Blue Hen News

Wareham's Shea Allard gets an NFL-sized call from the Green Bay Packers

Delaware graduate sees wish come true with mini-camp invite

By Adam K. Ellis
Wicked Local Wareham
Posted May 09, 2012

For the past two weeks Shea Allard has emphasized that no matter what happens, he just wants to continue to play football.

Consider that wish granted after receiving a phone call Wednesday afternoon from the Green Bay Packers to participate in a mini rookie camp this weekend.

To hear such good news, is certainly an NFL-sized anvil lifted off the shoulders of the 22-year-old.

Allard had done well to maintain a positive, upbeat attitude as he waited for the NFL Draft to run its course during the weekend of April 26-28.

But the former Wareham High graduate's patience was put to the test as talk of receiving a phone call the following day from an NFL team proved to be misleading - Sunday coming and going without a single ring.

"I'm just trying to stay in the gym as much as I can to keep my mind off things," Allard expressed at the time.

One day of waiting quickly turned into two, two into three, three into 10. More than a week passed and Allard had yet to receive a call.

"My agent just kept telling me to keep my head up, that teams were still trying to find out if they needed help on the line and what options they had," Allard said.

On Wednesday, Allard's representation (the same who represents Paul Pierce and Wes Welker) proved to be right as the 6-foot-4, 310 pound Delaware Blue Hen received a call from the Green Bay Packers, asking him to jump on a flight Thursday afternoon and join the team for a rookie minicamp.

===========================================

UD's Gino Gradkowski drafted by Ravens

Newark Post

April 29, 2012 

NEW YORK -- For the second time in five years, the Baltimore Ravens
have picked a University of Delaware standout in the National Football
League Draft.

Blue Hen offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski, who earned a spot on
virtually every All-American team this past fall, was selected in the
fourth round of the NFL draft Saturday morning with the 98th pick
overall.

Gradkowski, a 6-4, 305 lb. native of Pittsburgh, Pa. (Seton-LaSalle
High School), will join Ravens starting quarterback and former Blue Hen
All-American Joe Flacco this fall. Flacco, who has led the Ravens to
five NFL playoff victories during his four seasons, was drafted in the
first round with the 18th pick overall in the 2008 draft.

“We are so excited for Gino,” said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler.
“He had a great career at Delaware and I think he has a great future
in the NFL. The Ravens are a great spot for him and he could be their
center of the future. Gino is a great football kid. Not matter if its
practice, in the weight room, or on gameday, he always has a smile on
his face. He loves to play the game.”

“I’m elated right now and excited to get started,” said
Gradkowski. “Baltimore plays football the way it’s supposed to be
played and I’m anxious to be a part of a great organization.”

A two-time first team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection and a
2011 team co-captain, Gradkowski solidified his reputation as the top
offensive lineman in the league as well as one of the top blockers in
the nation this past season. He helped lead Keeler’s squad to a 7-4
record this past fall as the Hens barely missed out on a berth in the
NCAA Tournament. Gradkowski was also the Hens’ top offensive lineman
in 2010 when Delaware went 12-3 and advanced to the national
championship game.

Gradkowski, who started all 11 games this past season, including eight
at guard and three at center, earned first team All-CAA honors back in
November, becoming the first UD player to earn back-to-back first team
honors since defensive back Charles Graves in 2009 and 2010 and the
first UD offensive lineman to accomplish the feat since Conway Hayman in
1968-69.

Gradkowski, whose older brother Bruce plays quarterback for the
Cincinnati Bengals, becomes the first UD player to be drafted since
Flacco and is now one of only three players in Delaware football history
to be picked in the fourth round or higher. Quarterback Rich Gannon, who
enjoyed a 17-year career in the NFL, was also selected in the fourth
round of the NFL draft by New England in 1987.

He is the 29th player in UD history to be selected in the NFL draft but
only the second offensive lineman, joining Hayman, who was selected in
the sixth round by Washington in 1971. Hayman went on to play six
seasons in the NFL with the Houston Oilers.

Gradkowski, a business management major, was a three-year starter on
the offensive line for the Blue Hens after transferring from West
Virginia University and made 37 career starts at Delaware.

This past fall, he was named a first team All-American by both The 
Sports Network and the American Football Coaches Association and was a
second team All-American pick by both the Associated Press and Phil
Steele College Football Magazine.

Other former Delaware players currently in the NFL are Flacco,
defensive backs Anthony Walters (Chicago) and Mike Adams (Denver), and
defensive lineman Ronald Talley (Arizona).

Gradkowski was one of two CAA players selected in the draft, joining
Maine defensive back Jerron McMillian who was selected in the fourth
round by Green Bay. They were among 13 players from the NCAA Division
FCS level selected in the seven-round draft.

=======================================

That’s the spirit! UD students audition to be feathered mascots YoUDee, Baby Blue

April 28, 2012 - Newark Post

By Katy Bowman kbowman@newarkpostonline.com

Most college students would balk at the thought of acting like a fool
in front of a bunch of strangers.

But seven University of Delaware undergrads rose to the challenge
Tuesday in the hopes of landing a spot on the school’s mascot team for
the 2012-13 school year.

One by one, the students stepped onto the Pearson Hall auditorium’s
stage Tuesday to perform for about 10 minutes dressed as either YoUDee
or his younger sibling, Baby Blue.

The students – who had survived a first round of auditions held
earlier in the month – each performed a dance routine using five of
his or her own props, and then responded to requests that Kevin di
Girolamo, one of the audition judges, shouted out from his seat in the
audience.

Di Girolamo, a former YoUDee who now works as a mascot coordinator for
the Philadelphia Eagles, told one Baby Blue prospect to pick up a toilet
scrubber lying on the floor behind her.

“Do something with that,” he said. The contestant pretended to
brush her teeth, and then to clean her underarms in the shower.

Judges included members of the YoUDee Alumni Team, the school’s head
cheerleading coach and staff from the university’s Office of
Communications and Marketing.

They all agreed that ideal mascot candidates would be boisterous and
able to think on their feet.

Chad Mills, a member of the school’s mascot team for three years,
said sporting events have a lot of down time, and it’s the mascots’
job to engage the crowd.

“A lot of times (as a mascot) you’re out there and nothing’s
happening, but you need to make something happen,” Mills said. “We
call it ‘bursting the bubble’ – they need to be real big with
their actions and not afraid to look stupid.”

Head cheerleading coach Dan Schreiber said he was looking for
animation, energy and the contestants’ ability to convey emotion
through the heavy chicken suit.

In order to embody the mascots, students have to have rhythm and be in
shape, said Christopher Bruce, who performed as YoUDee from 1998 to
2002.

Students of either gender can portray YoUDee and Baby Blue, but due to
the costume's restrictions, they must fulfill certain height
requirements: YoUDee candidates have to be between 5 feet 9 inches and 6
feet 1 inch tall, while and Baby Blue performers should be no taller
than 4 feet 11 inches.

While wearing the hot, heavy costume has its drawbacks, the perks of
the job far outweigh them, said Sharon Harris, the university’s mascot
coordinator.

Students on the mascot team receive scholarship money and get to travel
the country while representing their school during away games and
countless other events. The students on the mascot team also build a
strong camaraderie amongst themselves and with other mascots.

And, she added, the networking opportunities are immeasurable.

“They get to meet important people all over the country,” she
said.

Harris planned to review the judges’ scores and to speak with 
candidates one-on-one to get to know each of them a little better before
making a final decision about the mascots within the week.

The mascot team is made up of a handful of students who take turns
performing as YouDee and Baby Blue at games and other university-wide
events as well as weddings, community events and business functions.

One contestant seemed up to the challenge Tuesday: after performing the
dance routine, acting out scenes with the props and reacting as di
Girolamo yelled out commands such as “The team’s losing. You’re
sad. Show me sad,” he came out onto the stage, sans costume, to talk
to the judges about the e
xperience.

“I could have stayed in it a little longer,” he said, about the
costume.

Physically, performing in the suit was “equivalent to how I feel
after a swim meet,” he said, adding, “When I’m in the suit, I’m
sweating and look like crap, but I’m sure the glamour is getting
out.”

=============================================

Delaware Offensive Lineman Gino Gradkowski 

Drafted By The Baltimore Ravens

NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 28, 2012) - CAASPORTS.COM

The first CAA Football player taken in the 

2012 NFL Draft was Delaware offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski. The Baltimore 

Ravens selected Gradkowski, A First Team All-CAA pick and All-American in 2012, 

with the third pick in the fourth round (98th overall). Gradkowski is the 

most recent player drafted from Delaware since the Ravens took former Blue Hen 

quarterback Joe Flacco 18th overall in 2008.

Gradkowski's selection marks the seventh-straight season a player from CAA 

Football has been drafted.  Not only was Gradkowski the most recent Blue Hen 

drafted since Flacco, he is also the first league player drafted by Baltimore 

since Flacco in 2008.

=================================================

Seton-LaSalle grad, Gino Gradkowski, likely pick in NFL draft
April 26, 2012

By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

His brother is a quarterback in the NFL, and two of his first cousins played 

receiver in the Big East Conference. So what happened to 6-foot-3, 300-pound 

offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski?

"Too much spaghetti and meatballs when I was growing up," Gradkowski deadpanned.

Gradkowski might not fit his family's body-type mold, but he could be joining 

his brother, Bruce, in the NFL by the end of the weekend. Gino Gradkowski, 

a Seton-LaSalle High School graduate who spent the past three seasons at the 

University of Delaware, is projected as a late-round selection or priority free agent.

Gradkowski was not invited to the NFL scouting combine, but an All-American senior 

season and a strong showing at Delaware's pro day got the attention of many teams. 

Gradkowski visited six teams -- Green Bay, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Tennessee, 

Jacksonville and Atlanta -- in the past month.

"I was hoping to go to the combine," said Gradkowski, who grew up in Green Tree 

and Dormont. "When that didn't happen, I was bummed out. But then these visits 

started popping up, and it's got me excited. I'm expecting the worst but hoping 

for the best."

For Gradkowski, it's been a long and circuitous road to the NFL's doorstep. 

He started out at West Virginia, but he left the Mountaineers because it didn't 

look like he would get an opportunity to start until his senior season.

Gradkowski, who can play right or left guard, looked around at some other Division 

I schools, but decided to play for Division I-AA Delaware because he wanted to be 

eligible to play without sitting out a season under NCAA transfer rules.

"It was tough for me from a pride standpoint," Gradkowski said. "I didn't want people 

to think I was quitting or giving up. But when it came down to it, for me, 

it was about playing football. I had the goal of the NFL in mind all along, 

so yeah it was tough to do that. But my brother said if you're good enough, 

they'll find you. It's worked out great for me."

Bruce Gradkowski will enter his seventh NFL season in the fall, and he knows 

plenty about the league and its teams. He is currently a reserve quarterback 

with the Cincinnati Bengals and has also played for Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Oakland.

Bruce's wide range of experience has been helpful to Gino as he has gone through 

the predraft process.

"I've been leaning on Bruce a ton throughout the last couple of months," Gino said. 

"He's experienced a bunch in the NFL, a lot of ups and downs. He's been a good 

resource for me. He tells me a lot about Xs and Os, how to deal with stuff, how 

to talk to the coaches."

Bruce's best advice?

"Just to enjoy it," Gino said. "It gets stressful, but it's a great stress to have.

I'm fortunate to be in this position."

Even though Gino always had a different body type from his brother and cousins -- 

former Pitt receiver Joe DelSardo and West Virginia receiver Carmen Connolly -- 

one of his best assets, according to scouts, is his athleticism and footwork. 

Gino credits this to playing basketball at Seton-LaSalle.

"I knew from an early age that I was going to be a lineman," Gino said. 

"I was always big. I embraced it at an early age even though I was always 

around quarterbacks and receivers."

Most projections have Gradkowski being picked up in the later rounds of the draft. 

That's similar to the situation his brother was in six years ago. Tampa Bay ultimately 

selected Bruce in the sixth round with the 194th pick.

"My goal is No. 194 or better because that's where Bruce was picked," Gino said. 

"I have to beat that number for bragging rights."


By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

His brother is a quarterback in the NFL, and two of his first cousins played 

receiver in the Big East Conference. So what happened to 6-foot-3, 300-pound 

offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski?

"Too much spaghetti and meatballs when I was growing up," Gradkowski deadpanned.

Gradkowski might not fit his family's body-type mold, but he could be joining 

his brother, Bruce, in the NFL by the end of the weekend. Gino Gradkowski, 

a Seton-LaSalle High School graduate who spent the past three seasons at the 

University of Delaware, is projected as a late-round selection or priority 

free agent.

Gradkowski was not invited to the NFL scouting combine, but an All-American 

senior season and a strong showing at Delaware's pro day got the attention 

of many teams. Gradkowski visited six teams -- Green Bay, Baltimore, 

Indianapolis, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Atlanta -- in the past month.

"I was hoping to go to the combine," said Gradkowski, who grew up in Green 

Tree and Dormont. "When that didn't happen, I was bummed out. But then these 

visits started popping up, and it's got me excited. I'm expecting the worst 

but hoping for the best."

For Gradkowski, it's been a long and circuitous road to the NFL's doorstep. 

He started out at West Virginia, but he left the Mountaineers because it didn't 

look like he would get an opportunity to start until his senior season.

Gradkowski, who can play right or left guard, looked around at some other 

Division I schools, but decided to play for Division I-AA Delaware because 

he wanted to be eligible to play without sitting out a season under NCAA 

transfer rules.

"It was tough for me from a pride standpoint," Gradkowski said. "I didn't 

want people to think I was quitting or giving up. But when it came down to it, 

for me, it was about playing football. I had the goal of the NFL in mind all 

along, so yeah it was tough to do that. But my brother said if you're good 

enough, they'll find you. It's worked out great for me."

Bruce Gradkowski will enter his seventh NFL season in the fall, and he knows 

plenty about the league and its teams. He is currently a reserve quarterback 

with the Cincinnati Bengals and has also played for Tampa Bay, Cleveland and

 Oakland.

Bruce's wide range of experience has been helpful to Gino as he has gone 

through the predraft process.

"I've been leaning on Bruce a ton throughout the last couple of months," 

Gino said. "He's experienced a bunch in the NFL, a lot of ups and downs. 

He's been a good resource for me. He tells me a lot about Xs and Os, how to 

deal with stuff, how to talk to the coaches."

Bruce's best advice?

"Just to enjoy it," Gino said. "It gets stressful, but it's a great stress 

to have. I'm fortunate to be in this position."

Even though Gino always had a different body type from his brother and cousins 

-- former Pitt receiver Joe DelSardo and West Virginia receiver Carmen Connolly 

-- one of his best assets, according to scouts, is his athleticism and footwork. 

Gino credits this to playing basketball at Seton-LaSalle.

"I knew from an early age that I was going to be a lineman," Gino said. 

"I was always big. I embraced it at an early age even though I was always 

around quarterbacks and receivers."

Most projections have Gradkowski being picked up in the later rounds of the 

draft. That's similar to the situation his brother was in six years ago. 

Tampa Bay ultimately selected Bruce in the sixth round with the 194th pick.

"My goal is No. 194 or better because that's where Bruce was picked," Gino said.

 "I have to beat that number for bragging rights."

==============================================================

Delaware football returns to gridiron

By Dan Moberger Managing Sports Editor UD Review

Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

THE REVIEW/Marek Jaworski

Leon Jackson’s orange jersey signifies he plays offense and defense.

The stands behind both end zones and the eastern sideline of Delaware
Stadium were empty. Fans clad in blue and gold filled only about half of
one section of bleachers Friday night—not a typical site for a
Delaware football game.

As the teams filed out of the locker room, through the tunnel, under
the bleachers and onto the Tubby Raymond Field turf, the usual marching
band’s Delaware Fight Song introduction was absent. A visiting school
was also absent.

But even without the hoopla of a regular season contest, head coach
K.C. Keeler still expected his team to play with gusto in the annual
intrasquad Blue-White Spring Scrimmage. Keeler’s defense responded to
his challenge, while the offense fell a bit short of his expectations.

“I told the guys, it’s amazing what passion does, and the defense
played with that passion,” Keeler said. “I was disappointed that we
didn’t play with that passion offensively, and trust me, I will
address that in this offseason.”

