Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football

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Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Football
140 x 140px
First season 1889
Staff
Athletic director Edgar N. Johnson
Head coach K.C. Keeler
6th year, 41–22–0
Stadium
Home stadium Delaware Stadium
Stadium capacity 22,000
Stadium surface Grass
Location Newark, Delaware
League/Conference
Conference Colonial Athletic Association
Team records
All-time record 618–395–44 (.605)
Postseason bowl record –
Awards
National titles 6
Conference titles 15
Pageantry
Colors Royal Blue and Gold            
Fight song The Delaware Fight Song
Mascot YouDee
Marching band University of Delaware Marching Band
Rivals Villanova University
James Madison University
College of William and Mary
Website udel.edu/sportsinfo/football
The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens are an NCAA FCS (formerly Div I-AA) football program in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens are an NCAA FCS (formerly Div I-AA) football program in the Colonial Athletic Association.


Currently led by head coach K.C. Keeler, the University of Delaware Blue Hens play on Tubby Raymond Field at 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium located in Newark, Delaware. The Fightin' Blue Hens have won six national titles in their 116-year history - 1946 (AP College Div.), 1963 (UPI College Div.), 1971 (AP/UPI College Div.), 1972 (AP/UPI College Div.), 1979 (D-II) and 2003 (I-AA).

The Blue Hens are recognized as a perennial power in FCS football and are the only FCS program to average more than 20,000 fans per regular season game for each of the past seven years. Delaware football has consistently outdrawn all college football programs in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, with the exception of Temple University in 2007. [1]


Contents

[edit] History

The program's long history began in the late 1800s, but the tradition did not truly begin to take shape until the arrival of Bill Murray in 1940. During his 11 seasons at the helm, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled a record of 49-16-2 with one National Championship in 1946. That was good for an impressive .747 winning percentage. After Murray departed to take over at Duke University in 1950, David M. Nelson came on board as head coach.

During his years at UD, Nelson developed the Delaware Wing-T offensive system. This system, strongly rooted in running the football and deceptive fake hand-offs, became the identity of Delaware football for nearly 50 years. Nelson also brought with him another icon of Delaware football: the "winged" helmet. The iconic "Michigan" style helmet was developed by Nelson's coach at Michigan Fritz Crisler (who first used the helmet design when he was head coach at Princeton (albeit in black and orange)). Nelson played for Crisler when Crisler was head coach at Michigan, and Nelson brought the helmet design with him where ever he coached (Hillsdale College, Harvard, Maine and Delaware).[2] Nelson stepped down as football coach in 1965, and in his 15 years (1951-1965), the Hens compiled an 84-42-2 (.664) record with one National Championship in 1963.

In 1966 an assistant football and baseball coach named Harold "Tubby" Raymond took over, and after a rocky start (the team recorded a 2-7 record in his second season) became the face of Delaware football for 36 seasons. While David Nelson developed the Delaware Wing-T, Tubby perfected it. In 36 seasons, the Fightin' Blue Hens were always sure to provide an excitement filled game day experience for their fans. When he retired in 2001, Tubby had racked up 300 wins against 119 losses and three ties, good for a .714 win percentage. His teams earned 14 Lambert Cup Trophies (as the best team in the east in a particular division), four national semi-finals, and three National Championships in 1971, 1972, and 1979. His 300 wins account for nearly half of the 613 football victories in school history. These three men (Murray, Nelson and Raymond) are all enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. Georgia Tech is the only other school to place three consecutive coaches into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The team has had much success on the field. In addition to the national championships listed above, notable program victories include multiple wins over Navy (including a win at Navy's Homecoming game during a year when they went to a bowl game). Speculation regularly exists regarding whether the Blue Hens will "move up" to Division I-A at some point, joining a league such as the Big East Conference. The University of Delaware is 56-65-1 against I-A opponents. However, whereas most I-AA schools move up because of the perception of increased money and prestige, UD has an extremely profitable football program, and it is already well-regarded academically and athletically.

“We’re the LSU; we’re the Georgia, the Florida of Division I-AA,” UD Coach Keeler said in American Football Monthly. “We have every resource. There’s some people who have better resources than we do, but in general, the college campus we have is in one of the greatest college towns in America, and the academics ... we led the nation last year in out-of-state applications, more than Michigan or Texas. But that’s what this school has become – everybody wants to come to school here."

