hens' first season of FBS play.
Season ticket members will also be able to attend an exclusive pregame event in the Whitney Athletic Stadium Club prior to the annual Blue-White Spring Game, presented by Delaware State Parks, on Friday, April 19.
2024 Delaware Football Schedule
8/29 Bryant 7 p.m.
9/14 at NC A&T * 1 p.m.
9/21 Penn 6 p.m.
9/28 Sacred Heart 3:30 p.m. (Parents & Family Weekend)
10/5 at Monmouth * 1 p.m.
10/12 Maine * 1 p.m.
10/19 at Richmond * 3:30 p.m.
10/26 UAlbany * 3 p.m. (Homecoming)
11/9 Rhode Island * 1 p.m.
11/16 Campbell * 1 p.m.
11/23 at Villanova * 1 p.m.
* CAA game
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Series with UConn Completes Football’s 2025 Nonconference Slate
2/15/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team has announced a home-and-home series against UConn that will complete the nonconference portion of the 2025 schedule, UD's first season at the FBS level. The Blue Hens will host the Huskies in 2025 and will make the return trip to Connecticut in 2027.
UConn will be the first FBS program to visit Delaware Stadium when they come to Newark on September 13, 2025. It is the fourth and final nonconference game on the 2025 slate for the Blue Hens who will be playing their first season as a full member of Conference USA. The matchup against the Huskies joins a nonconference home game against Delaware State (Aug. 28) and road contests at Colorado (Sep. 6) and Wake Forest (Sep. 27). The eight-game CUSA schedule will be announced at a later date.
The Blue Hens will travel to UConn for the 2027 season finale to close out the series. The matchup will take place on November 27, 2027, at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut.
The two programs have met 27 times previously on the gridiron, with Delaware having won the past five matchups and holding a 20-7 series advantage including a 12-2 mark at Delaware Stadium. The last meeting took place back during the 1998 season when the then-No. 15 Blue Hens defeated then-No. 5 UConn 59-17 in Storrs, Connecticut behind a program record 732 yards of total offense. Quarterback Matt Nagy set UD records with 358 passing yards in the first half and 556 yards for the game. He remains the only Blue Hen to have surpassed 500 passing yards in a single game. Eddie Conti caught 15 passes for a Delaware-record 354 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown reception from Nagy, and finished with 401 all-purpose yards which tied his own record from earlier that season.
UConn went 3-9 during the 2023 season, its second under head coach Jim Mora, and finished the season with consecutive wins over Sacred Heart and UMass. The Huskies are just one year removed from qualifying for a bowl game as they played in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl in Mora's first season.
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The 2024 season schedule has been announced and season tickets memberships are on sale now. Renewing members must be renewed by February 29 to guarantee the same seating and parking locations as 2023. All fans who renew or purchase tickets by this date will have the option to use the virtual venue to upgrade, add or select new seats and/or parking spaces for the upcoming season.
With an additional home game in 2024, the ticket price per game for every season ticket in the stadium decreased from last season. Due to the additional home game, the total season ticket price increased slightly from 2023. Season ticket members save up to $27 per game over individual game tickets. Furthermore, season ticket prices will not increase for renewing season ticket members for the inaugural season of FBS in 2025.
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Delaware Football to Play at Virginia in 2026
2/5/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team will travel to Charlottesville in 2026 for a nonconference contest against the University of Virginia. The matchup will take place on September 26 at UVA's Scott Stadium and is the first game to be announced for the Blue Hens' 2026 schedule. It will be the first meeting between the two programs.
Delaware will be matching up with an ACC opponent for the second-straight season when it makes the trip to Charlottesville after playing at Wake Forest in 2025. The Cavaliers went 3-9 in 2023 with wins over then-No. 10 North Carolina and a Duke team that spent a majority of the season in the top 25. Virginia is just two years removed from qualifying for the Wasabi Fenway Bowl in 2021 and played in the Orange Bowl in 2019 after an appearance in the ACC Championship Game.
The Blue & Gold wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04. Delaware's offense scored at least 40 points in five games this year and surpassed 500 total yards on four occasions.
The 2024 season schedule has been announced and season tickets memberships are on sale now. Renewing members must be renewed by February 29 to guarantee the same seating and parking locations as 2023. All fans who renew or purchase tickets by this date will have the option to use the virtual venue to upgrade, add or select new seats and/or parking spaces for the upcoming season.
With an additional home game in 2024, the ticket price per game for every season ticket in the stadium decreased from last season. Due to the additional home game, the total season ticket price increased slightly from 2023. Season ticket members save up to $27 per game over individual game tickets. Furthermore, season ticket prices will not increase for renewing season ticket members for the inaugural season of FBS in 2025
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Delaware, CAA Releases 2024 Football Schedule
1/10/2024 - BLUEHENS.COM
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware and the Coastal Athletic Association have announced the football schedule for the upcoming 2024 season. The Blue Hens will play seven home games at Delaware Stadium next fall, with three nonconference contests and four conference matchups against CAA opponents.
For the first time since the 2020-21 spring season, the Blue Hens will open the season at home as they host Bryant in a Thursday night matchup on August 29. This will be the first-ever matchup between the two programs and, because the game was originally scheduled before Bryant joined the CAA, it will not count as a conference game.
After an early bye week, Delaware will travel to North Carolina A&T to open CAA play on September 14. It will be UD's first trip to Greensboro as the Aggies joined the conference prior to the 2023 season and the two programs met last October for the first time since 1978. In UD's 21-6 victory, Kyron Cumby ran for two touchdowns and Jackson Taylor was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week after recording 15 tackles.
The Blue & Gold will return home for a pair of games at Delaware Stadium starting with a matchup against Penn on September 21. Delaware is 3-3 all-time against the Quakers and won the only meeting in the last 40 years, a 28-27 victory in 2019. The Blue Hens will close out nonconference play on September 28 against Sacred Heart, the first meeting between the two programs since the first round of the 2020-21 spring postseason which UD won 19-10 on its way to an appearance in the national semifinals. The contest against the Pioneers will be a part of Delaware's Parents & Family Weekend.
A road trip to Monmouth on October 5 will start a string of five-straight conference games against opponents that Delaware has not seen since the 2021 or 2022 seasons. The Blue Hens defeated the Hawks 49-17 in 2022 behind six total touchdowns by Nolan Henderson.
Delaware will welcome Maine to Delaware Stadium on October 12 for the 35th meeting between the two programs and the first since the 2021 season opener, a 34-24 UD victory. The following week, the Blue Hens will make the trip to Richmond for another matchup against a longtime foe. It will be the 37th all-time meeting between the two programs and the Blue & Gold will look to snap a three-game losing streak against the Spiders.
A three-game homestand will begin on October 26 against UAlbany at Delaware Stadium. The Blue Hens have won five of the last six meetings against the Great Danes, who reached the FCS semifinals in 2023. The contest will be a part of the University of Delaware's Homecoming Weekend.
Following a second bye week, Rhode Island will visit Newark on November 9 for the first time since 2018. Delaware owns a 25-11 all-time record against the Rams and have won three of the past four meetings, all of which came on the road. The homestand will conclude on November 16 when Campbell makes its first-ever trip to Delaware Stadium. The Camels joined the CAA in 2023 and UD won the first meeting between the two programs, 45-7, in November behind four touchdown passes by Ryan O'Connor, including two to Joshua Youngblood.
The 2024 season will conclude on November 23 when the Blue & Gold visits Villanova for the annual Battle of the Blue.
Game times will be announced at a later date.
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Delaware Announces Future Football Series with Buffalo, Contest at Wake Forest
1/9/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team has a pair of additional new opponents on the horizon as the program prepares for its transition to Conference USA and FBS football in 2025. The Blue Hens will play a home-and-home series with the University of Buffalo in 2029 and 2030, and will also travel to Wake Forest University for a contest in 2025.
The two-game series with Buffalo will begin when the Bulls visit Delaware Stadium on September 15, 2029, and the Blue Hens will make a return trip to Buffalo's UB Stadium the following season on September 14, 2030. Buffalo appeared in a bowl game in 2022 and averaged 20.9 ppg in 2023 while finishing fourth in the MAC East Division. The two programs met eight times between 1961 and 1969 with the Bulls holding a 6-2 series advantage.
The contest with Wake Forest will be played at the Demon Deacons' Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday, September 27, 2025. Wake Forest, which has played in a bowl game in seven of the past eight seasons, averaged 20.2 ppg in 2023 while playing a challenging ACC schedule. The two schools have met twice before on the gridiron, with Wake Forest winning both matchups in 1932 and 2016. This is UD's third announced nonconference contest for the 2025 season as the Blue Hens will also host Delaware State and play at Colorado to open the season.
The Blue & Gold wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04. Delaware's offense scored at least 40 points in five games this year and surpassed 500 total yards on four occasions.
Delaware will officially join Conference USA on July 1, 2025 as a full-league member. As they begin the two-year transition process, the Blue Hens will play an FCS schedule in 2024 that will be announced in the coming days. Deposits for 2024 season ticket packages are available now.
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Delaware, Delaware State Agree to Adjust Upcoming Football Series
1/8/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware, in partnership with Delaware State University, has agreed to an adjustment in the upcoming football series between the two in-state programs. With the transition to Conference USA, the Blue Hens will kick off their inaugural FBS season in 2025 against the Hornets on Thursday, August 28 at Delaware Stadium. This game will replace the 2024 game that was scheduled to be played in Dover.
"We are excited to continue our relationship with Delaware State," Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak said. "As we make this transition to FBS football, I'm grateful we can maintain our strong and important rivalry for the 302. Our regular competitions in any sport is a great way to bring the whole state together to support its two Division I programs."
As an FBS program, the Blue Hens will have the opportunity to play a maximum of one FCS opponent each season. The Hornets, as the First State's other Division I program, will continue to be an opponent at Delaware Stadium in future years.
"As we continue to rebuild our football program, we welcome the opportunity to maintain the Route One Rivalry as it represents our shared vision for the future of Division I athletics in the State of Delaware," said Delaware State Director of Athletics Alecia Shields-Gadson.
Delaware and Delaware State share a long history on the playing field across all sports. Over the past five years, the two schools have met 20 times in head-to-head competitions in an ongoing in-state series known as the Route One Rivalry. On the gridiron, the Blue Hens have won all 11 meetings against the Hornets, including the most recent matchup in 2022.
The relationship between the two universities extends far beyond athletics, sharing in numerous academic, research and community engagement partnerships that serve the state of Delaware.
The Blue Hens wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04. Delaware's offense scored at least 40 points in five games this year and surpassed 500 total yards on four occasions.
Delaware will officially join Conference USA on July 1, 2025, as a full-league member. As they begin the two-year transition process, the Blue Hens will play an FCS schedule in 2024 that will be announced later this week. Deposits for the 2024 season ticket packages are available now.
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Delaware Football Ranked No. 10/11 in Final National Rankings
1/8/2024 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – With the conclusion of the FCS season on Sunday, the University of Delaware football team found itself ranked among the nation's best in the final national rankings. The Blue Hens finished the season sitting at No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll and No. 11 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Blue Hens wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04. Delaware's offense scored at least 40 points in five games this year and surpassed 500 total yards on four occasions.
Ryan O'Connor had a strong first campaign as Delaware's starting quarterback, passing for 2,104 yards and 19 touchdowns in 10 games. Marcus Yarns earned All-CAA Second Team and FCS Football Central All-America honors. He led the Blue & Gold with 939 rushing yards and 1,250 total all-purpose yards, while ranking second in the nation with 18 total touchdowns. Jackson Taylor was an All-CAA First Team selection and a Phil Steele All-American after leading Delaware's defense with 116 tackles and ranking second with 13.0 TFLs and third with 3.5 sacks.
Delaware will officially join Conference USA on July 1, 2025 as a full-league member. As they begin the two-year transition process, the Blue Hens will play an FCS schedule in 2024 that will be announced in the coming days. Deposits for 2024 season ticket packages are available now.
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Football Adds Eight Newcomers on National Signing Day
12/20/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team welcomed in eight additions to the program during Wednesday’s National Signing Day. The eight newcomers, who are all members of the Delaware Class of 2028, include five offensive players and three on the defensive side of the ball. All of the signees were team captains of their high school programs and all eight are multi-sport athletes.
Tyler Burnham
Meikhi Cuttino
Colin Gallagher
Kaeden Singleton
Greg Spiller
Braden Streeter
Nick Tyree
Jackson Whitacre
The Blue Hens wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04.
Delaware will officially join Conference USA on July 1, 2025 as a full-league member. As they begin the two-year transition process, the Blue Hens will play an FCS schedule in 2024 that will be announced in the coming weeks. Deposits for 2024 season ticket packages are available now.
2024 Signing Class:
Name Position Hometown High School
Braden Streeter QB Nashville, Tenn. Christian Presbyterian Academy
Tyler Burnham OL Long Branch, N.J. Red Bank Catholic
Jackson Whitacre TE West Long Branch, N.J. Shore Regional
Colin Gallagher LB Middletown, N.J. Middletown South
Nick Tyree WR Chester, Va. Thomas Dale
Greg Spiller RB Aldie, Va. John Champe
Kaeden Singleton DE Canonsburg, Pa. Canon McMillan
Meikhi Cuttino DB Paramus, N.J. Paramus Catholic
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Delaware Football Announces 2025 Contest at Colorado
12/19/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – As the University of Delaware athletic department prepares for its transition to Conference USA and FBS football in 2025, the Blue Hens have their first non-conference FBS opponent on the schedule. Delaware will travel to Boulder, Colorado for its first-ever matchup with the University of Colorado Buffaloes on September 6, 2025.
The contest will take place in Week Two of the 2025 season at Colorado's Folsom Field. Ticket information for this game will be made available closer to the start of the 2025 season. Delaware football season ticket members will have priority access to purchase away game tickets and individual home game tickets before the general public.
Colorado recently completed its first season under head coach Deion Sanders. The offense averaged 28.2 ppg behind Shedeur Sanders who passed for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns. The defense allowed 34.8 ppg and 453.3 ypg to opponents. The Buffaloes will join the Big 12 Conference ahead of the 2024 season.
The Blue Hens wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04. Delaware's offense scored at least 40 points in five games this year and surpassed 500 total yards on four occasions.
Ryan O'Connor had a strong first campaign as Delaware's starting quarterback, passing for 2,104 yards and 19 touchdowns in 10 games. Marcus Yarns earned All-CAA Second Team and FCS Football Central All-America honors. He led the Blue & Gold with 939 rushing yards and 1,250 total all-purpose yards, while ranking second in the nation with 18 total touchdowns. Jackson Taylor was an All-CAA First Team selection and a Phil Steele All-American after leading Delaware's defense with 116 tackles and ranking second with 13.0 TFLs and third with 3.5 sacks.
Delaware will officially join Conference USA on July 1, 2025 as a full-league member. As they begin the two-year transition process, the Blue Hens will play an FCS schedule in 2024 that will be announced in the coming weeks. Deposits for 2024 season ticket packages are available now.
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Marcus Yarns Earns FCS Football All-America Honors
12/12/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware running back Marcus Yarns has been named an All-American by FCS Football Central, as announced by the organization on Monday. Yarns earned his first-career All-America honor as he was selected to the third team as an all-purpose player.
Yarns had a strong season in the backfield for the Blue & Gold, leading the team with 939 rushing yards to earn All-CAA Second Team recognition. He ranked fourth in the nation with 6.90 yards per carry and had four games with at least 100 yards rushing. Yarns accounted for 1,250 total all-purpose yards as he also caught 24 passes for 311 yards. Yarns ranked second in the country with 18 total touchdowns on the season, and fourth with 15 rushing scores which ranked ninth in Delaware's single-season history. He scored at least one touchdown in nine of UD's 13 games and had multiple scores in six games, highlighted by a five-touchdown performance at Towson that earned him CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The Salisbury, Maryland native had plenty of big plays in 2023, scoring five touchdowns that went for at least 30 yards. He had a 53-yard rushing touchdown in the season opener at Stony Brook and followed that up with a 66-yard score at Penn State. On the first play from scrimmage against Towson, Yarns took a screen pass 75 yards for a touchdown. He also added a 47-yard reception against Duquesne and a 50-yard rush through the snow at Montana.
The Blue Hens wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04.
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UD's move up to the FBS about money and marketing
12/6/23 - Newark Post
The University of Delaware Board of Trustees on Tuesday formally approved the Blue Hens' move to Conference USA and the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The vote was merely a formality, as the conference move was announced to great fanfare a week earlier.
UD's trustees hold two public meetings each year, but the carefully orchestrated events offer few surprises and no contentious votes. The actual decisions are made behind closed doors in committee meetings, which by law are shielded from public view.
“It wasn't a decision any of us took lightly,” Trustee Claire DeMatteis said. “We weighed the pros and the cons. We understand there's some sports that are not going to Conference USA, and we're confident that the athletics team and the coaches will make sure that our student athletes have the best experience.”
However, it's not clear what went into the board's decision or if there were any dissenters because all mention of the Conference USA discussion was excised from the committee meeting minutes released to the public.
During a presentation to the trustees Tuesday, Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak indicated that the decision to move to Conference USA came down to two main factors: money and marketing opportunities for the university.
Though the move will cost $6 million in fees to the NCAA and the Hens' current conference, the move to FBS will generate a profit by 2025, according to financial impact data generated by a consultant. By 2028, UD expects to spend an additional $4 million each year but generate an additional $4.7 million.
“There is no other way for us to actually achieve revenue generation where we were. We were not going to do it,” Rawak said. “And this is an opportunity for us to be able to do that.”
Moving to the more prominent FBS is also a huge marketing opportunity for the university as a whole, Rawak said. News coverage of the move reached 2.8 billion people, she said, citing analytics from the communication and marketing office.
“Insane,” she said. “And they're not just talking about Delaware athletics. They're talking about the University of Delaware and our state.”
Athletics are the “front porch of the institution,” capturing attention that can raise UD's standing and encourage more prospective students to consider applying, she said.
“It's not about necessarily athletics. It's about our ability to highlight and shine light on the unbelievable things that happen at this university,” Rawak said.
When Blue Hen football games are televised on ESPN, UD expects them to get 40 times the viewership as games this past season on the less-popular and much-maligned streaming service FloSports.
“Think what will happen when we are on national TV and we have the opportunity to profile our academic programs in 30-second commercials that are intently designed for this,” UD President Dennis Assanis said. “That will be amazing for this university. People are going to recognize what a powerhouse we are.”
Though moving up to FBS means an end to playoff appearances and the ability to compete for a national championship, Rawak said she expects fans and alumni to enjoy the possibility of the Hens competing in a bowl game. She noted that Conference USA is aligned with the Bahamas Bowl, a much different destination than snowy Missoula, Mont., where the Hens played Saturday evening.
“As much as I really enjoyed being in Montana in a frickin' blizzard, excuse me, I will much more enjoy being in the Bahamas,” Rawak said.
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5 questions about Delaware's football future heading into offseason with FBS looming
Kevin Tresolini, Delaware News Journal
Dec 6, 2023
Delaware is facing a football offseason unlike any it has had before.
The Blue Hens will basically be preparing for two future falls.
A transitional 2024 season followed by a 2025 move to the Football Bowl Subdivision’s Conference USA widens the vision Delaware must have and magnifies the work coach Ryan Carty and his staff must do.
That process is already under way with Saturday night’s 49-19 FCS round-of-16 playoff loss at Montana ending the 2023 season, the Blue Hens’ second under
Carty.
Now it’s the “same mission, just different parameters,” Carty said on Tuesday.
SOUND INVESTMENT: Move to FBS, Conference USA raises UD stature
The move up demands a different, deeper, bigger and better roster, plus coaches more apt to develop it and win with it.
“There’s good things about the fact that you have two years to get prepared, one, to play an FBS schedule and, two, to get prepared to go really give it a go and be eligible for that 100 percent championship bowl,” Carty said.
As Delaware embarks on that future, these are five important questions:
How to approach 2024?
Delaware will still play a Coastal Athletic Association schedule, though it is ineligible for the league title and an FCS playoff berth, the two goals that have long driven UD teams. Delaware State (away) and Norfolk State (home) are the only nonconference games that have been announced of the four Delaware will play in what is a 12-game 2024 schedule.
It can be a valuable launch pad for the 2025 ascent.
GRIZZLY NIGHT: Loss at Montana shows Delaware faces tough challenge in FBS climb
“I don’t plan on ever saying ‘This one doesn’t matter if we’re winning and losing,’” Carty said. “This is gonna matter. Whatever game we’re in, we’re going to do our best to have what we need to win that game.”
Settling some scores, he added, with CAA rivals would surely be a satisfying way to go out.
“We have a lot of unfinished business in the CAA,” Carty said after going 4-4 in the league in 2022 and 6-2 this year with late losses to Elon and Villanova costing Delaware the CAA title, likely NCAA tourney seeding and more home playoff games.
How do you build a roster?
That will have to be done with the big picture, meaning 2025, in mind. As a result, does Delaware go with a younger, up-and-coming lineup in 2024? How close does it come to having the 85 scholarship players – up from 63 – it will be allowed?
“There has to be a mix,” Carty said about building for both 2024 and 2025, adding, “because you don’t know who on your team is going to stay and leave.”
It’ll certainly be a juggling act. The transfer portal will surely be an extremely valuable asset.
COULD FBS SPLIT?: What does NCAA proposal to pay players mean for college athletics?
That includes, Carty said, having a team strong enough to “keep the tradition of winning throughout the transition.”
“We need to go out there and field a great football team for next year,” Carty said, “and then make sure that also prepares us and helps propel us to having an even better team the next year.”
Must Delaware tear up its recruiting list?
Delaware needs to revise its list only a bit while aiming for more higher-level players.
Carty said he and his staff went into recruiting this year knowing a move up was possible and pursuing prospects who’d fit that. Delaware typically has several signees every year anyway who chose the Blue Hens over FBS offers.
That’s also been the case so far this year, as the seven who have committed include several who were FBS targets. With a climb to FBS now coming, Delaware should be appealing to more recruits.
“We were always kind of trying to recruit that person,” Carty said of FBS talent. “Most of the time our battles ended up coming down to Group of Five places and us, in particular for the transfers we were taking.”
Will some players leave?
College rosters are revolving doors nowadays though Delaware has done better than many of its rivals in retaining players. It lost just three major contributors after last year – cornerback Amonte Strothers to Buffalo and safety Noah Plack and wide receiver Brett Buckman to
UConn.
So far, safety Steven Rose Jr. is the only regular who has entered the transfer portal. He’ll certainly have company, with next year’s odd situation and the possible influx of more talent perhaps influencing some.
But Carty hopes and expects the qualities Delaware has − athletically, academically and socially − will also influence most to remain.
Coaches have been having season-ending interviews with players, an annual tradition. Retaining players as Delaware builds for its future climb would certainly be beneficial.
“This is not one of those places that people are itching to leave,” Carty said. “I think that’s pretty special and I’m proud of it.”
Carty added that he doesn’t expect a “mass exodus” due to the “relationships that we build as coaches with student-athletes, the way that we treat them right on a 365-day basis.”
Will Delaware be ready for CUSA?
Liberty finished an unbeaten regular season by beating New Mexico State in the CUSA title game Friday night and earning a New Year’s Six bowl matchup against Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.
That is the rugged football world Delaware will enter. It comes with major demands and expectations.
“It’s exciting as a competitor. It’s exciting as an alum that that’s what our association is now,” Carty said.
Recent FCS defector Jacksonville State, which Delaware beat in the 2021 spring NCAA quarterfinals, finished third in
CUSA. K.C. Keeler’s Sam Houston State, where Carty was offensive coordinator for the 2021 spring FCS champs, had a tougher time going 2-6 in CUSA games.
“I think that we’ll be able to compete, I do,” Carty said, adding Delaware needs to recruit the type of players and build the depth to ensure that.
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Grizzly blizzard buries Delaware, advance to quarterfinal
12/2/2023 - gogriz.com
Montana felt right at home in a winter storm on Saturday night inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium,
No. 11 Delaware 49-19 in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs. The Griz led by as many as 37 points on a snow-covered field and improved to 11-1 with their eighth straight win.
The Grizzlies advance to the quarterfinals to play No. 7 Furman in Missoula on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. (MT). It's Montana's third trip to the quarterfinals in the previous four fall seasons, but the first time that they will host. The Griz are seeking their first semifinal appearance since 2009.
Montana improved to 33-7 inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium in postseason history. The 49 points are a season high for Montana, who won by 30-plus points for the fourth time this season.
"It was a really good night by our guys, offense, defense, kicking," head coach Bobby Hauck said. "It was good."
It was another balanced effort from Montana, who had big plays on defense and special teams to go along with an offense that had nearly identical rushing and passing statistics. Clifton McDowell passed for two scores and three different players found the end zone on the ground. The defense pitched in a scoop-and-score as well to go along with a blocked punt early in a complete performance.
The Grizzlies outgained Delaware 389-347 in the game, doing their most damage in a 25-point second quarter. The Blue Hens ran 78 plays to Montana's 57, as the Grizzlies averaged over two more yards per play.
Clifton McDowell wasn't bothered by the heavy snow, throwing for 186 yards and the two touchdowns. Keelan White caught four passes for 88 yards and a score, while tight end Evan Shafer had the second receiving touchdown.
Montana's ground game ran for 200-plus yards for the fifth straight game, and did so with a quartet of runners. Nick Ostmo led the way with 10 carries, 64 yards, and a touchdown. McDowell added 51 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Eli Gillman ran 13 times for 42 yards, while Xavier Harris had a 27-yard score and 36 total yards.
"It was a good blend of play call variety in the run game and then we hit some passes," Hauck said. "We hurt them in pressure. Clifton had some nice passes under pressure. Brent had them dialed up. We were going to protect it and try to win on the outside and we did that."
The Grizzly defense held Delaware to a 2-for-14 start on third down, and turned them over on downs four times. They also had a fumble returned for a touchdown by Jaxon Lee and an interception from Corbin Walker.
Hayden Harris led the Grizzly defense with eight tackles, and also had two quarterback hurries and a half-tackle for loss. Riley Wilson had seven stops and Ryan Tirrell had six to go with a sack.
Montana had a miscommunication on the opening drive, as McDowell threw just his second interception to give Delaware the ball in Montana territory early. The Griz defense, with some help from the crowd, didn't let the big play give the visitors any early momentum. Montana forced the Blue Hens five yards back with a false start and some stout tackling.
The start was about the only first half miscue from Montana, who scored on the next six drives.
The Grizzlies had a lengthy drive on the following possession, totaling 16 total plays. The Grizzlies went for it on fourth down from just inside Delaware territory and picked up the conversion on a pass interference by the Blue Hen defense.
It ended with a 43-yard field goal from Nico Ramos that split the uprights to put Montana on the board first. He improved to 6-for-6 on the season with his longest make of his Griz career.
Montana's defense forced another quick three-and-out on the next drive to force a second Blue Hen punt. The Griz brought pressure, and Sawyer Racanelli made a diving play to block the punt and give the ball back to Montana at the Delaware 27.
It was the first blocked punt for Montana since Levi Janacaro did it in the 2022 season opener against Northwestern State.
"We got off to a bad start with the interception on the second play but got the big punt block and kind of steamrolled them from there," Hauck said. "That was the thing that got us going was the punt block, and we didn't really look back from there."
It didn't take long for the offense to turn the big special teams play into points. Xavier Harris took a reverse handoff up the right sideline, spinning past and bouncing off a would-be tackler and high-stepping into the end zone of the first offensive play. The 27-yard score made it 10-0 Montana with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter.
One big run for the Blue Hen offense got them just inside Montana territory, but they wouldn't go any further. Delaware went for it on fourth down from just past the 50 and were denied, giving the ball back to Montana.
McDowell hit Bergen for a 32-yard gain on the first offensive play, putting Montana deep in Blue Hen territory yet again. Ostmo did the rest, going untouched on a 35-yard touchdown rush into the north end zone. Montana's two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, making it 16-0 with 14:51 left in the second.
Delaware scored on the following drive, driving 79 yards in just three plays. They went for two to try to make it a one-possession game but a big hit from Trevin Gradney and company kept them out and made it 16-6.
McDowell found a couple different receivers on opposite sidelines on Montana's next drive for another solid drive. He first connected with Fontes up the left sideline for a sliding 25-yard grab just inside the boundary. He then went right for a 17-yard connection with Keelan White on a jump ball pass.
The Grizzlies would end the drive with a 30-yard field goal from Ramos to extend the lead to 19-6.
Delaware advanced into Montana territory thanks to a long pass completion, but once again the Griz defense rose to the occasion. The Blue Hens went for it on fourth down from the Grizzly 39, and Hayden Harris had first contact to hold O'Connor to no gain and give the ball back to Montana.
Three plays later, Montana was celebrating again. McDowell fired a laser out to the left side of the field to find White in stride, and the receiver raced untouched into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown to make it 25-6. It's the third score of the season for White, who had four catches for 88 yards after the big grab.
The snow really started to pile up as Delaware took the ball on the ensuing drive. Montana forced Delaware's third three-and-out of the game, and the conditions got to the Blue Hens. The snap went over the punters head and out of the back of the end zone for a safety that made it 28-6.
Bergen set Montana up at midfield with a 22-yard return on the kick, and McDowell showed his dual-threat ability with a couple of big runs. He started with a 27-yard scramble on third-and-long that kept the drive alive.
He kept it on a read-option and scored from 20 yards out to put Montana ahead 35-6. The Blue Hens would score on the final drive of the half to make it 35-12 at the break.
It was an impressive offensive performance in the opening half for Montana. They outgained Delaware 315-206 with another balanced effort. McDowell had 147 yards through the air while four different Grizzlies had at least 30 yards on the ground, combining for 168 total rushing yards.
The Grizzlies performed well on the big plays on both sides of the ball, holding Delaware to just one third down conversion on six attempts and 0-for-3 on fourth down. The Griz offense, meanwhile, was 5-for-8 on third down.
The defense delivered the first blow of the second half. Nash Fouch forced a fumble with a big hit after a completed pass, and Jaxon Lee was waiting to scoop the ball up. He brought it 56 yards back for a score, carrying a Blue Hen with him into the end zone to make it 42-12.
"Once we scored the first touchdown of the second half it got away and we felt better about it," Hauck said. "I told our team that their coach was telling their kids in the locker room was hey, we were down three touchdowns last week and came back and won, we can do it again tonight. I just let our guys know that they are playing the Montana Grizzlies, not whoever it was last week."
Corbin Walker had his second interception of the season on a miscommunication from Delaware on the second play of the next drive, and Montana was right back in business. They moved it slowly, keeping the ball on the ground and picking up a fourth down conversion on a Gillman rush.
McDowell then scrambled around the pocket, buying enough time for Evan Shafer to get free. He dumped it to the tight end, who trucked through a defender and bowled his way into the end zone to give Montana a 49-12 lead.
Delaware scored on a 14 play, 64-yard drive that included two fourth down conversions to cut the lead to 30 points for Montana. It would end there, as Montana won 49-19.
The Grizzlies now advance to a 2001 National Championship rematch against Furman. The Griz will host the Paladins on Friday, Dec. 8, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. MT. The game will be shown nationwide on ESPN2.
Montana is now 7-0 at home this season and winners of 10 straight in Missoula dating back to 2022.
"We haven't looked at Furman, but I brought it up with the team that the last time we played was the National Championship and it should be a heck of a test," Hauck said. "We're excited to get into the office and start looking at them tomorrow morning. Our players will take the day off to get freshened up and will be excited to get going on them Monday. We need to sell this bad boy out next weekend and get rolling."
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Blue Hen Football Falls at Montana
12/3/2023 - bluehens.com
MISSOULA, Mont. – The No. 11/12 University of Delaware football team saw its season come to an end in the second round of the FCS Championship, falling 49-19 to second-seeded Montana on Saturday night in front of 20,580 fans at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Blue Hens finish the season with a 9-4 record, while the Griz improve to 11-1.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor completed 17 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score.
Joshua Youngblood caught nine passes for 78 yards to lead the receiving corps.
Jourdan Townsend had seven catches for 65 yards, while Chandler Harvin had three grabs for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Marcus Yarns led the rushing attack with 68 yards on eight carries.
Jackson Taylor led the defense with 10 tackles, and Tyron Herring had six tackles and an interception.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Montana drew first blood on its second possession, connecting on a 43-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead on its second. A quick touchdown after a blocked punt made it 10-0.
A 35-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter made it a 16-0 game.
The Blue Hens got the offense kickstarted as Yarns started the next drive with a 50-yard run and, two plays later, O'Connor found Harvin for a 44-yard strike that cut the deficit to 16-6.
The Griz extended their lead to 35-6 late in the second quarter.
Right before halftime, O'Connor completed two passes each to Youngblood and Townsend before finding Harvin through the snowflakes for a 13-yard touchdown to make it a 35-12 game at the break.
Montana scored two more touchdowns off of turnovers to make it 49-12 early in the third quarter.