The game format included different simulations, like a two-minute
drill, kickoff coverage and various offensive event situations. The
unconventional game uses an unconventional scoring system. The offense
gets points for achievements like first downs, as well as touchdowns and
field goals. The defense scores its points by holding the offense
scoreless, and with turnovers and defensive scores. In the end, the
defense won 72-55.

Junior Quincy Barr led the defense to six turnovers with his play at
the line of scrimmage, racking up four sacks and seven tackles in the
defensive victory. Perhaps his most impressive play came when he both
forced and recovered a fumble.

“I just wanted to have fun with it, and try to lead the d-line
tonight,” Barr said after the game. “Everybody looked in the mirror
and just manned up.”

Defensive back Travis Hawkins, now entering his second season with the
Hens after transferring from Maryland, turned in a noteworthy spring
game performance for the second straight year. He picked off two passes,
including a grab in the end zone to save a touchdown.

Hawkins returns to a secondary which struggled as a unit at times in
the fall, but returns all the contributing members, Marcus Burley, Tim
Breaker, Jake Giusti and Ricky Tunstall, with another year of
experience.

Several players sat out the game, including linebackers Jessel Curry
and Paul Worrilow, one of last year’s captains. On the offensive side,
All-American running back Andrew Pierce and wide receiver Nihja White,
both important pieces of last season’s attack, failed to see field
time.

“I might have some night terrors tonight, but when I wake up, I’ve
got to remind myself that it’s going to be OK,” Keeler said of his
offense’s performance. “It’s difficult to get a real feel for
where we are. It’s just obvious we’re a long way away, but I kind of
think we can get there.”

Keeler recognized the play of a number of team members, but junior Leon
Jackson stood out in what will likely be his final spring game.

 “He’s a special individual,” Keeler said. “He just runs hard
and plays with a lot of passion.”

Jackson played both offense and defense, in addition to special teams
in which he excelled last year. While he spent much of the game on
defense, he took advantage of a few carries at running back.

“The defense came out and we did our jobs, we did what we’re
supposed to do,” Jackson said. “We came out with that passion, and
that’s what we need to play with, and I feel the offense needed to
boost that level. I wish I would’ve went over earlier.”

Some unfamiliar smiles peeked through the Delaware facemasks for their
first public appearances donning the
blue and gold. Among them was Trent
Hurley, a 6-foot-4 transfer quarterback from Bowling Green. Hurley,
along with the rest of the offense, had trouble breaking through the
defense. He finished the game completing less than 50 percent of his
passes along with two interceptions. Keeler noted Hurley made a few
tight throws and is still learning the offense.

The Hens tentatively open their schedule at home against West Chester
on August 30. They look to advance into the postseason next season after
narrowly missing last fall.

============================================================

Interceptions mar quarterback battle

By Tim Mastro

Managing Sports Editor - The Review

Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

THE REVIEW Marek Jaworski

Trent Hurley threw two interceptions Saturday.

Tim Donnelly was the first to say it Saturday—there’s a lot of
improvement needed from the Delaware offense.

Head coach K.C. Keeler spoke to reporters next and slammed the offense
for a lack of passion. Trent Hurley followed Keeler and echoed the same
sentiment as Donnelly.

There weren’t too many positives to take away from the annual
Blue-White scrimmage for the offense.

“The best part about this scrimmage is that it’s in April,”
Donnelly said.

The quarterbacks combined for more interceptions (three) than
touchdowns (one).

Donnelly, the returning starter, was five for nine on the night for 46
yards with one pick. Hurley, a transfer from Bowling Green, completed
seven of 16 attempts for 56 yards but threw two interceptions. It was
his first time playing in front of an open crowd at Delaware Stadium.

Justin Burns, last-year’s third-string quarterback, was the most
efficient passer Saturday, going five of nine for 95 yards and the lone
touchdown, with no interceptions. Last year’s opening game starter
Trevor Sasek is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered midway
through last season. Sasek was on the sidelines, but was not cleared to
play and won’t be ready to practice until June at the earliest.

Keeler said the main goal for the scrimmage was to help Hurley get
acclimated to the offense.

“It was really important for us to get Trent reps,” Keeler said.
“It was all about Trent getting reps because Timmy knows the
offense, Justin knows the offense. Trent doesn’t know the offense. So
let’s get Trent as many reps as he can get and let him progress, and
we’ll figure it out in August.”

Hurley has only been on campus since January. He was recruited out of
high school by Keeler, but chose to go the FBS route and went to Bowling
Green to begin his college career.

He played in three games as a freshman in 2011 for Bowling Green,
before transferring to Delaware this offseason. Saturday was the first
opportunity for the Hen crowd to see Hurley play in a game situation.

“This is what I’ve worked for my entire life,” Hurley said.
“I’ve been working to play college football since I was six
years old. It’s a great time, wish I could’ve executed a little
better.”

Keeler said he will not name the No. 1 quarterback until at least
August. Last season, Sasek and Donnelly battled for the starting role,
and Keeler did not reveal his choice to the public until the Hens took
the field for their season opener against Navy. Sasek won the job before
his injury.

The offense is looking to replace four out of five linemen from last
season. It was missing All-American running back Andrew Pierce and No. 1
wide receiver Nihja White for the scrimmage Saturday.

“That’s all gonna come with reps,” Hurley said of the new
starters playing together. “People expect us to be clicking on all
cylinders right now, and I expect as a quarterback for our team to be
perfect, but it’s not going to happen right now. We need to get reps,
get reps and get reps, and by the time we play West Chester, everything
needs to be clicking.”

========================================================

Flacco talks 'not close'
From: http://www.csnwashington.com 
 
April 23, 2012

Don’t expect the Ravens and Joe Flacco to agree on a new contract
anytime soon.

That’s what the NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora reported Monday.

“Talks … have continued and have been amicable, but the sides are not
close to a deal and it's unlikely they bridge the gap quickly,” he
wrote.

Entering the final year of the five-year deal he signed as a rookie in
2008, Flacco is seeking a lucrative long-term extension that would
guarantee his future in Baltimore. His agent, Joe Linta, has met several
times with the Ravens.

But since Flacco won’t become a free agent until after next season,
there’s no immediate urgency, possibly slowing the pace of the talks.

“Both sides very much want to work out a long-term deal, but the
timing has to be right,” LaCanfora wrote. “Flacco is participating
in off-season work and has no plans to hold out, sources said. So
playing out his final season under contract is the mostly likely outcome
for 2012.”

It remains to be seen whether that scenario actually unfolds. Flacco
has stated that he would like to get a deal done before the 2012 season
begins, although he said the lack of a deal wouldn’t distract him.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has said he is ready to give his
quarterback “a lot of money.”

Flacco’s case is unusual in that he doesn’t have top 10 statistics
but has won more regular-season games in his first four seasons than any
other quarterback in league history, earning his franchise’s
full-fledged support. The framework for a potential deal exists amid the
deals other quarterbacks have signed, but finding that sweet spot can be
tricky … and time-consuming.

=======================================================

=======================================================

University of Delaware Football Staff to Host Four Summer Camps for
Youths and High School Students this Summer

April 2, 2012 - UD SPORTS INFO DEPT.

Athlete photoNEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware will once again
be the place for outstanding football instruction for youths who are
high school age and younger this summer as the Blue Hen staff will offer
eight different camp sessions in a variety of areas.

The Blue Hen coaching staff will host the UD Football Youth Camp the
week of July 9-13; One-Day Camps on June 10, July 11, and July 22;
Quarterback and Wide Receiver Academy Camps on June 23 and July 14; and
Big Man Camps on June 23 and July 14. All the camps will be held at the
UD Football Complex on South College Avenue in Newark.

The Blue Hen Football Camps offer a wide variety of camps to increase a
young player’s knowledge and ability to play the game of football. All
of the camps are run by the University of Delaware football coaching
staff that is widely recognized as one of the best NCAA Division I
Football Championship Subdivision programs in the country.

You will get the opportunity to learn from a staff that has played for
three national championships in the last nine seasons and has produced
numerous All-Americans and National Football League players. Each camp
is designed to teach and drill the specifics that are needed for that
age group or specific position and have widely been considered some of
the best on the East Coast. In addition to this, you will have the
opportunity to showcase your skills to the Delaware Football staff as
well as a number of other schools in the area.

For complete information regarding the camps, including times,
registration information, and fees, go on-line to
www.bluehenfootballcamps.com. For questions or comments, email the
staff at bluehenftbllcmp@comcast.net for the Youth Camp and at
hencamps@yahoo.com for any of the three high school camps.

Below are details on each of the camps.

Youth Camps: The focus of this week-long camp is to teach football
fundamentals and proper technique for all positions. An emphasis is
placed on learning the rules of the game while enjoying the camp
experience through drills, video, and game experience. The camp is
conducted by current UD football staff members and players. The camp is
designed for ages 8 to 13 and the cost is $215 per camper.

One-Day Camps: This camp is designed to assist participants in
improving basic skills for all positions in the sport of football. It
will be a tremendous opportunity for high school prospects (grades 9-12)
to learn how football is played at the college level. It will also give
prospects an opportunity to showcase their talents while college coaches
assist them in honing their skills. The entire staff of the University
of Delaware Football Program will be leading instructional sessions.
Instructional sessions will be held at the new turf practice fields. The
cost is $55 per camper.

Quarterback & Wide Receiver Academy: An intense one-day, double session
instructional camp for boys in grades 9-12 is devoted solely to
developing the skills required to play the quarterback and wide receiver
positions. Instructional sessions will be held at the new turf practice
fields. The cost is $80 per camper.

Big Man Camps: Be better where people do not see - in the trenches. It
is said that football games are won in the trenches. This comprehensive
day will focus on the game's dirty work. Designed for boys in grades
9-12, this camp will improve their fundamentals and techniques so that
come football season, they will play faster, lower and with greater
confidence and win in the trenches. The cost is $80 per camper.

===============================================================

Register Today for Annual Delaware Blue Hen Football Alumni Golf Outing
Set for Friday, Apr. 20 at White Clay Creek CC

April 1st, 2012 - UD SPORTS INFO DEPT

NEWARK, Del. -- Registrations are now being accepted for the annual
University of Delaware Football Alumni Golf Outing to be held Friday,
Apr. 20 at White Clay Creek Country Club.

Blue Hen head coach K.C. Keeler (at right with UD Athletics Hall of
Famer Tony Toto) and his staff invites all University of Delaware
football alumni to take part in the event, which supports the UD
football program. Registration and additional information is available
at www.udel.edu/footballalumniday.

Reserve your spot or become a sponsor by using the reservation form.
Online registrations will be accepted until midnight, April 13, 2012.
The event is being sponsored by Embassy Suites Hotel - Newark/Wilmington
South.

The golf outing will once again be held in conjunction with the annual
UD Blue-White Football Spring Scrimmage that will be held later that
evening at 7:30 p.m. at Delaware Stadium. The Blue-White game, which
culminates a month of spring practice drills, is free and open to the
public.

The golf outing will be held at 7,007-yard, par 72 White Clay Creek
Country Club, one of the state’s most beautiful and challenging
courses and home to the University of Delaware men’s golf team.

The day will begin with registration and lunch at 10 a.m. in the
clubhouse followed by a shotgun start at 11:30 a.m. The outing features
a four-man scramble format with awards being presented to the top three
foursomes.

Following the golf outing, a cocktail reception will be held at the Bob
Carpenter Center from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

For questions and further information, contact Jerry Oravitz at
joravitz@udel.edu (302-831-4431) or Jude Moser at judem@udel.edu
(302-831-2949).

==============================================================

University of Delaware Football Opens Spring Drills with First
Practice; Spring Game Set for Apr. 20

March 8, 2012 - UD SPORTS INFO DEPT

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware football squad, coming off a
2011 season that saw the Blue Hens post seven wins and barely miss out
on a post-season tournament berth, officially opened spring drills
Thursday with their first practice.

Head coach K.C. Keeler (at right), who will enter his 11th season at
the helm of his alma mater this fall, welcomes back 39 letterwinners and
13 starters from last year’s 7-4 squad as the Hens look to return to
the post-season after a one-year hiatus. The Hens, who won their final
three regular season games a year ago, made three trips to the national
championship game over the last decade.

Among the top story lines in spring practice will be replacing an
offensive front that lost four starters, including All-American Gino
Gradkowski, and shoring up a defensive front that lost four regular
contributors.

Senior Tim Donnelly, who started nine games at quarterback last season,
will contend with Bowling Green transfer Trent Hurley for reps under
center. Junior quarterback Trevor Sasek, who opened the season as the
starter but was sidelined with injuries, underwent off-season knee
surgery and will sit out spring drills.

“We had a great winter,” said Keeler. “We are excited about what
we did in the weight room, our conditioning, and how big and strong we
are. Now we have to apply all that to the football field. Everything
will start up front for us since we lost four outstanding seniors on the
offensive line and some pretty good defensive linemen as well. We want
to see some great competition and great intensity up front. We have our
starting secondary back as well as most of our running backs, wideouts,
and linebackers. If we want to be the team we think we can be, it’s
going to start up front. It’s going to be important that we show
growth in that area this spring.”

Keeler will put the Blue Hens through their paces over the next month
culminating in the annual Blue-White Spring Scrimmage to be held Friday,
Apr. 20, at Delaware Stadium.

The Hens will have 15 practice opportunities from now until the end of
the camp to work on offensive and defensive schemes, evaluate personnel,
and prepare for the upcoming 2012 season.

Delaware will practice the following days:

March 8 (3:50 p.m.)
March 10 (10 a.m.)
March 13 (3:50 p.m.)
March 15 (3:50 p.m.)
March 17 (10 a.m.)
March 20 (3:50 p.m.)
March 22 (3:50 p.m.)

SPRING BREAK
April 5 (3:50 p.m.)
April 7 (10 a.m.)
Apr. 12 (3:50 p.m.)
Apr. 14 (9:30 a.m. scrimmage)
April 17 (3:50 p.m.)
April 19 (3:50 p.m.).
April 20 (Spring Game)

All Delaware practices, as well as the Blue-White Spring Game, are free
and open to the public.

Among the top Delaware returning players are leading rusher Andrew
Pierce (1,279 yards, 16 TDs), leading receiver Nihja White (50 catches
for 673 yards and four TDs), leading passer Donnelly (165 of 263 for
1,732 yard and 11 TDs), All-Colonial Athletic Association defenders Paul
Worrilow, Travis Hawkins, and Marcus Burley, and first team
All-CAAkicker Sean Baner (29-29 PAT, 15-20 FG). 

================================================================

Is There A Plan For Pat Devlin?

Mar 6th at 7:57 am by matt patrick http://phinphanatic.com

Is There A Plan For Pat Devlin?

The Miami Dolphins’ future quarterback situation is the hottest topic for debate among fans. The one argument that really makes me scratch my head is the possibility of Miami picking up Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn AND drafting a quarterback as well. However, during all of this hoopla, the one guy that continues to be left out of the conversation is third string QB, Pat Devlin. Will there be a roster spot for him on this team and is there a plan for Devlin?

By no means am I trying to argue that Devlin deserves to be on this team next year. Well, at least not yet. That would be a ridiculous argument considering he hasn’t taken one NFL snap in a regular season game since signing with the Dolphins last summer as an Undrafted Free Agent. Devlin was actually released after the preseason last year, but soon after was signed to the team’s practice squad. Devlin didn’t make it on the team’s active roster until late December. Also, the fact that Devlin played for the Fightin’ Blue Hens at the University of Delaware (as did Joe Flacco), it’s hard to argue he faced tough competition in such a small conference as the Colonial Athletic Association.

Nevertheless, the 6’4” 220 pound quarterback received a lot of hype before last year’s draft, because of his outstanding senior year and a solid performance during the week of the East-West Shrine game. In his last season with the Blue Hens in 2010, he threw for 2,812 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He led the nation completing 68% of his passes and had a passer rating of 151.64, which was ranked fifth. Devlin became the CAA Offensive Player of the Year.