UD football is more than just X's and O's on a chalkboard. Although the Blue Hens play in the Colonial Athletic Association at the I-AA level, they have a fan following that is just as loyal as many major I-A programs. While most schools at the I-AA level can expect 8,000-10,000 fans for a football game on a good day, the Fightin' Blue Hens can expect sellout crowds of over 22,000 at every home contest each season. They have been among the top programs in attendance for over 30 years. Since the Stadium opened in 1952, it has undergone four major expansions to come to its current capacity of 22,000 (in the 1970s it actually seated over 23,000, but subsequent modifications have reduced the capacity to the current number). The home attendance record was set in 1973 on October 27 against Temple University with 23,619 fans, and attendance has exceeded 22,000 fans more than 32 times. Delaware's fan support is so impressive, that opposing coaches have said that playing Delaware at Delaware Stadium is the highlight of many of their players collegiate careers.

[edit] Delaware State Controversy

The most controversial aspect of the UD football program is the fact that it has never scheduled potential instate rival Delaware State for a regular season game. This is highly unusual for two state universities, that play on the same athletic tier, to not play one another, especially one that is less than one hour's drive away from campus. Critics charge that this has to do with the fact that DSU is a Historically Black College. Furthermore, supporters of a game between DSU and UD claim that it would be akin to other instate rivalries and would be good for the state[1]. In response to the charges of racism on UD's part, their supporters have pointed out that Delaware has scheduled and played regular season games against several other HBCUs such as Morgan State and North Carolina A&T. UD supporters have also claimed that DSU's team is not as strong as the Blue Hens, and that UD's program has made commitments to other universities that they must fulfill. Finally, UD supporters also note the fact that the two colleges routinely meet in other sports than football.

Delaware and Delaware State met on the football field for the first time on November 23, 2007 in Newark, DE in the first round of the NCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. The Blue Hens defeated the Hornets 44-7 in front of 19,765 people, the largest playoff crowd in Delaware Stadium history. However, the one sided win could potentially lend support to those who believe that the DSU program is not on par with their in state rivals.

[edit] Blue Hens under the lead of Coach K.C. Keeler

  • 2002-present
  • 2003 Division I-AA Championship, first national title in 24 years.
  • 2003 Season Results: All games;15-1, Conference;8-1
  • 2004 Season Results: All games;9-4, Conference;7-1
  • 2005 Season Results: All games;6-5, Conference;3-5
  • 2006 Season Results: All games;5-6, Conference;3-5
  • 2007 Season Results: All games;11-4, Conference;5-3
  • As noted in the University of Delaware online news source UDaily article, K.C. Keeler's contract was extended through 2009

[edit] Blue Hens in the pros

[edit] Active

  • DB Mike Adams- Cleveland Browns
  • LB Mondoe Davis - Montreal Alouettes (CFL)
  • WR Jamin Elliott - Atlanta Falcons
  • QB Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens
  • DB/WR Sidney Haugabrook - Columbus Destroyers (AFL)
  • OL/DL Joe Minucci - Nashville Kats (AFL)
  • QB Matt Nagy - Columbus Destroyers (AFL)
  • TE Ben Patrick - Arizona Cardinals
  • OL Mike Byrne - Miami Dolphins

[edit] Inactive

The most famous National Football League player to come out of UD is quarterback Rich Gannon, who went on to become the NFL's Most Valuable Player and a four-time Pro Bowler.

[edit] Draft Picks

[edit] The Coaching Legacy

[edit] Former UD coaches in the CFHOF

[edit] 2007 Schedule

Date- Opponent - Time/Results
Aug. 30: at William & Mary, W 49-31
Sept. 8: West Chester (Sponsored by Coca-Cola), W 41-14
Sept. 15: *Rhode Island (Freshman Parents Weekend), W 38-9
Sept. 22: at *Towson, W 27-7
Sept. 29: Monmouth (Band Day), W 42-7
Oct. 6: at *New Hampshire, L 35-30
Oct. 13: *Northeastern (Homecoming), W 30-20
Oct. 27: at Navy, W 59-52
Nov. 3: *James Madison (Parents & Family Weekend), W 37-34
Nov. 10: *Richmond (Hall of Fame Weekend), L 62-56 5OT
Nov. 17: at *Villanova, L 16-10
Nov. 24: Delaware State (FCS Playoff Round 1) W 44- 7
Dec. 1: at #1 Northern Iowa (FCS Playoff Round 2) W 39-27
Dec. 8: at #4 Southern Illinois (FCS Playoff Round 3) W 20-17
Dec. 14: Appalachian State (FCS Playoff Championship) L 49-21

Asterisk Denotes CAA Game

[edit] References

  1. ^ MAC Home Attendance through Week 12
  2. ^ UD Cheerleading (Football Traditions)
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