O'Connor spearheaded a 14-play, 64-yard drive late in the third quarter, running it in himself from one yard out to cut it to 49-19, but that is as close as UD could get.
GAME NOTES
Youngblood set a career-high with his nine catches.
Harvin's two touchdown catches give him 18 for his career and five in four postseason games with the Blue Hens.
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Grizzlies to host Blue Hens in second round of FCS Playoffs
12/1/2023 - gogriz.com
The Montana Grizzlies have three football goals listed in black and white to consider 365 days a year. One: Win the state championship. Two: Win the conference championship. Three: Win a national championship.
Check, Check, and this week the Griz get the chance to work towards checking off goal number three.
Riding high at 10-1 with a dominant win in the rivalry game and the program's league-record 19th Big Sky Conference title, Montana now enters the FCS playoffs for a record 27th time, set to host the Delaware Blue Hens in a second-round matchup at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
With the No. 2 overall seed in this year's playoff bracket and momentum to spare, the Griz are seemingly in the Catbird Seat to make a deep postseason run with one of the nation's most stingy defenses and an offense that has grown more lethal each week.
Montana has outscored its previous four opponents 145-24 heading into the playoffs about as hot as a team can get, heading to the postseason with home field advantage through until Frisco if the wins keep coming.
The Grizzlies have held their opponent under 300 yards for the fourth consecutive game against MSU and are outgaining opponents by an average of 480-224 yards per game over the last four.
Home has been good to the Griz in the playoffs as well with Montana sitting at 35-24 (.593) all-time in the postseason, but 32-7 (.820) in playoff games inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The Griz welcome a Delaware squad to town that has been one of the tops in the FCS in recent years and comes to Missoula for the second time in program history sitting at 9-3 on the season and 6-2 in Coastal Athletic Conference play.
The Blue Hens also come to Montana with momentum in the second round after earning a wild win over Lafayette last week where they turned the ball over three times in the first half but rebounded to take a 36-34 win.
The Blue Hens have been here before as one of the few programs to beat the Griz in Missoula in the postseason. Big and physical, they'll get that chance again this week in a battle of FCS blue bloods.
Kickoff at Washington-Grizzly Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2.
IMPLICATIONS: It's win or go home time in the FCS. Montana faces Delaware in the second round of this year's 24-team playoff bracket as the No. 2 overall seed, ensuring the Grizzlies home field advantage through the semifinal round.
The winner of the Montana/Delaware game will go on to face the winner of the No. 7 Furman/Chattanooga rematch. Furman snuck past Chattanooga 17-14 in Tennessee on Nov. 4, but lost to one-win Wofford in the final match of the regular season to springboard UM into the No. 2 seed.
From there, things get interesting in the bracket with the likes of Montana State, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Sacramento State all in the mix for a potential quarterfinal matchup against the Griz.
Of course, each is competing for a chance at playing for a national championship. This year's FCS title game is set for Sunday, Jan. 7, in Frisco, Texas. Kickoff is set for noon mountain time.
WATCH: Montana's second-round playoff game against Delaware will be shown nationwide and without blackout exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming service. No linear television broadcast will be available.
The NCAA owns and manages the broadcast rights to all FCS playoff games, and partners with ESPN to show each game on its family of networks, including ESPN+. Neither Montana nor the Big Sky Conference have input in where playoff games are broadcast.
Longtime ESPN play-by-play man Shawn Kenney will have the call in this week's game. Former All-Big Ten safety at Michigan and Oakland Raider Marcus Ray will serve as analyst.
LISTEN: It's business as usual in the playoffs for Montana's radio crew. "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran is in his eighth season behind the mic at Montana and is once again set to bring you all the Grizzly action over the airwaves on the Grizzly Sports Radio Network and its fifteen affiliate stations around the state.
"Grizzly Gameday" starts two hours before kickoff each Saturday with the official pregame radio show with Ace Sauerwein and Denny Bedard before Corcoran and longtime color commentator Greg Sundberg take over 30 minutes to kickoff.
Griz fans outside the radio footprint can stream all of Montana's broadcasts on their mobile device LIVE and FREE of charge with the Varsity Network App, powered by Learfield and Sidearm Sports.
LAST MEETING: The Blue Hens bested the Griz in the first and only meeting between the two programs, a back-and-forth battle in the first round of the 1993 D1-AA playoffs in Missoula.
In frigid temps, Delaware scored on a late 32-yard touchdown pass that would give the visitors a 49-48 win after the PAT to take the upset.
In a game that saw over 1,000 yards of total offense combined, sophomore Dave Dickenson went 37-for-44 passing for 409 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Scott Gurnsey.
With one of the wildest finishes in Grizzly history, the two teams exchanged blows with three touchdowns each in the fourth quarter. The PAT on Montana's final touchdown – an 80-yard kickoff return from Damon Boddie – would sail wide, however, and that would be the difference maker as the Grizzlies' season would come to an end at 10-2.
ABOUT THAT LAST WIN: In arguably the biggest game ever between old rivals, No. 3 Montana beat Montana State 37-7 in a game with both teams ranked inside the top five nationally for the first time to win the outright Big Sky Conference Championship and a No. 2 seed in the FCS Playoffs.
It was the first Big Sky title for Montana since 2009 and 19th overall in the program's history, the most of any team in the league. It's the ninth conference title for the Big Sky's winningest head coach of all-time Bobby Hauck.
The Griz didn't just win, they dominated, scoring the first 20 points of the game, and leaving absolutely no doubt in front of a stadium record crowd of 27,178 fans.
A Bobcat offense that led the country with an average of 43.8 points per game was held completely in check, scoring just a single time while going 1-for-10 on third down and being stopped on all four of their fourth down attempts.
The Grizzly defense held them nearly 100 yards under their season average for rushing, and the secondary held the pair of Bobcat quarterbacks to just 4-of-16 through the air for 67 yards.
The offense, meanwhile, continued the balanced attack that has been so key to the Grizzlies seven-game winning streak. Montana passed for 228 yards and ran for another 202 to outgain Montana State 430-280 in the game. Montana's offense went 5-for-5 in the red zone. The Grizzlies also didn't turn the ball over all day, controlling the clock to a 34:44-to-25:16 advantage.
Clifton McDowell made big-play after big-play, passing for 200 yards and a score on 77 percent passing while also running for 69 yards and another score while converting 7-of-14 third downs, keeping several drives alive with his legs while also passing for a few conversions.
His favorite target on the day was Junior Bergen, who caught six passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Bergen also had a big kick return and one punt return to finish the game with 144 total yards.
Nick Ostmo ran for 85 yards and a score on seven attempts while Eli Gillman also found the end zone. The Grizzlies runners were breaking tackles all day long, and the receivers made plays after completions. The Grizzlies had 111 yards after the catch on offense.
Trevin Gradney has battle injuries over the past couple of weeks but returned and made a huge play defensively, picking of Mellott in the fourth. It's the fifth interception of the season for the Billings native. Braxton Hill and Tyler Flink shared the team-lead with eight tackles. Kale Edwards had the lone sack of the day for Montana, coming on a crucial fourth down and leading directly to three points for Montana. They had five tackles for loss in the game.
NATIONAL HONORS: At the conclusion of the regular season, Montana posted three finalists for FCS national awards presented by Stats Perform and FedEx Ground.
• After delivering Montana its first Big Sky Conference championship since 2009, head coach Bobby Hauck was named one of 20 finalists for the 2023 Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award.
Hauck, now the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference History in his 12th season at UM, was also a finalist for the Robinson Award the last time the Grizzlies won a league title during his first tenure at Montana.
• Linebacker Braxton Hill was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for the Defensive Player of the Year in the FCS. Hill is one of 30 finalists from around the nation and one of just three from the Big Sky Conference.
The senior from Anaconda finished the regular season with the second-most tackles in the league with 91, 33 of which were solo, to average 8.3 total stops per game to date. He's also tallied 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, picked off two passes (one of which he returned 34 yards for a touchdown against UNC), broken up five passes, and recovered a fumble.
• Running back Eli Gillman was also named one of 22 finalists for the 2023 Jerry Rice Award honoring the national freshman player of the year.
With 857 on the season, Gillman has rushed for more total yards than any other freshman in FCS football and the third-most in all of D-I football. He's also second among all players in the Big Sky Conference in rushing yards per game, averaging just under 78 per contest and is No. 8 in the league in all-purpose yards with 103 receiving yards to go along with his 10 touchdowns.
Gillman has already entered Montana's record books, breaking free for the longest touchdown run in program history at UC Davis from 85 yards out. His 857 rushing yards currently stand as 21st-most in program history among all players and are the most of any freshman in program history.
ALL-BIG SKY: Montana cleaned up in the Big Sky postseason honors, winning four of the five individual awards and placing 13 players in 14 spots on one of three all-conference teams.
• Hauck was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his illustrious career, a unanimous selection as voted by his peers across the league. His four Coach of the Year awards are more than any other coach in Grizzly history passing greats Don Read and Joe Glenn with three each.
He is just the third coach in Big Sky Conference history to win Coach of the Year four times in his career. College Football Hall of Famer Chris Ault won in 1983, 1986, and back-to-back years in 1990 and 1991. Mike Kramer was a four-time winner with three different teams starting at EWU in 1997, MSU in 2002 and 2005, and Idaho State in 2014.
• Tackle Alex Gubner capped another dominant regular season at UM as the conference's Defensive MVP and a second-straight first-team all-conference pick, which was also unanimous.
Gubner is the first Grizzly tackle to ever be named the league's Defensive MVP, but Montana has a long history with the award. Gubner is now the 14th Grizzly to be named DPOY since Ron Rosenberg in 1974. A rare occurrence with generaly few statistics, only seven interior defensive linemen (tackle/nose guard) have ever been named Defensive MVP by the conference.
He is now a three-time all-conference honoree and a two-time first-team selection. In his 49 games as a starter for the Grizzlies he's totaled 157 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and 27 TFLs – currently the 17th-most in program history. He also logged 4 interceptions his freshman year.
• After leading the Griz to seven-straight wins as a starter in his first season under center, quarterback Clifton McDowell was named the league's Newcomer of the Year. McDowell is the sixth Grizzly ever to be named newcomer of the year, and the third quarterback.
• Gillman's impressive season also earned him the league's Freshman of the Year award. In a program that has enjoyed so much sustained success, he's the first Grizzly to ever be named Freshman of the Year, with few other players getting the opportunity to play in their first season. He also earned a place on the second team for offense.
MORE FROM AWARDS SZN: Montana was also well-represented on the two all-conference teams and the honorable mention list with 13 total players earning 14 selections.
The Griz had seven players earn eight spots on the All-Big Sky first-team, the most for UM since the last championship season in '09, with Junior Bergen landing on the first team for offense and special teams.
Four offensive linemen also earned recognition, with tackle Brandon Casey landing on the first team, center AJ Forbes on the second team, and Chris Walker and Journey Grimsrud earning honorable mentions.
The Griz also had a pair of cornerbacks earn first-team defensive honors. Billings native Trevin Gradney led the nation in interceptions per game with five on the season, despite missing two games to injury. Corbin Walker led the team in pass breakups and picked off a pass to land on the first team.
Montana, known around the FCS as "Linebacker U", had three earn all-conference honors, with Braxton Hill, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, landing on the first team, and Levi Janacaro and Riley Wilson landing on the second team.
THE LOUDEST FANS IN THE FCS: Message to any team coming to Washington-Grizzly Stadium: Enter the North Endzone at your own risk. The Montana faithful have helped cause a total of 16 false start penalties on visiting opponents this season, with seven of those committed by Ferris State and three committed by Montana State.
Delaware is no stranger to playing in front of rowdy crowds, however. The Blue Hens took a 63-7 loss at Penn State in early September in front of 108,000 at Beaver Stadium and didn't give up one false start. Delaware comes to Missoula as one of the least-penalized teams in the CAA with just 54 flags on the season.
THE NIGHTTIME IS THE RIGHT TIME: With kickoff against Delaware set for 7 p.m. MT, Montana is set to play its seventh night game of the season this week – the most in program history.
Night games have been good to the Griz this season, entering their first playoff contest at 6-0 this year.
Games under the lights at Washington-Grizzly Stadium have been especially good to the Griz, with UM going 2-for-2 this season (Ferris State & Sac State) and now sitting at 13-2 in night games since 2011.
Montana has hosted two playoff night games in the last two seasons, each a banger. In 2021 the Griz hosted EWU in a shootout under the lights, beating the Eagles 57-41 despite over 500 yards passing by the visitors. In 2022 the Griz hosted Southeast Missouri under the lights in the first round of the playoffs and rattled-off 31 unanswered points to beat SEMO 34-24 in a comeback for the ages.
Four of UM's six night wins this year came on the road, which marks an impressive reversal of fortune for the Griz in recent years. Montana entered the season at 1-13 in road night games since 2011, and now sits at 5-13 under the lights away from home.
SEND 'EM BACK EAST: Equally as difficult for visitors in night games, Washington-Grizzly Stadium is also a house of terrors for teams from "back east" against Montana.
Since the venue opened in 1986, the Griz are 36-7 against teams from east of the Mississippi River, and 2-0 so far this season with wins over Butler (Indiana), and Ferris State (Michigan).
Notably, one of those seven losses for Montana was at the hands of Delaware back in 1993. 22 of those 43 total games have come in the FCS/1-AA Playoffs.
POSESSION, POSESSION, POSESSION: Montana native Trevin Gradney picked off his FCS-best fifth pass to help seal the win over Montana State and give the Griz another win in the turnover battle.
Montana is now +9 on the season in turnovers with 19 total takeaways. The Grizzlies enter the contest against Delaware with the best turnover margin in the Big Sky and the No. 9 overall margin in the FCS.
The Griz have also made the most of their opportunities, now having doubled their opponents points off turnovers this season 60-30. UM remains undefeated at 5-0 on the year when winning the all-important turnover battle.
START FAST: Montana jumped out to a 20-0 first-half lead over Montana State en route to a blowout win over their rivals – a common theme for the Griz this season. UM has outscored opponents 201-81 in the first half, sitting undefeated at 8-0 when leading at the half and 8-0 when scoring first.
Montana's had plenty of opportunity to get on the board early and made the most of it with a perfect 6-0 record when losing the coin toss and forced to put the offense on the field first.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS: Montana has kept a mostly consistent cast of characters in the two-deep this season with little change in the starting lineup from week to week.
The Big Sky's DPOY Alex Gubner has been the most consistent, getting ready to make his 50th career start – that's four seasons in the starting lineup. Fellow defender TraJon Cotton has also been a constant for the Griz in recent years, getting set to make his 30th start, while on offense receiver Keelan White made his 25th
start against MSU.
Clifton McDowell is set to make his ninth start for the Griz, remaining undefeated at 8-0 as a starter in his short time at Montana.
NICO NAILS 'EM: Kicker Nico Ramos has been money since stepping back into the starting role for the Grizzlies. He's gone 5-for-5 on field goal attempts and 8-for-8 in PAT attempts in the last two games for a personal haul of 23 points.
He kicked three field goals against MSU, the second Grizzly this season to slot three in a game with Grant Glasgow hitting a triple at Idaho.
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Blue Hen's transition to FBS might not be so rosy
Newark Post 11/29/23
John Buzby
Starting in 2025, the University of Delaware will become the 43rd state in the union to house a Football Bowl Subdivision school.
As George Jefferson from the 1970s sitcom “The Jeffersons” would say, the Blue Hens are “moving on up.” But not to the East Side.
Columnist Jon Buzby writes that the Blue Hen's transition to FBS might not be so rosy, and UD's decision to move up might have some fans moving on."To my generation, a bowl game really means nothing. And a conference championship only really meant something because it had an automatic tournament bid as the prize and typically meant the Hens were at least national title contenders.
I’m just not sure current fans can go from being a national contender to merely wanting to win more games than we lose so UD gets to go to a bowl game. And remember, it’s not ever going to be the Rose Bowl.It just doesn’t feel like this move up will achieve what current fans want most, which is to bring back the Delaware football tradition of parking lots full of tailgates that led into a packed stadium, followed by postgame tailgates (without a time limit) that are usually celebrating wins in anticipation of a playoff run to a potential national title game and championship."
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Delaware 1st School to Pay $5M Fee to Move to FBS; WIll Join Conference USA
TIMOTHY RAPP bleacherreport.com NOVEMBER 27, 2023
Delaware will reportedly become the first school to pay the $5 million application fee to move from the FCS to FBS and will join Conference USA in the 2025-26 season, per Brett McMurphy of the Action Network.
The application fee to move up to the top level of college football was previously $5,000.
Pete Thamel of ESPN added that Delaware and Conference USA have "been in talks and a decision is expected to be formalized in the upcoming days."
The Blue Hens will be joining FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP and Western Kentucky in the conference. Kennesaw State is set to join Conference USA in the 2024-25 season.
Conference USA has seen major upheaval in the last two years, with nine schools departing for the American and Sun Belt conferences in that time.
The original Conference USA was a weird amalgamation of schools that didn't really make sense (remember when Marquette and St Louis and DePaul were playing basketball at Southern Miss?). But my brain can't process Delaware, UTEP and Kennesaw State being in the same league
Delaware's ascension to the FBS was inevitable. The Blue Hens won the I-AA (now FCS) national championship in 2003, reached the national championship game four times and have reached the FCS playoffs 19 times dating back to 1980.
Prior to that, the school competed at the Division II level and won a national championship there in 1979.
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Blue Hens finalizing plan to join Conference USA
By NOAH TRISTER - AP - 11/27/23
www.newarkpostonline.com
Conference USA is finalizing a plan to add Delaware in 2025, the league's latest expansion with a school moving up from Division I college football's second tier to the Bowl Subdivision, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school and conference were not making their internal plans public. The move is expected to be announced as soon as this week.
After being raided by the American Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt the past two years, Conference USA re-constituted in 2023 as a nine-team league, including former Championship Subdivision schools Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State.
Delaware has a rich football history, having produced Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco and 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon. The Blue Hens currently play in the Coastal Athletic Association.
Delaware's most recent FCS title came in 2003, and it has reached the championship game twice since then. The Blue Hens beat Lafayette last weekend in the FCS playoffs. Coach Ryan Carty's team plays at Montana in the second round this weekend.
The CAA, which changed its name earlier this year from the Colonial Athletic Association, had 15 teams in football this season. The league lost James Madison after the 2021 season, and the Dukes' transition to the FBS has gone so well they reached the Top 25 this year.
Massachusetts, Old Dominion and Georgia State are a few other ex-CAA programs that now play in the FBS.
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Leopards’ Championship Season End in FCS Playoffs
Curtis accounts for four touchdowns, but Delaware ekes out 36-34 final
11/25/23 - goleopards.com
NEWARK, Del. – Lafayette's championship season came to an end on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. No. 12/11 Delaware took advantage of three second-half turnovers to pull out a 36-34 final over the Leopards at Delaware Stadium in the Leopards' fifth postseason appearance.
Running back Jamar Curtis continued to validate his All-Patriot League First-Team status, carrying 29 times for 127 yards for his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season. The sophomore scored three rushing touchdowns, and in the process set a Lafayette single-season record with 1,460 yards (surpassing Erik Marsh who had 1,441 in 1993). Curtis added another score through the air.
Turnovers told the story of the game, as Lafayette benefited from three Delaware miscues in the first half and turned it into 14 points. In the second half, Delaware turned the tables, forcing three of their own via fumble, leading to seven points. The Leopards played most of the second half without All-Patriot League QB Dean DeNobile who left the game early in the third quarter, and nearly the entire game without starting tight end Mason Gilbert.
As the game opened, the Leopard defense started with a stop, slowing Delaware near midfield. Lafayette took over at its own 42-yard line. DeNobile connected with Gilbert (12 yards) and Carson Persing (16 yards) to kick off the drive. The rest of the scoring march went to Curtis who took three straight handoffs and then reeled in a short pass for 16 yards and the touchdown at 9:28.
The Blue Hens responded with an 88-yard kickoff return by Jourdan Townsend to the two-yard line and scored two plays later when Marcus Yarns took a direct snap and tied the game at 7-7 at 8:31.
The Leopards, who were ranked No. 18/20 coming into the game, finished off the initial quarter with two more scores. Taylor Smallwood's second interception of the season set up the Maroon and White at their own 25. DeNobile's 31-yard pass to Elijah Steward (4 receptions, 92 yards) led to Lafayette's next score. Curtis ran it in from 19 yards out as Lafayette led 14-7 with 2:43 left in the first.
On the ensuing possession, junior safety Saiku White forced a fumble near midfield that Darien Riley recovered with 36 seconds left in the quarter. On the next play, DeNobile hit a wide-open Steward for a 53-yard touchdown. Jack Simonetta's PAT was true and Lafayette led 21-7.
Just before the end of the first quarter, Neriyan Brown picked off a Nick Minicucci pass and returned the INT 23 yards to the Delaware 21-yard line to end the quarter.
Lafayette stretched the lead to open the second quarter, as Curtis pounded out a 16-yard run and eventually a two-yard score. Lafayette led 28-7 just 34 seconds into the second quarter.
Delaware added a late score just before the end of the first half when Minicucci hit Joshua Youngblood for a 36-yard score to cut Lafayette's lead to 28-13.
As the second half opened, Delaware turned up the pressure, sacking DeNobile at the Leopard 23-yard line where the Blue Hens picked up the fumble. Put in a tough spot, the Lafayette defense responded. The Leopards looked as if they had stopped Delaware on a 4th-and-6, but were whistled for pass interference. Four plays later, this time at the three-yard line, Lafayette shut down an intended double pass to take over on downs.
DeNobile picked up a first down to the 43-yard line but was knocked from the game on the run. Soph. Ryan Schuster, the Leopards' starter for much of the 2022 season and in the 2023 opener took over at quarterback.
Delaware got the ball back via punt and marched 73 yards on six plays, scoring on a six-yard run by Quincy Watson. The Blue Hens went for two, but Reggie Thomas blew up a shovel pass to keep the margin to 28-19 through the end of the third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Minicucci hit Braden Brose for a seven-yard score as Delaware pulled within two, 28-26, at 14:55. When the Leopards got the ball back, Delaware sacked Schuster and the hosts recovered a fumble at the Lafayette 13-yard line. Delaware took its first lead of the game on an 18-yard strike from Minicucci to Brose. Delaware led 33-28 with 12:18 left.
The Leopards showed their fight, scoring midway through the final quarter. Junior Ah-Shaun Davis came on at quarterback and lofted a ball 47 yards to Dallas Holmes down to the 24-yard line. Curtis ran six times and scored on 4th-and-goal from the one. The two-point conversion attempt was no good and Lafayette led 34-33 with 7:25 left.
Delaware put together its best scoring drive of the game, covering 67 yards on 13 plays over 5:48 before booting a 23-yard field with 1:37 left in the game.
The Leopards got the ball back at their own 35-yard and picked up one first down to near midfield before Delaware picked up a fumble to end the game.
Defensively, linebackers Preston Forney and three-time All-Patriot League First-Team selection Marco Olivas finished with 10 and nine tackles, respectively.
Lafayette closes the season with a 9-3 mark, including the program's eighth Patriot League title and second straight rivalry win.
Notes:
Curtis ended the season with 15 rushing touchdowns, the second most ever in a season at Lafayette. Joe McCourt (2004) and Tom Costello (1989) each had 16.
For the season, DeNobile completed 170-of-255 for 1,997 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. His 66.7 completion percentage in 2023 ranks him sixth all-time at Lafayette and his 20 touchdowns are tied for the fifth-most in a season.
Curtis tied the Patriot League FCS Playoff record for points (24) and touchdowns (4), equaling Colgate's James Holland's mark from 2015 vs. New Hampshire.
The Leopards finished the season 5-2 in one-score (8 points) games. Lafayette's two losses against FCS foes came by a combined five points.
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No. 11/12 Bluehen Football Completes Comeback to Top Lafayette 36-34
11/25/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – Trailing 28-7 in the second quarter, the No. 11/12 University of Delaware football team mounted an improbable comeback to defeat Lafayette 36-34 in an FCS Championship First Round contest at Delaware Stadium on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Blue Hens improve to 9-3 on the season, while the Leopards conclude their season with a 9-3 record.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Nick Minicucci made his first career start and finished 16-of-25 passing for 198 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 46 yards.
The Blue Hens ran for 203 yards on the ground, led by 76 yards on seven carries by Jo'Nathan Silver.
Quincy Watson rushed 12 times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Joshua Youngblood had team-highs of six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Braden Brose hauled in three passes for 39 yards and a pair of scores.
Jackson Taylor led the defense with eight tackles and also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Dillon Trainer finished with seven tackles and Chase McGowan had 2.0 of UD's 3.0 sacks.
Delaware's defense allowed just 90 total yards in the second half and forced three fumbles.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lafayette opened the scoring with a touchdown on its first possession.
Jourdan Townsend returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards to the 2-yard line to set up a Marcus Yarns' rushing score two plays later that evened the score at 7-7.
Lafayette forced three-straight turnovers that all led to touchdowns as the Leopards took a 28-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Minicucci dropped in a 36-yard touchdown pass to Youngblood with just 38 seconds remaining in the half to make it a 28-13 game at the midway point.
Halfway through the third quarter, Silver broke free on a 41-yard run to bring the ball into Lafayette territory. Three plays later, Watson found the end zone from six yards out to cut the deficit to 28-19.
The defense forced a three-and-out to give the ball right back to the offense, which went on a seven-play, 61-yard drive that was capped by a seven-yard touchdown grab by Brose to make it a 28-26 game on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Jack Hall recorded a strip-sack to give the ball right back to UD. Minicucci again found Brose for the touchdown, this time from 18 yards out to give the Blue Hens the 33-28 lead.
Lafayette responded with a touchdown to regain the 34-33 advantage, but Hall made a big stop on the 2-point conversion attempt to keep it a one-point game.
Delaware marched down the field on a 13-play drive that took nearly six minutes. Watson accounted for 40 yards on the drive that set up a 23-yard Alex Schmoke field goal to put UD back on top 36-33 with just 1:37 remaining.
The defense came up with another big stop as Taylor forced a fumble on a short pass that was recovered by Christian Pierce to end any chance of a Lafayette comeback.
GAME NOTES
Yarns' first-quarter touchdown was his 15th of the season, which is ninth in a single season in program history.
Taylor reached the 100-tackle mark for the season for the first time in his career.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens advance to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-consecutive season and will travel to take on No. 2 Montana next Saturday, December 2. Kickoff in Missoula, Montana is set for 9 p.m. ET.
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Football to Host Lafayette in FCS Championship First Round
11/19/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – For the second-straight season, and the 19th time in program history, the University of Delaware football team has qualified for the FCS Championship. The Blue Hens earned an at-large bid into this year's playoff field and will host Lafayette College in a first-round matchup on Saturday, November 25. Kickoff at Delaware Stadium is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Tickets and parking are available now to the general public.
Delaware concluded the regular season with an 8-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play. It was the first time since 2010 that the Blue Hens reached eight wins in the regular season. The offense is averaging 32.4 ppg and 422.0 total ypg, which both rank in the top 20 nationally. Defensively, Delaware is allowing 20.8 ppg and is 15th in the country with 20 turnovers gained.
Lafayette enters the playoffs with a 9-2 overall record and won the Patriot League title with a 5-1 conference record, earning the league's automatic postseason bid. The Leopards have won eight of their past nine games and are averaging 29.6 ppg on offense. Lafayette's defense is allowing 22.2 ppg and 339.6 total ypg to opponents and ranks fifth in the country with 35 sacks on the season.
The two programs have met 28 times before, dating back to the 1914 season. Delaware holds a 21-7 lead in the overall series and has won each of the last 14 meetings. The Blue Hens are 10-4 against the Leopards in Newark and won the most previous matchup 37-0 in 2018. Pat Kehoe threw three first-half touchdowns in that game, and Kani Kane and Khory Spruill each ran for second-half scores. Troy Reeder led the defense with eight tackles and a forced fumble, while Nasir Adderley and Johnny Buchanan each had an interception.
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Villanova Holds on to Battle of the Blue Trophy, Clinches CAA Football Automatic Bid with 35-7 Victory at No. 7 Delaware
11/18/23 - villanova.com
Wildcats have won nine straight games at Delaware Stadium and 16 of the last 18 against the Blue Hens.
NEWARK, Del.—Villanova brought one trophy with it to Delaware Stadium and is returning home with two after a rousing 35-7 victory in its regular season finale on Saturday afternoon. After the latest win against their historical rivals the Wildcats are bringing the Battle of the Blue Trophy back home for the 15th time in the 17-year history of the "Battle of the Blue" era. With it is the CAA Football championship trophy which is in Villanova's possession for the second time in the last three years.
The final regular season CAA Football standings have a three-way tie at the top with the Wildcats joined by UAlbany and Richmond in posting 7-1 league records. All three teams are officially co-champions for the 2023 season, but a tiebreaker based on point differential versus conference opponents favored Villanova and awarded the Wildcats the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The field of 24 teams for the Division I Football Championship will be announced on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in a live selection show on ESPNU.
Before the Wildcats could celebrate with two trophies, they had to earn one. The latest edition of the rivalry between No. 10 Villanova (9-2, 7-1 CAA Football) and No. 7 Delaware (8-3, 6-2 CAA Football) had higher stakes than any meeting in recent history. Each team needed a win to claim at least a share of the CAA championship, and perhaps to earn a top-eight national seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. It was, true to form in the history of the rivalry, a grudge match for much of the first half with the score tied at 7-7 with under two minutes to play before halftime.
A touchdown with 1:44 remaining in the second quarter gave the Wildcats the lead for good at 14-7. It was the first punch to land in an onslaught of 28 unanswered points the rest of the way. Villanova scored touchdowns less than four minutes apart in the third quarter and sealed the game with its first defensive points of the season on a 69-yard interception midway through the final period. Once the final seconds ticked off the clock the Wildcats celebrated on the field with the Battle of the Blue Trophy which traveled down I-95 with them just a few hours earlier. Villanova then headed to the locker room where CAA Football commissioner Joe D'Antonio presented the team with the conference championship trophy.
"I am really proud of this team," Wildcats head coach Mark Ferrante said. "The goal that we accomplished today started as soon as our season ended last year. These guys did a great job coming together not only in preseason, summer training and spring ball, but even the offseason training that started before that. As I have said all year, we have a lot of maturity, a lot of experience, and the guys played that way most of the season. So, hats off to this group. I am really proud of the guys and really happy for the team."
Fifth year quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) was 17-of-27 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were thrown to fifth year wide receiver Jaaron Hayek (Wayne, N.J.) who had his best game of the season with six catches for 121 yards and the two scores.
Villanova's high-powered offense had another good – and balanced – day with 449 total yards, including the 222 passing yards and 227 rushing yards. Sixth year running back Jalen Jackson (Richmond, Va.) gained 130 yards on just nine carries and set a tone for the day with a 55-yard burst on the game's first play from scrimmage. Fifth year running backs DeeWil Barlee (Upper Darby, Pa.) and TD Ayo-Durojaiye (Damascus, Md.) each ran for touchdowns.
A defensive effort which held the Blue Hens to nearly 140 fewer yards than their season average was highlighted by sixth year linebacker Danny Abraham (Randolph, Mass.) who returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown which closed the scoring at the 7:14 mark of the fourth quarter. It was the first defensive score of the season for the Wildcats and Abraham's first career pick-six. He added five tackles, including a tackle for loss, while senior linebacker Brendan Bell (Basking Ridge, N.J.) had a game-high 12 total stops (four solo, eight assisted) and Villanova's only sack of the game.
THEY SAID IT
"Throughout the week we have our seniors come up and talk to the team about what this game means to us and the program. I think it has a lot to do with tradition and the guys that came before us. I mentioned in my speech that there's no rivalry game unless the guys have played before us, so we do it for the people before us. We do it for the 'V' on our chest. We obviously knew we hadn't lost here since 2004, so it has a lot to do with tradition and upholding the standard of the Villanova way." – Jaaron Hayek
"It's a phenomenal feeling. I don't think it has really set in yet. Last year was kind of an up and down year for us. We were able to fortunately win the 'Battle of the Blue' last year at home and send the senior class out on a good note. This year, it started in December with us coming together, meeting in a room and we decided that this was what our culture is going to be this year. The upper classmen are going to have to lead by example and be vocal with those underclassmen. All the work we put in is paying off; now it's a new season and we've got to go 1-0 each week if we want to keep playing football." – Connor Watkins
"We just tried to play our game, keep it simple for us and keep everything in front of us. [The pick-six] was just kind of Madden-esque. I saw the running back leak out and [the quarterback] started rolling across his body. I saw him lock eyes with the running back and at that point it was kind of see ball, get ball. I was just thinking about not getting caught but afterwards, seeing the reaction of the sideline I definitely started to envision the commissioner with the trophy, so extremely grateful." – Danny Abraham
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
Villanova wins at least a share of the CAA Football title for the second time in the last three years and finishes the regular season with an identical record (9-2, 7-1 CAA) to the 2021 team which won a share of the conference championship and also garnered the league's automatic bid to the playoffs.