Leading up to last year’s draft, Devlin’s stock started to rise. NFL draft experts and analysts such as Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, Charles Davis, Bucky Brooks, and Mike Mayock all labeled Devlin with similar characteristics; strong leadership, very smart, excellent decision maker, poised in the pocket, good size, moves around well, raw talent, ton of potential, and certainly capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Despite being labeled as the upcoming “small college” standout to become the next NFL franchise quarterback, Devlin did have a few flaws in his game. The main one being the issues he had connecting on deep passes down the sidelines. The reports never claimed he was terrible on these long routes, but that was an area Devlin needed to work on and improve. The other note that would be listed on Devlin’s scouting report is that he would require at least one to two years of development under a veteran quarterback. Basically, he should be holding up a clip board trying to learn an NFL size playbook for about two years first, before being thrown in the mix.

The combination of these reasons and playing at a small school may have been the cause of Devlin not getting drafted at all. However, he was projected to be selected anywhere from the second to fifth rounds according to most mock drafts last year. Jeff Ireland obviously saw something in Devlin that led to the Dolphins acquiring him and eventually bringing him up to the active roster. The one trait given to Devlin that is repeatedly mentioned by those who closely cover the Dolphins is “potential.” But will all of his potential allow him to become one of the 53 men kept on the roster in 2012?

Devlin’s fate will rely on what the Dolphins do in this year’s draft, IF they acquire Manning or Flynn. Rumors are that the Dolphins would still draft a QB, probably in a later round. Matt Moore will most likely be the backup quarterback. In this case the Devlin experiment would end and the Dolphins completely gave up or lost patience in his progression after just one year.

As Dolphin fans, it’s hard to give an opinion on a player who only had a few preseason snaps last year. Only Ireland and the coaches have an idea if the kid can hack it or not in the NFL. The Dolphins could have a plan for him….or maybe they don’t. Maybe they will try to keep him on the practice squad for another year. Regardless what the Dolphins do, I would like to see Devlin given at least one more chance to compete in camp and preseason for a roster spot on this team next year.

======================================================

College Football Hall of Fame class has 38 FCS candidates, including three Hens:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com - 3/1/12

Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Thirty-eight former players from Football Championship Subdivision schools are part of the 2012 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Included are former Walter Payton Award winners Archie Amerson of Northern Arizona (1996) and Michael Payton of Marshall (1992).

The announcement of the Divisional class of inductees is on May 22. Candidates from Divisions II and III and the NAIA join the FCS candidates as part of the Divisional ballot.

This year's College Football Hall of Fame enshrinement festival will be held July 20-21 in South Bend, Ind.

The Football Bowl Subdivision class will be announced May 15. Former Princeton kicker Charlie Gogolak and Yale running back Dick Jauron are candidates for the FBS class, not the FCS class.

2012 College Football Hall of Fame FCS Candidates

Player, School, Position, Years Played

Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona, RB, 1995-96

Rennie Benn, Lehigh, WR, 1982-85

Carl Boyd, Northern Iowa, RB, 1985-87

Joe Campbell, Middle Tennessee State, RB, 1988-91

Bruce Collie, Texas-Arlington, OT, 1980-84

Case deBruijn, Idaho State, P, 1978-81

John Dorsey, Connecticut, LB, 1980-83

Tom Erhardt, Rhode Island, QB, 1984-85

Curtis Eller, Villanova, LB, 1989-92

Richard Erenberg, Colgate, RB, 1980-83

Don Griffin, Middle Tennessee State, S, 1982-85

Don Hass, Montana State, RB, 1965-67

Conway Hayman, Delaware, OG, 1967-70

John Hill, Lehigh, C, 1969-71

John Huard, Maine, LB, 1964-66

Rene Ingoglia, Massachusetts, RB, 1992-95

Garry Kuhlman, Delaware, OT, 1979-81

Steve McAdoo, Middle Tennessee State, OL, 1989-92

Bill McGovern, Holy Cross, DB, 1981-84

Robert Morris, Georgetown, DE, 1971-74

John Ogles, Austin Peay State, FB, 1963-66

Chris Parker, Marshall, RB, 1992-95

Michael Payton, Marshall, QB, 1989-92

Martin Peterson, Penn, OT, 1984-86

Charlie Pierce, Central Florida, P/PK, 1993-96

Michael Renna, Delaware, DE, 1987-89

Kirk Roach, Western Carolina, PK, 1984-87

Terry Schmidt, Ball State, DB, 1971-73

Larry Schreiber, Tennessee Tech, RB, 1966-69

Steve Schubert, Massachusetts, WR, 1969-72

Joe Skladany, Lafayette, LB, 1978-81

Leonard Smith, McNeese State, CB, 1979-82

Tom Stenglein, Colgate, WR, 1983-85

Freddie Thomas, Troy State, DB, 1984-87

Markus Thomas, Eastern Kentucky, TB, 1989-92

Billy Thompson, Maryland-Eastern Shore, DB, 1965-68

Lee White, Weber State, Fullback, 1965-67

John Zanieski, Yale, MG, 1982-84

==========================================================

Courtesy of UD Sports Information Director: Scotty Schellheimer. 

Spring Practice Schedule:

March 8 (4 pm), 10 (10 am), 13 (4 pm), 15 (4 pm), 17 (10 am), 20 (4
pm), 22 (4 pm) 
April 5 (4 pm), 7 (10 am), 10 (4 pm), 12 (4 pm), 14 (9:30 am), 17 (4
pm), 19 (4 pm), 20 - Spring Game (7:30 pm). For anybody wondering about
the gap between March 22 and April 5, that's when Spring Break occurs.

BLUE HENS FANDEMONIUM
Saturday, April 14 ● UD Athletic Complex, Newark, DE

Enjoy the day with the Blue Hens! Come early and stay ALL day! Join us
for an action-packed day of Blue Hens Athletics including the Fan Zone
with live entertainment, food, fun and football team autographs. Be sure
to check back soon for more information and fun.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Blue Hens Football Spring Practice 
[at Delaware Stadium]

Beginning at 10:00 a.m.: Women's Track & Field Delaware Open Meet 
[at Delaware Mini-Stadium]

1:00 p.m.: Delaware Baseball vs. VCU [at Bob Hannah Stadium]

1:00 p.m.: Blue Hens Men's Lacrosse vs. St. Joseph's [at Delaware
Stadium]

=========================================================

Former Hens player, Ben Patrick, helps rescue people trapped in van

by Jennifer Thomas http://www.azfamily.com/

February 26, 2012

PHOENIX -- A former Arizona Cardinals(and UD Blue Hen) tight end is being called a hero after he helped rescue a group of people when their van crashed on Saturday.

Ben Patrick was driving on Interstate 17 near Black Canyon when he spotted the van lying on it side with people trapped inside.

He said he could smell gas leaking from the van and knew he had to act fast.

"My first thought was just to help the people on the inside," he said.

Patrick ran over and started pulling people out of the vehicle.

"I ran over and I looked in the front window and everybody was laying sideways and I debated on kicking the window in, but I didn't want to get glass over everyone," he said.

Patrick and others helped rescue the people from the van.

Patrick played for the Cardinals in 2007-2010. He is hoping to sign as a free agent with the Carolina Panthers.

=========================================================

CAA AND NBC SPORTS GROUP REACH FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENTS FOR NATIONAL BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL RIGHTS

NBC SPORTS - PRESS RELEASES
February 13, 2012

RICHMOND, Va. - February 13, 2012 – The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) has reached five-year agreements with the NBC Sports Group that will provide the most extensive and comprehensive exposure of the conference in its history with coverage on NBC Sports Network and across the group’s regional sports networks.

The agreements, which begin with the 2012-13 season and runs through 2016-17, will provide national television coverage of CAA men’s basketball and football games on the NBC Sports Network, regional television coverage of CAA men’s and women’s basketball and football through the Comcast SportsNet regional networks and coverage of a variety of other CAA sports through NBCSports.com. The CAA is the first collegiate athletic conference to sign a broadcast agreement with the NBC Sports Network, which launched on January 2, 2012.

“We are thrilled to be associated with the NBC Sports Group,” CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. “The NBC Sports Network now provides a national platform to elevate the conference in conjunction with the relationship we’ve had with the Comcast SportsNets, which have been the foundation of our television package for almost three decades.”

“We are very excited to begin our new relationship with the Colonial Athletic Association and extend our college sports offerings,” said Michael Sheehey, Senior Vice President, Sports Content and College Sports, NBC Sports Group. “Given our unique four-tier portfolio of assets, we are able to deliver high-quality production of the conference’s football, basketball and other sports to viewers nationally, regionally and online unlike anyone else.

NBC Sports Network will provide national television coverage for a minimum of 12 men’s basketball games each year, including the semifinals and finals of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship. In addition, the NBC Sports Network will televise a minimum of five CAA Football games annually. CAA Football is regarded as the top conference in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

The Comcast SportsNet regional networks, which have partnered with the CAA for the past 28 years, will regionally televise 39 additional men’s and women’s basketball games, including the quarterfinals of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship and the semifinals and finals of the CAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The Comcast Sports Group will also televise an additional 13 regular-season CAA Football games.

Throughout the term of the agreement, there are plans to telecast numerous additional CAA games and various CAA championships on NBCSports.com.

SUMMARY OF CAA AGREEMENT WITH THE NBC SPORTS GROUP

· 12 national telecasts of CAA men’s basketball games, including national television coverage of the semifinals and finals of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time.

· Five national telecasts of CAA Football games for the first time in conference history.

· A strong regional television package maintained with the Comcast SportsNet regional networks, featuring 39 men’s and women’s basketball games and 13 football games.

· Numerous other CAA games and CAA championships broadcast on NBCSports.com.

The Colonial Athletic Association is a 12-member Division I athletic conference with a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Atlanta and encompasses five of the nation’s nine largest metropolitan areas. The CAA has had two men’s basketball teams (George Mason – 2006, VCU – 2011) and one women’s basketball team (Old Dominion – 1997) advance to the NCAA Final Four and has produced 16 national team champions in five different sports. Member schools include the University of Delaware, Drexel University, George Mason University, Georgia State University, Hofstra University, James Madison University, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Northeastern University, Old Dominion University, Towson University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the College of William and Mary.

CAA Football is an 11-member Division I conference that competes in the Football Championship Subdivision. CAA Football has produced five national champions (Massachusetts – 1998, Delaware – 2003, James Madison – 2004, Richmond – 2008, Villanova – 2009) and has had a team advance to the national title game in five of the last six years. Member schools include the University of Delaware, Georgia State University, James Madison University, the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire, Old Dominion University, the University of Rhode Island, the University of Richmond, Towson University, Villanova University and the College of William and Mary.

A part of the NBC Sports Group, NBC Sports Network is the 24/7 cable platform for NBC Sports' rich heritage of unmatched storytelling, best-in-class production and utilizing broad promotion to make big events bigger. Now in more than 75 million homes, NBC Sports Network serves sports fans by airing coverage of the Olympic Games and Trials as well as the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France, major college football, basketball and hockey, and horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown, among other events. The network’s original programming, such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point and NBC SportsTalk, exemplifies NBC Sports’ ability to tell stories and provide meaningful, relevant content. The network is also home to the best outdoor programming on television. NBC Sports Network, which prides itself on serving sports fans across multiple platforms, is distributed via cable, satellite and telco operators throughout the United States.

Comcast Sports Group, part of the NBC Sports Group, consists of 14 local networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and breaking news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s sports networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

===================================================

Where are they now? UD's Ivory Sully of the 1970s Blue Hens

February 6, 2012

BY PETE CALDERA
STAFF WRITER for The Record

Ivory Sully can still feel the chill from that frigid November day in
Chicago 33 years ago, when his Los Angeles Rams seemed to have lost more
than just a game.

Buried by a fourth-quarter Bears rally, the Rams were a 5-6 team with
dimming playoff hopes and a daunting schedule ahead.

"I remember taking a cold shower, because all they ever had at Soldier
Field was cold water, and feeling completely dejected," Sully said by
phone from his home in Anaheim, Calif. "But that's when [our veterans]
took control and said, 'We're going to do this thing.'

"So, I thoroughly understand what happened with the Giants [in their
stretch run]."

A rookie defensive back surrounded by elders such as Jack and Jim
Youngblood and Fred Dryer, Sully and the Rams captured the NFC West, won
two road playoff games and made it to the Super Bowl – where they were
stopped by the indomitable Pittsburgh Steelers.

Barely a year before Super Bowl XIV, Sully was in a Division II college
title game for Delaware, winning a championship as a running back for
legendary coach Tubby Raymond.

Sully now resides in the University of Delaware Hall of Fame. But his
professional road from Leonia High School to a nine-year NFL career,
with stops in Tampa Bay and Detroit, began as an undrafted free agent.

"I had to fight my way on to a team, so every day to me was a fight. It
was like me against the world," said Sully, who applied that
hardscrabble attitude toward a successful career in the fashion apparel
industry.

Sully, 54, recently joined the Continental Alliance Group as vice
president of licensing, after having served in executive roles at
fashion staples English Laundry and Pelle Pelle.

He'd thought about taking an NFL coaching or executive path, "but I
didn't know how to attach myself to it," said Sully, who already had
begun transforming his hobby for clothing into a business career.

During his final NFL season for the Lions in 1987, Sully designed and
marketed a brand of athletic wear to a Detroit outlet, which rapidly
boomed.

And yet Sully's passion for football — and his desire to motivate
kids to achieve — never dimmed.

"I always wanted to give back, and I've found a way," Sully said of his
role as a volunteer football assistant at Anaheim's Servite High School,
which won a state title in 2009 and has produced players such as current
Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater – the Pro Bowl son of
Jackie Slater, Sully's former Rams teammate and Hall of Famer.

Sully also gives motivational speeches to youth groups and business
executives that touch on his personal experiences.

"My real platform is leadership, team building and character building,"
Sully said. "It's about developing the person inside."

As a former NFL Players rep, Sully also retains his interest in the
plight of players after their gridiron days: the drug addictions,
financial hardships, divorces and depressions that are all too common,
but often unrecognized.

Sully occasionally will travel back to the metropolitan area on
business, but there's so much more to do at home. He's formed his own
executive consulting firm and works at a youth training center two
nights a week with Rams Super Bowl quarterback Vince Ferragamo.

Plus, the father of four and his wife, Sylvia, welcomed new daughter
Jasmine into the world five weeks ago.

As busy as he is, Sully still paid close attention to the Giants –
particularly the way Tom Coughlin directed his team. It touched a
familiar chord.

"Tom influences his players," Sully said. "It empowers them to take
control of their own destiny."

======================================================

UD announces 2012 recruiting class

February 1, 2012 7:54 pm

Newark Post

NEWARK, Del. -- University of Delaware football head coach K.C. Keeler
announced on Wednesday the signing of 10 outstanding high school
recruits who have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to attend UD on
a scholarship and compete for the Blue Hens this coming fall.

In addition to the 10 recruits, Keeler also announced the additions of
transfers Trent Hurley from Bowling Green and Sam Collura from
Pittsburgh. Hurley is a sophomore quarterback from Connellsville, Pa.
(Greensburg Central Catholic HS) and Collura is a redshirt freshman
offensive lineman from Elkridge, Md. (DeMatha Catholic HS). Both are
enrolled at Delaware and will take part in spring drills beginning in
March.

The 10 incoming recruits hale from six different states, including two
each from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, and includes
three wide receivers, two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, one
defensive back, one running back, and one kicker.

Six of the 10 recruits took part in Delaware's one-day high school camp
this summer.

"This is a big day all around the country and it is for us too," said
Keeler, who will enter his 11th season this fall. "This is a great class
for us and we are exicted that we got what we wanted and needed. This is
a special group, not only as football players but as people. Our staff
really enjoyed working with this group and we are looking forward to
them contributing to our program in the future."

Delaware, which advanced to the NCAA national title game three times
during the 2000's, including a national title in 2003, just missed a
spot in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 when the Blue Hens posted a 7-4
overall record and won its final three games.