Villanova has now won eight conference championships overall since joining what was then the Yankee Conference in 1988 … The Wildcats were outright league champions in 1997 and have won seven shared titles.
Head coach Mark Ferrante has been a part of all eight conference championships in Villanova history, including the last two as head coach … He was an assistant coach on Andy Talley's coaching staff for the program's first six league crowns.
INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES
Fifth year wide receiver Jaaron Hayek had six receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns … He passed Brian Westbrook (1997-01), Josh Dolbin (1994-97) and Murle Sango (1998-01) on the Wildcats list of career receiving leaders and is now fourth in school history with 2,702 yards … Hayek recorded the 11th 100-yard receiving game of his career which is the third-most in school history … He is fourth in school history with 29 career receiving touchdowns.
Sixth year running back Jalen Jackson rushed nine times for 130 yards … He passed Aaron Forbes (2015-18) and Justin Covington (2016-21) on Villanova's list of career rushing leaders and is now sixth in school history with exactly 2,400 yards … Jackson ranks second in school history with an average of 6.30 yards per carry (381 attempts for 2,400 yards) and is ninth in school history with an average of 54.5 rushing yards per game.
Fifth year running back DeeWil Barlee rushed a team-high 12 times for 58 yards and a touchdown … He moved up three spots on the program's career list and into the top-10 in school history with 2,225 career yards … Barlee passed Terry Butler (2001-04), Martin Gibson (2002-05) and Jeff Johnson (1989-92) to move up to ninth in the Wildcats record book.
Fifth year running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye had seven carries for 23 yards and a touchdown … He passed Kevin Mosley (1990-93) and Gene Filipski (1952-53) to move into 20th place in Villanova history with exactly 1,600 career yards.
PLAYER NOTES
Danny Abraham recorded Villanova's first defensive points of the season with his 69-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter … It is the first pick-six for the Wildcats since Jalen Goodman had a 23-yard return last season at Maine … Goodman had an 81-yard INT return earlier this season which did not result in a score.
Jalen Jackson has six career 100-yard rushing games and three this season … He now has 833 rushing yards this year which is tied for 19th in a single season in school history.
Rayjuon Pringle had five catches for 59 yards in today's game … His 951 receiving yards on the year are the ninth-most in a single season in the Villanova record book.
Brendan Bell has four career double-digit tackle games and two this season … Both of this year's 10+ tackle efforts have come in the past three contests overall … He had 14 tackles at New Hampshire and 12 in today's contest.
Connor Watkins had a career-high 17 completions in today's game and came within one pass of tying his career of 18 completions which was set against UAlbany last season.
BATTLE OF THE BLUE
Villanova has played – and beaten – Delaware more times than any other opponent in its history … The series dates back to 1895 and the Wildcats have an all-time record of 34-22-1 against the Blue Hens … Villanova has won 16 of the last 18 games between the teams and nine in a row at Delaware Stadium since a 2004 loss there.
The Villanova-Delaware rivalry has been billed as the "Battle of the Blue" since 2007 and the Wildcats have won 15 of the 17 games in which the Battle of the Blue Trophy has been presented … Villanova's streak of eight straight wins over Delaware from 2012-19 is the longest winning streak by either team in the history of the series.
Beginning in 1964, there has been a Villanova-Delaware game in all but one year that the Wildcats have played a football season … The lone exception was in 1985 when Villanova reinstated football following a four-year absence.
Villanova and Delaware are the only two current CAA Football members who have an all-time winning percentage higher than .600 in regular season conference games … The Wildcats are 172-114 all-time in league play and the Blue Hens are 181-120 … Villanova's winning percentage is one ten-thousandth of a percentage point higher than Delaware (.6014 to .6013).
TEAM NOTES
This is the second time in the last three years that the Wildcats finished the regular season with a 9-2 record … Prior to 2021, Villanova's most recent year with only two regular season losses was a 10-2 campaign in 2014.
This year marks the eighth time that the Wildcats won at least seven conference games and the sixth time that Villanova had no more than one loss in league play.
Villanova is headed to the FCS playoffs for the 15th time overall and the ninth time in the last 16 seasons … The Wildcats are 13-13 all-time in the Division I Football Championship, winning their first national title in 2009 and making two other semifinal appearances (2002, 2010).
Head coach Mark Ferrante has been a part of all 15 of Villanova's playoff appearances as an FCS program, including 12 as an assistant coach and three as a head coach.
Villanova has won six consecutive games since a 31-10 loss at UAlbany on September 30 … During the winning streak the Wildcats have outscored their opponents by a 219-77 margin while averaging a +23.7 margin of victory.
Villanova's six-game winning streak is the longest since it started 6-0 in 2019 … The last time the Wildcats had a longer winning streak was a stretch of seven consecutive wins in 2014.
Villanova is 13-7 (.650) in the month of November during the Mark Ferrante head coaching era (since 2017).
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No. 7/6 Bluehen Football Falters against No. 10/15 Villanova
11/18/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 7/6 University of Delaware football team dropped its season finale, falling to No. 15/15 Villanova 35-7 on Saturday afternoon in front of 17,718 fans at Delaware Stadium. With the loss, the Blue Hens conclude the regular season at 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the CAA, while the Wildcats improved to 9-2 on the season and 7-1 in league play.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Marcus Yarns rushed for 98 yards on a career-high 18 rushes.
Braden Brose led the receiving corps with two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson Taylor had eight tackles and a sack to lead the defense.
Chase McGowan also had eight tackles and tied with Keyshawn Hunter for a team-high 2.0 TFLs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Villanova jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead as it scored on a five-yard rush on just the third play of the game to take a 7-0 lead.
The Blue Hens had promising drives on its first two possessions, but a missed field goal and interception kept UD off the board.
In the second quarter, Alex Villas forced a Villanova fumble that Taylor recovered at midfield to set up an eventual 39-yard catch-and-run by Brose that evened the score with 3:17 remaining in the second quarter.
The Wildcats answered with a quick drive to retake the lead, 14-7, just before halftime.
The score remained the same until just over five minutes left in the third quarter when an interception led to a 10-yard touchdown run to extend Villanova's lead to 21-7.
Villanova tacked on another touchdown in the third quarter and returned an interception for a score in the fourth quarter to provide the final score.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will find out their postseason future on Sunday when the FCS Championship field is set. The selection show will air at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
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No. 7/6 Football Clashes with No. 10/15 Villanova for Battle of the Blue, CAA Championship
11/16/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 7/6 University of Delaware football team is set for the 57th edition of the Battle of the Blue as the Blue Hens host No. 10/15 Villanova on Saturday at Delaware Stadium. The game will also help decide the CAA Championship as both teams are tied atop the conference standings with UAlbany and Richmond. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and the contest will be aired on both FloSports and NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus.
ABOUT THE HENS
Delaware enters the season finale with an 8-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in CAA play after last weekend's convincing 45-7 win at Campbell.
The Blue Hens up a couple of spots in the national rankings and now sit at No. 7 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
In the win at Campbell, Ryan O'Connor finished 19-of-31 passing for 246 yards and tied a career-high with four touchdown passes.
He connected twice on scoring plays to Joshua Youngblood and also threw touchdown passes to Jourdan Townsend and Braden Brose.
Khalil Dawsey became the first Blue Hen since 2018 to have two interceptions in a game. He returned his first-quarter interception 100 yards for a touchdown to match the longest in program history.
Townsend's 51-yard touchdown catch at Campbell was the 14th scoring grab of his career, tying him for 10th all-time in program history with Michael Johnson (2011-14) and Ron Withelder (1967-69
With Delaware's 45-point showing at Campbell, the Blue Hens have moved into the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, ranking ninth with 34.9 points per game.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Villanova enters Saturday's game ranked No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 15 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The Wildcats have an identical record as the Blue Hens, coming in at 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the CAA.
The offense is averaging 32.3 ppg and 439.0 ypg of total offense, while the defense is allowing 18.7 ppg and a CAA-low 291.6 total yards to opponents.
Connor Watkins has passed for 2,110 yards and 17 touchdowns with eight interceptions on the season. He has also rushed for 258 yards and eight scores on the ground.
Jalen Jackson leads the rushing attack with 87.9 yards per game and has scored six touchdowns, while DeeWil Barlee and TD Ayo-DuroJaiye have combined for 11 touchdowns.
Rayjuon Pringle is second in the CAA with 89.1 receiving yards per game and has caught eight touchdown passes.
Brendan Bell leads the Villanova defense with 61 tackles and is tied for the team lead with 8.5 TFLs with Jake Reichwein who also has 4.0 sacks on the season.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the 57th all-time meeting between the two programs and will mark the 25th-straight season that the two local rivals will meet on the gridiron.
The Wildcats own a 33-22-1 series advantage and have won 11 of the past 12 matchups, but each of the last three meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
Delaware's most recent win over Villanova came during the 2020-21 spring season, a 27-20 victory that clinched the CAA Championship for the Blue Hens.
In last season's meeting at Villanova, a 29-26 loss, Nolan Henderson set career highs in both completions and pass attempts, going 37-of-59 through the air for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Thyrick Pitts caught seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, while Jourdan Townsend also has seven catches for 71 yards and a score.
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Football Moves Up to No. 7/6 Ahead of Villanova Matchup
11/14/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – Following another convincing CAA victory, defeating Campbell 45-7 on Saturday, the University of Delaware football team moved up a couple of spots in the national rankings. Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Blue Hens sit at No. 7 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll and No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
On Saturday at Campbell, the Blue Hens jumped out to a 21-0 lead less than 12 minutes into the game and never looked back. Ryan O'Connor finished 19-of-31 passing for 246 yards and four touchdowns. He connected twice on scoring plays to Joshua Youngblood and also threw touchdown passes to Jourdan Townsend and Braden Brose. Saeed St. Fleur ran for his first-career touchdown.
Jackson Taylor and Keeno Arrington led the defense with eight tackles, while Dillon Trainer finished with seven tackles. Khalil Dawsey had two interceptions in the secondary, becoming the first Blue Hen since 2018 to have two picks in a game. He returned his first-quarter interception 100 yards for a touchdown to match the longest in program history.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will return home to close out the regular season next weekend as they host Villanova at Delaware Stadium. The contest is not only the annual Battle of the Blue but both teams will be playing for at least a share of the 2023 CAA Championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on FloSports and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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See why Saturday's Delaware-Villanova football duel is biggest in more than 25 years
Kevin Tresolini, Delaware News Journal, 11/14/23
There’s much more at stake Saturday than possession of the Battle of the Blue Trophy and rivalry bragging rights at Delaware Stadium.
For the first time this century, the Coastal Athletic Association football title is also riding on the outcome of Delaware vs. Villanova.
The Blue Hens and Villanova bring identical 8-2 overall and 6-1 CAA records into the 1 p.m. kickoff. They are tied for first place with Albany (8-3, 6-1) and Richmond (7-3, 6-1). Albany hosts Monmouth Saturday and Richmond is at William & Mary.
Delaware head coach Ryan Carty looks to the replay board after a Blue Hens punt is blocked for the second time in the fourth quarter of Delaware's 29-26 loss at Villanova Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
"When you have the rivalry aspect to it, I always used to say going into the game 'Throw the records out the window,' " Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said Monday. "Each team is gonna show up and they're going to play their tails off regardless of what the records are. So now that we both have the same record, playing for the same stakes, I think that just adds to it."
The automatic NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Tournament berth awarded to the CAA champion may, therefore, need to be decided on a tiebreaker.
GETTING OVER THE HUMP:One drought ends vs. Camels for Blue Hens, who now try to end longer one
The following scenarios involve Delaware:
If Delaware, Albany and Richmond tie for first at 7‐1
There were no head‐to‐head meetings between these three. The only common opponent among the trio is Stony Brook, which they all beat. The next tiebreaker is point differential in conference games with a 21‐point maximum per game. Going into Saturday, Delaware is at plus-97, Albany at plus-92 and Richmond at plus-58. The next tiebreaker is best combined conference ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
If Delaware and Albany tie for first at 7‐1
The teams didn’t meet head‐to‐head. Both would have wins over Villanova and Towson. But Delaware was 1‐0 vs. New Hampshire, the next highest-placed common foe, and Albany 0‐1, giving Delaware the tiebreaker and automatic bid.
If Delaware and Richmond tie for first at 7‐1
Delaware and Richmond didn’t meet. Richmond was 1‐0 vs. Elon, the next highest-placed common foe, and Delaware was 0‐1, giving Richmond the tiebreaker and automatic bid.
YouDee's visage flies over the field after the Hens tied the game at seven early in Delaware's 29-26 loss at Villanova Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
This is the first time since 1997 that the Villanova-Delaware outcome decides first place. That year, a 35-25 Villanova win in a game played Sept. 13 ultimately gave the Wildcats the league title by one game over Delaware.
Before that, a 1989 Villanova win and 1991 and '92 Delaware victories decided who won or shared league titles.
"We're trying to win a CAA championship and we're fighting for things also outside of that trophy that we get for winning this game as well," Delaware coach Ryan Carty said Monday.
Delaware, ranked 7th nationally in the latest national Top 25, has likely already secured a spot in the 24-team FCS bracket. Delaware is trying to make the FCS playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003-04. The bracket will be announced Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
No. 10-ranked Villanova is also likely already in the field. But only the top eight teams are seeded and enjoy first-round byes when games begin Nov. 25. The Delaware-Villanova winner, along with a victorious Albany, which beat Villanova 31-10 and is ranked 12th, would be in contention for a top-8 spot.
Delaware receiver Jourdan Townsend celebrates his touchdown reception in the third quarter of Delaware's 29-26 loss at Villanova Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
Delaware has lost eight straight to Villanova at Delaware Stadium, the home team last prevailing 41-35 in 2004 when Kyle Campbell intercepted a last-ditch Wildcats hail-Mary pass. Carty was a back-up quarterback for the Blue Hens that afternoon.
"I was a red-shirt sophomore so that puts it in perspective how long ago that was that we won at home versus Villanova," Carty said. "That's kinda ridiculous."
Villanova has also won 15 of the last 17 overall and now commands the series 33-22-1.
Hen scratch:
NBC Sports Philadelphia is airing Saturday’s game . . . Caravel grad Ethan Potter is a fourth-year Villanova safety who plays regularly, having started two games this year and is now back after being sidelined with an ankle injury . . . Chuck Priore was fired as Stony Brook coach Monday after 18 seasons that included four FCS playoff berths, the last in 2018, and a 97-101 record. But the Seawolves went 0-10 this year, starting with a season-opening loss to Delaware, and 2-9 last year . . . Blue Hen Touchdown Club MVPs from Saturday’s 45-7 win at Campbell were offensive tackle Fintan Brose, cornerback Khalil Dawsey, who had two interceptions with a 100-yard TD runback on the first, and kicker Nate Reed, who had a 36-yard field goal . . . Running backs coach Andrew Pierce, the former Blue Hen back, will speak at Friday’s noon club luncheon at the Carpenter
Center.
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No. 8 Delaware defeats Camels in home finale
11/11/23 - https://gocamels.com
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Ryan O'Connor threw for four touchdowns and Khalil Dawsey picked off two passes, leading No. 8 Delaware over Campbell 45-7 on Saturday at Barker-Lane Stadium.
The Blue Hens (8-2, 6-1 CAA) stayed atop the CAA standings, dealing Campbell (4-6, 3-4 CAA) its third straight loss.
Delaware built a 21-0 first quarter lead on two O'Connor TD passes along with a 100-yard pick-6 from Dawsey. Campbell drove into Delaware territory on each of its first four possessions, but a pair of turnovers turned into 14 UD points.
O'Connor added two more touchdown tosses in the third to give the Blue Hens a 38-0 lead before Hajj-Malik Williams' keeper put Campbell on the board.
O'Connor completed 19-of-31 passes for 246 yards, tossing one interception, with two TD throws going to Joshua Youngblood, who hauled in four catches for 53 yards, leading a Delaware offense that outgained CU 406-288. Jordan Townsend collected five catches for 92 yards and a touchdown, while Quincy Watson rushed for 40 yards on 11 carries.
Jackson Taylor and Keeno Arrington tallied eight tackles apiece on the defensive side, while Ty Davis added six tackles, including one of the Blue Hens' six for loss on the day.
Williams paced Campbell with 161 yards on 16-of-32 passing with two interceptions, while Ezeriah Anderson posted 84 yards on six catches. Lamagea McDowell and Chris McKay, Jr. also combined for 125 rushing yards for the Camels.
Monchovia Gaffney totaled seven tackles, including a sack, while Tyus Fields picked up an interception in the loss.
Campbell will round out the regular season at North Carolina A&T on November 18.
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No. 8/8 Football Rolls Past Campbell 45-7
11/11/23 - bluehens.com
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The No. 8/8 University of Delaware football team jumped out to a 21-0 lead less than 12 minutes into the game and cruised to a 45-7 victory over Campbell in a CAA matchup on Saturday afternoon at Campbell's Barker-Lane Stadium. With the win, the Blue Hens improve to 8-2 on the season and 6-1 in the CAA, while the Camels slip to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in league play.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor finished 19-of-31 passing for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Jourdan Townsend had team-highs of five catches for 92 yards and a touchdown, while Joshua Youngblood caught four passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.
The Blue Hens outgained Campbell 408-288, including holding a 316-151 advantage in yards through the air.
Khalil Dawsey had two interceptions and returned one for a score.
Jackson Taylor and Keeno Arrington led the defense with eight tackles apiece, while Dillon Trainer finished with seven tackles.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a big fourth-down stop by UD's defense, the offense needed just two plays to open the scoring. O'Connor launched a pass over the defense that led Townsend into the endzone for a 51-yard score.
A Ty Davis fumble recovery set up a short field and O'Connor eventually found Youngblood for a 17-yard touchdown to give UD a 14-0 lead after just two possessions.
Campbell drove into the red zone on its next drive, but Dawsey picked off a pass five yards deep in the end zone and ran untouched down the right sideline for the 100-yard interception return to make it 21-0.
Nate Reed connected on a season-long 36-yard field goal in the second quarter to make it 24-0 lead at halftime.
A 22-yard completion on fourth down brought the ball down to the 1-yard line before O'Connor hit Youngblood for his second score early in the third quarter.
The Blue Hens used a 13-play, 80-yard drive to punch in their next score. O'Connor capped the possession as he dropped a 12-yard touchdown pass to Braden Brose to extend the lead to 38-0.
Campbell got on the board with a touchdown late in the third quarter to make it 38-7.
Nick Minicucci drove UD down the field late in the fourth quarter, completing long passes for Makhi Jackson and James Collins before Saeed St. Fleur ran in his first-career score from one yard out to complete the scoring.
GAME NOTES
Dawsey's interception return was the fourth 100-yard pick-six in Delaware's history and the first since 2000 when Ricardo Walker did it against Villanova.
Dawsey is the first Blue Hen to record two interceptions in a game since Nasir Adderley had two against Richmond in 2018.
Delaware's eight regular season wins are the most since 2010.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will return home to close out the regular season next weekend at Delaware Stadium, hosting Villanova in the annual Battle of the Blue. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on FloSports and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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Elon Defeats No. 5 Delaware 33-27
11/4/23 - elonphoenix.com
Newark, Del. – It only took one play from an unlikely source. Kickoff specialist Jake Marion set the tone for Saturday's football game against No. 5 Delaware on the opening kickoff, forcing a fumble that was recovered by teammate Cornell Hendrick Jr. For most of the rest of the game, Elon stayed a step ahead of the Blue Hens in a 33-27 victory that sent the top of the CAA Football standings in turmoil.
Elon moves into a tie with Delaware and three other teams atop the league standings. Along with Richmond, UAlbany and Villanova, the Phoenix sit in a five-way tie with just two games remaining in the regular season. Now 5-4 overall and 5-1 in CAA Football play, Elon will play at Richmond in a week. Delaware falls to 7-2 overall and now 5-1 in the league standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Marion's forced fumble, Jack Berkowitz kicked the first of his four field goals to give Elon an early 3-0 lead.
Delaware took a short-lived 7-3 lead on a touchdown midway through the first quarter but Matthew Downing hit Chandler Brayboy on a 65-yard strike late in the stanza for a 10-7 lead.
The Blue Hens then went ahead early in the second quarter on a touchdown but missed the extra point for a 13-10 advantage. Downing then had his second long touchdown pass of the game, a 70-yarder to Johncarlos Miller II, for a 17-13 lead.
Berkowitz made a 42-yard field goal with 1:07 left in the half for a 20-13 halftime lead.
Elon built a 27-13 lead on the first drive of the second half as Downing found Jordan Bonner on a 29-yard touchdown.
Delaware got back within a score on a touchdown midway through the third, but Berkowitz hit a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth for a 30-20 lead.
Berkowitz then connected on a career-long 44-yard field goal for a 33-20 advantage with 10:27 to go.
As time ran thin, Delaware scored with 3:27 to go to get to within six at 33-27.
The Blue Hens forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with 2:55 left. Delaware drove into the Elon red zone, but the Blue Hens put the ball on the turf and Marco Patierno recovered the ball. Elon went into victory formation to seal the game.
NOTES AND STATS
Following the Jake Marion forced fumble on the opening play of the game, Onuma Dieke had a career-long 30-yard reception on the next play. Dieke had just 16 yards receiving entering the game.
After going 4-for-4 on field goals, true freshman kicker Jack Berkowitz is now 10-for-13 for the year.
Johncarlos Miller II had five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. The 101 yards receiving is the most in the program's FCS history by a tight end. His 382 receiving yards this season are also the most in a single-season by a tight end.
Elon had four quarterback sacks in the contest. The Phoenix is 11-1 in the Tony Trisciani era when recording 4+ sacks in a game.
The Elon defense held Delaware to 71 yards rushing. The Phoenix improved to 11-1 in the Tony Trisciani era when holding an opponent to 100 yards rushing or fewer.
Chandler Brayboy had a career-high 121 yards receiving on three catches. He also had 137 yards on four kick returns (34.3 per return) and 11 rushing yards. That total of 269 all-purpose yards was a career-high.
Matthew Downing finished with a career-high 352 yards passing. He averaged 20.7 yards per completion.
Caleb Curtain had a team-high nine tackles. He added a sack as well.
Jaidyn Denis picked up his third interception of the season. He also had two pass break-ups.
Cazeem Moore and Jake Marion both had forced fumbles, and Cornell Hendrick Jr. and Marco Patierno both earned fumble recoveries.
Elon has now won three straight in the all-time series to even the team's record with Delaware at 3-3. It was Elon's first win at Delaware in three tries.
Elon improved to 3-0 under Head Coach Tony Trisciani with two weeks to prepare for a regular season opponent. The Phoenix has won five straight overall on a bye week.
Elon improved to 9-1 in its last 10 CAA Football games.
The Phoenix is 5-1 in CAA Football play for the first time since 2017.
The win is Elon's second over a ranked opponent this year (added to a win over then-No. 5 William & Mary). The Phoenix has beaten at least two ranked teams in each of the four fall seasons under Tony Trisciani. The victory marks Elon's ninth over a ranked opponent under Trisciani.
Elon earned its third win over a top five FCS team in its program history. Two of those victories have come this year.
UP NEXT
Elon will play at Richmond Saturday at 2 p.m. Both teams enter the contest at 5-1 in conference play, part of a five-way tie at the top of the conference standings.
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No. 5/6 Blue Hen Football Falls to Elon 33-27
11/4/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 5/6 University of Delaware football team fought back late but could not complete the comeback, falling 33-27 to Elon in a CAA matchup in front of 16,722 fans at Delaware Stadium. With the setback, the Blue Hens slipped to 7-2 on the season and 5-1 in conference play, while the Phoenix improved to 5-4 overall and 5-1 in league action.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor passed for 315 yards and a touchdown, while also running for his first-career score.
Joshua Youngblood caught seven passes for a game-high 121 yards and a touchdown.
Marcus Yarns rushed for a team-high 45 yards and a touchdown.
JoJo Bermudez accounted for 155 all-purpose yards, including 103 yards on kickoff returns, and scored a rushing touchdown.
Jackson Taylor led the defense with 13 tackles while Melkart Abou-Jaoude had 3.0 of Delaware's 13 TFLs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a fumble on the opening kickoff, Delaware's defense held strong on a short field to hold Elon to a 36-yard field goal.
Midway through the first quarter, O'Connor dropped a 39-yard touchdown pass over a defender into the arms of Youngblood to give UD a 7-3 lead.
Just seconds before the end of the opening frame, Elon connected a 65-yard scoring pass to retake the lead.
Another long pass to Youngblood, this one for 49 yards, set up an eight-yard scoring run by Yarns that put the Blue Hens up 13-10 just three plays into the second quarter.
Another long touchdown reception and a 42-yard field goal gave Elon a 20-13 lead at halftime.
Elon opened the second half with a quick, four-play drive that resulted in another touchdown to extend its lead to 27-13.
The Blue Hens responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took more than five minutes. Bermudez capped the drive as he took an end-around run for 22 yards, just tucking it inside the pylon to make it a 27-20 game.
Two fourth-quarter field goals extended Elon's lead to 33-20.
Jourdan Townsend returned a punt to midfield that set up a quick Delaware scoring drive as O'Connor eventually ran it in from four yards out to make it a 33-27 game with 3:27 remaining.
The defense forced a quick three-and-out to get the ball back to the offense with 2:55 remaining. Passes to Kyron Cumby and Youngblood moved the ball into the red zone. However, a fumble was recovered by Elon to put an end to the comeback.
GAME NOTES
Yarns' second-quarter touchdown run was his 14th rushing score of the season, tying him for 10th for a single season in program history. He is tied with Omar Cuff (2005) and Andrew Pierce (2007).
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will head out for their final road game of the regular season when they travel to Campbell on Saturday, November 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
===================================================
Elon Seeks Win At No. 5/6 Delaware Saturday In Key CAA Football Match-Up
10/31/2023 by Jason Knavel, Associate AD for Strategic Communications
Elon (4-4, 4-1 CAA) at No. 5/6 Delaware (7-1, 5-0 CAA):
Date: Nov. 4, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Streaming: FloSports (Matt Janus/Pat Devlin) (STREAMING LINK)
Audio Broadcast (Smart Device): The Varsity Network App (Taylor Durham/Khirey Walker) (LINK)
Audio Broadcast (Web-Based): LeanStream via ElonPhoenix.com (LINK)
Live Stats: ElonPhoenix.com (LINK)
Game Notes: Elon | Delaware
Twitter/X: @ElonFootball
Instagram: @ElonFB
SETTING THE STAGE
Five CAA Football teams enter the weekend with one conference loss or fewer. At 5-0 in conference play, Delaware is the only unbeaten team remaining, while 4-1 Elon is one of four teams with exactly one conference loss. The winner moves into position to make one final push for the conference championship.
Saturday's game kicks off at 1 p.m. in Newark, a location Elon has yet to win in two previous contests. The Phoenix is 2-0 under Head Coach Tony Trisciani when having two weeks to prepare for a regular season opponent and has won four straight overall in such circumstances.
Delaware has won six straight since a week two loss to Penn State, the only blemish on the Blue Hens' schedule thus far. Delaware has outscored its last two opponents 98-16, including last week's 51-13 win over Towson. The Blue Hens have won five straight at home dating back to the 2022 season.
Saturday's game will be streamed on FloSports, with Matt Janus and Pat Devlin on the call.
Taylor Durham and Khirey Walker will handle the audio duties with the pregame show beginning at 1:30 p.m. It can be heard for free via The Varsity Network app on your mobile device or by visiting ElonPhoenix.com and clicking on Live Audio on the football schedule.
TONY TRISCIANI IN YEAR FIVE LEADING THE PHOENIX
On Dec. 17, 2018, Tony Trisciani was named the 23rd head football coach in Elon history. In 2022, he led the program back to the FCS playoffs for the first time in his head coaching tenure.
Trisciani has been a member of the Phoenix staff the last three times Elon has made the playoffs -- as head coach in 2022 and as defensive coordinator in 2018 and 2017.
While it is his fifth season as head coach, he is in his eighth year overall with the Phoenix, serving as the defensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018 before his elevation to the lead chair. In 2006, Trisciani coached the defensive backs and ran the special teams for Elon.
Elon has won at least five games in all three fall campaigns in which he has been the head coach. The 2020 season was competed during a shortened spring campaign due to COVID-19.
Elon has improved in each fall season under Trisciani, going from five wins in 2019 to six wins in 2021 and then eight wins in 2022.
Under Trisciani, Elon won 11 conference games in 2021 and 2022 and is the only program to finish in the top three of the CAA standings in both seasons. That came after being picked 12th and sixth in the preseason polls.
The 2023 season is Trisciani's 28th year as a football coach and his 18th at a CAA Football institution. Since his return to Elon in 2017, he has helped the program defeat 14 FCS Top 25 programs. As head coach, he has notched eight wins over ranked teams.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
Head Coach Tony Trisciani has put together an assistant coaching staff that mixes familiar faces at Elon with new staff.
Offensive Coordinator Drew Folmar has been at Elon since 2017, while Defensive Coordinator Dovonte Edwards is in his third season at Elon and in his second in his current role.
Defensive Line Coach Seth Payne has been at Elon since 2019. Special Teams Assistant Mike Nall also rejoined the program prior to the 2019 season. Nall also coached at Elon from 2005-08.
Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach Milo Austin, Inside Linebackers Coach Casey Vance and Running Backs Coach Nate Harris all joined Elon in time for the 2022 season.
Elon sees four new faces to the staff for 2023. Offensive Line Coach Alex Stadler, Wide Receivers Coach Kyle Perkins, Tight Ends Coach Matt Ford and Cornerbacks Coach Dominique Battle are all in their first year with the Phoenix.
SCOUTING DELAWARE
Delaware enters Saturday's game atop the CAA Football standings at 5-0 in league play. The Blue Hens are 7-1 overall and their only loss came to Penn State.
Delaware has played just one game decided by fewer than 15 points this year, a 29-25 victory over New Hampshire. The Blue Hens have won their five conference games by an average of 25.0 points per contest.
Delaware has one of the top pass defenses in the country, ranking first nationally in team pass efficiency defense and eighth in the country with 10 interceptions.
Offensively, running back Marcus Yarns is averaging 7.9 yards per carry and has 13 rushing touchdowns. Both of those marks rank second in all of FCS.
While Delaware does average 17.1 yards per punt return, the Blue Hens have had some struggles in special teams. They have had two punts blocked this year and they average only 36.1 yards per punt (33.0 net average).
TO BE THE BEST, YOU'VE GOT TO BEAT THE BEST
Heading into the 2023 season, Elon was ranked as having the third most difficult schedule in the country by FCS Analyst, based on opponent win percentage.
Elon's 11 opponents had a .606 win percentage in 2022, going a combined 80-52. Only Harvard (.648, 68-37) and Nicholls (.610, 83-53) have more difficult schedules.
Among CAA teams, Campbell (.583, 77-55) had the fifth-tougest schedule in the nation and Delaware (.559, 71-56) was 12th.
So far in 2023, Elon's 11 opponents have a combined record of 47-34, tied for the fifth-toughest schedule in the country. The Phoenix's final three opponents are 17-8. That .680 opponent percentage is the sixth-toughest remaining schedule in FCS football.
GIANT KILLERS
When Elon faces No. 5/6 Delaware on Saturday, it will put the Phoenix in a familiar and comfortable place facing a ranked opponent.
Elon has played two ranked teams so far this year and the Phoenix defeated No. 5/4 William & Mary 14-6, earning the program's second ever win over an opponent ranked in the top five in the country.
Elon defeated three ranked teams in 2022, knocking off No. 14 William & Mary 35-31, No. 17 Richmond 30-27 (OT), and No. 12 Delaware 27-7. In fact, Elon has beaten at least two ranked teams in every fall season since Tony Trisciani was named head coach to begin the 2019 campaign.
Under Head Coach Tony Trisciani, Elon is almost .500 against ranked teams, going 8-10.
Overall, Elon is 24-69 all-time when facing a ranked team at the FCS level.
LOOKING FOR RESPECT
At 4-1 in CAA Football play in 2023, Elon is tied for third in the conference standings. That comes after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
In 2022, Elon was predicted to end sixth in CAA Football but finished third in the conference standings, earned an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs and ended the year ranked No. 17 in the country.
In 2021, Elon was picked to finish last in the 12-team league but ended in sole possession of third place.
Elon is the only program to finish in the top three of the final CAA Football standings in each of the past two seasons (2021 and 2022).
Since the start of the 2021 season, Elon is tied with Villanova for the best record in CAA play among all current conference members. The Phoenix and Wildcats have gone 15-6 (.714), while Richmond is right behind at 17-7 (.708).
BAM BAM ON THE MOVE
When watching Jalen Hampton run the ball, it's easy to see why he has earned the nickname Bam Bam. Unafraid to take on defensive players, Hampton has become one of the most productive running backs in Elon history in less than two seasons.
Hampton became just the third player in Elon's FCS history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, carrying the rock for 1,053 yards in 2022. He's on a similar pace in 2023 despite a bit of an up-and-down season.
Hampton rushed for 562 yards through Elon's first five games but was held to just 32 yards on 20 carries over the next two ball games. Despite a slow start against Monmouth, he finished the game with 22 carries for 80 yards, helping Elon to run out the clock in the fourth quarter of a 28-26 win.
Through eight games, Hampton has 674 yards rushing, five touchdowns and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, an increase over his 4.6 yard per carry average in 2022.
Hampton went over 1,500 career rushing yards in his 15th collegiate game, when he rushed the ball 33 times for 169 yards at Campbell.
Hampton rushed for more than 150 yards in back-to-back contests against North Carolina A&T and Campbell. He had 16 carries for 153 yards in a win over North Carolina A&T before the 33-carry, 169-yard game at Campbell. The Campbell game was his sixth career 100-yard rushing game, going over 130 yards in each of those six contests.
With 1,727 career rushing yards in just 19 games, Hampton already ranks seventh in Elon's FCS history (since 1999). He needs 186 more yards to pass De'Sean McNair (2016-19) for sixth.
Hampton rushed for at least 80 yards in eight of the 11 games he played a year ago. With four more 80-yard games in 2023, he has now reached that mark 12 times in 19 career games.
Hampton had a career-high 177 yards against his namesake, Hampton, in 2022. He rushed for a career-best four rushing touchdowns in Elon's 28-24 win at Campbell.
POUNDING THE ROCK
Behind an improved offensive line and the emergence of Jalen Hampton, Elon has become a strong running team, rushing for at least 120 yards in 13 of the team's 20 games over the past two seasons.
Against North Carolina A&T, Elon ran for 260 yards, the most for the program since 2019. The Phoenix followed that up with 242 yards at Campbell.
With the 242 yards at Campbell, Elon improved to 8-0 in Head Coach Tony Trisciani's tenure when rushing for 200+ yards.
Elon topped 200 rushing yards three times last season, doing so against William & Mary (240 yards) as well as Gardner-Webb (205 yards) and Hampton (200 yards).
In 2021, Elon rushed for 120+ yards as a team just one time, doing so with 146 yards in the season finale against Rhode Island. In fact, the 10 games of 120+ yards rushing in 2022 were the most for the program since doing so 10 times in 2017 as well.
Elon averaged 152.3 yards per game rushing in 2022, a vast improvement over the 90.4 yards per game the team ran for in 2021. It was the team's highest rushing average in a season since going for 199.5 in 2018.
WINNING IN THE TRENCHES
Under Head Coach Tony Trisciani, Elon has been nearly unbeatable when winning in the trenches on at least one side of the ball.
Elon is 8-0 when rushing for at least 200 yards in a game under Trisciani and 10-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing. Elon's only loss in that scenario came in week one against Wake Forest, as the Demon Deacons had just 98 yards on 2.8 yards per carry.
Elon has reached both milestones three times under Trisciani, two of which have come this season.
Against Gardner-Webb in 2022, Elon ran for 205 and held the Runnin' Bulldogs to 43. Against North Carolina A&T, Elon rushed for 260 and held the Aggies to 81 yards. The next week at Campbell, Elon ran for 242 yards and held the Camels to just 35 yards.
NO FLY ZONE
Elon allowed just 36 yards passing against Villanova. It was the second time this year in which the Phoenix has allowed 36 yards passing, doing so in the win over William & Mary.
Elon's passing efficiency defense is No. 28 nationally at 118.3. That mark ranks third in CAA Football.
Elon has held three opponents below 75 yards passing in 2023. In total, the Phoenix is averaging fewer than 200 passing yards allowed per game and has also generated seven interceptions.
CURTAIN CALL
Redshirt sophomore Caleb Curtain had a solid debut season in 2022, getting his feet wet with 12 tackles, an interception and a sack. But he has made his mark in 2023.
Without an interception against Monmouth, Curtain has a team-high three interceptions in 2023. He also has two fumble recoveries and leads Elon with 60 tackles.
Curtain got his season started in a big way with four tackles, a sack, and most importantly, a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown at Wake Forest in the season opener.
Curtain's interception return was Elon's first pick-six since Greg Liggs Jr. had one in 2019. Liggs Jr. is Elon's career interception leader, with 15, and single-season interception leader, with eight in 2019.
According to analytic tracking data, Curtain reached a top speed of 20.58 miles per hour on the interception return, his fastest reading of the game.
Curtain added his second interception of the season against North Carolina A&T. He added an interception and a fumble recovery in the 28-26 win over Monmouth.
Curtain has reached double-digit tackle totals three times. He had a career-best 12 at Villanova and leads Elon with 60 tackles on the season.
According to PFF's rankings, Curtain grades out as the seventh-best coverage safety in FCS. He ranks top five nationally in sacks, hurries and tackles.
PEARSON IS A PROBLEM
Redshirt senior defensive end Marvin Pearson will have opposing offensive line coaches scratching their heads all year long. He was dominant against Wake Forest and is considered Elon's top NFL prospect this year.
Pearson recorded seven tackles, three for loss, and a sack in week one at Wake Forest. His sack came on Wake Forest's second drive as the Demon Deacons were facing a third-and-short and forced a Wake Forest punt.
Pearson also had a three-yard tackle for loss on another third-and-short play in the first quarter and added a fourth quarter TFL to stall out another Wake Forest drive.
With a sack against William & Mary, Pearson now has a team-best 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. His 10.0 career sacks place him tied for sixth in program history.
Pearson posted his 16th career quarterback hurry against North Carolina Central. That ties him with Marcus Willoughby (2016-19) for the most in the program's FCS history.
According to PFF, Marvin Pearson is the 10th-best pass rusher from the edge position in FCS. His 41 total pressures are the most in the country at any position, as are his 31 hurries.
TO PUNT OR NOT TO PUNT
Elon ran fake punts in back-to-back games against Gardner-Webb and North Carolina A&T, with both attempts resulting in a 35-yard gain. The Phoenix have also run two other fake punts, doing so against William & Mary and Monmouth.
Against Gardner-Webb, Josh Johnson took a short snap and rumbled 35 yards for a first down on the first and only carry of his career, proving that defensive linemen can be versatile and add to the offensive stats as well.
Against North Carolina A&T, Elon fake punted again in vastly different fashion. Kyle Romenick became the first punter in Elon's Division I era to throw a touchdown pass, completed a 35-yard bomb to true freshman defensive back DJ Hamilton.
DEION MAKES HEADLINES BUT SO DOES BO
Deion Sanders and his son Shedeur may be grabbing national headlines at Colorado, but another Sanders is leading the Elon defense much like Deion did at Florida State in his playing days.
Senior captain Bo Sanders has 56 tackles (second-most on the team), posting nine against both Wake Forest and Monmouth.
Sanders was all over the field in the win at Campbell, posting a season-high 10 tackles and adding his second career interception. Elon scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive after his INT.
Against Monmouth, Sanders had nine tackles and a sack. He also came up with a big stop on fourth and goal from the two-yard line early in the second quarter.
Deion was also a factor in the return game during his playing days and Bo does the same. He is averaging 4.8 yards on eight punt returns in 2023.
NO LINEBACKERS? NO PROBLEM
Elon graduated all of its starting linebackers from 2022, but redshirt freshmen Brandon Tyson and Marco Patierno have filled the gap.
Tyson had seven tackles against Wake Forest and then jumped on a loose ball late in the fourth quarter against Gardner-Webb for a fumble recovery that started Elon's game-tying touchdown drive. Against Villanova, he had a career-high 14 tackles (the most in a game for an Elon player in 2023) and had 2.0 tackles for loss.
After recording three tackles against Wake Forest, Patierno was all over the field against Gardner-Webb, finishing with seven tackles and 0.5 tackle for loss. He earned his first career start against North Carolina A&T and then turned in a team-best seven tackles, 1.5 for loss. He topped that once more with 11 tackles in the win over No. 5/4 William & Mary.
The duo has 104 combined tackles, including 9.5 for loss.
PATIERNO ON RICE WATCH LIST
Redshirt freshman Marco Patierno was named to the midseason watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the top freshman in the country.
Patierno was one of 22 freshmen named to the watch list and one of just seven defensive players honored.
At 6.6 tackles per game, Patierno is sixth nationally among all freshmen.
FILLING BIG SHOES
True freshman kicker Jack Berkowitz had huge shoes to fill in replacing Skyler Davis, the best kicker in Elon history and the best kicker in all of FCS in 2022. But Berkowitz has answered the call so far, making 6-of-9 field goals. He is 20-of-21 on extra points with the only miss being on a blocked kick.
Berkowitz stepped onto a college football field for the first time in front of a sold-out Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium at Wake Forest and went 2-for-2 on extra points and 1-for-1 on field goals. His 28-yard field goal came with just one second remaining in the game and split the uprights.
The true freshman followed that up by making both of his field goal attempts at Gardner-Webb and all three extra points. He connected on a career-long 39-yarder late in the first quarter of that game.
Berkowitz missed a kick for the first time all season when his 42-yard attempt sailed wide in the second quarter against North Carolina A&T. But he responded by making a 43-yarder later in the quarter and added another made field goal in the second half.
That 43-yarder was a collegiate career long. He equaled that mark with a 43-yard field goal against North Carolina Central.
MILLER TIME
Redshirt sophomore tight end Johncarlos Miller II had a career day against North Carolina Central, catching five passes for 82 yards.
Miller's five catches against NC Central are the most for an Elon tight end since Donovan Williams caught six passes against Gardner-Webb in the 2021 spring season.
The 82 receiving yards were the most for a tight end since Chris Harris has 89 against Western Carolina in 2012.
Miller's 281 receiving yards in 2023 are already more than the 201 he had last year. He surpassed Matt Foster (246 yards in 2019) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season in Elon's FCS history. He is 11th nationally in receiving yards among tight ends.
THREE FOR ONE
Three different quarterbacks have started a game for Elon this year. Matthew Downing has started six of the eight games, but Justin Allen and William Lankford have each earned a start as well.
With Matthew Downing unavailable for the Villanova game, Lankford earned his first career start. Allen had started the week two game against Gardner-Webb.
Elon played three quarterbacks against North Carolina Central and each of them were responsible for a Phoenix touchdown.
Downing and Allen each threw a touchdown pass, while Lankford ran for one.
It was the first time in the program's FCS history that three different quarterbacks threw or ran for a touchdown in a single game.
ROMENICK DOING IT ALL
Transfer punter Kyle Romenick has not only been consistent in the kicking game for the Phoenix, he has also proven to be a weapon in the passing game in 2023.
While he averages 43.1 yards per punt, Romenick also showed off his arm in the win over North Carolina A&T. He rocketed a pass on a fake punt for a 35-yard touchdown to true freshman DJ Hamilton. Romenick became the first Elon punter to throw a touchdown pass in the program's NCAA Division I era (since 1999).
Due to that play, along with a 42.2 yard per punt average, Romenick was named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week.
Romenick had his best punting game as a Phoenix at Villanova, averaging 50.0 yards on six punts. He tied his career-long with a 61-yard punt downed at the six-yard line and also had a 55-yarder. He had three punts inside the 20.
At 43.1 yards per punt through the first eight weeks, Romenick ranks 21st in FCS football in punting average. Jeff Yurk set Elon's single-season punting average record a year ago at 44.1 yards and Hunter Stephenson is second at 43.4 yards. Romenick currently sits third.
BONNER BREAKS OUT
Redshirt senior wide receiver Jordan Bonner has patiently waited for an opportunity to be featured in the Elon offense and he has made the most of his opportunity so far in 2023.
Bonner had a team-high seven catches at Wake Forest, easily surpassing his previous career-best of four receptions. He followed that up with four more catches at Gardner-Webb and a team-best three receptions and a touchdown vs. North Carolina A&T.
On the season, Bonner leads Elon with 29 catches and 348 receiving yards. He also has a team-high four touchdown receptions.
After a career-high 20 receptions in 2022, Bonner already has 29 this year. His 348 receiving yards have also surpassed the 297 he had a year ago.
DOWNING UP THE DEPTH CHART
Graduate transfer Matthew Downing has started five of the first seven games of the season at quarterback.
Downing started in the season opener, but struggled at Wake Forest. He was replaced by Justin Allen, who sparked the Elon offense. Downing then replaced Allen to start the second half at Gardner-Webb, and threw for 199 yards and three TDs in the final 30 minutes.
The transfer quarterback again came up big in the team's win over William & Mary, completing seven of his final eight pass attempts for 120 yards and two touchdowns as the Phoenix overcame a 6-0 fourth quarter deficit for a 14-6 win.
After missing the Villanova game with injury, Downing returned for a career-best 282 yards passing in the 28-26 win over Monmouth. He did that on just 20 pass attempts (14 completions) and had three touchdowns against no interceptions.
Downing is well-traveled, beginning his career at Georgia. As a true freshman in 2018, he played in four games for the Bulldogs.
After transferring to TCU, Downing redshirted the 2019 season before playing in seven games over two years from 2020-21. He earned his first collegiate start in the 2020 season opener against Iowa State, going 11-of-21 for 158 yards and touchdown.
Following his time at TCU, Downing transferred to Louisiana Tech, playing in four games in 2022, going 33-of-62 with three touchdowns and 356 yards passing. He suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Bulldogs.
EXPERIENCE ON THE LINE
Against Campbell, Elon was without Jabril Williams as a starter on the offensive line for the first time in 28 games. In fact, Williams had combined with Zane Gilbert, Caleb Krings and Kevin Burkett to start as an offensive line quartet in 24 straight games prior to that contest.
Williams returned to start at center against William & Mary, reuniting one of the most experienced offensive lines in the CAA.
Gilbert and Krings have made 34 career starts for Elon, while Williams has made 33. Kevin Burkett has added 29 to the mix.
Jack Cutler joined the quartet on the offensive line to start the 2023 season. He earned his 10th career start in the team's last game against Monmouth.
In total, the five starters on the offensive line first unit have started 140 career games.
WHO NEEDS THIRD DOWN WHEN YOU'VE GOT FOURTH DOWN
Elon has struggled on third downs this year, converting just 30-of-108 in 2023 (28.3 percent). But the Phoenix have made up for some of those struggles by converting on fourth down.
The Phoenix is 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) on fourth down in 2023, the 15th-best conversion percentage in FCS.
Elon's 14 fourth down conversions in 2023 are tied for the 10th-most in the country. Northern Alabama leads FCS with 23 fourth down conversions (on 38 attempts, a 60.5% conversion rate)
Elon is also among the top 20 teams in the country in defending fourth down attempts. Opponents have converted just 7-of-17 attempts (41.2 percent).
PRESEASON ALL-CAA ANNOUNCED
Five members of the Elon Football team were named CAA Preseason All-Conference, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Tight end Johncarlos Miller II, safety Bo Sanders, and specialist Chandler Brayboy were named All-CAA. Running back Jalen Hampton and offensive lineman Jabril Williams earned honorable mention status.
Among other preseason All-CAA polls, Phil Steele named seven Phoenix to his teams. Hampton, Miller II and Sanders were all named to the second team, while Marvin Pearson earned third team recognition. Kevin Burkett, Cazeem Moore and Jaidyn Denis were named fourth team.
Bluebloods named Hampton, Miller II, Williams and Sanders to their second team preseason All-CAA list.
GENERATING TURNOVERS
Under the tutelage of Defensive Coordinator Dovonte Edwards, Elon has become one of the best in the country at forcing turnovers, particularly fumbles.
With 13 fumble recoveries, Elon ended the 2022 season ranked No. 7 in the country in that category. In total, the Phoenix generated 21 turnovers with a +0.58 turnover margin, ranking No. 21 in FCS Football.
Those turnovers proved to be critical as Elon went 7-0 in 2022 when forcing more turnovers than their opponent in a game.
Elon has again been forcing turnovers in 2023. The Phoenix ranks among the top 50 in the country in interceptions, fumbles recovered, turnovers gained and turnover margin.
SACK MASTERS
After totaling 17 quarterback sacks in the first five games of the season, Elon has recorded just two sacks in the last three games. The Phoenix is looking to regain that pressure.
Twelve different players have recorded at least 0.5 sack with Marvin Pearson leading the way with 4.5.
Against a Power Five offensive line in the season opener at Wake Forest, Elon had four quarterback sacks with four different players registering at least one. Pearson was one of those and he also finished with three tackles for loss. Caleb Curtain, who added a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown, Cazeem Moore and Chazz Harley all added sacks.
Elon is 10-1 in the tenure of Head Coach Tony Trisciani when recording four or more sacks in a game. The Wake Forest game was the first time the Phoenix had lost a game while recording four sacks.
A year ago, Elon average 2.83 sacks per contest, ranking No. 13 in FCS Football.
FIRST-TIME STARTERS
In the season opener at Wake Forest, four players made their first Elon starts -- two on offense and two on defense.
Matthew Downing got the starting nod at quarterback. As a graduate transfer, he had earned starts at previous schools, but earned his first Elon start.
Wide receiver Christian Da-Silva started his first game as well, while linebacker Brandon Tyson and defensive back Caleb Curtain picked up their first starting nods on defense.
Redshirt freshmen Jesse Powell II and Senquavious Alsobrooks earned their first career starts at Gardner-Webb. Powell II started in the spur position and Alsobrooks started as cornerback.
Redshirt freshman Marco Patierno added to the group against North Carolina A&T, earning his first career start at linebacker.
Two Elon players got their first career starts at Campbell. Right guard Luis Duarte picked up his first start along the offensive line and defensive tackle Jake Louro got his first career start.
Onuma Dieke started at wide receiver against North Carolina Central. While Dieke started eight games during his career at UMass, this was his first start at Elon.
Quarterback William Lankford earned his first career start at Villanova. He is the third quarterback to start a game this year for Elon.
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Elon has earned a handful of weekly awards during the 2023 season.
Defensive Coordinator Dovonte Edwards was named the Our Coaching Network Defensive Coordinator of the Week on Oct. 1 after Elon defeated William & Mary 14-6. The Tribe did not score a touchdown and was held to 36 yards passing.
Caleb Curtain was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 2 after posting a career-best 11 tackles and a sack in the 14-6 win over William & Mary.
Jalen Hampton was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 25 after rushing for 169 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in a 28-24 win at Campbell.
Kyle Romenick was named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 18 after averaging 42.2 yards per punt and throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt.
HIGH FIVE
Discounting the abbreviated 2021 spring campaign, Elon has recorded at least five overall wins and four conference wins in four consecutive fall seasons.
With four straight fall seasons of at least five overall wins and four conference wins, it equals the longest such streak the program has had in FCS. Elon also accomplished that feat from 2007-10.
EARNING THAT DEGREE
Seventeen current players on the Elon football team already have their degrees.
Justin Allen, Jordan Bonner, Chandler Brayboy, Carson Crisp, Jack Cutler, Wayne Dixie III, Matthew Downing, Zane Gilbert, Chazz Harley, Caleb Ogunmola, Marvin Pearson, Kyle Romenick, Bo Sanders, Trey West, Antonio White, Ryan Wilkins and Jabril Williams all have their degrees.
PHOENIX IN THE NFL
Former Elon offensive lineman Oli Udoh began his fifth season in the NFL in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings. He played in every game and started 17 over the course of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Udoh suffered a season-ending quad injury in Minnesota's week two game against Philadelphia.
Elon saw numerous members of the 2022 team earn professional opportunities. Defensive back Cole Coleman spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, while kicker Skyler Davis was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Matthew McKay had workouts with the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots, and wide receiver Bryson Daughtry spent time with the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.
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TOWSON FOOTBALL DOWNED BY NO. 5/6 DELAWARE
10/28/23 - towsontigers.com
MATCHUP HISTORY:
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University football team was thwarted in its attempt for a second straight win over a nationally-ranked opponent when No. 5/6 Delaware exploded for 28 first quarter points en route to a 51-13 victory at Unitas Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers (3-5, 2-3 CAA), who were coming off a 34-24 win over No. 13 William & Mary, saw Delaware (7-1, 5-0 CAA) score touchdowns on its first five possessions as the Blue Hens built a 38-0 halftime lead. Delaware, the CAA leader, won its sixth game in a row.
Key Stats:
The Tigers mustered 326 yards of total offense to Delaware's 619.
Nathan Kent went 21-for-39 for 265 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Zay Perkins had the touchdown, making five catches for 67 yards, while Carter Runyon had six catches for 76 yards and Lukkas Londono finished with five catches for 97 yards.
On the ground, Devin Matthews carried the ball nine times for 46 yards.
Keegan Vaughan converted both field goals, making attempts of 31 and 34 yards.
Defensively, Xavier Terry led the Tigers with nine tackles. Mason Woods finished with six tackles, one for loss.
For Delaware, Zach Marker played just the first half, going 16-for-18 for 307 yards and two touchdowns. Marcus Yarns had five total touchdowns, rushing 13 times for 63 yards and four touchdowns and making four catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Mateo Vandamia tallied up four tackles, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups.
How it Happened
Delaware started with the ball as Marcus Yarns went 75 yards on the opening play for a receiving touchdown to put the visitors up 7-0.
A 59-yard punt by Josh Cupitt helped put Delaware on its own 7 after a three-and-out. On third and seven, a 54-yard pass to Jourdan Townsend got the Blue Hens to the Towson 36, then a 22-yard pass to Townsend set up the visitors inside the red zone. Two plays later, a direct snap to Yarns for an eight-yard touchdown run made it 14-0 Delaware, 9:36 left in the first.
A Nathan Kent interception ended Towson's drive. Again a mix of passes and runs kept Delaware moving, spurred on by a 21-yard pass to Yarns. Again Yarns got a direct snap and ran three yards to the end zone for a 20-0 Delaware lead. A muffed kickoff gave Delaware back the ball on the Towson 27. Despite an Ernie Smith sack, Delaware scored again on a four-yard Yarns run and subsequent two-point conversion pushed the Blue Hens up 28-0 towards the end of the opening quarter.
Towson took advantage of a Delaware face mask penalty and got into Blue Hen territory, but a sack on fourth down ended the drive. A 39-yard pass to Joshua Youngblood then a 12-yard touchdown pass to Braden Brose made the score 35-0 Delaware, 12:04 left in the third.
Towson started to get some success on offense with a 14-yard breakout run from Kent, then a couple of six-yard completions to Daniel Thompson IV and Carter Runyon, but a punt as Delaware took over on its own 8. A 16-play drive into the final minute of the quarter resulted in a field goal as the Blue Hens took a 38-0 lead into the locker room.
Three completions of at least 13 yards got Towson to the Delaware 28 on the opening drive of the third quarter, but two incompletions and two sacks ended the drive. A 39-yard completion to Jojo Bermudez set up Yarns for a five-yard running touchdown for a 45-0 Delaware lead.
Next drive, Kent got in touch with Lukkas Londono for a 40-yard completion. Towson got stopped at the Delaware 14, where Keegan Vaughan hit a 31-yard field goal to get Towson on the board. Delaware countered with a field goal of its own on the next drive.
Into the fourth, quick passes from Kent got Towson back into Delaware territory, but again the Tigers were stopped in the red zone. Vaughan knocked down another field goal to make the score 48-6 Delaware with 13:09 to play.
Towson's defense got a stop on the next drive as Onaje Lewis forced a fumble on the Delaware 49, with CJ McClendon recovering for the Tigers. Two plays in, Kent found Londono for 26 yards for another chance in the red zone. On third and 10, Zay Perkins made the 11-yard touchdown catch. Towson trailed 48-13 with 7:27 remaining.
Delaware scored a field goal on the next drive and Towson drove down the field. A 40-yard pass to Runyon gave Towson a shot at the end zone, but another potential Runyon catch was ruled incomplete on review. Delaware kneeled down and took the victory 51-13.
Inside the Numbers
Carter Runyon has had at least 62 receiving yards in each of his last five games, finishing with 76 today.
Towson is 2-1 against then-top-15 FCS opponents this season, including victories over New Hampshire and William & Mary.
Next Game
Towson heads south to North Carolina A&T for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Nov. 4.
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Yarns’ Five Touchdowns Lead No. 5/6 Football Past Towson 51-13
10/28/23 - bluehens.com
TOWSON, Md. – For the second-straight game, the No. 5/6 University of Delaware football team scored 38 first-half points on its way to a 51-13 victory over Towson on Saturday afternoon in a CAA contest at the Tigers' Johnny Unitas Stadium. With the win, the Blue Hens improve to 7-1 on the year and 5-0 in CAA play, while Towson slips to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in league action.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Zach Marker connected in his first 16 pass attempts, finishing 16-of-18 for 307 yards and two touchdowns in just one half of play. He also ran for 44 yards.
Marcus Yarns finished with 168 all-purpose yards on a career-high 105 receiving yards and 63 rushing yards. He scored five total touchdowns with four of them coming on the ground.
Jourdan Townsend finished with 89 yards receiving on four catches.
Nick Minicucci played the second half and passed for 79 yards and rushed for 59 more.
The Blue Hens finished with 619 total yards of offense with 386 passing yards and 233 rushing yards.
Keeno Arrington led a balanced UD defense with five tackles and Tyron Herring had an interception.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Hens could not have gotten off to a better start as the first play from scrimmage was a screen pass to Yarns who went untouched for a 75-yard score.
The defense forced a quick three-and-out before the offense embarked on a seven-play, 93-yard drive. Marker found Townsend for completions of 54 and 22 yards before Yarns found the end zone from eight yards out to make it 14-0.
Herring picked off Towson's next play and Delaware turned it into points 10 plays later as Yarns rammed it home from three yards out.
The Blue Hens recovered a loose ball on the kickoff and Yarns again scored from a wildcat formation, running it in from the 5-yard line. A trick play on the 2-point conversion made it 28-0.
A fourth-down sack by the defense gave UD the ball at midfield. After a 39-yard completion to Joshua Youngblood, Marker connected with Braden Brose for a 12-yard scoring pass.
Nate Reed capped the first-half scoring with a 29-yard field goal with under a minute left on the clock.
Yarns picked up right where he left off as he rushed for 25 yards on UD's first drive of the second half, capping the possession with a five-yard scoring run to push the lead to 45-0.
The two teams traded field goals to make it a 48-3 lead after three quarters.
Towson scored 10 points to open the fourth quarter before Reed concluded the scoring with a 29-yard field goal with five minutes remaining.
GAME NOTES
Yarns' five total touchdowns are tied for the second-most in a single game in program history. His four rushing touchdowns are the most since Omar Cuff had four against Delaware State in 2007.
Marker's 307 passing yards is the fourth-most in a first half in program history.
Towson's fourth-quarter touchdown snapped a streak of 13-straight quarters and more than 210 minutes of game action that Delaware had not allowed a touchdown.
Reed's three field goals were the most in a game since Ryan Coe had three in the 2020-21 spring season opener.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will return home to take on Elon in a CAA matchup at Delaware Stadium on Saturday, November 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast simultaneously on FloSports and Delmarva Sports Network.
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TOWSON FOOTBALL HOSTS CAA’S FIRST PLACE TEAM #5/6 DELAWARE FOR PINK GAME
10/26/23 - https://towsontigers.com
The Game: Towson (3-4, 2-2 CAA) vs. #5/6 Delaware (6-1, 4-0 CAA)
When: Sat., Oct. 28 – 1 p.m.
Where: Johnny Unitas® Stadium – Towson, Md.
Promotion: Pink Game
--First 1,500 fans will receive a co-branded Towson pink rally towel, courtesy of Donovan WaterWorks
Linear Broadcast: Monumental Sports Network
Online Broadcast: FloFootball ($)
Audio Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
----Broadcasters: Spiro Morekas (PxP), Gordy Combs (Analyst)
Series: Delaware leads 13-9
TOWSON, Md. – Fresh off another victory over a top-15 program, the Towson University football team will challenge the first-place team in the CAA, No. 5/6 Delaware, on Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m.
Tickets for Towson football home games are available by visiting https://am.ticketmaster.com/towson/. For any questions regarding tickets for Towson events, call the Towson Athletics ticket office at 410-704-4501 or email bschwarzman@towson.edu.
This is the annual Pink Game. The first 1,500 fans to the game will receive a co-branded Towson pink rally towel, courtesy of Donovan WaterWorks.
Fans attending the game are encouraged to check out the Goh Zone near Gate D, Lot 4, to enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and game, presented by Baltimore County Tourism and The Loop. Attendees can also check out the Family Fun Zone with inflatables, the east area hospitality area, reduced-priced concession items and much more.
This is the third of four games for Towson football televised on the Monumental Sports Network, the home of the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards. The game will also be available on the exclusive streaming home of the CAA, FloSports, as well as a radio feed on Towsontigers.com. Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs will have the call live from Johnny Unitas® Stadium.
Towson took down then-#13 William & Mary 34-24 last week in Williamsburg to enter at 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the CAA. Delaware, riding a five-game winning streak, defeated Hampton 47-3 on Saturday to stand 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the CAA, the league's only undefeated team in league play.
With the 23rd meeting set for Saturday, Delaware leads the all-time series vs. Towson 13-9, winning 24-10 in Newark on Oct. 1, 2022. Towson won the previous game at home, having a 31-24 win on Nov. 2, 2019.
Towson seeks its third win over a top-15 opponent, having defeated then-#14 New Hampshire on Sept. 30 and then-#13 William & Mary on Oct. 21.
A NEW ERA OF TOWSON FOOTBALL BEGINS IN 2023
It is a new year for Towson as the Tigers are set for their 54th season. It is also the first season for new head coach Pete Shinnick.
It is a new look Towson team with 44 new players joining in their first year with Towson, including 28 transfers and 16 true freshmen or first-year players. The offense returns six starters while the defense returns five.
GIBBS NAMED TO SHRINE BOWL 1000, REESE'S SENIOR BOWL WATCHLIST
Jesus Gibbs was selected to the 2024 Shrine Bowl 1000, being named one of the top NFL draft eligible college players in the country. The 1,000 players, selected by NFL scouts and college personnel, are in contention to play in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl in Texas. He was also selected to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist for the second consecutive year.
In 30 games in his Towson career since transferring in from South Carolina, Gibbs stands with 93 total tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Gibbs will look to be the second Towson player in the Shrine Bowl, with Tye Smith being the first in 2015.
TAKING DOWN THE CAA PRESEASON FAVORITES
In the early going of the Pete Shinnick era, Towson has already earned a pair of big wins, defeating the two 2022 CAA champions on the road. The Tigers won at then-#14/17 New Hampshire 54-51 (OT) and then-#13 Williams & Mary 34-24, the two teams predicted to finish first in the league in 2023.
This is the second year in a row where Towson defeated the CAA favorite in the preseason coaches poll. The 2022 CAA preseason favorite was Villanova; Towson won 27-3 on Nov. 5, 2022 at home.
HUNTER HONORED AS STATS PERFORM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
D'Ago Hunter was recognized as a 2023 STATS Perform Preseason All-American Third Team as a punt returner.
Last season, Hunter became Towson's first All-American was 2018, amassing 1,207 all-purpose yards off 639 kickoff yards, 195 punt return yards, 262 rushing yards and 111 receiving yards, adding three special teams touchdowns of at least 74 yards each.
In 2022, Hunter was third in FCS in yards per punt return (16.2) and fourth in FCS in combined kick return yardage (834).
THREE TIGERS RECOGNIZED IN 2023 CAA PRESEASON AWARDS
Three Tigers were recognized on the CAA preseason awards: D'Ago Hunter earned 2023 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team at kick returner while Jesus Gibbs and Robert Javier were preseason all-conference honorable mention.
BATTLE FOR GREATER BALTIMORE SERIES EXTENDED THROUGH 2027
In July 2021, Towson and Morgan State announced an extension of the Battle for Greater Baltimore series through the 2027 season. The two teams will alternate hosting rights each year. The teams are separated by five miles, the closest pair of teams in all of FCS play.
Towson defeated Morgan State 20-10 in Baltimore on Sept. 16. Towson leads the all-time series 22-6, winning the last six.
GAY NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALIST
Towson linebacker Jamal Gay was honored as a semifinalist for the 2023 Campbell Trophy®, announced by the National Football Foundation on Sept. 27. The Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Gay earned his undergraduate degree from Towson in May 2022 in business administration with a 3.69 grade point average and is currently working on his Master's Degree in marketing intelligence, currently having a 3.81 GPA in graduate school. On the field, he has 40 tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass break-up through seven games.
20 GRADUATES SUITING UP FOR TOWSON
Several Tigers are playing as college graduates. Towson has 20 total graduate players.