Below are biographies on the 10 incoming recruits and two transfers
along with quotes from Keeler:

CONNOR BOZICK ● 6-5 ● 300 ● Offensive Line ●Severn, Md.
(DeMatha Catholic HS)

Outstanding offensive tackle and guard at DeMatha Catholic High School
for head coach Elijah Brooks...another in a long line of DeMatha
standouts to play at Delaware, including two-time All-CAA center Rob
McDowell who closed out his career this past fall having started every
game of his career...earned second team Big Schools All-State honors in
2011 and was a first team All-Prince George's County and second team
All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference pick as a senior...rated as
the No. 45 top high school player in state of Maryland...started in the
Crab Bowl and Chesapeake Bowl All-Star games...only lineman picked as a
Top 10 performer in the Crab Bowl...team went 7-4 and lost in the
semifinals of the conference playoffs in 2011...served as team captain
as a senior...also competes in lacrosse and wrestling at
DeMatha....attended UD Football Camp...plans to major in sport
management or marketing at Delaware...grandfather, John Bozick, played
football at Penn State; uncle, Bruce Bozick, played college football at
Kentucky; and father played college football at U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy... last name pronounced "bo-zick" ...full name is John Connor
Bozick...son of John and Vickie Bozick.

"We have been very fortunate with the kids we have gotten from DeMatha.
It is a great program and the kids come in understanding what they need
to do in terms of committment and academics. Connor is a very athletic
big man who had some interest from some of the bigger schools but liked
what he saw here. He has a big frame and has great footwork."

CRAIG BRODSKY ● 5-11 ● 195 ● Defensive Back ● Orange Park, Fla.
(Fleming Island HS)

Outstanding athlete who played defensive back for head coach Jeff Webb
at Fleming Island High School...two-time All-State selection....two-time
member of the Florida Times Union All-First Coast team...named to the
Florida Times Union Super 24 Team as a senior...rated by Rivals.com as
one of the top 160 players in the state of Flor
ida...served as team
captain and was voted team Most Valuable Player as a senior...exciting
all-purpose player who intercepted 12 passes over his final two seasons,
returning five for touchdowns...also returned five kickoffs and punts
for touchdowns as a senior in 2011...led team to a record of 21-4 over
his final two seasons...team went 12-1 and advanced to regionals in 2010
and posted a 9-3 record and advanced to the second round of the state
tournament in 2011...rated a 2-Star Prospect by Rivals.com...attended UD
Football Camp...runs the 40-yard dash in 4.44...plans to major in
exercise science at Delaware...son of Rob and Dana Brodsky.

"We first saw Craig at our one-day workout and were very impressed. He
is a special football player who can play corner or safety and can also
return punts and kickoffs. When he gets the ball in his hands, he is
electric. He plays very fast and his speed was a major factor in why we
liked him so much. He is an impressive young man and a high academic
performer. It was a no-brainer when we saw him."

SAM COLLURA ● 6-4 ● 28 8 ● Offensive Line ● Elkridge, Md.
(DeMatha Catholic HS / University of Pittsburgh)

Currently enrolled at Delaware after transfer from Pittsburgh following
fall semester...will take part in spring drills and have redshirt
freshman eligibility this fall...joins UD offensive line unit that
graduated four starters, including All-American guard Gino
Gradkowski...expected to play guard for Delaware...did not see action at
Pitt last season as a true freshman for head coach Todd Graham....rated
one of the top 20 prospects in the state of Maryland by
Rivals.com...two-way starter at DeMatha for head coach Bill
McGregor...as a senior in 2010, compiled 86 tackles and 12 sacks at
defensive end and had 14 receptions for 287 yards (20.5 avg.) and five
touchdowns at tight end...compiled 28 catches for 581 yards (20.8 avg.)
and eight TDs for his career...two-time All-Washington Catholic Athletic
Conference (WCAC)... All-Prince Georges County...helped team to a 9-3
mark and second consecutive berth in the WCAC championship
game...DeMatha went 31-5 (.861) during his three varsity seasons...rated
one of the top 50 prospects in the Mid-Atlantic region by
SuperPrep...rated a 3-Star Prospect by Rivals.com...son of Joseph and
Kelly Collura...last name pronounced "kuh-lore-uh".

"Sam is another DeMatha product who we are really excited about. He
went to Pitt as a tight end and they moved away from that position. He
has upped his weight to 288 and really looks good. He is an athletic kid
who can be a great offensive guard for us. He has good feet and good
balance and will challenge for a starting spot on our line which lost
four starters. He needs a full spring to get comfortable at offensive
line but we are very excited about having him."

MARK DOE ● 5-9 ● 165 ● Wide Receiver ● Collingdale, Pa.
(Academy Park HS)

Standout wide receiver and defensive back for head coach Jason Voshyski
at Academy Park High School in Delaware County...has outstanding speed
and athleticism...honorable mention All-State selection by Pennsylvania
Football News as a defensive back in both 2010 and 2011...earned All-Del
Val Conference honors all three varsity seasons, earning first team
all-purpose honors on offense and defense in 2011, first team honors on
defense in 2010, and honorable mention honors at wide receiver and
defensive back in 2009...earned first team All-Delaware County honors on
defense in 2011 and honorable mention notice in 2010...named Academy
Park High School team Most Valuable Player as a senior...as a senior,
posted 77 tackles and three sacks and returned four of his five
interceptions for touchdowns, caught 13 passes for 192 yards and two
touchdowns, and rushed for 632 yards and eight touchdowns...for his
career, registered 165 tackles, six sacks, seven interceptions (six for
touchdowns), 42 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed
for 964 yards and nine touchdowns...team went 8-4 in 2011 and a
dvanced
to regional quarterfinals...attended UD Football Camp...runs the 40-yard
dash in 4.43 seconds...also competes in track & field...plans to major
in psychology...son of James and Comfort Doe.

"Mark ran the fastest 40-yard dash time out of the nearly 400 athletes
who took part in our one-day camp over the summer. He was just
spectacular and we could tell quickly he was someone who we really
wanted here at Delaware. We took one look at him and offered him that
day. We need to get more dynamic to compete and Mark is a flat-out
burner and explosive. He is a great kid who will really fit in well with
our team chemistry."

ERIC ENDERSON ●6-1 ● 185 ● Kicker/Punter ● Hampton, Va.
(Phoebus HS)

Enjoyed an outstanding career as a placekicker, punter, and quarterback
for head coach Stan Sexton at Phoebus High School...three-year
starter...one of the top kickers in the state...earned All-State,
All-region, and All-district squads all three seasons as a kicker and
punter....led team to a 13-2 record and No. 6 ranking in the state this
past season when the team won its fourth straight state title....threw a
50-yard touchdown pass in the state title game to put Phoebus up for
good...team won 45 straight games at one point during his career...also
played soccer....National Honor Society student...plans to major in
communications at Delaware...son of Mark and Kim Enderson.

"Eric is another player who really impressed us in his one-day workout
here. We saw him kick and he made something like 30 in a row. He didn't
miss many. He is a talented kid who is a football player, not just a
specialist. He had the kind of intangibles we liked and when you find a
kid like him, you take him. Our plan is to redshirt him (with All-CAA 
kicker Sean Baner returning) and really see a bright future ahead for
him."

SIMBA GWASHAVANHU ● 6-1 ● 180 ●Wide Receiver ● Gaithersburg,
Md. (Gaithersburg HS)

Standout wide receiver and defensive back at Gaithersburg High School
for head coach Kreg Kephart...consensus All-State performer as a senior,
earning first team Big School honors..earned second team All-Metro
honors by the Washington Post as a senior...started at wide receiver in
Maryland Crab Bowl Game...has been timed at 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard
dash....born in Zimbabwe and also lived for a period of time in
China....son of Wilbert and Ruth Gwashavanhu...full name is Simbarashe
Gwashavanhu...last name pronounced "gwash-uh-vahn-who".

"Simba is not big, but he is a very talented kid with a lot of
athleticism. He was a first team All-State pick in Maryland who
committed early with us. We expect him to develop into a great player
who can help us."

VINCE HOLLERMAN ● 6-2 ● 235 ● Defensive Line ● Woodbine, Ga.
(Camden County HS)

Outstanding defensive end at Camden County High School for head coach
Jeff Herron....one of two recruits from Camden County High School,
joining fellow lineman Josh Plummer...earned All-State honors in Georgia
as both a junior in 2010 and as a senior in 2011...two-time region
Defensive Player of the Year in 2010-11....selected as Camden County
Co-Defensive Most Valuable Player each of his final two
seasons...recorded 30 tackles with two quarterback sacks in 2010 and
posted 40 tackles with 12 sacks and two pass breakups as a senior in
2011...also recovered one fumble and forced another as a senior...led
the 2012 team to a 12-1 record, a perfect 8-0 mark in regional play, a
regional title, and a berth in the state Elite Eight...plans to major in
engineering at Delaware...son of Jennifer Mathis.

"Vince is another player who committed early to us. He is a dynamic
defensive end who just jumps off the charts on film. He played with four
other defensivse lineman at Camden County who received Division I
scholarships and he was the team's defensive Most Valuable Player, which
says a lot. He is a special football player with great strength who can
bring a lot ot the table. We need players like him who can be dynamic,
rush the passer,
and put pressure on the passing game.

TRENT HURLEY ● 6-4 ● 220 ●Quarterback ● Connellsville, Pa.
(Greensburg Central Catholic HS/Bowling Green University)

Currently enrolled at Delaware and will take part in spring drills
beginning in March...will have sophomore eligibility this fall and will
battle for starting spot along with returnees Tim Donnelly, Trevor
Sasek, and Justin Burns...played two seasons at Bowling Green for head
coach Dave Clawson...played in four games in 2011 as a redshirt
freshman, completing 9 of 16 passes for 115 yards and one
interception...was 6 of 10 for 69 yards vs. Western Michigan...standout
quarterback at Greensburg Central Catholic for head coach Muzzy
Collosimo...team captain... helped lead his team to a conference
championship and an appearance in the state AA finals...played in
East-West Pennsylvania All-Star game...first team All-State as a senior
by the Associated Press...holds the school record for passing yards in a
season and career....rated a 3-Star Prospect by Rivals.com...son of
James and Lauren Hurley...grandfather Lawrence "Bobby" Locke pitched in
for Cleveland, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and California in major league
baseball.

"With the injury to Trevor Sasek last season, we really thought we had
to take a transfer at quarterback. We recruited Trent out of high school
so he had been on our campus. He was not a mystery. He has good size and
good footwork and he can extend plays. We are excited to see what he can
bring. He reminds us a little of Pat Devlin so that is a big plus."

WILL LEWIS ● 6-4 ● 265 ● Offensive Lineman ●Jacksonville, Fla.
(Bishop Kenny HS)

Standout two-way lineman at Bishop Kenny High School for head
coach.....earned All-district honorable mention honors as a senior in
2011 despite missing six games with a sprained knee injury...earned
Jacksonville All-City honors in both 2010 and 2011...first team
All-district offensive lineman in 2010...rated by Rivals.com as the No.
3 offensive tackle in Jacksonville area, No. 5 in Northeast Florida, and
No. 28 in state of Florida...rated a 2-Star Prospect by Rivals.com...son
of Greg and Linda Lewis.

"Will also attended our one-day workout in the summer and committed
early. He really impressed us with the way he dominated. He is yet
another product from the Jacksonville area where we have had a great
track record, thanks to our defensive line Phil Petitte. Will most
likely will play tackle for us but he can play the guard or center
position too."

ANDREW PETERSON ● 6-3 ● 185 ● Wide Receiver ● Newark, Del.
(Charter School of Wilmington HS)

Lone Delaware product in 2012 scholarship class...exciting pass-catcher
who was an All-State selection as a senior in 2011 at Charter School of
Wilmington for head coach and former Delaware player Tyran Rice...earned
second team All-Blue Hen Conference honors...nominated to play in the
annual Blue-Gold High School All-Star Game in June at Delaware
Stadium...earned honorable mention All-Blue Hen Conference honors as a
junior in 2010...served as team captain as a senior....caught 40 passes
for 430 yards and 10 touchdowns and intercepted three passes as a
junior....caught 45 passes for 586 yards and eight touchdowns, rushed
for 150 yards and one touchdown, and intercepted one pass as a
senior...team went 7-3 in 2010....attended UD Football Camp...also
competed in track and field and basketball at Charter...has run a 4.6
40-yard dash...plans to major in exercise science at Delaware...son of
Alexander and Sandra Peterson.

"Andrew is probably the sleeper of this recruiting class. He has a
great size at 6-3 and his potential is through the roof. We were very
impressed with his hands, his focus, and his concentration. He has a
tremendous upside."

JOSH PLUMMER ● 6-2 ● 300 ● Defensive Line ● Saint Mary's, Ga.
(Camden County HS)

Standout defensive lineman at Camden County High School for head coach
Jeff Herron....teammate of fellow Blue Hen recruit Vincent
Hollerman...led th
e 2012 team to a 12-1 record, a perfect 8-0 mark in
regional play, a regional title, and a berth in the state Elite
Eight...team was nationally ranked in the top 10 at one point in the
season...earned All-District (Region 3) honors as both a junior an
senior....collected 39 tackles and 18 quarterback sacks over his final
two seasons...son of Gus Plummer and Tionette Wright.

"Josh is a charismatic kid who the whole staff really fell in love
with. He will play at about 290 lbs. for us and can be an explosive
force off the line. He plays at one of the top programs in the country
at Camden County. Football is so big down there and there is a culture
where kids understand what they need to do to play at the next level. He
looks to be back at 100 percent after a knee injury his junior year and
we are exicted to have him. The sky is the limit for Josh."

JALEN RANDOLPH ●6-1 ● 230 ● Running Back ● Ridley Park, Pa.
(Ridley HS)

Bruising running back with great size...standout at running back and
linebacker at Ridley High School in nearby Delaware County (Pa.) for
head coach Dennis Decker...named first team all-region running back by
easternpafootball.com...earned All-Central League honors by the
Philadelphia Inquirer three times, including first team honors at
running back in 2011...three-year All-Delaware County pick by Delaware
County Daily Times, including first team laurels on defense as a
senior...played in second annual Chesapeake Bowl in December...named
Central League Player of the Week in September when he rushed for a
school-record 270 yards and four touchdowns vs.
Marple-Newtown...Pennsylvania Big 33 Hot 100 Prospect List...took part
in Under Armour 360 Combine in Baltimore, Md. in May, 2011...rushed for
1,250 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior...led Ridley teams to a
three-year mark of 32-7 and two league titles...team went 13-2 and won
district title in 2009...rated a 3-Star Prospect by Rivals.com...son of
Patrick and Julie Randolph....father is currently the wide receivers
coach at NCAA Division III Ursinus (Pa.) College, was one of the
all-time great running backs in Pennsylvania history, and enjoyed an
outstanding career at West Virginia University....relative of Mike
Randolph, who played football at Delaware in 1975-77.

"We wanted to recruit a big back in this class and we got the right
guy. Jalen gives you something different in the backfield. He had some
FBS offers but liked what he saw here at Delaware. He is a talented
young man who is smooth and physical and can also catch the ball out of
the backfield. He also is a high academic kid who comes from a good
pedigree."

Incoming Freshman

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School (Previous School)

Connor Bozick OL 6-5 300 Severn, Md. DeMatha

Craig Brodsky DB 5-11 195 Orange Park, Fla. Fleming Island

Mark Doe WR 5-9 165 Collingdale, Pa. Academy Park

Eric Enderson K/P 6-1 185 Hampton, Va. Phoebus

Simba Gwashavanhu WR 6-1 180 Gaithersburg, Md. Gaithersburg

Vince Hollerman DE 6-2 235 Woodbine, Ga. Camden County

Will Lewis OL 6-4 265 Jacksonville, Fla. Bishop Kenny

Andrew Peterson WR 6-3 185 Newark, Del. Charter School of Wilmington

Josh Plummer DL 6-2 300 Saint Mary's, Ga. Camden County

Jalen Randolph RB 6-1 230 Ridley Park, Pa. Ridley

Transfers

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School (Previous School)

Sam Collura OL 6-4 288 Elkridge, Md. Dematha (Pitt)

Trent Hurley QB 6-4 220 Connellsville, Pa. Greensburg Central Catholic
(Bowling Green)

======================================================================

Delaware Seniors Honored at Annual Blue Hen Touchdown Club Banquet

January 27, 2012 - UD Sports Info Dept

Top Right: Head Coach K.C. Keeler with Gino Gradkowski; Bottom Left:
Keeler with Mark Schenauer (Photos by Mark Campbell)

Athlete photoNEWARK, Del. -- Gino Gradkowski and Mark Schenauer were
the big winners Friday night as the 18 seniors on the 2011 University of
Delaware football squad were honored at the annual Blue Hen Touchdown
Club Banquet held at the Executive Banquet and Conference Center.