Towson graduates (10) -
Matthew Akuchie Malik Jackson
Alex Desire Robert Javier
Jamal Gay Charles Peeples
Jesus Gibbs Frank Stettner
D'Ago Hunter Daniel Thompson
Graduates of other schools (10) -
Antonio Howard (Northern Michigan)
Kamari Jackson (Delaware State)
Da'Kendall James (Norfolk State)
Daviyon Johnson (Monmouth)
Mike Police (West Florida)
Jabari Reddock (Stony Brook)
Justin Ritter (James Madison)
Josh Roberts (Lafayette)
Justin Toler (Norfolk State)
Tylen Wallace (Missouri Western State)
TOWSON PICKED NINTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
The Tigers were predicted to finish ninth in the league in the preseason coaches poll. Towson received 85 points in the poll. 2022 CAA co-champions William & Mary and New Hampshire ranked first and second in the poll with 195 and 179 votes respectively.
2023 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish (first-place votes)
1. William & Mary (13), 195
2. New Hampshire (1), 179
3. Richmond, 159
4. Delaware (1), 149
5. Elon, 146
6. Rhode Island, 135
7. Villanova, 129
8. Monmouth, 94
9. Towson, 85
10. North Carolina A&T, 70
11. UAlbany, 64
12. Campbell, 62
13. Maine, 40
14. Stony Brook, 38
15. Hampton, 30
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson made its mark in the Canadian Football League, with four former Towson players being part of CFL rosters in week one. Three players have competed in multiple games this season: Tibo Debaillie, Andrew Garnett and Tyrrell Pigrome.
In 2022, Darius Victor was the Offensive Player of the Year in the reformed United States Football League (USFL). He returned to the New Jersey Generals in 2023, finishing third in the league with 554 rushing yards, adding seven combined touchdowns. Two Towson players played in the XFL in 2023, including Tye Smith, who played five seasons in the National Football League.
On Oct. 23, 2023, it was announced that Caleb Smith will play for the Albany Firebirds in 2024 for the new Arena Football League.
Tigers in the Pros – 2023
Canadian Football League
--Tibo Debaillie, DL: BC Lions
--Andrew Garnett, OL: Edmonton Elks
--Tyrrell Pigrome, QB: Ottawa Redblacks
--Roman Wahrheit, OL: Ottawa Redblacks (practice squad)
Indoor Football League
--Shane Simpson, RB: Quad City Steamwheelers
--Caleb Smith, WR: Iowa Barnstormers
United States Football League
--Darius Victor, RB: New Jersey Generals
XFL
--Elorm Lumor, DL: St. Louis Battlehawks
--Tye Smith, DB: Orlando Guardians
QUARTERBACK COMPETITION.....
With Tyrrell Pigrome finishing his collegiate career last season, the Tigers had a quarterback position battle with several competitors. (numerical order below)
#9 Sean Brown, R-Jr.
Spent last three years at Liberty University
#14 Zack Jackson, R-So.
University of Maryland transfer after 2021 redshirt season
#15 Nathan Kent, R-Jr.
Played in four career games from 2021-22
#16 Scott Smith III, R-So.
Starting quarterback in 2022 season opener
#18 Jack Pellicciotti, Fr.
Led MPSSAA in passing yards last two years of high school
MATTHEWS APPROACHING TOP-10 IN RUSHING TDS
Devin Matthews is one rushing TD away from being in the top-10 all-time in Towson history. In his third year with Towson, he has 19 career rushing touchdowns.
Career Rushing Touchdowns - Towson History
1. Terrance West - 84 (2011-13)
2. Darius Victor - 41 (2013-16)
.......
8. Paul Cillo - 22 (1981-82)
9. Noah Read - 21 (1998-2001)
10. Larry Jones - 20 (1973-74)
Devin Matthews - 19 (2021-pres.)
HUNTER BREAKS 4,000 ALL-PURPOSE YARD MARK
On Oct. 7, D'Ago Hunter broke the 4,000 all-purpose yards mark.
4,067 all-purpose yards (363 plays)
2,491 kickoff return yards (103 kickoff returns)
415 punt return yards (46 punt returns)
723 rushing yards (160 rush attempts)
438 receiving yards (54 receptions)
PETE SHINNICK - NEW TOWSON HEAD COACH
On Dec. 11, 2022, Pete Shinnick was announced as the new head coach of Towson football. He becomes the fifth coach in program history.
Shinnick comes to Towson after starting the program at West Florida, leading the Argonauts to the 2019 NCAA DII national title and the 2017 NCAA DII title game. Including going 56-21 in six seasons at West Florida from 2016-22 (no season in 2020 COVID year), Shinnick has a career record of 162-71, including being the head coach at UNC Pembroke and Azusa Pacific.
Shinnick takes over for Rob Ambrose, who served as Towson's head coach from 2009-22. Towson has had five head coaches in program history: Carl Runk (1969-71), Phil Albert (1972-91), Gordy Combs (1992-2008), Ambrose (2009-22) and Pete Shinnick (2023-pres.).
LAST GAME (TOWSON 34, #13 WILLIAM & MARY 24)
(10/21/2023 - WILLIAMSBURG, VA.):
Down 17 early in the second quarter, Towson rallied with 34 unanswered points to take down #13 William & Mary 34-24 on the road.
Important Stat:
Towson - 24:17 time of possession in 2nd half (W&M - 5:43)
W&M - Scored on first three offensive drives
Top Passer:
Towson - Nathan Kent: 19-28, 188 yards, 2 TD
W&M - Darius Wilson: 12-20, 129 yards, 2 TD
Top Rusher:
Towson - Devin Matthews: 20 rush, 117 yards, 1 TD
W&M - Malachi Imoh: 13 rush, 105 yards
Top Receiver:
Towson - Carter Runyon: 7 catches, 92 yards, 2 TD
W&M - Hollis Mathis: 5 catches, 66 yards, 2 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Rodney Roane, Jr. (LB): 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF
W&M - John Pius (DL): 7 tackles, 1 sack
INTERNATIONAL TIGERS
Towson's influence is growing across the world. Three Towson players hail from outside the United States, including two from Canada.
--Sahil Bhullar, OL: Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
--Samuel Obiang, DL: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
--Florian Staehler, OL: Köln, Germany
Towson has also had former players from Belgium, Finland and Norway.
REPPING THE HOME STATE
The Towson roster represents the Old Line State well, sporting 41 players from the home state of Maryland. This includes five players from Baltimore City/County: Dion Crews-Harris (Baltimore), Anthony Delle Donne (Baltimore), Tyrell Greene Jr. (Baltimore), Rishon Holmes (Baltimore) and Scott Smith III (Brooklandville).
TOWSON TO APPEAR ON MONUMENTAL SPORTS NETWORK
Four Towson football home games will be appearing on Monumental Sports Network this season.
The home of the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards, Monumental Sports Network is based out of Bethesda and is aired across the DMV, spanning from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina.
In addition, all Towson home games and road games at CAA opponents will be aired on FloFootball, the exclusive streaming home of the CAA. Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs return as the Towson football radio team.
SCOUTING DELAWARE:
Delaware, which is undefeated this year in FCS games, is the only team in the CAA with six victories and one loss.
With an offense which averages over 32 points per game, Delaware had a different quarterback vs. Hampton: senior Zach Marker went 17-for-28 for 239 yards and a touchdown. Two players, senior Marcus Yarns and graduate student Kyron Cumby, have combined for 1,012 rushing yards, averaging almost eight yards a carry. Graduate student linebacker Jackson Taylor is the team's leader in tackles with 64, adding 7.5 tackles for loss.
LAST GAME (#6 DELAWARE 24, TOWSON 10)
(10/1/2022 - NEWARK, DEL.):
Towson held #6 Delaware without points for the opening 22 minutes and had the first lead of the game but fell to the Blue Hens 24-10.
Important Stat:
Towson - Robert Javier - first Towson defensive TD of the season
Delaware - Two 65+ yard touchdown plays
Top Passer:
Towson - Tyrrell Pigrome: 9-23, 62 yards, 1 INT
Delaware - Nolan Henderson: 25-41, 368 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Top Rusher:
Towson - Joachim Bangda: 12 rush, 53 yards
Delaware - Kyron Cumby: 15 rush, 100 yards, 1 TD
Top Receiver:
Towson - Isaiah Perkins: 3 catches, 28 yards
Delaware - Chandler Harvin: 3 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Robert Javier (CB): 7 tackles, 1 INT, TD (97-yard return)
Delaware - Johnny Buchanan (LB): 11 tackles
IMPORTANT DATES: TOWSON VS. DELAWARE
--Nov. 6, 1993 - Towson 32, Delaware 30 (Newark, Del.):
On fourth down and goal from the one-yard line with 10 seconds left, Tony Vinson burst into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, giving Towson a 32-30 comeback win over #14 Delaware on the road. That was Vinson's fourth touchdown of the game.
--Oct. 1, 2005 - Towson 35, Delaware 31 (Towson, Md.):
Towson's first-ever Atlantic-10 victory came in dramatic fashion as Nick Williams scored a touchdown on a three-yard run off a 69-yard final drive to defeat #5 Delaware 35-31 in front of a Homecoming crowd of 10,778, to date the third-largest crowd in Unitas Stadium history.
--Oct. 28, 2017 - Towson 18, Delaware 17 (Towson, Md.):
A Sam Gallahan 14-yard touchdown catch from Ryan Stover with 35 seconds left sent Towson to an 18-17 upset victory over #23 Delaware. Towson came back from down 14-3 late in the third quarter.
RANDY BIELSKI ENTERS TOWSON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Among the inductees into the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023 includes former defensive back and kicker Randy Bielski. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Oct. 6.
The two-time All-American left Towson with then-program records in tackles (288), interceptions (13) and scoring (169), playing from 1976-79. He led Towson to the 1976 Stagg Bowl for an NCAA DIII national title game appearance.
He was the first-ever Towson Tiger to be drafted into the National Football League, being taken as a kicker in the 12th round by the Baltimore Colts in 1980.
CAA FOOTBALL SHAKEUP
CAA Football has undergone changes for the 2023 season, beginning with a new name. The CAA is now the Coastal Athletic Association, officially changing its name on July 20, formerly the Colonial Athletic Association.
CAA Football also welcomed in two new members: Campbell, which joined as a full member this year, and North Carolina A&T, which was a full member last season but joins the CAA Football ranks this year.
The CAA now has 15 football members. A 16th, Bryant, will join starting in the 2024 season.
SAM REYNOLDS
Wide receiver Sam Reynolds will be on the sideline Saturday after having a general medical condition on Aug. 15. The redshirt sophomore played all 11 games last season.
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PLAYERS MENTIONED
#78 ROMAN WAHRHEIT
OL 6' 6" Senior
#8 JOACHIM BANGDA
RB 5' 10" Junior
#4 TYRRELL PIGROME
QB 5' 10" Redshirt Senior
#7 MATTHEW AKUCHIE
WR 6' 3" Graduate Student
#72 SAHIL BHULLAR
OL 6' 6" Redshirt Sophomore
#40 DION CREWS-HARRIS
DL 6' 0" Redshirt Junior
#96 ANTHONY DELLE DONNE
DL 6' 1" Redshirt Junior
#73 ALEX DESIRE
OL 6' 4" Graduate Student
#6 JAMAL GAY
LB 6' 1" Graduate Student
#8 JESUS GIBBS
DL 6' 4" Graduate Student
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Blue Hen Football Climbs to No. 5/6 Nationally
10/23/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football has reached its highest ranking in more than two years, climbing to No. 5 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches. The Blue Hens previously reached as high as No. 5 in the Stats Perform poll ahead of the 2021 season opener.
The Blue & Gold moved to 6-1 on the season and 4-0 in CAA play with a decisive 47-3 victory at Hampton on Saturday. The win extended UD's winning streak to five games as the Blue Hens finished with 522 total yards of offense with 295 passing yards and 227 yards on the ground. Zach Marker made his first-career start and finished 17-of-28 passing for 239 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing eight times for 37 yards and a score. Jourdan Townsend finished with 185 all-purpose yards, returning a punt 82 yards for a touchdown while also leading the receiving corps with three catches for 88 yards.
Dillon Trainer led the Delaware defense with eight tackles. The Blue Hens allowed just 216 yards and held Hampton to 73 yards through the air, their second-straight opponent to be held under 100 passing yards. UD has now not allowed a touchdown in 10-consecutive quarters.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will remain on the road next week as they make the short trip to Towson for a CAA matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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No. 7-Ranked Delaware Tames Pirates
10/21/23 - hamptonpirates.com
HAMPTON, Va. (Oct. 21, 2023) … Playing without its starting backfield, Hampton (3-4, 1-3) dropped a 47-3 decision to No. 7-ranked Delaware (5-1, 4-0), which scored the first 31 points of the contest.
Quarterback Chris Zellous, Elijah Burris, the league's leading rusher and Darran Butts, the CAA's fifth leading rusher, all missed the game with Delaware.
Tymere Robinson carried the load for the Hampton offense rushing for 119 yards on 20 carries as Hampton managed 216 yards offense while Delaware amassed 522 total yards. Mason King had nine tackles followed by teammate Qwahsin Townsel and Tre Stafford with seven stops each.
In Delaware's first possession, a pair of Hampton penalties gave the Blue Hens the ball inside the red zone. Two plays later, Marcus Yarns scored on an eight-yard run with 11:51 left in the opening quarter. Delaware struck again as Jourdan Townsend returned a Hampton punt 78 yards for a touchdown boosting the lead to 14-0 with 9:17 left in the first quarter. Nate Reed booted a 22-yard field goal late in the first quarter giving the Blue Hens a 17-0 lead.
Delaware made it 24-0 with 5:32 left before halftime when Yarns dashed in from four-yards out. Zach Marker scored from 18 yards out to cap a six-play, 73-yard drive before Hampton got on the board with a 30-yard field goal by Brian Csehoski to make the score, 31-3, with 1:54 left before halftime. But Delaware responded moving 68 yards on six plays capped by Marker's 10-yard TD pass to Townsend to make the score 38-3 at intermission.
A 25-yard field goal by Reed midway through the third quarter pushed the lead to 41-3. Delaware added the exclamation point with a 27-yard scoring pass from Nick Mimicucci to James Collins with 5:47 left in the contest to make the score 47-3.
Hampton returns to action on Oct. 28 when the Pirates entertain CAA foe North Carolina A&T for Homecoming.
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No. 7/7 Delaware Football Cruises Past Hampton 47-3
10/21/23 - bluehens.com
HAMPTON, Va. – The No. 7/7 University of Delaware football team scored on its first five possessions to open up a 38-3 halftime lead on its way to a 47-3 victory at Hampton on Saturday afternoon in a CAA contest. With the win, the Blue Hens improve to 6-1 on the season and 4-0 in conference play, while the Pirates slip to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in league action.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Zach Marker made his first-career start and finished 17-of-28 passing for 239 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing eight times for 37 yards and a score.
Kyron Cumby led a balanced rushing attack with 70 yards on seven carries, and Marcus Yarns ran for 32 yards and two touchdowns.
Jourdan Townsend finished with 185 all-purpose yards, returning a punt 82 yards for a touchdown while also leading the receiving corps with three catches for 88 yards.
The Blue Hens finished with 522 total yards of offense with 295 passing yards and 227 yards on the ground.
Dillon Trainer led the defense with eight tackles. James Yelbert Jr. and Dominick Brogna combined for a sack.
Delaware's defense allowed just 216 yards and held Hampton to 73 passing yards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Delaware wasted no time on its first drive of the game, marching 57 yards on just four plays. Two big Hampton penalties aided the drive before Yarns punched it in from eight yards out.
After the defense made a stop in its own territory, Townsend fielded the ensuing punt at the 18-yard line and went untouched for the 82-yard return to give UD a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the game.
A 59-yard pass from Marker to Townsend brought the Blue Hens deep into Hampton territory on its second possession to set up a 22-yard field goal from Nate Reed to make it 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Delaware used an 11-play drive early in the second quarter to move down the field before Yarns scored his second touchdown of the game, this time taking it in from four yards out.
Runs of 28 and 20 yards by Cumby set up an 18-yard scramble by Marker for his first Blue Hen touchdown to make it a 31-0 game
Hampton got on the board with a 30-yard field goal, but UD perfectly executed a two-minute drive, going 68 yards in less than a minute. Marker dropped in a pass to Joshua Youngblood for a 10-yard score to make it 38-3 at halftime.
The Blue Hens received the kickoff to open the second half and marched down on a 17-play drive that consumed 7:03. Reed connected on a 25-yard field goal to extend the lead to 41-3.
Nick Minicucci threw his first-career touchdown pass, connecting with James Collins for a 27-yard score with 5:47 remaining in the game to complete the scoring
GAME NOTES
Townsend's punt return score was the first true return for a touchdown by Delaware since 2013 when Rob Jones did it against Delaware State. Quincy Watson recovered a blocked punt in the end zone against the Hornets last season.
UD's drive to open the second half was its longest of the season in both plays (18) and time (7:03).
Ryan Kost had a 76-yard punt in the third quarter that was the seventh-longest punt in program history, and the longest since 1996.
Delaware's defense held its second-straight opponent under 100 passing yards and has now not allowed a touchdown in 10-consecutive quarters.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will remain on the road next week as they make the short trip to Towson for a CAA matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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NC AT&T Aggies Lose to No. 8 Delaware On a Rainy Day
10/14/23 - https://ncataggies.com
NEWARK, Del. – On Saturday, North Carolina A&T did the things football teams do to win. The Aggies forced turnovers. They moved the ball into the red zone and Delaware territory. They even made third-down stops throughout the game to get their defense off the field.
But the Aggies turned the ball over three times and could not put up enough points to take advantage of some of those things in a 21-6 loss to No. 8 Delaware at Delaware Stadium. The Aggies dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Football Conference.
"I was proud of how our defense played throughout the game, getting stop after stop after stop," said A&T head coach Vincent Brown after the Blue Hens were 2-for-11 on third downs. "Our offense was able to move the ball at times, but we just were not consistent enough to come away with the win."
Delaware, who improved to 5-1 and 3-0 in league play, conducted an eight-play, 67-yard drive, including a 25-yard touchdown run from Kyron Cumby to give the Blue Hens a 7-0 lead. But as the rain poured inside Delaware Stadium, the Aggies made it a fight from there. Unfortunately, they could never deliver the blow that would make the difference on the scoreboard.
On its first drive, A&T put together an 8-play drive. The Aggies reached the Delaware 36-yard line on a 2nd-and-7 before a two-yard loss from running back Wesley Graves, and a 3-yard completion to Christian MacDonald left the Aggies with a 4th-and-6 from the Delaware 35. A&T elected to pin the Blue Hens inside their 10, which resulted in a 31-yard punt from Caleb Brickhouse that gave the Blue Hens a 1st-and-10 from their 4.
The strategy appeared to pay dividends. Cornerback Karon Prunty tipped a Ryan O'Connor pass in the air on the first down play that Avarion Cole slid under for an interception at the Delaware 8. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost the Aggies 15 yards after the interception, giving them 1st-and-10 at the 23 instead of 1st-and-goal at the 8.
Another unfortunate turn would stifle the Aggies two plays later on a 3rd-and-2 from the Blue Hens 15. Super-fast freshman quarterback Kevin White scrambled out of the pocket and sprinted down to the 2-yard line. As the Blue Hen defenders closed in, White tried to stretch out the ball to extend it beyond the pylon for an A&T touchdown.
The slippery conditions caused him to lose his grip on the football as it fell out of bounds. The officials ruled the play a turnover and a touchback. Replay officials upheld the call, spoiling a prime scoring opportunity for A&T.
The Aggies did get on the board to start the second quarter, aided by a 12-yard run from Graves on a 3rd-and-7 to give the Aggies a 1st-and-10 on the Delaware 31. Three plays later, Owen Daffer booted a 43-yard field goal, his longest of the season, to cut the Blue Hens lead to 7-3.
Delaware answered with an 8-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended with a 3-yard Cumby touchdown. The Blue Hens had another first-half drive that ended with a missed field goal, and despite a Blue Hens blocked punt toward the end of the half, the Aggies defense kept the Blue Hens off the board. DeTerias Glover stopped a Cumby scoring attempt from the 2-yard line as time expired in the first half, leaving Delaware with a 14-3 halftime lead.
"We played the eighth-ranked team in the country, and we went toe-to-toe with them even though we turned the ball over three times and had a punt blocked and all the other things that went wrong," said Brown. "The difference is not that much. We know we have some things we must improve on in a number of areas, but I think our kids are still playing hard and competing to the end, and the foundation of success is built on that, competing to the very end."
After the Blue Hens took advantage of an Aggies turnover to score on a two-yard touchdown pass from O'Connor to Jordan Townsend for a 21-3 lead, the Aggies put together one of their better drives of the season. They drove the ball 57 yards on 13 plays, as Daffer connected on a 23-yard field goal. A&T's 13 plays on a scoring drive marked a season-high as the Aggies cut Delaware's lead to 21-6.
A&T moved deep into Blue Hen territory again to open the fourth quarter. But as Graves completed a 13-yard gain, Nic Ware forced him to fumble at the Delaware 15, giving the Blue Hens possession of the football. The Aggies were not able to mount much of an offensive from there.
"It was very disappointing to leave here without a win," said Brown. "You can't win against a really good team if you turn the ball over three times. One time, we turned it over inside the 1-yard line, which resulted in a touchback. We made too many mistakes to win the football game tonight."
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No. 8/8 Football Battles Past NC A&T 21-6
10/14/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 8/8 University of Delaware football team rushed for 322 yards in rainy conditions to win its fourth-consecutive game with a 21-6 Homecoming victory over North Carolina A&T on Saturday afternoon at Delaware Stadium. With the win, the Blue Hens move to 5-1 on the season and 3-0 in the CAA, while the Aggies slip to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in league play.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Kyron Cumby rushed 20 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense.
Marcus Yarns also cracked the 100-yard plateau, going for 126 yards on the ground on 15 carries.
Jackson Taylor led the defense with a game-high 15 tackles and also had 4.0 TFLs.
Chase McGowan finished with seven tackles, a sack and 3.0 TFLs.
The UD defense recovered three fumbles and held NC A&T to just 196 total yards of offense.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Hens received the opening kickoff and went 67 yards down the field on eight rushing plays. Cumby zig-zagged through several tacklers on a 25-yard scoring run to give UD the early 7-0 lead.
NC A&T connected on a 43-yard field goal to open the second quarter, but Delaware answered right back with a 75-yard drive, capped by another Cumby touchdown as he scored from three yards out.
With less than 20 seconds left in the first half, Kaelin Costello scooped up a loose ball after a Yarns' punt block and returned it to the 3-yard line. However, UD could not punch it in and took a 14-3 lead into halftime.
Keyshawn Hunter forced and recovered a fumble on NC A&T's first drive of the second half. Eight plays later, O'Connor found Townsend for a two-yard touchdown pass to give the Blue Hens a 21-3 lead.
The Aggies connected on a 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter, but Delaware's defense held them to just eight total yards in the fourth quarter to stifle any comeback.
GAME NOTES
The 322 rushing yards were the most by a Delaware team since the 2020-21 Spring season when the Blue Hens had 361 rushing yards against Rhode Island.
Yarns and Cumby became the first UD duo to rush for 100 yards each since Dejoun Lee and Will Knight did it in 2019 against New Hampshire.
Yarns surpassed 100 yards for the fourth time in six games this season and Cumby reached the mark for the first time this season and the third time in his Delaware career.
Delaware's defense has not allowed a touchdown in more than six quarters and 97:08 of game time going back to the second quarter against Duquesne.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens head out on the road for each of the next two weekends for a pair of CAA contests. Delaware will travel to Hampton on Saturday, October 21 for a 2 p.m. contest.
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North Carolina A&T at Delaware in CAA football Saturday: How to follow
Kevin Tresolini
Delaware News Journal - 10/12/23
Delaware’s longest football homestand in 39 years has a chance to end perfectly Saturday.
The Blue Hens host North Carolina A&T at 3 p.m. at Delaware Stadium on homecoming day.
It’s Delaware’s fourth straight home game over five weeks and the previous three have featured wins over Saint Francis 42-14, New Hampshire 29-25 and Duquesne 43-17.
Delaware running back Kyron Cumby stiff arms Duquesne defensive back Ayden Garnes in the first quarter of the Blue Hens' 43-17 win at Delaware Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
There’s a good chance the Hens (4-1 overall, 2-1 Coastal Athletic Association) could keep that winning streak alive against North Carolina A&T. Delaware is ranked No. 8 nationally in FCS.
The Aggies are first-year CAA members who are 1-4 overall with league losses against Elon and Villanova.
TOUGH COMPANY:North Carolina A&T struggling in debut CAA season
Delaware has a history of not being a very welcoming host to CAA newcomers.
The Hens pounded new league foes Hampton 35-3 and Monmouth 49-17 last year at home.
Receiving similar Delaware Stadium initiations were CAA first-year teams Old Dominion 27-17 in 2011, Albany 33-30 in 2013 and Elon 34-24 in 2014.
How to follow
Delaware Online will have live coverage from the game, with frequent updates including photos and video, beginning an hour before kickoff through to its conclusion with postgame reaction.
Delaware cheerleaders put their megaphones to use against the Duquesne offense late in the first half at Delaware Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
How to watch
There are still tickets available on bluehens.com though a large homecoming crowd is expected.
This game is also airing on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Flosports.com will also be streaming the game for a fee.
How to listen
WDSD (94.7) is airing the game with Scott Klatzin calling the action, Bill Harman giving insight and analysis and Nick Alessandrini reporting from the sidelines. The broadcast begins an hour before kickoff at 2 p.m.
Student radio station WVUD (91.3) is also airing the game with Konner Metz and Ethan Fager behind the microphones.
Why is this an important game for Delaware?
The Blue Hens face a team that appears overmatched and can build momentum toward a couple likely more demanding road games at Hampton and Towson the next two weeks.
What’s an interesting fact?
North Carolina A&T is 120th nationally among the 122 teams in FCS averaging just 211.2 offensive yards per game.The Aggies are also last in the nation averaging 58.2 passing yards per game.
Who is a player to watch for A&T?
Kick-off returnman Taymon Cooke has run back two for touchdowns this season, covering 80 and 94 yards.His 350 kick return yards ran fourth nationally in FCS.
Last year, Cooke had a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD and has a 27.9-yard career average.
Cooke is a 6-foot, 185-pound wide receiver who first committed to West Virginia but played for Marshall as a freshman before transferring to A&T.
Who is a player to watch for Delaware?
Quarterback Ryan O’Connor has had three straight solid starts at home while cementing his spot as Delaware’s starter.
His 28 completions on 40 passes for 347 yards with four TDs were all career highs last week against Duquesne. Several of his biggest plays against the Dukes came on run-pass options and with defensive players bearing down on him.
That followed his 24-for-37 showing for 336 yards and three TDs against New Hampshire Sept. 23.
O’Connor’s 152.1 efficiency rating is third in the CAA.
Delaware quarterback Ryan O'Connor warms up before the Blue Hens take on Duquesne, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 at Delaware Stadium.
What does North Carolina A&T coach Vincent Brown say?
“Schematically, they know how to put players in the right position [on defense]. They play that three-safety look where a lot of people struggle to block that little robber [hybrid safety/linebacker]. They've been in their system for a while. They play hard, they know how to set their edges. They don't give up explosive pass plays. When you combine what they do, offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, that is what complimentary football looks like.”
What does UD coach Ryan Carty say?
“On the defensive side of the ball, they're a little young in some places. They run around and play their butts off. I think they’re a bend-but-don't-break defense and they kind of keep everything inside and in front. It'll be tough for us to move the ball down the field with explosive plays so we have to make sure that we're really fundamentally sound, we hold on to the football well, we finish our blocks on the perimeter and up front, and we're OK taking those long drives.”
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No. 9/10 Delaware Downs Dukes in Non-Conference Finale
10/7/23 - https://goduquesne.com
NEWARK, Del. - The Duquesne University football team lost a hard-fought battle to No. 9/10 ranked Delaware, 43-17, on Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out Delaware Stadium.
The Dukes (2-3) made a statement in the first half and came out firing, scoring on three of their first four drives to earn a pair of early leads, but the nationally ranked Blue Hens (4-1) powered their way back in front and ultimately took the game.
The play after a fumble recovery was overturned, CJ Barnes rocked the Delaware quarterback for a sack to force a punt on the opening possession for the Blue Hens. The Dukes came out on offense and found the endzone on their third play with a 52-yard, catch-and-run touchdown by DJ Powell from Darius Perrantes to take the lead just over two minutes into the game.
Delaware answered with a pair of touchdown drives and tacked on a two-point conversion on their first score to go up 15-7 by the end of the first quarter.
Duquesne bounced back by going 70 yards down to the goal line, aided by a 22-yard run by JaMario Clements and a 27-yard reception by Tedy Afful. A Clements run got called back by review, deeming a knee down just shy of the goal line, then a defensive stand by Delaware and delay of game penalty forced a field goal. Brian Bruzdewicz connected from 25 yards out to salvage points on the drive.
Ayden Garnes made his second interception of the season, the first Duke to do so, in the endzone on the following defensive outing, then two plays later Edward Robinson broke off the longest touchdown of the season for the Dukes with a 68-yard run to retake the lead at 17-15.
Delaware got in the endzone 41 seconds before the half regaining a 22-17 advantage and they would not relinquish it the rest of the way. The Blue Hens shutout Duquesne in the second half, while adding 21 points for the 43-17 victory.
GAME NOTES
The two Dukes touchdowns were consecutively the longest scores of the season (52-yard catch by DJ Powell from Darius Perrantes and a 68-yard rush by Edward Robinson).
Powell now leads the team and is the first receiver in the Northeast Conference to catch four touchdowns this season … He ended the game with a team-high 59 yards.
Perrantes finished the game 9-for-17 for 128 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions … He has now thrown a touchdown in four of the five games to start the season.
Edward Robinson led the team for the third straight game on the ground totaling 86 yards on eight carries with a touchdown, the second of his career and second straight week in the endzone … Duquesne held the edge on the ground (162-119), with 123 of them coming in the first half.
With Ayden Garnes' interception, the Dukes have forced a turnover in every game this season.
Tim Lowery led the DU defense with five tackles, while CJ Barnes and Matt Brooks picked up sacks … Brooks' was his first career sack.
Duquesne falls to 0-2 all-time against Delaware … Both matchups (2010 and 2023) have been in Newark and the Blue Hens have been ranked in the top-12 nationally both times.
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Blue Hen Football Pulls Away for 43-17 Victory Over Duquesne
10/7/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 9/10 University of Delaware football team scored late in the first half to take the lead and never looked back to defeat Duquesne 43-17 in front of a sold-out Parents and Family Weekend crowd of 18,952 fans at Delaware Stadium. With the win, the Blue Hens improve to 4-1 on the season while the Dukes slip to 2-3.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor set career highs with 28 completions, 347 passing yards and four touchdown passes.
Marcus Yarns finished with 97 all-purpose yards and had two rushing touchdowns.
JoJo Bermudez and Chandler Harvin each had 83 receiving yards and caught a touchdown pass while Joshua Youngblood and Phil Lutz each had scoring grabs.
Jackson Taylor led the defense with a game-high 13 tackles and 2.5 TFL.
Jack Hall had seven tackles 1.5 sacks and 2.0 TFL.
Ty Davis, Nic Ware and Steven Rose Jr. each had an interception.
The Blue Hens outgained Duquesne 466-290, including a 256-58 margin in the second half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was Duquesne that struck first on a 52-yard touchdown reception on its opening drive.
The Blue Hens answered quickly, going 57 yards in less than three minutes. Yarns capped the drive with a 1-yard scoring run and the subsequent 2-point conversion to give UD the 8-7 lead
Following Davis' interception, two personal fouls brought the Hens deep into Duquesne territory before O'Connor found Bermudez for a 12-yard score to make it 15-7 at the end of the first quarter.
A field goal and touchdown gave the Dukes a 17-15 lead midway through the second frame.
The defense pinned Duquesne deep after a Hall sack and a short punt set UD's offense up with a short field. Yarns found the end zone on another 1-yard run to make it a 22-17 game at halftime.
On Delaware's first drive of the second half, O'Connor scrambled out of the pocket and found a wide-open Harvin who caught it and ran the final 40 yards untouched for the score.
O'Connor threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Youngblood (7 yards) and Lutz (34 yards) to complete the scoring.
GAME NOTES
Bermudez and Lutz each scored the first touchdowns with the Blue & Gold.
Yarns now has nine total touchdowns on the season and has found the end zone twice in four of Delaware's five games this season, including each of the past three games.
Delaware now has nine interceptions on the season from eight different players. Davis is the only Blue Hen with multiple picks.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will conclude its four-game homestand with a Homecoming matchup against CAA-newcomer North Carolina A&T on Saturday, October 14. Kickoff at Delaware Stadium is set for 3 p.m. and tickets are still available.
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Dukes Wrap Up Non-Conference Play at No. 9/10 Delaware
10/5/23 - https://goduquesne.com/
PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne University football team wraps up a four-game road stretch and non-conference play with a visit to nationally ranked Delaware on Saturday.
THE BASICS
October 7, 2023 | 3:00 PM | Delaware Stadium (Newark, Del.)
Duquesne Dukes (2-2, 1-0 NEC)
#9/10 Delaware Blue Hens (3-1, 2-0 CAA)
Watch Live on FloFootball (Also live on NBC Sports Philadelphia) | Follow Live Stats | Listen Live on 104.7 HD2
Gameday Central | Duquesne Game Notes | Delaware Game Notes | NEC Weekly Release
BY THE NUMBERS
FB Stats Comparison 2023 at Delaware
OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne is coming off a thrilling, come-from-behind victory over LIU, 31-28, in its conference opener on the road Saturday ... Brian Bruzdewicz nailed a game-winning, 34-yard field goal with three seconds left to complete the 14-point comeback.
- Delaware sat idle last week and moved up in the national rankings to 9 in the media poll and 10 in the coaches poll ... The Blue Hens had a comeback win of their own last time out, downing No. 11/12 New Hampshire, 29-25, after trailing by as many as 18 in the second quarter ... Delaware's only loss this season came at FBS ranked Penn State ... Two of their three wins have come by more than 20 points.
- Duquesne will be playing their final game of a four-game road trip, its longest away stretch as an FCS member and since 1990, when DU finished the season with five straight games on the road. Duquesne has had four (or more) straight road games in just five of its 96 seasons (4 in 1986, '50, '49, and '47, then 5 in 1990 and '14).
- Delaware will be the first and only non-conference FCS matchup of the 2023 regular season for the Dukes ... DU dominated Division II member Edinboro in its season opener (49-7), then suffered defeats at FBS members West Virginia and Coastal Carolina in weeks two and three ... It was just the second time DU played an FBS opponent in back-to-back weeks (2021).
- The Dukes are 1-6 against nationally ranked FCS opponents ... The win came at #16/19 Towson in the first round of the 2018 FCS playoffs (31-10), one of two wins ever by an NEC team in the playoffs ... DU last played a ranked team on Nov. 23, 2019 vs. #18 Central Conn. State, the only home game of the seven FCS ranked matchups.
THE SERIES
- This will be the second meeting ever against Delaware for the Dukes.
- DU traveled to Newark once before, in week three of the 2010 season, and dropped a 30-6 decision to the then #11/12 ranked Blue Hens ... The 2010 matchup was the first ranked opponent DU played against since joining the FCS in 1993.
- Delaware defeated NEC Champion Saint Francis, 56-17, in the first round of last year's FCS playoffs ... In a rematch this September, the Blue Hens won 42-14.
THE COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (19th season / 115-80 at Duquesne)
- Head coach Jerry Schmitt is in his 19th season at the helm of the Duquesne program. He became the Dukes' all-time winningest coach in 2019 with a 30-21 victory over Saint Francis U for his 98th win as Duquesne head coach. Schmitt passed Greg Gattuso (1993-2004) for the most wins in program history. Schmitt is one of 10 active coaches with 100 FCS wins at their current school.
- Schmitt is the longest tenured coach in the NEC. He is also the longest tenured coach amongst any of the collegiate or professional football teams in Pittsburgh.
Delaware: Ryan Carty (2nd season / 11-6 at Delaware)
- A Delaware alum and member ofthe 2003 national championship team, Ryan Carty is in his second season leading the Blue Hens. Prior to being named the head coach at his alma mater, Carty spent four seasons as the offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State. Carty played an instrumental part in Sam Houston winning the 2020 FCS National Championship as well as advancing to the 2021 FCS quarterfinals. He was named the FCS Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com and to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's "Top 40 Coaches Under 40" list in 2021. Carty led the Blue Hens to a second round appearance in the FCS Playoffs in his first season in 2022.
SCOUTING THE BLUE HENS
- A staple in the FCS playoffs, Delaware is coming off its 18th appearance in the postseason and has six national championships, the last being in 2003 ... The Blue Hens are shaping up for another run at the FCS playoffs up to their highest rankings of the season so far at No. 9/10.
- Delaware came back from 18 down to defeat No. 11/12 New Hampshire at home in its last time out on Sept. 23 ... The Blue Hens scored three straight touchdowns between second and third quarters to take a 22-18 lead, then bounced back from a 100 yard kick return touchdown by UNH with a touchdown drive to seal the win ... Delaware had 501 yards of total offense in the win, 336 of which through the air.
- The Blue Hens average over 120 more yards through the air (257) than on the ground (134) per game ... Three receivers have caught double-digit passes led by Jourdan Townsend with 13 for 202 yards ... Five different players have caught the seven touchdown passes from junior quarterback Ryan O'Connor, who is in his first year starting ... Kym Wimberly and Marcus Yarns each have two touchdown catches to lead the team ... Yarns is the go-to running back with a team-high 45 carries for 437 yards and has five rushing touchdowns as well, ranking sixth in the FCS in scoring ... Yarns is also second in the nation in yards per carry at 9.71.
- Jackson Taylor leads the defense with 31 tackles ... Four Blue Hens have 20 or tackles through four games ... Khalil Dawsey was named the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week after Delaware's last game against UNH ... All six interceptions by the Delaware defense have been by different players ... The defense has recovered two fumbles as well ... Delaware is +1 in turnover margin on the season, gaining eight and surrendering seven (four INTs and three fumbles).
- The Blue Hens are 2-0 at Delaware Stadium this season, this is their third of four straight home games.
PUTTING UP POINTS
- Duquesne has the highest scoring offense in the NEC after week five averaging 26.0 points per game ... The 17-points at WVU were the most ever for DU in three games against a Power-Five opponent ... DU's 49 points in the home-opening win was the second-most in the past 12 home openers (56 in win over Virginia Lynchburg in 2021).
- The 49 points and seven touchdowns scored against Edinboro in the season opener are the most in a game this season by any NEC team.
TOUCHDOWNS THROUGH THE AIR
- Nine of the 13 offensive touchdowns this season have come through the air (Perrantes - 7 and Robinson - 2) ... The three passing TDs vs. Edinboro and at LIU are tied for the most in a game this season by an NEC program.
- Four players are tied atop the NEC leader board in receiving touchdowns ... Three of them are Duquesne Dukes; graduate transfer DJ Powell, redshirt sophomore Keshawn Brown, and junior transfer Tedy Afful.
- Afful (at LIU) and Powell (vs. Edinboro) are the only two receivers in the NEC to record multiple touchdown catches in a game this season.
- Junior quarterback Darius Perrantes is tied for the NEC lead with seven touchdown passes. Cole Doyle of SFU, who he's tied with has played one more game (5) ... Perrantes threw for two scores in the first two games of 2023 and tied for the most passing TDs in a game this season in the NEC with three in last week's conference-opening win at LIU ... He now has 10 career games with multiple passing touchdowns.
LONGBALL IS WORKING
- The Dukes have connected on 19 passes for 15-plus yards this season (4 vs. Boro, 6 at WVU, 3 at CCU, and 6 at LIU) ... Seven of the 19 have gone for touchdowns ... The Perrantes to Powell connection for 38-yards to open the scoring at WVU was the longest TD grab of the season for DU so far ... A 47-yard catch and run from Perrantes to Brown last week at LIU was the longest catch of the season.
- DU ranks 9th in the FCS and paces the NEC in passing yards per completion (14.56) ... The Dukes average the most passing yards per game in the NEC (200.2) ... The 254 passing yards at LIU last week were tied for the third-most by an NEC team this season.
- Darius Perrantes is fifth in the FCS and leads the NEC in passing yards per completion at 15.30.
- Duquesne has three of the top-7 receivers on the NEC's yards per reception leaderboard ... DJ Powell (19.83) is 21st in the FCS and first in the NEC, Keshawn Brown (18.56) is second in the conference, and Tedy Afful (14.0) is seventh.
- Duquesne is one of two NEC teams (CCSU) to have multiple 200+ yard passing games this fall.
BRING OUT THE TURNOVER CHAIN
- Duquesne's defense dominated in the season opener with five takeaways (3 INTs and 2 fumbles), four of which in the first quarter ... The Dukes added two more takeaways in Week 2 at WVU with a special teams fumble recovery on a punt early in the first quarter, which resulted in DU's first TD the ensuing drive, then by knocking the ball out of the WVU running back's hands and through the endzone for a touchback in the third quarter ... The Dukes special teams recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter at CCU, their second straight week jumping on a loose ball after a punt.
- DU forced two turnovers in the NEC opener at LIU, both inside the red-zone (a first quarter fumble recovery and a fourth quarter interception).
- The DU offense has scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive after each of the Dukes' two special teams fumble recoveries this season.
- The season opener was the first time in recorded program history that the Dukes defense charted five takeaways in a single game. - Duquesne is tied for 12th in the FCS and is second in the conference with 10 turnovers gained ... A +2-turnover margin is the second-best margin in the NEC behind Merrimack at +5.
- DU's six fumble recoveries are the most in the conference and tied for third-most in the FCS ... Six is tied with Southern for the most of any FCS team that has played less than five games.
- Duquesne has had 10 different players involved on forcing/recovering its 10 turnovers.
- Ayden Garnes, Tim Lowery, Ezekiel M. Daure, and Dayvia Gbor have the interceptions ... Ty Howard and Ryan Lopez recovered the Edinboro fumbles, Nick Leopold jumped on the special teams fumble at WVU, Gbor recovered the muffed punt at CCU, and Garnes corralled the fumble at LIU ... Gianni Rizzo and Kevin Kurzinger forced the fumbles versus Edinboro, Jaelen Carson stripped the quarterback at LIU, and the WVU and CCU cough-ups were unforced.
THIRD AND NO WHERE TO GO
- Duquesne held Edinboro to 1-of-13 on third downs in the season opener and LIU was just 2-for-10 last week ... DU is holding opponents to a league-best 38.5% conversion rate on third downs ... In non-FBS games, opponents are 3-for-23 on third down.
SACK PARTY
- Duquesne has had 12 different players account for its 11 sacks this season.
- In the season opener, Nick Curci, Kevin Kurzinger, Jack Dunkley, Gianni Rizzo, Ty Howard, and Dayvia Gbor all recorded sacks ... A.J. Ackerman was the seventh player to get on the sack sheet with the lone for the DU defense at WVU ... Ryan Lopez, Noah Palmer, Jaelen Carson, CJ Barnes (0.5), and Jayden Johnson (0.5) all were in on the action in the backfield at LIU.
- 11 sacks for an average of 2.75 per game ranks second in the NEC and 19th in the FCS.
- The 2022 Dukes totaled 29 sacks, tied for the sixth-most in a season in program history.
PICK SIX ON PLAY #2
- Ayden Garnes' 27-yard pick-six on the second play of the season was the quickest touchdown to start a season in recorded history and the fastest score for the Dukes to begin a season since Aaron Reed recorded a 13-yard safety on the first play from scrimmage in the 2013 season opener versus Albany at Rooney Field.
- Garnes' pick-six is one of three in the NEC this season (Junior Wily - Wagner on 9/16 & Tre Jordan III - Merrimack on 9/30).
DOMINATING HOME & SEASON OPENER
- Duquesne dominated every aspect of the home and season opener claiming a 49-7 win over Division II Edinboro.
- The Dukes scored the first 42 points of the game, including a 35-0 halftime lead and 21-0 advantage after one quarter ... DU outgained Boro 390-180 in total offense including 238-63 on the ground ... The defense had five takeways, four in the first quarter.
- DU's season opener versus Edinboro was the first time it opened the season at home since the abbreviated, conference-only spring 2020-21 season (a 30-27 win over Sacred Heart). The last full season to start at Rooney Field was 2019 (a 44-3 win over Walsh). Duquesne has opened the season with a home game just three times in the past 11 full seasons (2019 vs. Walsh, 2015 vs. Kentucky Christian (W, 47-7), and 2013 vs. Albany (W, 35-24).
DOWN, BUT NEVER OUT
- Duquesne came back from as many as 14 points down in last week's conference opener and secured a 31-28 win ... It was the second time in Perrantes' career that he was the starting quarterback of a 14-point comeback, conference victory (31-27 on Nov. 13, 2021 versus Central Conn. State).
DUKES IN THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
- The Dukes, led by 19th-year head coach Jerry Schmitt, have enjoyed a great deal of success in NEC play, claiming five conference titles since 2011. Duquesne won a share of the league crown in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018 while capturing the outright title in 2015. Duquesne earned the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in both 2015 and 2018.
- Duquesne is the winningest program in the conference over the past 12 seasons with a league-leading 82 wins and 52 conference wins since 2011.
- Duquesne is 61-40 all-time in NEC contests including a 35-17 mark at home. The Dukes are 20-6 in NEC action at Rooney Field over the last eight seasons.
- Duquesne is one of two schools that has won five NEC titles since 2011 (Sacred Heart).
NEC WEEKLY HONORS THIS SEASON
PLAYER OF THE WEEKS - Week 5: Special Teams POW - Brian Bruzdewicz / Rookie of the Week - Edward Robinson
PRIME PERFORMERS - Week 1: DB - Ayden Garnes ... Week 2: QB - Darius Perrantes ... Week 5: QB - Darius Perrantes, WR - Tedy Afful, K - Brian Bruzdewicz.
NEXT WEEK
- Duquesne returns home for its first time since September 2 hosting Central Connecticut State in Northeast Conference action.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
- Follow Duquesne football online all season at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqFB).
- Live coverage links for every Duquesne game can be viewed on the schedule page.
- DU will be live on ESPN+ for the week two and three games at WVU and Coastal Carolina, as well as the October 28 game at Sacred Heart ... The October 7 game at Delaware will stream on FloFootball and also be live on NBC Sports Philadelphia ... The remaining seven games can be viewed on NEC Front Row.
- Dukes Football can be heard live again this season on 104.7 HD2, on the iHeart Radio App, or on ESPNpgh.com by searching Duquesne.
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UD Football Enters Top 10 of National Polls
10/2/23 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – Despite not playing this past weekend due to the scheduled bye week, the University of Delaware football team continued to rise in the national rankings and now sits in the top 10 of both polls. The Blue Hens are now No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 10 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Blue Hens sit at 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in the CAA, having won all three of their games against FCS competition. Delaware opened the season with a 37-13 win at Stony Brook and has won each of its first two home games with victories over Saint Francis (42-14) and then-No. 11/12 New Hampshire (29-25). UD overcame an 18-point deficit against the Wildcats for the program's biggest comeback win since the Blue Hens overcame a 21-point deficit in a 33-32 win over Towson in 2013.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens return to action on Saturday, October 7 against Duquesne. The game is part of UD's Parents and Family Weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. The game is already sold out but tickets to Delaware's remaining home games are still available.
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No. 11/12 (UNH) Football Edged 29-25 at No. 19/16 Delaware
9/23/23/ - https://unhwildcats.com
NEWARK, Del. – Junior quarterback Max Brosmer (Roswell, Ga.) set career highs with 34 completions and 58 attempts, and senior Dylan Laube (Westhampton, N.Y.) registered the second 100-yard kickoff return of his career, but the No. 11/12 UNH football team was defeated 29-25 by No. 19/16 Delaware on Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.
The Blue Hens (3-1, 2-0 CAA) rallied from an early 18-0 deficit and held off UNH (2-2, 0-1 CAA) in the Wildcats' conference opener played in Tropical Storm Ophelia.
Brosmer went 34-for-58 for 392 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Sophomore D.J. Linkins (District Heights, Md.) made five catches for a career-high 110 yards, senior Kyle Lepkowski (Adamstown, Md.) reeled in five catches for 83 yards and a TD, and graduate student Logan Tomlinson (Manchester, Conn.) snared six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Senior Joe Eichman (Merrimack, N.H.) led the defense with a career-high 11 tackles and a forced fumble. Senior Max Oxendine (Chester, Va.) chipped in with nine tackles and a forced fumble.
Delaware quarterback Ryan O'Connor completed 24 of 37 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns. Marcus Yarns carried 16 times for 105 yards and a rushing touchdown, and he made five receptions for 74 yards and a TD. Jourdan Townsend paced the Blue Hens' air attack with five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return home for Family Weekend, presented by New Hampshire Army National Guard, to take on Towson on Saturday, Sept. 30. Game time is 3 p.m. from Wildcat Stadium. Limited tickets remain for Cheer & Spirit Day at UNHWildcats.com/Tickets or by calling 603-862-4000.
FIRST QUARTER
Special teams got the scoring started for UNH when junior Jonathan Collins, Jr. (Williamstown, Md.) blocked Ryan Kost's punt at the 24-yard line, and the ball bounced out of the back of the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead at 11:37 of the first.
UNH bumped the lead to 5-0 at 9:51 when sophomore Nick Mazzie (Boxford, Mass.) capped a six-play, 42-yard drive with a 23-yard field goal.
Brosmer's 16-yard touchdown pass to Tomlinson at 4:24 increased the lead to 12-0.
SECOND QUARTER
The Wildcat lead ballooned to 18-0 at 13:17 of the second on Brosmer's 2-yard TD pass to Lepkowski that put a bow on a nine-play, 75-yard drive. The PAT failed.
The Blue Hens began their comeback at 10:41 when O'Connor converted a 4th-and-4 pass to Townsend for a 32-yard touchdown that trimmed the deficit to 18-7.
Delaware cut it to 18-15 at 1:56 on a 29-yard TD pass from O'Connor to Yarns followed by a 2-point conversion pitch and sweep by Kyron Cumby.
THIRD QUARTER
The Blue Hens captured their first lead, 22-18, on O'Connor's 8-yard TD pass to Chandler Harvin with 13:44 to go in the third.
UNH snapped Delaware's 22-0 run on Laube's 100-yard kickoff return for a score on the ensuing kickoff to regain the lead, 25-22, at 13:29.
DYLAN LAUBE TOUCHDOWN!!!!! Luabe's 100 yard return puts the 'Cats back on top!
The Blue Hens appeared destined to move back in front on Joshua Youngblood's 17-yard scamper toward the end zone, but senior Oxendine forced a fumble at the 1-yard line, and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a touchback at 9:02.
The effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia took hold as heavy rains and winds picked up in the third quarter.
Delaware would go back on top, 29-25, at 3:33 courtesy of Yarns' 30-yard scoring rush.
FOURTH QUARTER
UNH threatened to regain the lead by embarking on a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the clock, but the Blue Hens defense stopped the 'Cats on downs at the UD 5 with 12:30 remaining.
Delaware drove to the UNH 25 on its next possession, but on 4th-and-3, Townsend was wrestled down one yard shy of the marker on his reception when senior Bryce Shaw (Raynham, Mass.) made the drive-halting tackle at 8:43.
The Wildcats marched down the field again, only to be turned away on downs at the Delaware 15 when Brosmer's pass intended for Tomlinson in the end zone was broken up.
GAME NOTEBOOK
Laube registered the second 100-yard kickoff return of his career; he accomplished the feat at Richmond on Nov. 5, 2022.
Only three other UNH players have ever returned a kickoff 100 yards: Dan Losano (1973), Andre Garron (1983), and R.J. Harvey (2001).
Collins' blocked punt was the fourth blocked kick for the Wildcats in the first four games of the season.
UNH entered the week tied for No. 1 nationally in blocked kicks (Morgan State).
Brosmer went 19 of 30 for 270 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
The 19 completions were spread among seven different receivers.
Linkins was the leading receiver of the half with a career-high 93 receiving yards (on four catches) in the first quarter alone.
Linkins' career-long 56-yard reception moved the ball from UNH's 15 to UD's 29 and set the table for the Brosmer-to-Tomlinson TD.
Linkins had two catches for 42 yards on the game's initial drive but was stripped by Delaware's Khalil Dawsey at the Blue Hens' 2-yard line. UD recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback that kept the game scoreless.
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Football Overcomes 18-point Deficit to Down New Hampshire 29-25
9/23/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 19/16 University of Delaware football team fell behind by 18 points early in the second quarter, but came back for a thrilling 29-25 victory over No. 11/12 New Hampshire on Saturday night in a CAA matchup at Delaware Stadium. The win moved the Blue Hens to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the CAA while the Wildcats slipped to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor completed 24-of-37 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns.
Marcus Yarns rushed 16 times for 105 yards and also caught five passes for 74 yards and another score.
Jourdan Townsend had a touchdown grab and led all receivers with a career-high 122 yards on five catches
Jackson Taylor led the UD defense with 11 tackles and teamed up with Chase McGowan for a sack.
Khalil Dawsey had eight tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.
HOW IT HAPPENED
New Hampshire opened the scoring with a safety as a blocked punt went out of the end zone on Delaware's first possession.
A field goal and a touchdown extended the Wildcats' lead to 12-0 at the end of the first quarter.
UNH made it an 18-0 game just two minutes into the second quarter on another touchdown and a failed PAT attempt.
A long kick return by JoJo Bermudez set up a short field on UD's next possession. O'Connor hit Townsend for a 32-yard catch-and-run to put Delaware on the board.
O'Connor completed passes to four different receivers to lead a 97-yard drive right before halftime. A 29-yard toss to Townsend set up a 24-yard scoring pass to Yarns, who broke several tackles to reach the end zone.
Kyron Cumby ran around the left end to go untouched for the 2-point conversion and make it an 18-15 game at halftime.
A 48-yard pass play to Townsend opened up the second half before O'Connor connected with Chandler Harvin for an eight-yard score to give the Blue Hens their first lead at 22-18.
UNH regained the lead on a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to go up 25-22.
Midway through the quarter, UD's running game kicked in as Cumby ran three-straight times for 29 yards and Yarns rushed twice for 38 yards, including a 30-yard for another touchdown to make it a 29-25 game.
In the fourth quarter, the Delaware defense came up with fourth-down stops on their own 5-yard line and the 15-yard line, sandwiched around a Dawsey interception to keep UNH off the scoreboard and clinch the win.
GAME NOTES
Yarns broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the second-straight game and the third time this season.
O'Connor's 336 passing yards was the second most of his career and his three touchdown passes tied a career-high.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will have their bye week next Saturday before returning to action on Saturday, October 7 against Duquesne. The game is part of Delaware's Parents and Family We
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(Blue Hen) Football Set for Showdown Against New Hampshire
9/21/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 19/16 University of Delaware football team is set for a top-20 showdown on Saturday when it hosts No. 11/12 New Hampshire for a critical early-season CAA matchup. Kickoff against the Wildcats is set for 6 p.m. at Delaware Stadium and the game will be broadcast simultaneously on FloSports and the Delmarva Sports Network.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | UNH Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
Delaware is coming off a convincing 42-14 win over Saint Francis in its home opener last Saturday in front of 16,332 fans at Delaware Stadium.
Marcus Yarns led the way with a career-high 139 rushing yards, his second 100-yard performance of the season, and two total touchdowns.
Ryan O'Connor passed for 192 yards and three scores.
Dillon Trainer returned an interception 56 yards for UD's second defensive touchdown of the season.
KT Seay was named the CAA Rookie of the Week after leading the Blue Hens with seven tackles and recording his first-career interception, picking off a pass in the end zone.
Yarns ranks sixth in the country with five total touchdowns, while also ranking ninth in rushing touchdowns (4), total rushing yards (332) and rushing yards per game (110.7).
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
New Hampshire enters Saturday's matchup with a 2-1 record. The Wildcats have wins over Stonehill (51-17) and Dartmouth (24-7) with a close loss to FBS-foe Central Michigan (45-42).
UNH is averaging 39.0 ppg and 416.3 ypg of total offense, while the defense is allowing 23.0 ppg and 355.3 total yards to opponents.
Max Brosmer has completed 63 percent of his passes for 844 yards and 10 touchdowns through the first three games.
Dylan Laube is averaging 99.7 rush yards and 119.0 receiving yards per game and has found the end zone seven total times on offense. He has also returned five punts for 88 yards and a score.
Ryan Toscano leads the defense with 21 total tackles, while Joe Eichman has two of the team's five interceptions.
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams have met 35 times since 1953, but this will be the first matchup since 2019.
The Blue Hens hold a 23-12 series advantage, including an 11-6 record in Newark, and have won each of the past three meetings.
In the most recent meeting, Delaware came away with a 16-10 victory at Delaware Stadium in another matchup of two top-25 teams.
Dejoun Lee and Will Knight both rushed for over 100 yards rushing, finishing with 103 and 101 yards, respectively. Lee scored UD's lone touchdown while Jake Roth connected on three field goals..
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KT Seay Named CAA Rookie of the Week
9/18/2023- bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware football defensive back KT Seay has been named the CAA Rookie of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday. The award, the first of the career for Seay and first of the year for the Blue Hens, recognizes his performance during UD's 42-14 home-opening win over Saint Francis on Saturday at Delaware Stadium.
Seay led the Blue Hens with seven tackles as 23 different players recorded a tackle in Saturday's victory. He recorded his first career interception, picking off a pass in the end zone during the second quarter when it was still a one-score game.
Delaware pulled away for the 42-14 win behind six-straight touchdowns. Marcus Yarns led the way with a career-high 139 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, while Ryan O'Connor passed for 192 yards and three scores. Dillon Trainer returned an interception 56 yards for UD's second defensive touchdown of the season.
UP NEXT
Delaware will continue its four-game homestand on Saturday when it hosts New Hampshire for a CAA matchup at Delaware Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and tickets are still available.
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St. Francis Football Drops Final Non-Conference Game to No. 22 Delaware
9/16/23 - https://sfuathletics.com
NEWARK, Del. – Saint Francis University football fell in its final non-conference game of the 2023 season 42-12 to No. 22 Delaware.
What You Need to Know
» Cole Doyle went 12-of-21 with 118 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and recorded eight rushes for 46 yards.
» Casey McKinney led Saint Francis with four catches for 61 yards and one touchdown.
» Buju Aumua-Tuisavura tied a game high with seven total tackles and added one tackle for loss.
» Jalen Robertson finished with a game-high 1.5 sacks and five total players recorded at least 0.5 sacks for the Red Flash.
Turning Points of the Game
After a scoreless first quarter, Saint Francis opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown to McKinney and took a 7-0 lead. Delaware responded on the ensuing drive on a 30-yard run and tied the game 7-7. Delaware scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, which included with 12 second remaining, and opened a 21-7 lead at the half.
Delaware added two touchdowns in the third quarter before a fourth quarter touchdown capped a 42-0 run for the Blue Hens. Saint Francis scored the game's final touchdown of the game when Nick Whitfield, Jr. hit Luke Edwards for the first touchdown of their respective collegiate careers.
Flash Nuggets
McKinney finished the non-conference slate with 16 catches for 244 yards (15.3 yards per reception) and two touchdowns. He led Saint Francis in receiving two of the games.
Edwards and Whitfield both saw their first collegiate action on offense. Whitfield finished 5-of-8 with 57 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and six rushes for 23 yards. Edwards finished with three rushes, 10 rushing yards, one catch for 11 yards and one touchdown.
Aakeem Snell (0.5), Carter Glassmyer (0.5) and Andrew Vines (0.5) all earned their first sack with Saint Francis.
Aumua-Tuisavura's seven tackles were his most with Saint Francis.
Aidan Cirulli recorded four punts with a 41.8 average and pinned two inside the 10-yard line. He is averaging 42.1 yards on 14 punts this season.
Next
Saint Francis is set to host Sacred Heart for its first conference game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 12 p.m.
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Six Unanswered Touchdowns Push Football Past Saint Francis 42-14
9/16/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team pulled away for a convincing 42-14 victory over Saint Francis on Saturday evening. It was UD's home opener in front of 16,332 fans at Delaware Stadium. With the win, the Blue Hens improved to 2-1 overall while the Red Flash slipped to 0-3.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor finished 13-of-24 passing for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Marcus Yarns broke the 100-yard mark for the second time, running for a career-high 139 yards. He scored both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.
Joshua Youngblood caught two passes for 63 yards and a score, while Kym Wimberly also had a scoring grab.
KT Seay had a team-high seven tackles and recorded his first career interception.
Dillon Trainer also had his first career interception, returning it 56 yards for a touchdown.
Alex Schmoke was a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT attempts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first quarter, it was Saint Francis that drew first blood with a touchdown early in the second frame.
The Blue Hens answered right back as a 65-yard drive was capped by a 30-yard scoring run from Yarns.
After Christian Pierce recorded a strip sack on SFU's next play that Ty Davis recovered, Yarns received a shovel pass from O'Connor and scored from four yards out to make it 14-7 midway through the quarter.
Just before halftime, O'Connor hit Wimberly for a 9-yard gain on third-and-19, but Wimberly broke a tackle and scampered down the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown with just 12 seconds left before halftime.
In the third quarter, Youngblood made an acrobatic catch in the end zone around a defender for a 27-yard score to make it a 28-7 game.
Jo'Nathan Silver found the end zone for the first time in his career with a 1-yard plunge late in the third quarter before Trainer extended the lead to 42-7 in the fourth quarter with his pick-six.
Saint Francis capped the scoring with a late touchdown.
GAME NOTES
It was the second 100-yard game of the season and career for Yarns.
Trainer's interception return for a touchdown was Delaware's second of the season after Davis' pick-six at Stony Brook.
UP NEXT
Delaware will continue its four-game homestand next Saturday when it hosts New Hampshire for a CAA matchup at Delaware Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and tickets are still available.
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Rich Gannon to Serve as Honorary Captain at Football Home Opener
9/15/2023 - BLUEHENS.COM
NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware football alum Rich Gannon and his wife, Shelley, will serve as honorary captains for the Blue Hens' home opener on Saturday against Saint Francis. Gannon, a 2005 Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, is one of the most decorated athletes to come through the University of Delaware.
Gannon was a three-year starting quarterback for coach Tubby Raymond and earned All-American honors in 1986 when he was the Yankee Conference Player of the Year while leading the team to the NCAA quarterfinals. He was named UD's Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year in the spring of 1987.
A 1987 graduate from Delaware, Gannon established 21 school records, including career marks for passing yards (5,927), total offense (7,436), and rushing yards by a quarterback (1,509).
Gannon was a fourth-round pick in the 1987 draft and went on to an outstanding 18-year NFL career with Minnesota, Washington, Kansas City, and Oakland in 1987-2004. He was a three-time All-Pro, was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 2002, and led the Raiders to the 2003 Super Bowl. He has gone on to an award-winning career as an NFL commentator and color analyst for CBS Sports.
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Football Ready to Open Home Slate Against Saint Francis
9/14/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – After two straight weekends on the road to begin the season, the University of Delaware football team will play its home opener on Saturday evening when it welcomes Saint Francis to Delaware Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on FloSports.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | Saint Francis Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
Delaware is coming off a 63-7 loss at Penn State, ranked No. 7 in the FBS, last Saturday.
Playing in front of 108,575 fans at Penn State's Beaver Stadium, the Blue & Gold trailed by just one score after the first quarter following Marcus Yarns' 66-yard touchdown run.
Yarns has rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns over the first two games.
Ryan O'Connor has completed 27 passes for 367 yards and a touchdown.
Ten different Blue Hens have caught a pass this season, with four receivers having caught five passes. Chandler Harvin leads the way with 100 receiving yards and Kym Wimberly has 81 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson Taylor leads the defense with 17 tackles, including a 10-tackle performance at Penn State. Tyron Herring has 14 tackles and one of UD's three interceptions while also forcing a fumble.
ABOUT THE RED FLASH
Saint Francis enters Saturday's game with an 0-2 record after road losses at Western Michigan (35-17) and Robert Morris (31-21).
The Red Flash went 9-3 in 2022 with a perfect 7-0 mark in the NEC to win the conference and advance to the FCS Championship.
Through two games this season, Saint Francis is averaging 19.0 ppg and 268 yards of total offense. Cole Doyle is 33-for-50 on the season, passing for 417 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another.
QuaSean Holmes has rushed for two scores while Casey McKinney and Dawson Snyder have 183 and 121 receiving yards, respectively, with a touchdown each.
The defense is allowing 33.0 ppg and 459.0 ypg. Opponents are averaging 221.0 rushing yards and 238.0 passing yards per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the third meeting all-time, and in the past three seasons, between the two teams.
It will be the third-straight year that the Red Flash make the trip the Newark and the second time in three years (2021) that they are Delaware's first opponent at home.
UD defeated Saint Francis in the 2021 home opener 21-10 before winning 56-17 in the first round of last year's playoffs. The Blue Hens scored the most points in program history in an FCS playoff game and it was the second-largest margin of victory behind only the 2003 national championship game (40-0).
Last season, Nolan Henderson accounted for five total touchdowns as he finished 16-of-23 passing for 266 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for another score. Kyron Cumby rushed 10 times for 111 yards while Chandler Harvin caught four passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns, becoming just seventh Blue Hen all-time with three touchdown catches in a game.
The Delaware offense finished with 586 total yards of offense with 283 rushing yards and 303 passing yards. UD's defense held Saint Francis to just 258 yards of total offense
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No. 7 Penn State makes light work of FCS-foe Delaware in 63-7 rout
9/9/23 - www.inquirer.com - by Max Ralph
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State did just about everything it needed to and then some against Delaware.
By way of a run-heavy offense, the Nittany Lions dominated the Blue Hens, 63-7, in a tune-up game at Beaver Stadium.