Gradkowski, an offensive lineman from Pittsburgh, Pa. (Seton-La Salle
High School) and a consensus All-American this past fall, was honored as
the Outstanding Senior Player on Offense and Outstanding Senior
Offensive Lineman, and was one of three players honored with the
Captain’s Award.

Schenauer, a wide receiver from Galloway, N.J. (Absegami High School),
earned the Unsung Hero Award, joined Gradkowski in receiving the
Captain’s Award, and was named the winner of the prestigious
Baker-Taylor Award, the oldest award in UD athletics which is presented
to a senior member of the football team who has contributed the most in
terms of leadership, dedication, and determination.

Gradkowski and Schenauer were among the 18 seniors who were honored by
the club and by head coach K.C. Keeler, who spoke about each player and
presented each with a picture plaques and replica framed uniform.

The Blue Hens posted a 7-4 record this past fall, narrowly missing a
berth in the NCAA FCS Tournament. Delaware finished the season strong,
winning its final three games.

Athlete photoOther Blue Hen Touchdown Club Award winners were defensive
end Michael Atunrase (Outstanding Senior Player on Defense), tight end
Colin Naugle (Winnie Mayer Outstanding Senior at End Award), linebacker
and fullback Chris Campbell (Outstanding Senior Player on Special
Teams), and linebacker Andrew Harrison (Captains Award).

Gradkowski was a three-year starter and earned All-American honors from
virtually every organization following the 2011 season and is a strong
candidate for the National Football League Draft; Schenauer caught 86
passes for 992 yards and four touchdowns in his career; Atunrase was a
three-year starter who was a two-time All-CAA selection and led the team
in sacks in 2011; Campbell recorded 27 special teams tackles during his
career; Clark was a two-year starter who earned first team Capital
One/CoSIDA District 2 All-Academic honors in 2011; Davis was a versatile
lineman who played all five positions in his career before missing the
entire 2011 season with a knee injury; and Naugle was an All-CAA
selection who caught 30 career passes before missing the end of the 2011
season with a knee injury.

In addition, Campbell, offensive lineman Chad Davis, and defensive end
Ethan Clark shared the Newark Elks Club Scholar-Athlete Award, which is
presented to the senior with the highest cumulative grade point average.
It marked the first time since the award began being presented in 1985
that more than one player earned the award. Each of the players recorded
a grade point average higher than 3.65.

In addition to the award winners, other seniors recognized were
offensive linemen Rob McDowell, Shea Allard, Charles Gushue, and Will
Nagle, defensive linemen Matt Hardison and Demitrius Hester, wide
receivers John Hodgkinson and Bobby Russo, linebacker Eddie Lugo, and
defensive back Justin McDonald.

=================================================

University of Delaware Football Earns Top 20 Ranking in Final NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Polls

Newark Post

January 11, 2012 

The University of Delaware football squad, which narrowly missed a spot in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff field despite a 7-4 mark, earned top 20 rankings in the two final major national Top 25 polls announced earlier this week.

Delaware, which also posted a 5-3 mark in the rigorous Colonial Athletic Association and ended the season with a three-game win streak for head coach K.C. Keeler, was ranked No. 17 in The Sports Network Media poll and No. 20 in the FCS Coaches poll.

North Dakota State (14-1), which captured the NCAA national championship title this past Saturday with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State (14-1), earned the No. 1 ranking in both polls, earning all 125 first place votes in the TSN poll and all 25 in the FCS Coaches poll. Sam Houston State was ranked No. 2 in both polls.

Delaware was among six CAA schools ranked in both final Top 25 polls, joining league champion Towson (9-3), Old Dominion (10-3), New Hampshire (8-4), Maine (9-4), and James Madison (8-5). Maine advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals while Towson, Old Dominion, New Hampshire, and James Madison all lost in the second round.

In The Sports Network poll, Montana was ranked third followed by Georgia Southern (11-3), Lehigh (11-2), Northern Iowa (10-3), Montana State (10-3), Maine, Towson, Old Dominion, New Hampshire, Appalachian State (8-4), Wofford (8-4), Central Arkansas (9-4), James Madison, Harvard (9-1), Delaware, Stony Brook (9-4), Norfolk State (9-3), Illinois State (7-4), Tennessee Tech (7-4), Jackson State (9-2), North Dakota (8-3), Eastern Kentucky (7-5), and Liberty (7-4).

In the FCS poll, Georgia Southern was third followed by Montana, Northern Iowa, Lehigh, Montana State, Maine, Towson, Old Dominion, Appalachian State, New Hampshire, Wofford, James Madison, Central Arkansas, Stony Brook, Harvard, Norfolk State, Tennessee Tech, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Albany, Jackson State, and Liberty.

Delaware and Harvard were the only teams ranked in the Top 20 that did not advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Delaware, which returns 21 players with starting experience for 2012, will begin spring drills in March with the annual Blue-White Spring Scrimmage scheduled for Apr. 20 at Delaware Stadium.

========================================

Flacco accepts criticism like a Man on a mission

Thursday - 1/12/2012 
From: http://www.wtop.com

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Joe Flacco is the only quarterback in NFL history to reach the playoffs in each of his first four years. He's 44-20 during the regular season with the Baltimore Ravens and 4-3 in the postseason.

Despite his success, Flacco has found it easier to dodge blitzing linebackers than fend off his critics.

Some say he's not mobile enough in the pocket. Some question his decision-making under pressure. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley took the bashing to another level, saying the Ravens won't win a Super Bowl with Flacco "in this lifetime."

Flacco smirks at all this. After all, he's one of only eight NFL starting quarterbacks still playing, and he intends to make the best of that situation Sunday when Baltimore (12-4) faces the Houston Texans (11-6) for the right to play in the AFC title game.

Asked Wednesday how it feels to generate such negative reviews, Flacco responded, "I don't care. We've won a lot of games around here. This is the second year in a row we won 12 games. At the end of the day, do you see the criticism sometimes and say, `What the (heck) are they talking about?' Yeah. But who cares?

"It all comes down to three games now. Win this one, win the next one, win the Super Bowl. Then what are they going to say? That's what we've got to do, that's what I've got to do. I'm not thinking of anything else."

Flacco, who turns 27 on Monday, didn't play at a big-time college. He has never been named to the Pro Bowl, never led the league in passes and has never been compared to many of the elite quarterbacks in the game today.

All he does is win, and that's OK with Ravens coach John Harbaugh. After being drafted out of the University of Delaware, Flacco started in Game 1 of his first season when Harbaugh was a rookie head coach. Together, the team has made Baltimore the only team in the league to reach the playoffs in each of the past four years.

"Joe Flacco, he's our quarterback. He's the Ravens quarterback. We think he's a great player, a great person," Harbaugh said. "And the best is yet to come. Joe is like every quarterback. You watch the curve and you watch him develop and grow. We've all had a front-row seat. You see the good, you see the not so good, like with any player. Joe's been overwhelmingly good, and he's only going to get better. I can't wait to see it. I'm looking forward to seeing it on Sunday."

The not so good? Flacco had a career-low 57.6 completion percentage this season and threw 12 interceptions, tying a career high. He also fumbled 11 times, losing six.

But the Ravens are back in the playoffs as AFC North champions, thanks in no small part to Flacco's game-ending, beat-the-clock, 92-yard drive in Pittsburgh on Nov. 6 that gave Baltimore a 23-20 victory and a sweep of the Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore finished with the same record, but the Steelers entered as the No. 5 seed and were ousted last weekend while the Ravens enjoyed a bye.

"I think Joe has proven himself, especially after we faced Pittsburgh and he led us down the field," Ravens running back Ray Rice said. "I was involved in the offense, but that was solely Joe Flacco doing his thing. Him being calm, him being himself, I think that's really Joe. It's no surprise me and him are back in the playoffs, back in the hunt again, ready to fight what everybody's fighting for, and that's the Super Bowl."

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who has seen more than a dozen quarterbacks come and go since he arrived in 1996, believes Flacco can take Baltimore to a world championship.

"There's something about Joe I've liked from Day One," Lewis said. "You have to appreciate a young kid who comes out with that much talent, and now you see where his talent is going. Now he's more of a mentor, getting the offense to understand him. You see his composure and how he's settling in to really control this offense. Now where we are, why wouldn't it be Joe to lead us to a Super Bowl?"


http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_career.htm


NFL records:

First rookie quarterback to start all sixteen games and make the playoffs (along with Matt Ryan)
First rookie quarterback to win two playoff games
Most starts by a quarterback in first three seasons: 55
Most wins by a quarterback in first 60 consecutive starts: 40
First quarterback to start and win a playoff game in each of his first three seasons
Most combined regular and postseason wins in first three years as a quarterback: 36 (tied with Dan Marino)
Most playoff road wins: 4 (tied with Len Dawson, Roger Staubach, Jake Delhomme, and Mark Sanchez)
First NFL QB to ever lead their team to the playoffs in their first four seasons.

Ravens records:

· First all time in Ravens history for passing yards (10,081)

· First all time in Ravens history for passing touchdowns (60).
· First all time in Ravens history for game winning drives (11). Three this year

===============================================

Seven Home Games, August Opener Highlight 2012 University of Delaware Football Schedule

December 23, 2011 - UD Sports Info

NEWARK, Del. -- Seven home games at Delaware Stadium, including three
straight non-league matchups to open the season, highlight the 2012
University of Delaware football schedule announced this week.

The Blue Hens will host seven games, including non-league meetings
against West Chester, Delaware State, and Bucknell and visits from
Colonial Athletic Association opponents Maine, Rhode Island, Towson, and
Villanova.

Maine advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision
quarterfinals this past fall while Towson won the CAA title and advanced
to the NCAA Tournament.

Delaware’s four road games will include trips to CAA foes William &
Mary, New Hampshire, Old Dominion, and Richmond. New Hampshire and Old
Dominion both competed in the NCAA Tournament this past season.

Delaware is coming off a 2011 season that saw the Blue Hens post a 7-4
record and win its final three games of the season for head coach K.C.
Keeler. Delaware, which narrowly missed out on a second straight
NCAA Tournament bid, returns 21 players with starting experience,
including All-CAA selections in running back Andrew Pierce, wide
receiver Nihja White, linebacker Paul Worrilow, and cornerback and kick
returner Travis Hawkins.

The Blue Hens will open the season with three straight non-league home
games, squaring off against longtime foe West Chester on Thursday
night., Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. before taking on in-state rival Delaware
State on Saturday, Sept. 8, and Bucknell on Saturday, Sept. 15 for 3:30
p.m. starts. The Bucknell game will be the setting for annual Band Day
festivities.

Delaware will take on NCAA Division II foe West Chester for the final
time as the long-time rivalry, which dates back to 1941, comes to a
close. The Hens will then square off against Delaware State for the
third annual Route I Rivalry before taking on Patriot League foe
Bucknell for the first time since 1985.

Delaware will open its CAA slate Sept. 22 at William & Mary followed by
the Hens’ first visit to New Hampshire since 2007. The Hens will then
return home to host Maine on Oct. 6 for Parents & Family Weekend at 3:30
p.m.. Following a bye week on Oct. 13, Delaware will return to Delaware
Stadium to host Rhode Island at 3:30 p.m. for Homecoming on Oct. 20.

The Hens will visit Old Dominion for the first time ever in football on
Oct. 27, return home Nov. 3 to take on Towson for Hall of Fame Day at
3:30 p.m., and then visit Richmond on Nov. 10. Delaware will close out
the regular season Nov. 17 with the annual Battle of the Blue matchup
with Villanova at 3:30 p.m. in the 45th renewal of the Hens’ most
spirited and competitive rivalries.

Times of all games are tentative and could be altered due to television
schedules. Season and individual game ticket information for the seven
home games will be announced closer to the spring.

AGATE: 

2012 University of Delaware Football Schedule:

Thursday, Aug. 30 - vs. West Chester, 7:30 p.m. (Season Opener)
Saturday, Sept. 8 - vs. Delaware State, 3:30 p.m. (Route 1 Rivalry)
Saturday, Sept. 15 - vs. Bucknell, 3:30 p.m. (Band Day)
Saturday, Sept. 22 - at *William & Mary, tba
Saturday, Sept. 29 - at *New Hampshire, tba
Saturday, Oct. 6 - vs. *Maine, 3:30 p.m. (Parents &Family Weekend)
Saturday, Oct. 20 - vs. *Rhode Island, 3:30 p.m. (Homecoming)
Saturday, Oct. 27 - at *Old Dominion, tba
Saturday, Nov. 3 - vs. *Towson (Hall of Fame Day), 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 10 - at *Richmond, tba
Saturday, Nov. 17 - vs. *Villanova (Battle of the Blue), 

=======================================

Miami Dolphins activate rookie QB Pat Devlin

12/22/11 - from http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bcJ9x

Rookie quarterback Pat Devlin finally got called up to the active roster Tuesday after spending 15 weeks on the Dolphins' practice squad. They will use him if starter Matt Moore and back-up J.P. Losman become injured.

The Dolphins made room for Devlin by placing outside linebacker Koa Misi (shoulder) on injured reserve, ending his season. 

Activating Devlin, who was drafted out of Delaware, assures that he will remain Dolphins' property this off-season. NFL rules let teams poach players from another club's practice squad and sign them to the 53-man roster. Tuesday's maneuver prevents a team from stealing Devlin in the final two weeks. This assures that he will at least go through their off-season program.

Moore's concussion two weeks ago against Philadelphia was another reason to add Devlin. He will make a pro-rated portion of the rookie minimum $375,000.

"We had an extra spot, Pat had been doing well in practice, and then the quarterback's been nicked up a little bit," Bowles said.

To fill Devlin's spot on the practice squad, the Dolphins signed rookie quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, a product of Sacramento State who has played in the Arena Football League and the United Football League since leaving college last December. He also spent time in the San Francisco 49ers' training camp.

==============================================

Gradkowski Named First Team The Sports Network All-American; Earns Third National Citation of Post-Season

December 19, 2011 - UD SPORTS INFO DEPT.

PHILADELPHIA -- University of Delaware senior offensive guard Gino
Gradkowski (at right) earned his third national honor of the post-season
Monday when he was named to The Sports Network All-American first team.

The 6-4, 295 lb native of Pittsburgh, Pa. (Seton-LaSalle HS) has now
been honored on three All-American teams this fall, earning first team
honors by the American Football Coaches Association and second team
laurels from the Associated Press earlier this month.

He becomes the first UD player to be honored on The Sports Network
All-American first team since running back Omar Cuff and kicker Jon
Striefsky were honored following Delaware’s national runner-up season.
Gradkowski is the first Blue Hen offensive lineman to earn first team
TSN honors since Jason Nerys led the Hens to the national championship
in 2003. Delaware has placed at least one player on an All-American team
each of the last 10 seasons under head coach K.C. Keeler.

A national panel of sports information and media relations directors,
broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries selected the TSN All-America
teams based only on the regular season.

A three-year starter, Gradkowski was one of seven Colonial Athletic
Association student-athletes named to The Sports Network teams, joining
first team running back Terrance West of Towson, first team linebacker
Matt Evans of New Hampshire, first team defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron
of Old Dominion, second team running back Jonathan Grimes of William &
Mary, second team punter Jonathan Plisco of Old Dominion, and third team
wide receiver Tre Gray of Richmond.

A two-time first team All-CAA selection, Gradkowski has solidified his
reputation as the top offensive lineman in the league as well as one of
the top blockers in the nation this season. He is expected to earn looks
from National Football League teams as a potential pick in this
spring’s annual draft.

Gradkowski helped lead Keeler’s squad to a 7-4 record this past fall
as the Hens barely missed out on a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Gradkowski was also the Hens’ top offensive lineman in 2010 when
Delaware went 12-3 and advanced to the national championship game.

A three-year starter after transfering from West Virginia, Gradkowski
led a senior-laden offensive line unit that also included All-CAA picks
Shea Allard and Rob McDowell. The group opened big holes for 1,000-yard
rusher Andrew Pierce while helping the UD offense rank fifth in the
CAA in both rushing offense (165.5 yards per game) and scoring
offense (25.8 points per game).

Gradkowski, who started all 11 games this season, including eight at
guard and three at center, earned first team All-CAA honors back in
November, becoming the first UD player to earn back-to-back first team
honors since defensive back Charles Graves in 2009 and 2010 and the
first UD offensive lineman to accomplish the feat since Conway Hayman in
1968-69.

AGATE:

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington, Sr., or
Chris Lum, Lehigh, Sr.; RB - Shakir Bell, Indiana State, So.; Terrance
West, Towson, Fr.; FB - Eric Breitenstein, Wofford, Jr.; WR - Aaron
Mellette, Elon, Jr.; Nicholas Edwards, Eastern Washington, Jr.; Ryan
Spadola, Lehigh, Jr.; TE - Colin Anderson, Furman, Jr.; OT - Chris
Crockett, Sam Houston State, Sr.; Brett Moore, Georgia Southern, Sr.; OG
- Gino Gradkowski, Delaware, Sr.; Nate Page, Wofford, Sr.; C - Travis
Watson, Sam Houston State, Sr.; PK - Zach Brown, Portland State, Sr.; KR
- Kevin Fogg, Liberty, Jr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M, Sr.; Andrew
Schaetzke, Georgetown, Sr.; DT - Ronnie Cameron, Old Dominion, Sr.;
Brent Russell, Georgia Southern, Jr.; LB - Wes Dothard, Chattanooga,
So.; Matt Evans, New Hampshire, Jr.; L.J. Fort, Northern Iowa,
Sr.;
Caleb McSurdy, Montana, Sr.; CB - Bryce Robertson, Bucknell, Sr.; Marcus
Williams, North Dakota State, So.; S - Kejuan Riley, Alabama State, Jr.;
Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State, Jr.; P - David Harrington, Idaho
State, Sr.; C.J. Estelle, UT Martin, Sr.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington, Sr., or
Chris Lum, Lehigh, Sr.; RB - Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State, So.;
Jonathan Grimes, William & Mary, Sr.; FB - Jake Romanelli, Cal Poly,
Sr.; WR - Tim Benford, Tennessee Tech, Sr.; Brian Quick, Appalachian
State, Sr.; Rodrick Rumble, Idaho State, Jr.; TE - Kyle Juszczyk,
Harvard, Jr.; OT - Paul Cornick, North Dakota State, Sr.; Blake
Matthews, Norfolk State, Jr.; OG - D.J. Hall, Texas State, Sr.; J.C.
Oram, Weber State, Sr.; C - Bryan Boemer, Southern Illinois, Sr.; PK -
Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa, So.; KR - Laron Scott, Georgia
Southern, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Ryan Davis, Bethune-Cookman, Sr.; Willie
Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin, So.; DT - Ben Boothby, Northern Iowa, Sr.;
Zach Minter, Montana State, Jr.; LB - Seth Allison, Central Arkansas,
Jr.; Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State, Jr.; Blake Pfeifer, SE
Missouri State, So.; Keith Pough, Howard, Jr.; CB - Trumaine Johnson,
Montana, Sr.; Josh Norman, Coastal Carolina, Sr.; S - Justin Bethel,
Presbyterian, Sr.; Alex Sewall, Indiana State, Sr.; P - Jonathan Plisco,
Old Dominion, Jr.; PR - Darius Carey, McNeese State, Jr.

THIRD TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Casey Brockman, Murray State, Jr.; RB - Jordan
Brown, Bryant, Jr.; Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook, Jr.; FB - Brock Lough,
Indiana State, Sr.; WR - Tre Gray, Richmond, Sr.; Chris Summers,
Liberty, Sr.; Patrick Walker, Northern Colorado, Sr.; TE - Renty
Rollins, Jackson State, Sr.; OT - Conrad Burbank, Montana State, Sr.;
Tom Compton, South Dakota, Sr.; Orry Frye, Appalachian State, Sr.; OG -
Joe Faiella, Stony Brook, Sr.; Scott Schweitzer, Tennessee Tech, Sr.; C
- Jim Liebler, Lehigh, Sr.; PK - Adrian Mora, Georgia Southern, Sr.; KR
- Austin Minefee, Southern Utah, Sr.

THIRD TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Corey Hart, Alabama A&M, Sr.; Ben Obaseki,
Indiana State, Jr.; DT - Emory Attig, Eastern Kentucky, Jr.; Josue
Ortiz, Harvard, Sr.; LB - Rico Council, Tennessee State, Sr.; Jody
Owens, Montana State, Jr.; Alvin Scioneaux, Wofford, Jr.; A.J. Storms,
Idaho State, Sr.; CB - Asa Jackson, Cal Poly, Sr.; Ryan Steed, Furman,
Sr.; S - Jose Gumbs, Monmouth, Sr.; Serge Kona, Duquesne, Jr.; P -
Patrick Murray, Fordham, Jr.; PR - Jabin Sambrano, Montana, Sr.

Note: The order of the first- and second-team All-America quarterbacks
will released after the unveiling of the 2011 Walter Payton Award on
Jan. 6.

============================================================

Gradkowski Earns All-American Honors Again; Cited as Second Team All-Star by Associated Press

December 15, 2011 - UD Sports Info Dept

NEW YORK -- University of Delaware senior offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski (at right) added a second national citation to his resume Friday afternoon as the Blue Hen co-captain was named a second team All-American by the Associated Press.

Gradkowski, a three-year starter from Pittsburgh, Pa. (Seton-LaSalle High School), was one of eight Colonial Athletic Association student-athletes named to the three Associated Press teams. Earlier this month, Gradkowski was named first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, extending Delaware’s streak to 10 straight years having at least one All-American selection.

A two-time first team All-CAA selection, Gradkowski has solidified his reputation as the top offensive lineman in the league as well as one of the top blockers in the nation this season. He is expected to earn looks from National Football League teams as a potential pick in this spring’s annual draft.

“Gino had a phenomenal year, possibly the best for an offensive lineman that I’ve seen in my 10 years here at Delaware,” said Keeler after Gradkowski was honored by the AFCA last week. “The leadership that he provides to our team in the weight room and the locker room, not to mention his play on the field, makes him very deserving of being an All-American.”

Gradkowski helped lead Keeler’s squad to a 7-4 record this past fall as the Hens barely missed out on a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Gradkowski was also the Hens’ top offensive lineman in 2010 when Delaware went 12-3 and advanced to the national championship game.

A three-year starter after transfering from West Virginia, Gradkowski led a senior-laden offensive line unit that also included All-CAA picks Shea Allard and Rob McDowell. The group opened big holes for 1,000-yard rusher Andrew Pierce while helping the UD offense rank fifth in the CAA in both rushing offense (165.5 yards per game) and scoring offense (25.8 points per game).

Gradkowski, who started all 11 games this season, including eight at guard and three at center, earned first team All-CAA honors back in November, becoming the first UD player to earn back-to-back first team honors since defensive back Charles Graves in 2009 and 2010 and the first UD offensive lineman to accomplish the feat since Conway Hayman in 1968-69.

Delaware has now placed at least one player on the Associated Press All-American team in each of the last five seasons. Gradkowski is the first UD offensive lineman to be honored on the team since Mike Byrne was a third team pick in 2007.

All-American teams for the The Sports Network and College Sporting News, as well as others will be announced in the coming weeks.


AGATE:

2011 Associated Press NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision All-American Teams

FIRST TEAM - OFFENSE - QB - Bo Levi Mitchell (Eastern Washington); RB - Shakir Bell (Indiana State), Eric Breitenstein (Wofford); OL - J.C. Oram (Weber State); George Bias (Stephen F. Austin); Paul Cornick (North Dakota State), Brett Moore (Georgia Southern), Tom Compton (South Dakota); WR - Rodrick Rumble (Idaho State), Aaron Mellette (Elon), Ryan Spadola (Lehigh); AP - Jonathan Grimes (William & Mary); K - Zach Brown (Portland State); DEFENSE - DL - Ben Boothby (Northern Iowa), Zack Nash (Sacramento State), Ben Obaseki (Indiana State), Adrian Hamilton (Prairie View A&M); LB - Tyler Holmes (Massachusetts); Kadarron Anderson (Furman), Caleb McSurdy (Montana); DB - Marcus Williams (North Dakota State), Trumaine Johnson (Montana), Ryan Steed (Furman), Josh Norman (Coastal Carolina); P - David Harrington (Idaho State)

SECOND TEAM - OFFENSE - QB - Chris Lum (Lehigh); RB - Terrance West (Towson); Tim Flanders (Sam Houston State); OL - Bryan Boerner (Southern Illinois), Gino Gradkowski (Delaware), Nate Page (Wofford), Blake Matthews (Norfolk State), Joe Faiella (Stony Brook); WR - Brian Quick (Appalachian State), Mario Louis (Grambling), Nicholas Edwards (Eastern Washington); AP - Brock Jackolski (Stony Brook); K - Ryan Estep (Norfolk State); DEFENSE - DL - Brent Russell (Georgia Southern), Blake Olijaro (San Diego), Andrew Schaetzke (Georgetown), Ronnie Cameron (Old Dominion); LB - Matt Evans (New Hampshire), Blake Peiffer (Southeast Missouri State), A.J. Storms (Idaho State); DB - Kejuan Riley (Alabama State), Justin Bethel (Presbyterian), Darnell Taylor (Sam Houston State), Bryce Robertson (Bucknell); P - Jonathan Plisco (Old Dominion)

THIRD TEAM - OFFENSE - QB - Casey Brockman (Murray State); RB - Nick Schweiger (Dartmouth), Matt Denham (Eastern Kentucky); OL - Scott Schweitzer (Tennessee Tech), Jon Apperud (Montana), Malcolm Boyd (Liberty), Jeff Adams (Columbia), Troy McKenna (Lehigh); WR - Shane Savage (Cornell), Tre Gray (Richmond); Elvis Akpla (Montana State); AP - Gralyn Crawford (Stephen F. Austin); K - Tyler Sievertsen (Northern Iowa); DEFENSE - DL - Ryan Davis (Bethune-Cookman); Tyler Osborne (Southern Utah); Josue Ortiz (Harvard); Joseph Lebeau (Jackson State); LB - L.J. Fort (Northern Iowa); Derek Rose (Northwestern State); Keith Pough (Howard); DB - Serge Kona (Duquesne); Asa Jackson (Cal Poly); Jeremy Caldwell (Eastern Kentucky); Daxton Swanson (Sam Houston State); P- Patrick Murray (Fordham).

======================================================

Andrew Pierce Receives Touchdown Club of South Jersey FCS Player of the Year Award

December 14, 2011 - UD SPORTS INFO DEPT

DEPTFORD, N.J. -- University of Delaware All-American running back Andrew Pierce (at right) was honored close to his hometown Wednesday night as the speedy sophomore received the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision College Player of the Year Award presented by the Touchdown Club of Southern New Jersey at its annual awards banquet at the Adelphia Restaurant.

Pierce, a fitness management major from Bridgeton, N.J. (Cumberland Regional High School), was among several football players and coaches honored from both the local high school and college levels for their accomplishments both on and off the field during the 2011 season.

This marks the second straight year that Pierce has been honored in his home state. Last season he was named the New Jersey Sportswriters Association College Running Back of the Year after leading the Blue Hens to the FCS national championship game.

On hand to help honor Pierce tonight was his mother, Wanda Pierce, his grandfather, Richard Rice, and his backfield coach at Delaware, Gregg Perry.

Pierce, one of the nation’s top running backs, put together another outstanding season in 2011 as he started all 11 games and rushed 279 times for 1,279 yards and 16 touchdowns, ranking among the national leaders in each category.

A second team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection, he averaged 4.6 yards per game and 116.3 yards per game and also caught 42 passes for 212 yards. His best effort of the season came in an early November victory over Richmond as he rushed for a career-high 215 yards.

In just two seasons at Delaware, Pierce has rushed for 2,934 yards and 30 touchdowns while catching 74 passes for 411 yards and three scores. His 2,934 yards ranks him No. 4 on the Delaware career list.

As a true freshman in 2010, Pierce put together one of the finest season ever for a rookie in FCS history. He earned All-American honors by both The Sports Network and by the College Sporting News, was named the national Freshman of the Year by both Phil Steele College Football Magazine and by the College Sporting News, and earned first team All-CAA, CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year, and ECAC All-East Freshman of the Year honors.

He rushed 329 times for UD freshman record 1,655 yards and 14 touchdowns while catching 32 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He ranked 15th in the nation in rushing yards per game and reached 1,000 yards in a career faster than any player in Delaware history.

The Blue Hens, led by 10th-year head coach K.C. Keeler, posted a 7-4 record this past fall, narrowly missing a berth in the NCAA FCS Tournament. 

=====================================

Newark QB Taylor Reynolds back on the recruiting circuit after visiting UD

Newark Post December 9, 2011 - by John Buzby

Highly-recruited Newark High quarterback Taylor Reynolds has told James Madison University that he is going to continue to go through the recruiting process, one that includes the University of Delaware, where Reynolds made an official visit on Friday.

Reynolds, who was named to the second team All-State team, made a verbal commitment to James Madison a few weeks ago after another suitor, Old Dominion, retracted a scholarship offer. James Madison also received verbal commitments from at least two other quarterbacks.

Reynolds said at the time he made the commitment that he felt he needed to make a decision while the offers were still on the table. Newark coach Butch Simpson says that since then Reynolds feels he needs to continue to explore his options, which include CAA rivals James Madison and William and Mary, among others.
Simpson said William and Mary head coach Jimmye Laycock visited Reynolds earlier this week, and that James Madison head coach Mickey Matthews is scheduled to visit next week.

UD head coach K.C. Keeler has often said his goal is for his next quarterback recruit to fit the athletic, multi-dimensional mold of Reynolds.

=====================================================

"Here's to 2011"

By Tim Mastro Managing Sports Editor - UD Student Review

December 6, 2011 

Looking back at the year 2011, it has a solid claim for one of the most successful athletic calendar years in Delaware history.

The year began with a national championship appearance in football (lost on a disputed call) and ended with a monumental basketball victory and wins in the NCAA Tournament by two different programs. It has also featured some of the best athletes to have ever put on the Blue and Gold.

The early spring was highlighted by women's basketball run to the CAA Tournament finals from the seventh seed. It included upsets of perennial power Old Dominion and UNCW Wilmington. The men also made some noise, winning a game in the tournament for the first time in a few years (an achievement in itself), before pushing eventual NCAA Tournament team Old Dominion to the brink. A random high point of their season was barely losing to eventual Final Four team VCU after four Hens fouled out.

Men's lacrosse won yet another CAA Tournament, barely lost to Duke on the road in the first round of the NCAAs and had four players drafted into the pros. Despite a horrid start to its season, softball put it together to qualify for the CAA Tournament in head coach Jamie Wohlbach's first year. Women's lacrosse and baseball each barely missed out on their conference tournaments by finishing fifth and would have qualified now that the CAA has reverted back to its old rule of having the top six teams make the postseason.

The summer included Elena Delle Donne winning a gold medal and playing on the same team as the best women's college basketball players in the country. Five alums from the football team also made NFL camps and two are still with teams—Anthony Walters with the Chicago Bears and Pat Devlin with the Miami Dolphins.

Football had Andrew Pierce continue to amaze and rewrite the record books. They didn't make the playoffs this fall, but the rest of the fall teams picked up the slack. Every other sport competed in their conference postseason. Women's soccer won a game in its tournament and was leading the top seed William & Mary before eventually faltering.

Volleyball continued their CAA dynasty with yet another championship, in what could be considered a rebuilding year since they lost four starters from last year's squad. Renee Tomko filled Jess Chason's shoes and kept the CAA Setter of the Year award at Delaware for the third straight year. The Hens beat American in the first round of the NCAA Tournament—the first time they won a game in the NCAAs since 2007. They then were dismissed in straight sets by Penn State but to even be playing Penn State, NCAA champions the past five years, is an honor within itself.