Kaytron Allen led the way on the ground with 103 yards and a touchdown, while Nicholas Singleton, on 12 carries, added a career-best three scores and 47 yards. Drew Allar was sharp again after his starting debut last week, going 22-of-26 for 204 yards and a touchdown.
Allar took a seat for backup Beau Pribula with 9 minutes, 41 seconds to go in the third quarter. Pribula threw and ran for a pair of touchdowns as well. He engineered a five-play, 31-yard drive in which he ran for 26 of the yards, the last being a 6-yard scamper into the end zone with 7:16 remaining in the third.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) threw for 204 yards and a touchdown on 22 of 24 passing in the win over Delaware.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) threw for 204 yards and a touchdown on 22 of 24 passing in the win over Delaware.
Barry Reeger / AP
“Offensively, I just thought we were very efficient,”head coach James Franklin said after the win. “We were able to stay on the field, we were able to sustain drives, we were able to convert on third down, converted a few times on fourth down.”
Delaware’s (1-1 overall) lone score came on a 66-yard scamper by senior running back Marcus Yarns in the first quarter. The Penn State (2-0) defense was otherwise dominant, including an interception returned 26 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Dominic DeLuca.
What we saw
Yarns’ run broke through the left side of Penn State’s line, where he broke a tackle from linebacker Tyler Elsdon and outraced the Nittany Lion secondary. The defensive line slanted away from the run, but Elsdon was slow to fill the open gap. Run defense was also a weak spot against West Virginia, and Yarns’ run didn’t do much to remove doubt that there’s room for improvement.
“I thought we played really well. We had the one play where we were not gap-sound,” Franklin said. “The ball found that gap, and they got some talented guys that can run. Just a really good example of everybody’s got to do their job on a consistent basis.”
Advertisement
After minimal usage and just one catch last week, Penn State used its tight end room heavily Saturday. Tyler Warren hauled in six passes for 37 yards and a score. Theo Johnson caught two for 14 yards.
Highlights: Penn State 63, Delaware 7 pic.twitter.com/jcU1EBYj8z
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 9, 2023
Penn State had eight different receivers catch a pass before Allar left the game. It was the second week that the load was shared after having nine different pass catchers against West Virginia. True freshmen and backups galore saw the field thanks to the blowout but performed well under the circumstances, showcasing important depth on Franklin’s roster.
Columbia transfer Alex Felkins started at kicker after Sander Sahaydak won the job out of camp but missed two short field goals last week. Neither one attempted a field goal against Delaware, but Felkins was 8-for-8 in PATs and Sahaydak did convert his only PAT when called upon in the second half.
Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates one of his three touchdowns on the day against Delaware on Saturday.
Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates one of his three touchdowns on the day against Delaware on Saturday.
Barry Reeger / AP
Breakthrough play
Singleton walked into the end zone untouched for the hat trick midway through the second quarter. He scored from 5 yards out twice and 2 yards once, including a touchdown out of Penn State’s coveted T-formation.
Penn State was solid but not dominant on the ground against West Virginia and used Saturday’s FCS opponent to establish physicality. Second-team offensive linemen rotated in before the first half ended.
Next opponent
Penn State hits the road on Saturday for its Big Ten opener at Illinois for a noon kickoff on FOX. The Fighting Illini have started 1-1 after losing multiple players to the NFL from last year’s team, beating Toledo and losing at Kansas.
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No. 7/7 Penn State Shines Against Border State Foe Delaware, 63-7
gopsusports.com - 9/9/23
Nittany Lions outgain the Blue Hens 541 yards to 140 yards in outstanding team win
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 7/7 Penn State football (2-0) defeated Delaware (1-1, 1-0), 63-7, on Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions racked up a total of 541 yards and scored eight offensive touchdowns while holding the Blue Hens to only 140 total yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar continued his outstanding start to the season, completing 22-of-26 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt freshman quarterback Beau Pribula entered the game for Allar in the middle of the 3rd quarter and scored one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown, his first career throwing score.
Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen combined for 155 rushing yards and four touchdowns leading the Nittany Lion rushing attack that posted 315 in total on the afternoon. Through the air, Tyler Warren and Omari Evans hauled in touchdowns while KeAndre Lambert-Smith led the team with 74 receiving yards.
The Nittany Lions totaled an impressive 541 yards of offense (226 passing, 315 rushing) throughout the afternoon. Penn State scored on its first four drives of the afternoon, putting the pressure on the Blue Hens early and often.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions had an impressive performance, holding the Blue Hens to just seven points and 140 total yards of offense, 66 of which came on one rushing play. The defensive unit held Delaware to just five first downs in the game, tied for the fewest by an opposing offense since 2014.
Linebacker Dominic DeLuca recorded Penn State's first defensive touchdown of the season on the first career interception of his career in the late third quarter. DeLuca returned it all the way to the end zone for a pick-six. The defense also recovered one fumble, forced by Keaton Ellis and recovered by Kevin Winston Jr. Jaylen Reed, Zane Durant, and Zuriah Fisher each chipped in a sack.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Nittany Lions won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Penn State stopped the Blue Hens on their opening possession of the game and scored on the ensuing drive, going up 7-0 with 8:19 remaining in the first quarter. Singleton punched in the first Nittany Lion touchdown of the day on a two-yard run, the result of a 13-play, 60-yard drive.
Reed posted a third-down sack on Delaware's next trip down the field, forcing a punt and giving the Nittany Lion offense excellent field position. The Nittany Lions converted a fourth-and-three situation on the Delaware 19 with a four-yard completion from Allar to Harrison Wallace III, setting up a scoring opportunity for Penn State. Allen found the end zone three plays later on a four-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead at the 2:16 mark of the opening frame.
Delaware answered with a 66-yard rushing touchdown, cutting the Penn State lead back to seven with 1:05 left in the first quarter.
Singleton scored two more rushing touchdowns in the first half, reaching a career-best three rushing scores in the game before the teams headed to their locker rooms for the break. The sophomore's third touchdown put the Nittany Lions up 28-7 with 4:36 remaining in the opening half.
Penn State scored once more before the end of the half when Allar found Warren in the end zone for a one-yard score with 22 seconds left to play in the second quarter. The touchdown was the culmination of a six-play 49-yard scoring drive that took just 52 seconds off the clock and put the Nittany Lions up 35-7.
The Penn State offense marched down the field and scored on the initial possession of the second half, going up 42-7 with just under ten minutes remaining in the third quarter. Allar scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard sneak.
On the very next drive, Ellis forced a fumble that was picked up by Winston Jr. for the Nittany Lions' first takeaway of the season. Pribula then entered the game and drove the Lions down the field and scored on a 6-yard rushing touchdown. With Pribula at the helm, the Nittany Lions went 31 yards in five plays for the score.
The Penn State defense followed up, on the ensuing Delaware drive, with its first touchdown of the 2023 campaign on a DeLuca pick-six with 2:43 left in the third quarter to go up 56-7.
The Nittany Lions scored one more touchdown in the fourth quarter, a four-yard pass from Pribula to Evans, to go up 63-7.
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No. 7 Penn State Tops Delaware
9/9/2023 - bluehens.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 19/19 University of Delaware football team fell to FBS seventh-ranked Penn State 63-7 on Saturday afternoon in front of 108,575 fans at Beaver Stadium. With the setback, the Blue Hens move to 1-1 on the season and currently sit 1-0 in the CAA.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Marcus Yarns rushed for 86 yards on six carries and his third touchdown of the season.
Jackson Taylor led the defense with 10 tackles and Nic Ware added nine.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn State put together long scoring drives to score on each of its first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead.
The Blue Hens put themselves into a third-and-short situation on their third drive before Yarns went untouched for a 66-yard touchdown run. It was his second scoring run of at least 50 yards in as many weeks.
The Nittany Lions scored three touchdowns in both the second and third quarters as well as one more in the fourth to provide the final score.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will return home to Delaware Stadium on Saturday, September 16 for its home opener against Saint Francis. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The game against the Red Flash will open a four-game homestand for the Blue & Gold. Season ticket memberships, flexible partial plans and individual game tickets for all six of UD's home games are on sale now.
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How to get tickets to the Penn State vs. Delaware football game (9/9/23)
Sep. 05, 2023 - Pennlive.com
Deb Kiner | dkiner@pennlive.com
The Penn State University Nittany Lions will play the Delaware Blue Hens at noon on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Beaver Stadium.
Fans packed the stands last week for the season opener against West Virginia, with Penn State winning, 38-15.
Tickets for the Delaware game are cheaper than they were for the WVU game.
If you are still hoping to attend, here are some places to get tickets:
- Ticketmaster, prices start at $30
- SeatGeek, prices start at $25
- StubHub, prices start at $27
- VividSeats, prices start at $28
- MegaSeats, prices start at $34
- Ticket City, prices start at $30
On Sept. 16, Penn State will play its first away game at Illinois.
Future home games are Sept. 23 vs. Iowa, Oct. 14 vs. Massachusetts, Oct. 28 vs. Indiana, Nov. 11 vs. Michigan and Nov. 24 vs. Michigan State.
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GAME NOTES: No. 7(FBS) Penn State vs. Delaware No. 19 (FCS)
9/4/2023 - https://gopsusports.com/
Nittany Lions welcome Blue Hens on Saturday for noon kickoff on Peacock
PENN STATE NOTES
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 7 Penn State welcomes Delaware to Beaver Stadium on Saturday for a non-conference matchup. Kickoff is set for noon on Peacock.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Delaware for the first time in program history. Delaware is the Nittany Lions' 163rd different opponent. Penn State is 116-79-12 against current members of the FCS. The Nittany Lions' last matchup against an FCS opponent came against Villanova in 2021, a 38-17 win. Sean Clifford threw for 401 yards and four touchdowns, while Parker Washington had 148 receiving yards and two touchdowns and Jahan Dotson contributed 117 receiving yards and a score.
ALLAR'S FIRST START: In his first career start, Drew Allar completed 21-of-29 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia. Allar became the first PSU quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in a season opener since Christian Hackenberg's 454 passing yards against UCF in 2014. Allar is the first PSU quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in his first career start since Michael Robinson threw for 379 yards vs. Wisconsin in 2003.
BIG PLAY DRE: KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauled in four receptions for 123 yards and a career-high two touchdowns against West Virginia. Lambert-Smith averaged 30.75 yards per reception and had touchdown receptions of 72 and 12 yards. With his 72-yard touchdown reception, on Penn State's opening drive, Lambert-Smith has three career touchdown receptions of 70-plus yards.
FINISHING STRONG: Penn State scored on each of its last four possessions of the game against West Virginia. The Nittany Lions scored on drives of 56, 65, 42 and 46 yards. Drew Allar threw touchdown passes to KeAndre Lambert-Smith (12 yards) and Malik McClain (25), while Beau Pribula ran for a 5-yard score and Alex Felkins converted a 25-yard field goal.
THE OPPOSITION: Delaware earned a 37-13 win over CAA foe Stony Brook last Thursday. The Blue Hens racked up 559 total yards, averaging 7.1 yards per play. Delaware threw for 414 yards. Ryan O'Connor completed 24-of-38 passes for 346 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Yarns rushed for 107 yards and two scores. The Blue Hens forced three takeaways.
SCOUTING THE BLUE HENS
Ryan Carty is in his second season leading the Blue Hens.
A Delaware alum, Carty has a 9-5 record as head coach and led Delaware to an FCS Playoffs second round appearance in 2022.
Carty was the first Delaware head coach to lead the team to the FCS Playoffs in his first season.
Delaware started the season with a 37-13 win at Stony Brook last Thursday.
The Blue Hens are ranked 19th in the Stats Perform FCS Poll and 19th
t in the FCS Coaches Poll.
Delaware finished the 2022 campaign with an 8-5 mark, including a win over Navy. The Blue Hens earned a 56-17 win over Saint Francis in the FCS Playoffs First Round before falling 42-6 at top-seed South Dakota State.
In their season-opening victory at Stony Brook, Delaware posted 559 total yards, averaging 7.1 yards per play.
The Blue Hens gained 414 yards through the air and 145 on the ground.
Ryan O'Connor threw for 346 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while completing 24-of-38 passes.
Marcus Yarns rushed for 107 yards and two scores on 11 carries. Kyron Cumby added a 13-yard touchdown rush.
Chandler Harvin hauled in five receptions for 100 yards, while Kym Wimberly Jr. made five grabs for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Delaware allowed 327 total yards, including 164 on the ground and 163 through the air.
Delaware forced three interceptions and tallied seven tackles for loss.
Tyron Herring led the unit with eight tackles and an interception, while Dillon Trainer made 1.5 tackles for loss.
Ty Davis had a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown.
PENN STATE VS. FCS
Penn State is 116-79-12 all-time against current FCS teams.
The Nittany Lions have played at least one game against 22 different FCS programs.
Eight of the 22 FCS programs Penn State has played are members of the Ivy League.
Delaware will be Penn State's third opponent who is a current member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), joining Villanova and William & Mary.
WEST VIRGINIA NOTES
Penn State is now 49-9-2 all-time against West Virginia.
The Nittany Lions have won five-straight matchups in the series and 33 of the last 35 contests.
Penn State is now 122-13-1 all-time in home openers, including wins in 20 of the last 22, and 113-22-2 all-time in season openers.
Penn State is now 75-18-2 all-time against the current members of the Big 12.
Penn State welcomed 110,747 fans to Beaver Stadium, marking the fourth-highest crowd in its history and its largest crowd for a home opener.
The Nittany Lions scored on their opening drive of the season for the first time since 2020 at Indiana. QB Drew Allar tossed a 72-yard touchdown pass to WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
Allar became the first Penn State quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in a season opener since Christian Hackenberg's 454 passing yards against UCF in 2014.
Allar is the first Penn State quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in his first career start since Michael Robinson threw for 379 yards vs. Wisconsin in 2003.
Allar's 300 passing yards and three passing touchdowns marked the 25th time a PSU quarterback has done that in a game.
Lambert Smith's 72-yard touchdown reception was the third 70+ yard reception of his career.
WR Harrison Wallace III recorded a career-high seven receptions and a career-best 72 receiving yards.
The Nittany Lions stopped West Virginia on three fourth-down conversion attempts.
LB Curtis Jacobs finished the game with 10 tackles. He recorded 10+ tackles in a game for the third time in his career.
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Stoney Brook Falls to Delaware in 2023 Season Opener
STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The Stony Brook secondary registered three interceptions, but the Seawolves were unable to overcome three of their own along with a big day from No. 22 Delaware's passing attack, as Stony Brook was defeated 37-13 at LaValle Stadium Thursday night.
Delaware improved to 1-0 on the year and 1-0 in CAA play, while SBU fell to 0-1 overall and in conference matchups.
Redshirt freshman Johnny Martin III led all SBU rushers with 63 yards in the contest, picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Redshirt junior Roland Dempster added 50 yards and one touchdown on the ground, averaging five yards per carry. On the receiving end, Jayce Freeman reeled in five catches for 62 yards to lead Stony Brook. In his first career collegiate start, graduate student Casey Case passed for 163 yards on 14-of-40 passing, throwing three interceptions.
Redshirt junior Nick Chimienti showed out for the Stony Brook defense, collecting two interceptions and adding five tackles. Redshirt freshman Anthony Ferrelli added five tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack, and one recovered fumble while Noah Rodriguez had nine tackles and one interception in the loss.
The Seawolves led the ground game 164-145, but Delaware took advantage through the air, with 414 yards compared to 163 for Stony Brook.
For Delaware, Ryan O'Connor passed for 346 yards and a touchdown on 24-for-38 passing. Marcus Yarns ran for 107 yards and a pair of scores while Kyron Cumby added 39 yards and a score on the ground. Chandler Harvin reeled in five catches for 100 yards while Kym Wimberly Jr. also grabbed five for 81 yards and a score.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Delaware opened up a 7-0 lead with a 14-yard touchdown reception.
Stony Brook put points on the scoreboard with 11:59 left in the second quarter to narrow the margin to 7-3 with a Spencer Biscoe field goal.
Delaware finished the half with 10 straight points on a 34-yard field goal followed by a five-yard run from Yarns.
Delaware extended its lead to 24-3 early in the second half, but SBU responded with a touchdown to narrow the gap to 24-10.
Stony Brook got on the scoreboard again with 4:50 left in the third quarter to narrow Delaware's lead to 24-13.
Delaware tacked on 13 points in the fourth quarter to finish off the scoring with a 13-yard rush along with a 50-yard pick-six.
GAME NOTES
A packed-in crowd of 11,132 filled the seats at LaValle Stadium, marking the largest opening-night crowd in stadium history, and the eighth-largest overall.
Chimienti's two interceptions marked the first multi-interception game for an SBU player since Randy Pringle picked off two against Richmond on Oct. 23, 2021.
Stony Brook's four takeaways as a team were the most since registering six against Richmond on Oct. 23, 2021.
SBU won the turnover battle in Thursday's game, forcing four turnovers while coughing the ball up three times, with Stony Brook turning those takeaways into three points.
Stony Brook's defense racked up four sacks and six TFLs in the first half alone.
Rodriguez led SBU with nine tackles, a career high.
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Football Rolls Past Stony Brook 37-13
8/31/2023 - Bluehens.com
STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The University of Delaware football team used a strong first half and then pulled away in the fourth quarter, defeating Stony Brook 37-13 on Thursday night in a CAA matchup to open the 2023 season.
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan O'Connor finished 24-of-38 passing for 346 yards and a touchdown.
Zach Marker also completed four passes for 68 yards
Marcus Yarns led the rushing attack with 107 yards on 11 carries with two scores
Chandler Harvin caught five passes for 100 yards, while Kym Wimberly also had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Nine different receivers caught a pass.
Tyron Herring led the defense with eight tackles, while Jackson Taylor added seven.
Herring, Christian Pierce and Ty Davis all had interceptions.
UD outgained Stony Brook 559-327.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Hens scored first on their second drive of the game. Two deep completions to Harvin and another to Townsend drove them into the red zone before O'Connor found Wimberly for a 14-yard score late in the first quarter.
After a turnover to start the second quarter that set up Stony Brook on the edge of the red zone, the UD defense kept the Seawolves out of the end zone. A field goal made it a 7-3 game with 11:59 on the clock.
Delaware answered quickly as Marker drove the offense down the field and Nate Reed drilled a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-3 midway through the quarter.
The Blue Hens marched 84 yards down the field in nine plays, capped by a 5-yard scoring rush by Yarns just 35 seconds before halftime. Kyron Cumby kept the drive alive with a 25-yard catch-and-run on third-and-19.
On UD's first possession of the second half, Yarns broke free for a 53-yard touchdown rush to make it a 24-3 game just 2:22 into the third quarter.
Stony Brook responded with 10 points on its next two drives to make it a 24-13 game at the end of the third quarter.
Following an interception by Pierce, UD turned to the ground game as seven-straight runs by Yarns and Kyron Cumby drove the ball down the field. Cumby capped things off with a 13-yard scoring run.
Davis came away with an interception on the next drive, tipping the ball to himself at midfield and returning it 50 yards for the score to provide the final 37-13 score.
GAME NOTES
In his first career start, O'Connor set career highs in both completions and passing yards.
It was the first career 100-yard rushing game for Yarns and the first time he found the end zone twice in a game.
Davis' pick-six was Delaware's first since 2019 when Johnny Buchanan also returned an interception for a score against Stony Brook.
UP NEXT
Delaware will head back out on the road next weekend for a matchup at FBS opponent Penn State. Kickoff in Happy Valley is scheduled for noon and the game will be streamed on
Peacock.
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Football Set for Thursday Season Opener at Stony Brook
8/30/2023 - Bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team is set to open the 2023 campaign on Thursday night as it makes the trip to Long Island for a CAA matchup against Stony Brook. Kickoff at the Seawolves' LaValle Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on FloSports.
HOW TO FOLLOW:Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Delaware Game Notes | Stony Brook Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS:
The Blue & Gold was picked to finish fourth in the CAA Coaches' Preseason Poll, receiving 149 points overall and one first-place vote.
Three Blue Hens – wide receiver Jourdan Townsend, placekicker Alex Schmoke and punter Ryan Kost - earned spots on the Preseason All-CAA Team. Additionally, tight end Braden Brose, offensive lineman Fintan Brose and defensive lineman Chase McGowan were preseason honorable mention selections.
Delaware returns eight starters, including its three leading rushers and two top receivers, on an offense that averaged 28.2 points per game and 408.8 yards of total offense in 2022.
McGowan and safety Ty Davis are the lone starters returning to UD's defense that led the CAA in several categories last year including scoring defense (18.2 ppg) and total defense (282.3 ypg).
There are plenty of new faces to learn this year as the Blue Hens have welcomed 45 newcomers to the roster including 24 freshmen as members of the UD Class of 2027 as well as 21 transfers from other institutions.
ABOUT THE SEAWOLVES:
Stony Brook went 2-9 last season, finishing with a 1-7 mark in CAA play. The Seawolves were picked to finish 14th in the conference this season in the preseason coaches poll,
Daron Bryden appeared in nine games at quarterback last year, completing 79-of-161 passes for seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. Stony Brook will have Case Case, a transfer from Buffalo, under center.
Last season's leading rusher, Ross Tallarico, returns after leading the squad with 54.7 rush yards per game and four touchdowns on the ground.
Aidan Kaler is Stony Brook's leading returning tackler, ranking third on the defense in 2022 with 60 tackles.
The Seawolves were last in the CAA in scoring (15.1 ppg) and total offense (281.0 ypg) while the defense allowed 32.3 ppg and 389.7 ypg including 251.3 yards through the air.
SERIES HISTORY:
Thursday will be just the seventh meeting between the two programs, all of which have come since 2016.
The Blue Hens and Seawolves met each season from 2016 to 2021, splitting each of the first six games.
Delaware dropped the most recent meeting between the two squads, a 34-17 decision on the road in 2021. Thyrick Pitts had 115 receiving yards and caught two touchdown passes from Zach Gwynn.
In UD's last win, a 31-3 victory at Delaware Stadium during the spring 2020-21 season, Nolan Henderson threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Mateo Vandamia, now a linebacker for the Blue Hens, had two touchdown catches as a tight end and Pitts also had a scoring grab.
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Football Alum Matt Nagy Makes Major Gift to Delaware Athletics
8/28/2023 - Bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – One of the winningest quarterbacks in the record books and a 2021 inductee into the Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame, Matt Nagy has already left his mark on the Blue Hen football program. Now, more than 20 years since he was carving up defenses in the Blue & Gold, the generosity of Nagy and his wife Stacey continues to cement his legacy at the University of Delaware.
"The University of Delaware and our football program care about both the student and the athlete," Nagy said. "That was very important to me. I was fortunate to build great relationships with so many teammates, coaches, and professors that have really helped my career, both on and off the field."
The Nagy family has made a gift to the future of UD Athletics to support an upcoming facilities project, of which details will be announced at a later date.
"We are so proUD of Matt for everything he's done in his career and the role model he is for our student-athletes," Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak said. "The Nagy's generosity and investment is something that I'm forever grateful for as we continue to provide an exceptional experience for our Blue Hens."
Nagy, who is currently the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, led the Blue Hens to a 38-12 record from 1997-2000 with two NCAA playoff appearances, including advancing to the national semifinals in 2000. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Tubby Raymond, Nagy had a breakout senior season earning Third Team All-America honors when he passed for then-Delaware records of 3,436 yards and 29 touchdowns. He set the program career standard for completions (502), and his marks for career passing yards (8,214), and touchdowns (58), are still tops among the UD records. His 556 yards passing vs. Connecticut in 1998 remains a UD record.
"UD was one of two schools that believed in me enough to offer me a full athletic scholarship in 1996. That meant the world to me and my family. Stacey has been my best teammate since that scholarship offer. We love the direction and vision that Chrissi Rawak, Coach Carty, and the rest of the coaches have for the future of UD athletics. This is a very exciting time to be a Blue Hen!"
The Manheim, Pennsylvania native would go on to enjoy a stellar six-year playing career in the Arena Football League, suiting up for four different organizations. During his career, Nagy completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 18,866 yards, 374 touchdowns and a 115.1 quarterback rating.
He retired from playing following the 2008 season and joined fellow Blue Hen and former teammate Brett Veach with the Philadelphia Eagles as a coaching intern. He spent 10 years coaching alongside Andy Reid in both Philadelphia and Kansas City before being hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2018 season, becoming the first Blue Hen to rise to that rank.
"My time at Delaware taught me that everything is earned and never given. Competition and adversity are inevitable. It's how you respond to both."
Nagy's Bears went 12-4 and won the NFC North in his first season in Chicago as he earned AP Coach of the Year honors. After four years and a 34-31 head coaching record, Nagy rejoined Reid's staff in Kansas City in 2022 and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy when the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII.
"Words cannot express how grateful we are for the generosity of the Nagy family," said Head Football Coach Ryan Carty. "This gift just confirms the type of person that Matt is. Delaware fans will remember his many accomplishments on the field, but it is his remarkable character that makes him a legend in the Blue & Gold. We are truly blessed to have amazing alums like Matt who are reinvesting into this program and Delaware Athletics."
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Answers to a few questions as Delaware football opener at Stony Brook looms:
https://www.delawareonline.com/
- 8/25/23
Preseason practice is over, with one Blue Hen player loudly expressing his delight to soon tangle with players in different colored jerseys at the outset of one recent session.
Those outfits will likely be red and belong to Stony Brook when Delaware opens the 2023 season Thursday at 7 p.m. on Long Island.
It’s Delaware’s second season under coach Ryan Carty, the former UD back-up quarterback who hopes to improve on last year’s 8-5 season that ended in the FCS playoffs round-of-16.
Considering the numerous veteran players from that squad are no longer here, it will be a challenge. But Carty, his roster bolstered by freshmen and transfer-portal additions, is confident.
“There was a lot of experience and production that left our program,” he said. “Whether or not we’ve replaced it, we’ll find out on Thursday.
“I think there’s certainly 108 capable players in our room to have the similar success, if not more than we had last year, and we just have to put it together.”
Questions about the Blue Hens will begin to be answered Thursday. Here are a few final preseason queries:
How will Delaware do this year?
It’s been 13 years since Delaware won more than seven regular-season games. For a program that won at least eight in 27 of the 43 seasons from 1968 to 2010, that’s quite a drought.
How Ryan O’Connor and Zach Marker, who will each see action at quarterback, perform and how quickly a rebuilt defense comes together will determine if Delaware can meet its annual goal of making the FCS playoffs for just the fourth time since 2010.
“If you’ve got 11 hats going toward the ball and running hard and playing fast, you got a shot,” Carty said of that defense as long as its alignments, adjustments and communications are in synch.
VENUE REVIEW:Delaware Stadium among top places to watch FCS football
In Stony Brook, Delaware has a potentially difficult opening-night test – despite the Seawolves’ uncharacteristic 2-9 finish last year – and can ill afford a setback.
The Blue Hens were pegged to place fourth in what’s now a 15-team CAA. That would be a worthy accomplishment. Excluding their 2021 spring CAA championship in a limited schedule, Delaware hasn’t done better than 5-3 in league games the past 11 years. Its best finish was a third-place tie in 2018.
Seven wins put Delaware in the FCS playoffs the last two times it made the fall bracket (2018 and 2022), though eight is a much clearer guarantee. That seems entirely possible. It’ll come down to the Hens’ three November games, all of which appear difficult now – home against Elon Nov. 4, at Campbell Nov. 11 and home against troublesome Villanova Nov. 18.
What is Delaware’s best position area?
Delaware has wide receivers who may have a hard time getting on the field but could probably start for some of their opponents.
The competition at that position, with 16 players, has been fierce. There was one recent drill during which quarterbacks were throwing long passes to receivers running downfield and every one was caught, including some that appeared difficult.
Carty’s offense is pass-oriented, though the running game still matters greatly, and depends on receivers getting open in space, catching the football and eluding pursuers.
Delaware’s depth at the position should allow a nuanced approach in which plays can be run to fit the personnel on the field. This appears to be an expansive playbook that will keep defenses guessing, often the key to moving it downfield.
Where must Delaware be better?
Delaware was fourth in the CAA last season in total offense, getting 408.7 yards per game, and ranked third with 48 touchdowns. But as the field got smaller Delaware’s efficiency frequently waned.
The Blue Hens finished 113th among the 123 FCS teams nationally in red-zone offense, scoring on 66.7 percent of their forays inside the 20.
Kicking troubles played a role, and transfers Nate Reed and Alex Schmoke should remedy that. But Delaware’s offense sometimes also failed to make the plays it needed to, with the Richmond loss being the primary example.
The Hens have to be better this year at capitalizing on the opportunities it will most certainly earn.
Where will Delaware be better?
Only two CAA teams gave up more than Delaware’s 29 sacks last year. That number must – and should – come way down considering the experience the starting offensive line possesses.
That group consists of center Brock Gingrich, guards Bradly Anyanwu and Patrick Shupp and tackles Fintan Brose and Blaise Sparks, with several able-bodied reserves.
How must Delaware be its old self on defense?
Last season Delaware tied for 21st in FCS with 22 takeaways. The Hens' knack for forcing turnovers must continue.
Who is Delaware’s best pro prospect?
Jackson Taylor didn’t have the necessary academic record to play Division I football coming out of Abington (Pa.) High despite some interest. He rectified that by doing very well and graduating from West Chester while also becoming a top Division II football player.
The linebacker was a two-time PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year and a 2022 second-team All-American while being a busy tackler and forcer of turnovers.
That talent now lurks in the Delaware defense, which was one of the best in FCS the last three seasons but has lost nearly all the contributors to that success. Taylor’s addition will allow that unit to maintain a measure of its ferocity and perhaps earn him a chance to continue his football career.
“I certainly think he’ll have a shot at the next level,” Carty said. “But, obviously, same thing I would tell him if he was sitting next to me: He’s got to go do it at our level first.”
Who is a newcomer to watch on defense?
There are plenty of candidates here, including the aforementioned Taylor. But noseguard Keyshawn Hunter, the Old Dominion transfer, looks to be a particularly reliable and impactful addition and has also become a key leader.
The Washington, D.C., resident said his mindset will include being “fast off the ball, dominant at the point of attack, [having] a relentless motor and you gotta keep your feet going.”
Who is a newcomer to watch on offense?
This is also a crowded field, especially with the additions at wide receiver. One of them, Joshua Youngblood, formerly of both Kansas State and Rutgers, seems particularly poised – or at least has the potential – to have a dynamic season.
What freshman could make an impact?
Several freshmen will see duty on defense, but safety K.T. Seay has gotten snaps with the first string and buoys a position that graduated All-American Kedrick Whitehead and saw All-CAA smacker Noah Plack move to UConn.
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(Blue Hen) Football Slots in at No. 21 in AFCA Coaches’ Preseason Poll
8/14/2023 - BLUEHENS.COM
No. 21 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Top 25 Poll. It is UD's third preseason ranking of the offseason as the Blue Hens also are ranked No. 22 in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll and No. 25 in the Athlon Sports' FCS Preseason Top 25.
Delaware went 8-5 a year ago and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs. Leading rusher Kyron Cumby and top receiver Jourdan Townsend highlight a group of seven starters back offensively. The Blue Hens face the task of replacing nine starters on defense, but All-CAA defensive end Chase McGowan returns.
The Blue Hens open the 2023 season on Thursday, August 31 with a CAA road matchup at Stony Brook. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
(Blue Hen) Football Ranked 22nd Overall in Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll.
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Football Has Five Named To The Bluebloods 2023 Preseason CAA All-Conference Team
8/3/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del - Jourdan Townsend, Ryan Kost , and Alex Schmoke all received First-Team The Bluebloods Preseason CAA All-Conference honors, while Chandler Harvin and Chase McGowan received Second-Team honors.
Townsend, Kost, and Schmoke have already been named to the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team, as voted on by the conference's head coaches, and Phil Steete/Draft Scout Preseason All-CAA honors earlier this summer. Kost was also named to The Bluebloods and Phil Steete/Draft Scout Preseason FCS All-American Teams while Schmoke received Phil Steete/Draft Scout Preseason All-American honors. Harvin and McGowan were also named to the Phil Steete/Draft Scout Preseason CAA All-Conference team. McGowan was also a preseason honorable mention selection by the CAA head coaches.
Townsend picked up a First-Team selection from The Bluebloods after coming off a season that saw him record 61 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns, earning All-CAA Second-Team. Entering the season, Townsend has 91 career receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Kost, a transfer from Monmouth, was a First Team All-CAA Punter in 2022 and averaged 48.1 yards per punt to lead the CAA and FCS. He had a career-long 71-yard punt against Rhode Island on Oct. 22. Kost also earned First-Team All-Big South honors in 2021 and was a First-Team All-ECAC selection. During the 2020-2021 year, he was a Second-Team All-Big South selection.
Schmoke joins the Blue Hens from Saint Francis, where he was a two-time All-NEC First-Team selection as a placekicker and a HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American in 2021. For his career, Schmoke went 33-39 in field goal attempts, making a career-long of 50 on Oct. 15, 2022 against LIU. He is also 73-79 on PAT attempts for his career, converting on 25-27 in 2021 and 48-52 in 2022. He ranks third in all of FCS in active career field goal percentage at 84.6 percent.