Then there's men's soccer. The Hens won three games in four days to capture Delaware's first ever CAA soccer crown and qualify for NCAAs for the first time since 1970. They then beat Virginia, one of the most storied soccer programs of all-time, on the road to capture its first ever NCAA Tournament win. They gave UCLA, one of probably only two NCAA soccer programs as successful as Virginia (the other is Maryland), all the Bruins could handle before conceding with about seven minutes left. Since then, UCLA destroyed Rutgers 3-0 and just beat Louisville to make the Final Four. Delaware will now say goodbye to two of the best soccer players to ever come through the program in Evans Frimpong (a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy by the way) and Darren O'Connor.

The same day men's soccer beat Virginia, Delle Donne and company upset No. 13 Penn State in another historic win. They are now ranked 22nd in the entire country and still are undefeated. The men just garnered a quality win of their own over CAA preseason No. 1 Drexel on Saturday. At one point last week the leading scorers in the nation for men's and women's were from Delaware—Devon Saddler and Delle Donne.

Those two will provide even more memories at the Big Bob this year and should have Hens' fans looking forward to 2012.

================================================

Football not headed to postseason despite victory

By BY TIM MASTRO Managing Sports Editor - UD Student Review

Updated: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 02:11

CHESTER, Pa. — When Sean Baner looked at the design of PPL Park, his goal was to kick the ball into the river.

It's not too far-fetched of an idea. Baner has a strong leg and the Delaware River runs right behind the small section of stands behind one of the end zones.

However once he noticed the wind when the Hens showed up to the stadium Saturday, the kicker knew it would be impossible. He had to settle for tying his own school record and kicking a game-winning field goal.

Baner broke a 16-16 tie with 2:11 left in the game and junior safety Ricky Tunstall returned an interception for a touchdown on Villanova's next drive to give the Hens their first win over the Wildcats since 2005.

"To be honest I wasn't even nervous," Baner said. "I don't know why I wasn't. That's something you should be, but that's something I've tried to mature myself on. I just kept my head down, looked up, saw the ball going through and was happy as anything."

The win was Delaware's seventh of the season. The Hens finished 7-4, but will not be returning to the FCS playoffs as they found out Sunday when the 20-team field was announced.

Delaware was one of the final teams on the bubble. The selection committee took Eastern Kentucky, also 7-4, for the final at-large bid. It cited Delaware had six Division I wins and Eastern Kentucky had seven. One of the Hens' wins was over Division II West Chester.

The CAA had five teams qualify. Towson received the automatic bid as the regular season champions. Maine, Old Dominion, New Hampshire and James Madison also made the tournament.

Delaware needed to beat Villanova to have any hope of being included in the at-large conversation and the Hens had to come from behind to do it. A 40-yard field goal by Baner tied it up at 16 with 8:45 remaining.

Hens' head coach K.C. Keeler was cautious with his game plan when they got the ball back. He kept giving the ball to running back Andrew Pierce. Even on third down and seven, he overruled a pass play that was called to run the ball again and set up Baner for a potential game-winning field goal.

"I got very conservative," Keeler said. "I was comfortable putting the whole thing on our kicker's shoulders."

Baner sensed it would come down to him. He saw Keeler look at him before calling another run and said he recognized the formation as a running play and knew his number was being called next.

"I was like, ‘Alright, coach has faith in me to make this,'" he said.

Baner's four field goals tied the school record for most in a game, which he set earlier this season against Old Dominion. John Striefsky shares the record with him. Striefsky hit four against Navy back in 2009.

Baner converted field goals of 26 and 34 yards in the first half Saturday.

After his go-ahead kick, Delaware still needed to play defense. Tunstall earned his second interception of the day to seal the win.

He picked off Villanova quarterback Chris Polony and returned it 54-yards for a score.

"When we went back out there, it was just like, ‘Let's get a stop,'" Tunstall said. "‘Let's get another interception and do it again.'"

Pierce carried the ball 40 times for Delaware on the ground. The sophomore running back finished with 109 yards and scored one touchdown.

At the press conference after the game, Pierce was visibly beat up from the high number of rushes.

Not that he minded.

"I want to do whatever it takes to win," Pierce said. "That's all that matters. I was in a war. That's what it felt like. You can see the bruises on my face."

It was redemption for Pierce. He fumbled on the one-yard line last year in overtime in Delaware's loss to Villanova.

For the seniors, who wound up playing their final game, it was the first time they could beat the Wildcats in their careers.

===========================================

Ex-UD officials should share blame for snub

Nov. 22, 2011 - MARTIN FRANK Wilmington News Journal

NEWARK — It would be easy to criticize the NCAA Selection Committee
for keeping the University of Delaware football team out of the Football
Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The committee certainly deserves its share of blame because it’s a
travesty that UD didn’t make the 20-team field as one of the 10
at-large teams.

The Hens had two wins over Top 10 teams. They won their final three
games. And they are ranked 14th in the nation.

All of which would make them a dangerous playoff team.

But some of the blame has to reside with the former UD administration,
led by President David Roselle and athletic director Edgar Johnson.

They were the ones who scheduled Division II West Chester for years in
advance, even though they had known for years that it could cost the
Hens a playoff berth.

The committee has long made it known that it doesn’t count wins over
Division II programs. Yet UD kept scheduling West Chester anyway, taking
the payday from a full stadium over the possibility of a postseason
berth.

So in the eyes of the committee, Delaware finished 6-4 instead of 7-4.
That’s the only reason why the Hens were kept out in favor of Colonial
Athletic Association rival James Madison, which had one win against a
team with a winning record.

The committee also chose Eastern Kentucky, which was 7-4 just like
Delaware. But EKU isn’t ranked at all, and hardly has the pedigree
that UD has.

The committee has never taken an at-large team with less than seven
Division I victories.

UD coach K.C. Keeler called the snub “mind-boggling to me.”

“I think [the Division II game] was an easy out for the committee,”
he said. “That’s something that should be addressed because they
didn’t take the best 10 at-large teams.”

But a policy is a policy, even though West Chester is probably better
than some of the FCS creampuffs UD could have scheduled in its place.

Yet the UD administration risked it all to schedule West Chester,
whether it was for the money, the stubborn refusal to play Delaware
State for decades or Roselle’s affinity for his former school (he’s
a 1961 West Chester graduate).

=====================================

Delaware Football Keeps Playoff Hopes, Defeats Villanova

http://www.wboc.com Nov 20, 2011 


HESTER, PA -- A long-awaited and hard-fought victory over rival
Villanova in hand, the University of Delaware football squad now turns
its attention to a possible NCAA Tournament bid.

The No. 15 ranked Blue Hens (7-4, 5-3 Colonial Athletic Association)
snapped a personal five-game losing streak to the Wildcats Saturday
night at PPL Park as Sean Baner kicked a school-record tying four field
goals and safety Ricky Tunstall put the game away with a 54-yard
interception return for a touchdown with 1:28 left to play in a 26-16
victory.

Delaware, which won its third straight game to close out the regular
season, now turn its sights to an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. The
20-team field will be announced Sunday at 10 a.m. and the Hens, last
year's national runner-up, hope to see their name called.

On this night though, it was all about a big victory over a long-time
rival as the Hens knocked off a struggling Villanova (2-9, 1-7 CAA)
squad for the first time since 2005 to secure the Battle of the Blue
trophy for the first time since it was introduced in 2006.

"It was an emotional win and now all we can do is enjoy it and wait to
see what happens on Sunday" said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. "Our
guys are relieved to finally beat this team. Nothing got us down
tonight. We just went out and played and kept our chins up the entire
time. It's nice to get this win. I think we are one of the top 20 teams
in the country."

The game, the first American football game played at the two-year old
stadium which serves as the home for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia
Union, featured two ties and four lead changes. An enthusiastic crowd of
14,107, fitting of one of the top rivalries in the NCAA Division I
Football Championship Subdivision, enjoyed every second of it.

After Villanova scored its final points on a 43-yard scamper by Jamal
Abdur-Rahman with 5:37 left in the third quarter, Delaware reeled off
the final 13 points of the game to go home winners.

Baner, who tied his own school record of four field goals set against
Old Dominion back in September, connected on a 40-yarder with 8:45 left
to tie the score at 16-16 and followed with eventual game-winner with a
29-yard kick with 2:11 left to put the Hens up 19-16.

On the first kick, the Hens extended the drive by converting four third
down attempts, including a 20-yard toss from quarterback Tim Donnelly to
tight end Ryan Cobb down to the Villanova 27-yard line.

A 24-yard punt return by Rob Jones to the Delaware 49-yard line and a
pair of 12-yard tosses from Donnelly to Jones and Nihja White keyed the
second Baner kick.

"Coach Keeler had faith in me that I could make the kick," said Baner of
the game-winner. "I wasn't nervous, but I don't know why. I should have
been. I just tried to stay calm and keep my head down. I looked up and
saw it go through (the uprights) and was so happy."

Villanova had one last chance to win the game, but Tunstall stepped in
front of a pass by Chris Polony and sprinted 54 yards down the right
sideline and into the touchdown with 1:28 left to put an exclamation
point on the victory.

Tunstall, who also intercepted a first-half pass in the end zone to
thwart a Villanova drive, now has four interceptions in his last two games.

"The defense knew that we just had to go out there and get another stop,
or get another interception," stated Tunstall, who has helped the Hens
force 10 turnovers during the season-ending three-game win streak.

Delaware held a big advantages in first downs (21-14) and held the ball
for almost 20 minutes longer than Villanova. And gaining three turnovers
didn't hurt either. Blue Hen sophomore Travis Hawkins returned the
opening kickoff 69 yards to set up a 26-yard Baner field goal and the
Hens were up 3-0 just under four minutes into the game.

Villanova came right back to take a 10-3 lead as Mark Hamilton connected
on a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter and
Abdur-Rahman (119 yards rushing) got loose down the right sideline and
scored on a 58-yard scamper with 13:20 left in the first half.

Another Baner field goal, this one from 34 yards out, cut the margin to
10-6 and the Hens took a 13-10 lead into the break when sophomore
All-American running back Andrew Pierce leapt into the end zone from
one-yard out with just 12 seconds left in the half.

The drive was set up by Tunstall's first interception of the night as he
made a diving catch of a Polony pass in the end zone.

Pierce, who was a workhorse all night, carrying a career-high 40 times
for 109 yards, ran the ball 13 times during the 80-yard drive, including
nine straight lugs at one point. He surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark
for the third straight game and for the eighth time this season, upping
his two-year total to 15 100-yard rushing efforts.

"It doesn't matter to me how many times I carry it," said Pierce, who
has carried the ball 108 times over the last three games. "I always give
my offensive line the glory because they carried it 40 times with me.
Whatever it takes to win. I felt like I was in a war tonight. I feel
good that I was able to help carry my team to a win."

The Delaware lead did not last long though. Villanova regained the
advantage at 16-13 early in the second half as Abur-Rahman broke off on
another long run, darting 43 yards for the score. Defensive end Michael
Atunrase blocked Hamilton's extra point attempt.

But that was the last time Villanova would get on the scoreboard as the
Hen defense, led by two late sacks by Atunrase, kept the Wildcats in
check and Baner and Tunstall added their late game heroics.

"We had lost five in a row to these guys and that had to stop," said
Keeler. "We have both had some pretty good teams the last few years and
last season we lost in overtime. I didn't talk a whole lot about it with
the team, but I told them to just focus and do what we needed to do to
win the game."We've done everything we can do," said Keeler regarding a
possible NCAA Tournament bid.

"We are ranked in the Top 15, we've won three straight, and we are the
only team in the country that has beaten two Top 10 teams (Towson and
Old Dominion). How can you leave us out."

AGATE:

Delaware.....3......10....
Villanova.....3........7....

1st Quarter
Delaware - FG Baner 27, 11:25
Villanova - FG Hamilton 19, 0:00
2nd Quarter
Villanova - Abdur-Rahman 58 run (Hamilton kick), 13:20
Delaware - FG Baner, 8:27
Delaware - Pierce 1 run (Baner kick), :12
3rd Quarter
Villanova - Abdur-Rahman 43 run (Hamilton kick blocked), 5:37
4th Quarter
Delaware - FG Baner, 40, 8:45
Delaware - FG Baner 29, 2:11
Delaware - Tunstall 54 interception return (Baner kick), 1:28
Attendance: 14,107

Team Statistics Delaware Villanova
First downs 21 14
Rushes-yards 59-181 28-199
Passing yards 153 139
Total yards 334 338
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 3-35 6-46
Punts-yards 4-37.8 4-49.0
Time of Possession 39:15 20:45
Third down conv. 10-21 5-11
Sacks by 3-17 2-5

Individual Statistics: Rushing - Delaware, Pierce, 40-109, Hayes, 10-54,
Donnelly, 5-19, Jones, 1-6, Team, 1-(-7); Villanova, Abdur-Rahman,
7-119, Doss, 4-47, Polony ,10-21, Monangai, 7-12; Passing - Delaware,
Donnelly, 14-22-0-153; Villanova, Polony, 14-24-2-139; Receiving -
Delaware, White, 7-82, Jones, 3-25, Cobb, 1-20, Schenauer, 1-16, Russo,
1-8, Pierce, 1-2; Villanova, Reynolds, 3-47, Doss, 3-29, Price, 3-15,
Abdur-Rahman, ,2-21, Wells, 2-15, Monangai, 1-12.

====================================================

PPL experiment bridges ’Nova’s present, future

Published: Saturday, November 20, 2011

By JACK McCAFFERY = Delaware County Times
sports@delcotimes.com

CHESTER — The only proven, successful plan in football is the one Villanova began Saturday. It is to accumulate gains, no matter how difficult, no matter how long.

Unless something is about to change in major college sports, Villanova must push its way into BCS football. That would protect its treasured basketball brand, and with that maintain its position of sports relevance, and with that maximize the overall image of the university. It’s the way the game is now played.

To that goal, then, there was a 15-mile drive to something newer and better, all of which made Saturday successful, even though the Wildcats would lose, 26-16, to Delaware. It was a move of a home game from stale and ordinary Villanova Stadium to fresh and alluring PPL Park, the best place in the Philadelphia area to see a sporting event, and there are plenty.

First down … and more to come?

“Oh, yes,” Andy Talley said afterward. “I am crazy about the idea.”

Vince Nicastro, Villanova’s athletic director, insisted that the game was not a BCS showcase, just a way for the ’Cats to enjoy an FCS change of scenery. He was best to maintain the stance, for if the Wildcats were auditioning for big-time football, they would have been rejected. That’s because only 14,170 would pop in, and at least half would spend the day screaming, “Let’s go, Blue Hens.” Still, not every gain must reach the end zone.

The weather Saturday was ideal, creating a perfect atmosphere for college football. The stadium, nicely buffered by enough parking lots for reasonable tailgating, worked — though that would not have been a shock to anyone who had seen how well it played for MLS’ Union over the past two summers. The setting is unique, and since PPL Park neglected to provide nets behind the goalposts, it was conceivable that a PAT attempt might have plopped into the Delaware River, providing a “Nova Cove” effect.

So it was not only possible to see the grandeur of the well-lit Commodore Barry Bridge from the seats, but also a bridge to a bigger, brighter Villanova football future.

“It’s nice,” said Brian Westbrook, the former Villanova and Eagles running back. “It’s really nice. If they are going to move off campus, this is a good spot.”

PPL Park can seat 19,000-ish, though it was constructed to allow expansion to 35,000. Villanova football might never be that popular, though there would be better times for the experiment than the last game of a 2-9 season. One certainty: Villanova Stadium is a non-starter for a BCS program. Thus, the appeal of PPL … and the possibility of it being the ’Cats’ primary residence. Continued.

“I talked to our athletic director, Vince Nicastro, about it and I think it’s a matter of discussion,” Talley said. “PPL has been great to us. I love the venue. I know our fans loved it. It’s tremendous to play in. The environment was tremendous to play in. So I am hoping that we make a strong determination to come back here and play again.”

If Villanova is going to draw 7,000 fans to a game, or about what it did Saturday less the Delaware support, then there wouldn’t be a cause to move off campus and inconvenience whatever students do have interest. But if the idea is to play in the new, geographically challenged Big East, then the Wildcats would not be out of place in an expanded PPL Park.