Harvin was a Second-Team selection. Entering his second season after transferring from Sam Houston, Harvin started in seven games in 2022 and finished with 39 catches for 615 yards and seven touchdowns. He had four catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns in Delaware's FCS Championship First Round win against Saint Francis, becoming the eighth player in UD history with three touchdown catches in one game.
McGowan received Second-Team honors. McGowan was named All-CAA Third-Team after recording 30 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks last season. He also earned Third-Team All-CAA honors in 2022 and Second-Team All-CAA honors in 2020-2021.
The Blue & Gold will open the 2023 season on Thursday, August 31 at Stoney Brook.
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Townsend, Schmoke, Kost Named To CAA Preseason All-Conference Team
7/25/2023 Bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. - Jourdan Townsend and newcomers Alex Schmoke and Ryan Kost were named to the 2023 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team, selected by the conference's head coaches, as announced on Tuesday.
Townsend is coming off a year that saw him record 61 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns and was named All-CAA Second-Team. He had seven catches for 109 yards in a road-win over Rhode Island, and scored a touchdown on eight receptions for 91 yards against William & Mary. Entering the season, Townsend has 91 career receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also earned All-CAA Second-Team honors in 2021.
Schmoke joins the Blue Hens from Saint Francis, where he was a two-time All-NEC First-Team selection as a placekicker and a HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American in 2021. For his career, Schmoke went 33-39 in field goal attempts, making a career-long of 50 on Oct. 15, 2022 against LIU. He is also 73-79 on PAT attempts for his career, converting on 25-27 in 2021 and 48-52 in 2022. He ranks third in all of FCS in active career field goal percentage at 84.6 percent.
Kost, a transfer from Monmouth, was named to The Bluebloods 2023 FCS Preseason All-American Team earlier this summer. He was a First Team All-CAA Punter in 2022, while also being named Phil Steele/DraftScout FCS Postseason All-America Second-Team Punter and All-ECAC Special Teams Punter. Kost also received HERO Sports FCS Preseason All-America Third Team, STATS Perform Preseason All-America Third Team, and CAA Preseason All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition. He averaged 48.1 yards per punt to lead the CAA and FCS. He had a career-long 71-yard punt against Rhode Island on Oct. 22. Kost also earned First-Team All-Big South honors in 2021 and was a First-Team All-ECAC selection. During the 2020-2021 year, he was a Second-Team All-Big South selection.
Braden Brose, Fintan Brose, and Chase McGowan received preseason honorable mention. Braden caught four touchdowns last season and had 16 receptions for 176 yards as a tight end, while Fintan was an All-CAA Third-Team selection after appearing in 13 games and starting in 12 of them as an offensive lineman. McGowan was an All-CAA Third-Team selection after recording 30 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks last season. He also earned Third-Team All-CAA honors in 2022 and Second-Team All-CAA honors in 2020-2021. Delaware was picked to finish fourth with 149 points and received one first-place vote.
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Armstrong Joins Football Staff as Associate AD, Football Operations
7/14/2023 bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – With over a decade of experience in football operations, Michael Armstrong joins the University of Delaware football staff as Associate AD, Football Operations, head coach Ryan Carty announced Friday.
"I'm excited to welcome Michael to Newark," Carty said. "With over a decade of experience in the field, he will help elevate the operations wing of our program."
Armstrong arrives to Delaware after spending the past two years at the Universiy of St. Thomas, where he was the Director of Football and Recruiting Operations during the Tommies' unprecedented jump from Division III to Division I.
"I'm thrilled to join the Delaware staff," Armstrong said. "One of the best FCS programs in the nation, I value joining a program with such rich history. It's an added benefit to get back to the east coast and be closer to my family."
His various responsibilities included assisting with branding projects, initiating a multi-year partnership between Teamworks and St. Thomas, and team travel arrangements, among other operations assignments.
Before St. Thomas, Armstrong was the Director of Football Operations / Recruiting at Grambling State University from 2016-2021. He was responsible for varius duties in operations, video, recruiting, and as a liaison for professional player opportunities.
Armstrong was a part of the staff at Ave Maria University in Naples, Fla. from 2012-15. He held numerous positions during his tenure, including defensive line coach, secondary coach, tight ends coach, video coordinator, recruiting coordinator and director of football operations. He helped guide Ave Maria to the NAIA Independent conference championship during the 2013 season with a 9-2 overall record.
Armstrong graduated with a bachelor's degree in sport management from Chowan University in 2010 and received his master's degree in sport administration from Grambling State in 2020.
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Ex-Penn State football player booted from Delaware
Jun. 14th, 2023 - https://www.mlive.com/
By Brian Linder | blinder@pennlive.com
Former Mechanicsburg High School, Penn State and Delaware football player Joseph Bruno told PennLive that Delaware pulled his scholarship last fall after it said he violated an agreement that outlined his responsibilities regarding rehabilitation from an
injury. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com
When Joseph Bruno transferred from Penn State to Delaware, it seemed like a match made in college football heaven.
The Blue Hens were getting a running back with a special mix of speed and grit, who accomplished something rare — playing for the Nittany Lions as a freshman walk-on.
After Bruno was kicked off of the University of Delaware football team, he said he’s left with no team,
and few answers.
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Football Adds Five Transfers
6/13/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware football Head Coach Ryan Carty has announced that five transfers have joined the program ahead of the upcoming 2023 season. The five newcomers include two defensive backs, one wide receiver, one linebacker and one defensive lineman.
With the addition of the five transfers, the Blue Hens are now bringing in 33 newcomers as the program added 16 student-athletes in December and 12 more in February. The 33 newcomers include 15 members of the University of Delaware Class of 2027 as well as 18 transfers. The group consists of 10 offensive players, 18 defensive players and five specialists.
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Kickoff at Penn State Set for 3:30 P.M.
5/31/2023 - BLUEHENS.COM
The start time for the University of Delaware football team's road game at Penn State on Saturday, September 9 has officially been set. The Blue Hens and Nittany Lions will kick off at
Noon in Penn State's Beaver Stadium. The game will stream live nationally on Peacock.
It will be the first meeting between the two programs and UD's second game at a Big 10 school in the past three years. The Blue & Gold are 16-18 all-time in games against FBS opponents, which is the third-most wins by any FCS program, and is coming off a 14-7 win at Navy in the 2022 season opener.
Fans can buy single-game tickets, season tickets or partial plan packages. Season ticket members receive price savings over singles games, early access to purchase tickets to Penn State, invitations to member events and more!
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Henderson, Pitts Sign NFL Contracts
5/1/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware's footprint in the NFL grew this past weekend as a pair of recent graduates have earned the opportunity to continue their dreams of playing in the NFL. Quarterback Nolan Henderson and wide receiver Thyrick Pitts both signed undrafted free agent (UDFA) contracts with the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears, respectively, following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Henderson had a remarkable final season in the Blue & Gold, earning All-CAA honors for the second time in his career. The Smyrna, Delaware native set the UD record with 32 passing touchdowns in 2-22 and also became the second in program history to surpass 50 career touchdowns, finishing with 56. He twice threw for five touchdowns in a game (Hampton, Monmouth) to become the first UD quarterback to accomplish the feat multiple times. He was twice named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week and earned National Offensive Player of the Week honors after passing for 379 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-21 victory at Rhode Island. Henderson finished his Delaware career ranked third in program history in completions (547), fourth in pass attempts (859) and fifth in passing yards (6,413).
Pitts was an All-CAA Third Team selection, his third-straight all-conference honor, following the 2022 season when he ranked second on the Blue Hens with 57 catches for 631 yards and tied for the CAA lead with 10 touchdown catches. He surpassed the 2,000-career receiving yards milestone in September against Hampton, a game in which he caught three touchdown passes, becoming the first Blue Hen since 2013 to accomplish the feat. Pitts finished his UD career ranked among the top 10 in several career statistics including receptions (172), receiving yards (2,429) and touchdown catches (23). In Delaware's playoff game at South Dakota State, Pitts set the program record with a catch in 43-consecutive games, dating back to the 2019 season opener.
The two Blue Hens join several others who are currently in the NFL. Troy Reeder recently signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings, while Bilal Nichols is entering his second year with the Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, Joe Fortunato is on a futures contract with the Arizona Cardinals while Joe Flacco, Nick Boyle and Zach Kerr are all currently free agents. The Kansas City Chiefs have three Blue Hens on staff in Brett Veach (general manager), Matt Nagy (offensive coordinator) and Joe Bleymaier (assistant coach) while Patrick Callaway is a scout with the Tennessee Titans.
Tickets for the 2023 football season are on sale now and can be purchased HERE. Fans can buy single-game tickets, season tickets or partial plan packages. Season ticket members receive price savings over singles games, early access to purchase tickets to Penn State, invitations to member events and more!
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Blue-White Spring Game Provides Plenty of Excitement
4/24/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team wrapped up its spring season on Friday evening with the annual Blue-White Spring Game. In front of a strong contingent of UD faithful, the Blue Hens put on a great show of what to expect during the upcoming 2023 season.
"I think we really focused in on the details and focused on our attention to detail and making sure we had intention every time we went out to the practice field this year," said Head Coach Ryan Carty. "I think it started to show as the progression of spring came along and culminated with today which was energetic. I thought we played hard out there on both sides of the ball. I think there were good things on both sides of the ball and I think there were bad things on both sides of the ball."
The evening started with a fun meet and greet in the Whitney Athletic Center where fans had the opportunity to meet with several Delaware alums. The list of attending alumni included former All-Americans, current and former NFL players and Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame members.
The on-field action featured Delaware's offense against the defense. Quarterbacks Ryan O'Connor and Zach Marker completed several long passes downfield to multiple receivers to display the diversity of talent on the offense. O'Connor hooked up with Kym Wimberly for a 24-yard, highlight-reel touchdown catch and Marker connected with Matt Carlino for a scoring pass of his own.
The Blue Hens featured multiple explosive runs out of the backfield with Marcus Yarns and Jo'Nathan Silver breaking tackles for long gains. Silver found the end zone on long runs of 18 and 28 yards.
Delaware's special teams were also on display as Nate Reed was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts.
Defensively, Jared Duncan had a strong game in the secondary with a pass breakup in the end zone and multiple big hits to keep the offense from big gains. Christian Pierce also had a breakup on a deep pass attempt while the duos of Jackson Taylor and Jack Hall, as well as Steven Rose Jr. and Alex Villas combined for tackles in the backfield.
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Blue-White Spring Game Set for Friday Night
4/18/2023 - bluhens.com
NEWARK, Del. – It's finally Game Week! The University of Delaware football team is set to host the annual Blue-White Spring Game on Friday evening and showcase a glimpse of what fans can expect to see from the Blue Hens in 2023.
Fans will have a special pregame opportunity as select football alumni will be available for an informal meet and greet inside the stadium club from 5-6 p.m. Appetizers will be available on a first come, first serve basis and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. The list of attending alumni will include former All-Americans, current and former NFL players and Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame members
Season Ticket Member T-Shirt Pickup will be in the Sparks Suite of the Whitney Athletic Center. The Sparks Suite can be accessed through the stadium club entrance in the concourse.
Date: Friday, April 21
Time: Gates open at 5 p.m. The on-field action will get underway at 6 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.
Parking: Parking will be available for free in front of the Whitney Athletic Center
Tickets: The spring game is free with all seating being general admission
Gates: The Spartin Family Gate, located at the southeast corner of the stadium, will be the only point of entrance
Participating Alumni:
Nick Boyle
Scott Brunner
Omar Cuff
Pat Devlin
Jamin Elliott
Gino Gradkowski
Dorrell Green
…and others
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Football Positional Preview: Quarterbacks
4/17/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team is just a few days away from taking the field at Delaware Stadium for the annual Blue-White Spring Game on April 21. Throughout the spring season, Bluehens.com will be taking an in-depth look at each of the team's position groups, with this edition featuring the quarterbacks.
Delaware will begin a new chapter at the quarterback position in 2023 with the graduation of Nolan Henderson who started a total of 34 games over the past four seasons. The Blue Hens have three quarterbacks currently battling in spring practices as the offense looks for a new leader.
"There is nothing better than live reps for young quarterbacks," said quarterbacks coach Sean Goldrich. "Being able to transition what we learn in the film room to on the field is how we truly get better. Every rep builds confidence and with only a few quarterbacks on the roster, our guys are getting a ton of opportunities to improve."
Ryan O'Connor saw action in four games last season as a sophomore. He completed 15-of-27 attempts for 170 yards and a touchdown while also rushing 15 times for 22 yards. He got valuable playing time in the FCS Playoffs, completing one pass for 37 yards in the first-round victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) before playing the majority of the second-round game at South Dakota State where he finished 10-of-21 for 104 yards.
Zach Marker enters his first season in the Blue & Gold after transferring in from Iowa Central Community College. In his three seasons there, Marker appeared in 20 games, completing 121-of-204 passes for 1,597 yards and 26 touchdowns while also rushing for 665 yards and six scores.
"Both quarterbacks have been very impressive so far," Goldrich said. "They both have done a great job operating the offense at a high level. It's been a close battle. They love to compete and bring great energy to practice. We have seen significant improvement from both of them and they continue to make each other better."
Noah Sanders is also seeing plenty of reps in his first spring practice and will look to climb the depth chart in his second season. Additionally, Daniel Lipovski and Nick Minicucci will both join the program this summer as incoming freshmen.
"Noah has done a good job this spring and continues to improve every day," said Goldrich. "He is motivated to be a guy that can help us win. It's been great to see him show up every day and go to work."
The Blue Hens finished the 2022 season, the first of the Ryan Carty era, with an 8-5 overall record and advanced to the second round of the FCS Championship. Delaware will open the 2023 season on Thursday, August 31 at Stony Brook.
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(Former Blue Hen) Nasir Adderley Makes Major Gift to Delaware Athletics
4/7/2023- Bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – Nasir Adderley continues to add to his list of achievements at the University of Delaware. Already known for his incredible accomplishments on the field at Delaware Stadium, as both a two-time All-American and three-time All-CAA selection, and in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers, Adderley can now add generous philanthropist to his legacy.
“From the moment I was recruited, I instantly saw a support system who valued me,” Adderley said. “Valued me for who I am and not what I can do for them. I saw a program committed to winning games, but more importantly invested in winning the game of life. Truly prioritizing our development as young men, which I believe is way more valuable than any stat or victory. Not only was this support available as a student, but long after I left the university.”
The Adderley family has made a gift to the future of UD Athletics to support an upcoming facilities project, of which details will be announced at a later date. He becomes the youngest former student-athlete to make a major gift to Delaware Athletics.
“This generous gift by Nasir, especially so soon after graduating, speaks volumes about his character and his love for the University of Delaware,” said Chrissi Rawak, UD Director of Athletics, Community and Campus Recreation. “For him to make such a gift like this demonstrates his commitment to the football program and what we are trying to accomplish as an athletic department. We are so grateful for his generosity and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him and his family.”
“Throughout the years, it was always in my plans to support the community that means so much to me,” Adderley said. “I missed out on the first opportunity, but when you have great leadership the opportunities are constantly evolving. Constantly improving the experience and providing resources needed to thrive both on and off the field. I patiently waited and sure enough there was a project available. What is being done for the athletes is second to none and I can’t wait to see the results.”
The second-highest draft pick ever out of the University of Delaware, Adderley was selected in the second round, 60th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019. He appeared in 50 games over his four seasons, making 44 starts at safety, while totaling 232 tackles, 12 passes defended, four tackles for loss and three interceptions.
The Philadelphia native was a four-year starter for the Blue Hens, becoming the first player in over 10 years to start every game of his career at Delaware. He racked up 264 total tackles to rank among the top-five in defensive backs in program history in that category. He also added 11 INTs and 24 pass break ups in his career. In each of his final three seasons, Adderley led or tied for the team lead in interceptions, including a career-best five picks as a junior in 2017. He finished with a career-high 87 tackles in 2018, which ranked in the top 20 nationally for defensive backs.
Among his many outstanding moments while wearing the Blue & Gold, Adderley had two plays that went viral on a national level. His one-handed leaping interception against Towson in 2017 and 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at New Hampshire in 2018 both landed as the No. 1 play on SportsCenter Top Ten.
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Adderley family,” said Head Football Coach Ryan Carty. “As a fellow alum, I am so proud of everything that Nasir has achieved, both during his time here at Delaware and in his four years in the NFL. On and off the field, he embodies the type of character we are working to build in our program. So many of our student-athletes look up to Nasir for his accomplishments in football and I hope they continue to follow his example in his post-football career.”
Adderley announced his retirement from the NFL earlier last month and will now utilize his experience to empower the people around him. During his tenure at UD, Nasir earned a degree in health behavior science and will be putting it to good use.
“Newly retired from football, I will be devoting my time to education that can provide my people with freedom. Primarily freedom from sickness in the body and freedom from a lack of financial education. Focusing on those items has changed my life and my hope is to make a difference so others can experience that vitality. I’m sure everyone would like to know what I’m doing for income after turning down a second contract. I have multiple businesses I will be a part of, but will specialize in private lending for real estate investors.”
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2023 Football Game Times Announced
03/22/2023 - BLUEHENS.COM
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware athletic department, in conjunction with the CAA, has announced the kickoff times for the upcoming 2023 football season. Fans will have six opportunities to catch the Blue Hens in action at Delaware Stadium, including matchups against four CAA opponents.
The Blue & Gold will begin the campaign with a pair of road games, starting with a 7 p.m. contest at Stony Brook on Thursday, August 31. The kickoff time for Delaware's game at Penn State will be determined at a later date.
The first opportunity to see the Blue Hens at Delaware Stadium will be on Saturday, September 16 as Saint Francis (Pa.) will make the trip to Newark for the third-straight season. Kickoff for the home opener is set for 6 p.m. It will also be a rematch of last season's FCS Championship First Round game, a 56-17 Delaware victory.
Three more home games will follow as the Blue Hens will play four-consecutive games in the friendly confines of Delaware Stadium. New Hampshire will visit Newark for the first time since 2019 on September 23 for a 6 p.m. contest before UD steps back out of CAA play to host Duquesne on October 7. Kickoff for the Parents & Family Weekend matchup is set for 3 p.m. The homestand will conclude with Delaware's Homecoming Game against North Carolina A&T on October 14 at 3 p.m.
The Blue Hens will hit the road for a pair of CAA contests at Hampton (Oct. 21, 2 p.m.) and Towson (Oct. 28, 4 p.m.) before returning home to host Elon on November 4 in a game that is set to kick off at 1 p.m.
The final road game of the regular season will take UD to Campbell for a 1 p.m. start on November 11. The annual Battle of the Blue returns to Delaware Stadium on November 18 when the Blue Hens host Villanova in a 1 p.m. contest.
2023 Delaware Football Schedule:
Aug. 31 at Stony Brook * 7 p.m.
Sep. 9 at Penn State TBD
Sep. 16 Saint Francis (Pa.) 6 p.m.
Sep. 23 New Hampshire * 6 p.m.
Oct. 7 Duquesne 3 p.m.
Oct. 14 North Carolina A&T * 3 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Hampton * 2 p.m.
Oct. 28 at Towson * 4 p.m.
Nov. 4 Elon * 1 p.m.
Nov. 11 at Campbell * 1 p.m.
Nov. 18 Villanova * 1 p.m.
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Delaware Announces Dates for Football Spring Game, Fandemonium
03/8/2023 - Bluehenfootball.com
NEWARK, Del. – Fans of Delaware Athletics will want to pencil in the weekend of April 21-22 as the University of Delaware Athletics Department has announced the dates for the 2023 Delaware Football Spring Game and Fandemonium.
The annual Blue-White Spring Game will get underway on Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m., with the gates to Delaware Stadium opening at 5 p.m. Parking and admission to the spring game is free to the public and all seating is general admission. The Whitney Athletic Center Stadium Club will be open to all guests and will include a cash bar along with free appetizers on a first come first serve basis.
Fans will have a special pregame opportunity as select football alumni will be available for an informal meet and greet inside the stadium club. The list of attending alumni will include former All-Americans, current and former NFL players and Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame members. A list of attendees will be communicated at a later date.
On Saturday, April 22, Delaware fans of all ages are invited to come out and enjoy a fun-filled day with the Blue Hens. The Delaware Athletics Department will host Fandemonium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grass lot in front of the Whitney Athletic Center with free games, rides, inflatable interactives for all ages, music, food, giveaways, and more. Fans can also watch the Blue Hens in action as the men's lacrosse team will take on Drexel at 12 p.m. and the softball program will host Towson in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
The football program spring practice on Saturday, March 11. Fans can follow along through the program's social media accounts for behind-the-scenes content as well as on Bluehens.com for positional previews and other features.
Follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @Delaware_FB and Instagram @delaware_fb, and like "Delaware Football" on Facebook.
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Blue Hens Add 12 on National Signing Day
02/1/2023 - Bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. – Head Coach Ryan Carty and the University of Delaware football team welcomed in 12 more newcomers to the program on Wednesday as part of National Signing Day. The 12 newcomers, which include two incoming freshmen and 10 transfers, bring Delaware’s signing class total to 28. The Blue Hens previously announced the addition of 16 newcomers in December.
Overall, the Blue Hens are bringing in 15 members of the University of Delaware Class of 2027 as well as 13 transfers. The 28 student-athletes consist of nine offensive players, 14 defensive players and five specialists. The 2023 signing class includes 10 student-athletes that were labeled two- or three-star recruits out of high school by major recruiting outlets. The class combined to win four state championships and 13 other championships during their high school careers and, of the 28 signees, 15 served as team captains in high school.
2023 Full Signing Class
Name Pos. Hometown / High School (Previous School)
Keeno Arrington DB Pittsburgh, Pa. / Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Lackawanna)
JoJo Bermudez WR Egg Harbor City, N.J. / Cedar Creek (Cincinnati)
Anthony Caccese OL Reading, Pa. / Exeter Township
Kshawn Cox DB Bridgeville, Del. / Wise [Md.]
Anthony Crenshaw DB Arlington, Texas / James Martin
Nyair Domnie DB Jersey City, N.J. / DePaul Catholic
Tyron Herring DB Delray Beach, Fla. / Deerfield Beach (Dartmouth)
Keyshawn Hunter DL Washington, D.C. / H.D. Woodson (Old Dominion)
Ja'Carree Kelly WR Gainesville, Fla. / Buchholz
Ryan Kost P Newtown, Conn. / Newtown (Monmouth)
Daniel Lipovski QB Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock
Hasson Manning DB Newark, N.J. / Hudson Catholic
Zach Marker QB Norwalk, Iowa / Norwalk (Iowa Central)
Amin Mimouni DL Bayonne, N.J. / Bayonne (Independence)
Nick Minicucci QB Midland Park, N.J. / Don Bosco
Gavin Moul LB Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park
Anwar O’Neal OL Philadelphia, Pa. / Middletown [Del.]
Nate Reed K Manheim, Pa. / Manheim Central (East Stroudsburg)
Alex Schmoke PK Bellwood, Pa. / Bellwood-Antis (Saint Francis)
KT Seay DB Norfolk, Va. / Maury
Saeed St. Fleur RB Parlin, N.J. / Bergen Catholic
Jackson Taylor LB Glenside, Pa. / Abington Senior (West Chester)
Zack Taylor LS Parsippany, N.J. / Parsippany Hills (Rutgers)
Damarcus Thompson DL Corcoran, Calif. / Corcoran (Reedley)
Noah Vitko LS Dunkirk, Md. / Dematha Catholic
Todd Williams DL Crawfordville, Fla. / Wakulla
Kym Wimberly WR Slidell, La. / Holy Cross HS (Harvard)
Kion Wright DL West Philadelphia, Pa. / Cheltenham
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Delaware football signing class grows to 28 players
February 1, 2023 / By Andy Walter / Delaware State News
NEWARK — The Delaware football team that takes the field for its season opener next Aug. 31, will look a lot different than the one that left the field in December.
After losing a huge senior class of over 30 players, that’s clear. And who lines up as starters in 2023 for the Blue Hens is a long way from being decided.
But as least now Delaware has a lot better idea of what its new roster will look like.
On Wednesday, coach Ryan Carty announced a signing class of 12 more players. That brings to a total 28 players that Delaware has signed since December.
Of those 28 newcomers, 13 are transfers.
While the COVID pandemic and the extended eligibility it brought makes this a unique situation, Carty said the NCAA Transfer Portal means that large fluctuations in college rosters are going to become more commonplace.
“I think that culture of transformation is something that’s going to have to be accepted,” said Carty, who is starting his second year as UD’s head coach.
“Fourteen of these guys are probably not coming until the summer. And there’s probably guys who are not on this list that are on our team come summer. At this point it’s just such a different way to build a team.
“You do have to continue to have a through line of culture and keep working on your leadership,” he added, “so that you can handle whatever transition comes.
Whoever’s on your team needs to buy into that team aspect.”
Of the dozen players that Delaware added on Wednesday, 10 are transfers. They come from Division I, Division II and junior-college programs.
Of the 28-man total, 14 are defensive players, nine play on offense and five are on specials teams.
The Hens worked especially hard on fixing the kicking issues that hurt them last year. They signed two transfer kickers — Alex Schmoke from St. Francis, Pa. and Nate Reed, who kicked at East Stroudsburg two seasons ago.
Delaware also picked up Ryan Kost, who was the first-team all-conference punter at fellow CAA member Monmouth.
“I think the competition side of it is really going to elevate everything,” Carty said about the kicking game.
Among the more noteworthy signings is Keeno Arrington, the son of former Penn State/NFL standout LaVar Arrington. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive back, the younger Arrington spent the last two years at Lackawana JC after not playing football in high school.
The Hens also signed Todd Williams, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound defensive lineman from Wakulla (Fla.). His father, also named Todd, played at Florida State and then in the NFL with the Titans, Buccaneers and Packers.
Another defensive line addition, Kion Wright, had verbally committed to Georgia Tech before they had a coaching change. The Cheltanham High, Pa. product reportedly had 21 Division I offers.
Carty said he won’t be surprised if Williams and Wright make an immediate impact.
“I mean, they’re different, as far the talent level of a freshman at the defensive end position,” said Carty.
The Hens’ signing class was almost evenly split between high school seniors and transfers. While that wasn’t necessarily by design, Carty said that might end up being typical of signing classes in the future.
“It used to be where high school recruiting was kind of your lifeblood,” said Carty. “You might supplement here and there. I don’t know, every year might be different, but it does seem like there’s going be two parallel lifebloods.
“At this point you’re trying to navigate the waters as best is possible and try to continue to find the right people, the right fit and the right talent level wherever they come from.”
Extra points
While they weren’t announced as part of the Hens’ official signing class, Salesianum defensive end Nate Ray — the Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year — and standout kicker James Collins also announced they were signing with Delaware. Presumably they’re coming as walk-ons. ... Delaware’s spring practice is slated to start on March 11. ... Delaware’s signing class includes 10 players that were labeled two or three-star recruits out of high school by major recruiting outlets. ... The class combined to win four state championships and 13 other championships during their high school careers. ... Of the 28 signees, 15 served as team captains in high school.
Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at walter@iniusa.org. Follow on Twitter at @DSNSports.
Delaware signing class
(Includes players from December and February signing days)
DB-Keeno Arrington, Pittsburgh, Pa./Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Lackawanna)
WR-JoJo Bermudez, Egg Harbor City, N.J./Cedar Creek (Cincinnati)
OL-Anthony Caccese, Reading, Pa./Exeter Township
DB-Kshawn Cox, Bridgeville, Del. / Wise [Md.]
DB-Anthony Crenshaw, Arlington, Texas / James Martin
DB-Nyair Domnie, Jersey City, N.J. / DePaul Catholic
DB-Tyron Herring, Delray Beach, Fla. / Deerfield Beach (Dartmouth)
DL-Keyshawn Hunter, Washington, D.C. / H.D. Woodson (Old Dominion)
WR-Ja’Carree Kelly, Gainesville, Fla. / Buchholz
P-Ryan Kost, Newtown, Conn. / Newtown (Monmouth)
QB-Daniel Lipovski, Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock
DB-Hasson Manning, Newark, N.J. / Hudson Catholic
QB-Zach Marker, Norwalk, Iowa / Norwalk (Iowa Central)
DL-Amin Mimouni, Bayonne, N.J. / Bayonne (Independence)
QB-Nick Minicucci, Midland Park, N.J. / Don Bosco
LB-Gavin Moul, Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park
OL-Anwar O’Neal, Philadelphia, Pa. / Middletown [Del.]
K-Nate Reed, Manheim, Pa. / Manheim Central (East Stroudsburg)
PK-Alex Schmoke, Bellwood, Pa. / Bellwood-Antis (Saint Francis)
DB-KT Seay, Norfolk, Va. / Maury
RB-Saeed St. Fleur, Parlin, N.J. / Bergen Catholic
LB-Jackson Taylor, Glenside, Pa. / Abington Senior (West Chester)
LS-Zack Taylor, Parsippany, N.J. / Parsippany Hills (Rutgers)
DL-Damarcus Thompson, Corcoran, Calif. / Corcoran (Reedley)
LS-Noah Vitko, Dunkirk, Md. / Dematha Catholic
DL-Todd Williams, Crawfordville, Fla. / Wakulla
WR-Kym Wimberly, Slidell, La. / Holy Cross HS (Harvard)
DL-Kion Wright, West Philadelphia, Pa. / Cheltenham
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2023 Football Schedule Announced
01/10/2023 - bluehens.com
NEWARK, Del. - The University of Delaware and Colonial Athletic Association have announced the football schedule for the upcoming 2023 season. Fans will have six opportunities to see the Blue Hens play at Delaware Stadium, including four matchups against CAA opponents.
For the fourth time in the last six years, the Blue Hens will open the season against a CAA opponent as the Blue & Gold travel to Stony Brook for a Thursday night matchup on August 31. The Seawolves finished the 2022 season with a 2-9 overall record and a 1-7 mark in the CAA. It will be just the seventh matchup between the two programs with UD winning two of the past three meetings.
Delaware will hit the road again on September 9 when it takes on Big 10 opponent Penn State. It will be the first meeting between the two programs and UD's second game at a Big 10 school in the past three years. The Blue & Gold are 16-18 all-time in games against FBS opponents, which is the third-most wins by any FCS program, and is coming off a 14-7 win at Navy in the 2022 season opener.
The Blue Hens will open up a four-game homestand when they welcome Saint Francis (Pa.) to Delaware Stadium for the home opener on September 16. It will be the third-straight season that the Red Flash has made the trip to Newark. UD defeated Saint Francis 27-10 in the 2021 home opener before rolling past the Red Flash 56-17 in the first round of the 2022 FCS Championship. It was the most points scored by a Delaware team in the FCS Playoffs.
The Blue & Gold will step back into CAA play on September 23 when New Hampshire visits Delaware Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since the 2019 season when the Blue Hens defeated the Wildcats 16-10 in Newark. Delaware Head Coach Ryan Carty spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach at UNH from 2007-17, including the last six years as offensive coordinator.
Following a bye week, the Blue & Gold will host Duquesne in a nonconference contest on October 7. The two programs have met just once before, a 30-6 UD victory in Newark during the 2010 season. The homestand will conclude on October 14 when Delaware welcomes in CAA newcomer North Carolina A&T for the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
The Blue Hens will head out on the road for the first time in more than a month when it plays consecutive road games at Hampton (Oct. 21) and Towson (Oct. 28). It will be Delaware's first-ever trip to Hampton, which joined the CAA prior to last season. The two teams met for the first time in 2022 and UD came away with a 35-3 victory by five touchdown passes from Nolan Henderson, including three to Thyrick Pitts. The Blue Hens defeated Towson 24-10 last season as Henderson had two more touchdown passes and Kyron Cumby ran for a 65-yard score.
Delaware will host Elon on November 4 for the first time since 2018. The Blue Hens hold a 3-2 all-time series lead over the Phoenix and have won both matchups at Delaware Stadium in 2014 and 2018. The Blue Hens will make their final road trip of the regular season when they make their first-ever trip to CAA-newcomer Campbell on November 11.
The 2023 regular season will conclude with the annual Battle of the Blue against Villanova when the Wildcats come to Delaware Stadium on November 18.
Game times will be announced at a later date. Season tickets for the 2023 football season are on sale now and can be purchased HERE. Fans must purchase or renew their season tickets by January 31 to lock in 2022 prices.
2023 Delaware Football Schedule:
Aug. 31 - at Stony Brook *
Sep. 9 - at Penn State
Sep. 16 – Saint Francis (Pa.)
Sep. 23 – New Hampshire *
Oct. 7 – Duquesne
Oct. 14 – North Carolina A&T *
Oct. 21 – at Hampton *
Oct. 28 – at Towson *
Nov. 4 – Elon *
Nov. 11 – at Campbell *
Nov. 18 – Villanova *