“Andy wants to play the rest of his career here,” said Nicastro, smiling. “The atmosphere that you get here, we just can’t replicate on our campus. All of the amenities are modern. It’s great. So I think we are going to be open to looking at future games here.”

Maybe those games will be against Delaware. Or maybe they will be against Louisville, Boise State, Rutgers and Cincinnati. Either way, Villanova must move in a positive football direction. That drive, no matter how early, has at least, at last begun.

Follow Jack McCaffery on Twitter, @JackMcCaffery. To receive breaking news first, text the word delnews to 22700. Standard msg+data rates may apply. 

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Young defensive backs Sarnese, James a bright spot for Villanova football

Villanova safety Joe Sarnese lines up for a play against Delaware on Saturday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Sarnese is a Ventnor native and Holy Spirit High School graduate.

Sunday, November 20, 2011 

By SUSAN LULGJURAJ, Staff Writer - http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/

CHESTER, Pa. - The Villanova Wildcats' football season ended with a 2-9 record.

Think about that.

One year after reaching the Football Championship semifinals and two years after winning the national title, the Wildcats weren't even contenders this year.

With a record like that, it might feel as though Villanova is far from getting back to that level too.

But look closer: The Wildcats have an immense amount of talent. Of the 22 starters, 21 are expected to return next season.

Two of those starters are sophomore Craig James and freshman Joe Sarnese, last year's Press Male Athlete of the Fall. Both started for the first time in the secondary for the Wildcats this season.

The Wildcats started eight true freshmen in Saturday's 26-16 loss to Delaware, Villanova's regular-season finale, at PPL Park.

"Our defense did a good job today," Villanova coach Andy Talley said. "I look at the big strides we took. We just didn't have enough offense."

The Blue Hens' Andrew Pierce, a Cumberland Regional High School graduate, had 109 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries. Junior defensive back Ricky Tunstall, a Bridgeton resident, sealed the win for Delaware with a 54-yard interception touchdown return with 1 minute, 28 seconds left in the game.

Even though the season didn't go as planned, this one hurt for the Wildcats. They had won five straight against the rival Blue Hens.

"I didn't want to be part of the team that lost to Delaware," James said. "This is the worst feeling in the world."

But the defense still learned from the game.

Sarnese, a Holy Spirit graduate, is a true freshman. He came to Villanova after leading Holy Spirit to an undefeated season and state Non-Public III title last year.

The Ventnor resident realized things were going to be different at Villanova, and he was ready for it.

He listened to the coaches, and early on, one thing stuck with him: Don't play like a freshman.

"I didn't want to let them think I was just another freshman," Sarnese said. "I wanted to come in and play right away."

That meant no excuses, working harder than everyone else and keeping his mouth shut.

Two games into the season, Sarnese moved up from special teams and started at free safety. He finished the season with 62 tackles (41 solo), tied for fifth on the team with James, an Oakcrest graduate.

Against Delaware, Sarnese had eight tackles and his first pass breakup of the year.

"I think that we should have won most of those games," Sarnese said. "We're just going to practice hard the entire offseason and come back next season more conditioned."

James played on special teams last year but knew there would be an opening this season at cornerback.

That's all he thought about during the offseason. He had competition from teammates and it pushed him.

"I played to the best my abilities," said James, who had nine tackles against Delaware. "The head-to-head competition made me step up my game."

Talley wasn't going to hand James the starting job.

James pushed himself in the weight room and watched tape to see the little things that would help his game - better routes, quicker jumps and picking up the correct angles.

He sees the Wildcats' potential. He just hoped this season would have gone better. However, Villanova did suffer some key injuries, including one that cost senior wide receiver Norman White, a St. Joseph graduate, most of the season.

"This year we had a lot of guys down," James said. "In two weeks, we'll be back (to the weight room), though. The coaches won't let us forget how we played this year, and we have to get better."

This is the first time Villanova hasn't made the playoffs since 2007.

But Talley looks at his young team and has hope. He saw it against Delaware - one of the toughest teams Villanova faced this season - and his team had a chance to win.

However, its youth was a problem. The Blue Hens won the possession battle, having the ball for nearly 40 minutes of the game - Villanova had it for just 20 minutes.

"That's too much stress on a young defense," Talley said. "I really like this young team. Our future is bright."

Notes: Delaware senior Mark Schenauer (Absegami) had a 16-yard catch. Villanova sophomore Antoine Lewis (Mainland Regional) had five tackles, including one for a loss.

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Growing pains doomed Villanova in season-finale loss to Delaware

By Ray Parrillo FOR THE Philadelphia INQUIRER

Sat, Nov. 19, 2011

CHESTER - The growing pains for Villanova's young football team began in September and never really subsided, yet the Wildcats showed enough progress late in the season to prompt coach Andy Talley to look forward to 2012.

One reason Talley expressed optimism about the future after his worst season in 27 years as head coach on the Main Line came to an end with Saturday's 26-16 loss to Delaware is named Jamal Abdur-Rahman, a freshman flash from La Salle High who tried single-handedly to lead the Wildcats (2-9) to an upset over the Blue Hens in the first football game ever played at PPL Park.

"Jamal was fantastic," Talley said after three turnovers by freshman quarterback Chris Polony - a fumble and two interceptions - were too much to overcome against the more talented Blue Hens (7-4), who had to win to keep alive their hopes for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. "I don't remember a freshman having a game like that for us. I don't even remember Brian Westbrook having a game like that as a freshman."

Abdur-Rahman amassed 291 total yards. He ran for 119 yards on seven carries and he gave the Wildcats leads of 10-3 with a 58-yard run and 16-13 with a 43-yard run. Abdur-Rahman was one of 10 freshmen to start against Delaware, and was one of 31 on a roster that appears to have the speed and talent to return Nova to its customary position as an FCS national contender.

But freshmen frequently cause as much angst as excitement, and it was the three turnovers by Polony, playing in only his seventh game, that did in the Wildcats. His biggest gaffe came with 1 minute, 28 seconds remaining with Delaware leading, 19-16, after Sean Baner, a William Tennent grad, booted his fourth field goal with 2:11 left.

Nova had first-and-10 near midfield when Ricky Tunstall, a Blue Hens safety from Bridgeton, N.J., picked off Polony's throw and returned it 54 yards for a TD that ended any suspense.

"I had my eye on the quarterback and I just jumped it [the route]," Tunstall said. "And when I caught it I thought of my days as a wide receiver."

Said Talley, "Turnovers from the quarterback position are killers. But as Chris matures, he'll play better. This was a game we could have won, but the difference came down to those three turnovers."

Delaware, which had lost five straight to the Wildcats, used a grind-it-out approach to keep the ball away from Villanova for long stretches. Running back Andrew Pierce, from Cumberland High, will no doubt be the sorest among the Blue Hens. He carried the ball 40 times for 109 yards, eating up more of the clock than the field.

Whether or not Delaware will squeeze into the playoffs with the win will be decided Sunday by a selection committee tasked with choosing 10 at-large teams along with 10 automatic qualifiers. The most impressive part of the 15th-ranked Blue Hens resume is their wins over two teams ranked in the top 10 - No. 8 Towson and No. 10 Old Dominion.

Delaware went to the national championship game last season, losing to Eastern Washington, and that may count for something. Also, the Colonial Athletic Association, the top FCS conference in the country, has sent five teams to the postseason before.

"We did everything we could do," Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said. "We won our last three games and we're in the top 15. We beat two top 10 teams. Are you going to leave us out?"

Meantime, both sides praised PPL Park, home of Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, as a football venue. There was an announced crowd of 14,107 at the stadium, which seats 18,500. It's where Villanova is expected to play its home games if it goes into the Big East for football.

"It's still a matter of discussion but I'm crazy about the idea [of playing at PPL Park]," Talley said. "I love the venue and we hope to come back."


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Wildcats Fall to No. 15 Delaware, 26-16, in Season Finale at PPL Park

Despite final outcome, season ends with a highlight in first football game at PPL Park

The game was the first American football game played at PPL Park.

http://www.villanova.com/ 

Nov. 19, 2011

CHESTER, Pa.--The first American football game at PPL Park was played in front of a crowd more than 14,000 strong as Villanova (2-9, 1-7 CAA) closed out the season with a 26-16 loss to No. 15 Delaware (7-4, 5-3 CAA) on Saturday afternoon. The annual Battle of the Blue Trophy was awarded to the Blue Hens for the first time, as the Wildcats had won five consecutive meetings between the longtime rivals.

The home of the MLS Philadelphia Union was the setting for the 45th meeting between Villanova and Delaware in a rivalry that dates back more than 100 years. This year's installment of the all-time series saw the Blue Hens score 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to decide the game, including a field goal with 2:11 remaining which put Delaware ahead for good.

A game which featured two ties and four lead changes was bound to come down to the closing minutes. With less than two minutes to play and the Blue Hens leading 19-16 an interception thrown by the Wildcats was returned 54 yards for a touchdown to seal the outcome.

Villanova ushered in a youth movement during the 2011 season and its 22 starters in the season finale included eight true freshmen and just one senior. Freshman quarterback Chris Polony (Whitehall, Pa.) made his fourth start under center and first-year running back Jamal Abdur-Rahman (Philadelphia, Pa.) racked up 291 all-purpose yards to lead the Wildcats offensively.

Abdur-Rahman ran for a season-high 119 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. He amassed over 100 yards on his scoring runs alone, breaking away for a 58-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and later scoring on a 43-yard run in the third quarter. Both touchdowns gave Villanova the lead in the back-and-forth contest.

The 43-yard touchdown by Abdur-Rahman put the Wildcats in front, 16-13, with 5:37 left in the third quarter. That score held until Sean Baner kicked a 40-yard field goal with 8:45 to play in the game which tied the score at 16-16. Baner kicked four field goals in the game and his 29-yard attempt with 2:11 left were the decisive points in the contest.

Polony was 14-of-24 for 139 yards and two interceptions, with senior wide receiver Mikey Reynolds (Moorestown, N.J.) and senior running back Lawrence Doss (Bellflower, Calif.) each having three receptions. Doss also ran for 47 yards on four carries and Villanova totaled 199 yards on the ground while averaging better than seven yards per carry.

Delaware was led by running back Andrew Pierce, who carried 40 times for 109 yards and a touchdown.

In the first quarter Baner kicked a 26-yard field goal on the game's first drive and junior kicker Mark Hamilton (Gaithersburg, Md.) answered for the Wildcats on a 19-yard attempt at the end of the period to tie the score at 3-3.

The first of the two touchdowns for Abdur-Rahman in the game came with 13:20 to play in the second quarter and gave Villanova the lead at 10-3, while Baner hit a 34-yard field goal near the midpoint of the second period to pull the Blue Hens to within 10-6.

Delaware eventually took a 13-10 lead into halftime on a one-yard scoring run by Pierce with 12 seconds remaining before the intermission. His touchdown capped a 16-play, 80-yard drive by the Blue Hens which occupied more than seven minutes of time on the clock as the first half wound down.

Prior to the game the Wildcats honored their graduating seniors in a ceremony held on the field.

NOTES: Abdur-Rahman added to his 119 rushing yards with 151 yards on six kickoff returns as well as 21 yards on a pair of receptions ... His 291 all-purpose yards mark the first time this season he went over 200 yards ... Junior linebacker Devon Bridges (Upper Marlboro, N.J.) had a game-high 11 tackles for Villanova, including two tackles for loss and one sack ... He also forced a fumble which was recovered by freshman linebacker Joey Harmon (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) ... Villanova leads the all-time series against Delaware by a count of 23-21-1 ... The series was first billed as the "Battle of the Blue" beginning in 2007 ... The last win in the series by the Blue Hens was a 38-13 victory at Villanova Stadium to end the 2005 season ... Today's game was the sixth this season in which the Wildcats played in front of more than 10,000 fans ... Those six contests include three home dates, including today's contest ... Villanova drew a near-sellout crowd of 11,817 to its season opener against Monmouth at Villanova Stadium and also drew a crowd of 10,071 to Franklin Field for a game against Penn in which the Wildcats were the home team.

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Delaware Finally Gets Battle of the Blue Victory, Downs Villanova 26-16 to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

Courtesy of UD Sports Info Dept
11/19/11

CHESTER, Pa. -- A long-awaited and hard-fought victory over rival Villanova in hand, the University of Delaware football squad now turns its attention to a possible NCAA Tournament bid.

The No. 15 ranked Blue Hens (7-4, 5-3 Colonial Athletic Association) snapped a personal five-game losing streak to the Wildcats Saturday night at PPL Park as Sean Baner kicked a school-record tying four field goals and safety Ricky Tunstall (at right) put the game away with a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:28 left to play in a 26-16 victory.

Delaware, which won its third straight game to close out the regular season, now turn its sights to an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. The 20-team field will be announced Sunday at 10 a.m. and the Hens, last year's national runner-up, hope to see their name called.

On this night though, it was all about a big victory over a long-time rival as the Hens knocked off a struggling Villanova (2-9, 1-7 CAA) squad for the first time since 2005 to secure the Battle of the Blue trophy for the first time since it was introduced in 2006.

"It was an emotional win and now all we can do is enjoy it and wait to see what happens on Sunday" said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. "Our guys are relieved to finally beat this team. Nothing got us down tonight. We just went out and played and kept our chins up the entire time. It's nice to get this win. I think we are one of the top 20 teams in the country."

The game, the first American football game played at the two-year old stadium which serves as the home for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, featured two ties and four lead changes. An enthusiastic crowd of 14,107, fitting of one of the top rivalries in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, enjoyed every second of it.

After Villanova scored its final points on a 43-yard scamper by Jamal Abdur-Rahman with 5:37 left in the third quarter, Delaware reeled off the final 13 points of the game to go home winners.

Athlete photoBaner (at left), who tied his own school record of four field goals set against Old Dominion back in September, connected on a 40-yarder with 8:45 left to tie the score at 16-16 and followed with eventual game-winner with a 29-yard kick with 2:11 left to put the Hens up 19-16.

On the first kick, the Hens extended the drive by converting four third down attempts, including a 20-yard toss from quarterback Tim Donnelly to tight end Ryan Cobb down to the Villanova 27-yard line.

A 24-yard punt return by Rob Jones to the Delaware 49-yard line and a pair of 12-yard tosses from Donnelly to Jones and Nihja White keyed the second Baner kick.

"Coach Keeler had faith in me that I could make the kick," said Baner of the game-winner. "I wasn't nervous, but I don't know why. I should have been. I just tried to stay calm and keep my head down. I looked up and saw it go through (the uprights) and was so happy."

Villanova had one last chance to win the game, but Tunstall stepped in front of a pass by Chris Polony and sprinted 54 yards down the right sideline and into the touchdown with 1:28 left to put an exclamation point on the victory.

Tunstall, who also intercepted a first-half pass in the end zone to thwart a Villanova drive, now has four interceptions in his last two games.

"The defense knew that we just had to go out there and get another stop, or get another interception," stated Tunstall, who has helped the Hens force 10 turnovers during the season-ending three-game win streak.

Delaware held a big advantages in first downs (21-14) and held the ball for almost 20 minutes longer than Villanova. And gaining three turnovers didn't hurt either.

Blue Hen sophomore Travis Hawkins returned the opening kickoff 69 yards to set up a 26-yard Baner field goal and the Hens were up 3-0 just under four minutes into the game.

Villanova came right back to take a 10-3 lead as Mark Hamilton connected on a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter and Abdur-Rahman (119 yards rushing) got loose down the right sideline and scored on a 58-yard scamper with 13:20 left in the first half.

Another Baner field goal, this one from 34 yards out, cut the margin to 10-6 and the Hens took a 13-10 lead into the break when sophomore All-American running back Andrew Pierce (at right) leapt into the end zone from one-yard out with just 12 seconds left in the half.

The drive was set up by Tunstall's first interception of the night as he made a diving catch of a Polony pass in the end zone.

Pierce, who was a workhorse all night, carrying a career-high 40 times for 109 yards, ran the ball 13 times during the 80-yard drive, including nine straight lugs at one point. He surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the third straight game and for the eighth time this season, upping his two-year total to 15 100-yard rushing efforts.

"It doesn't matter to me how many times I carry it," said Pierce, who has carried the ball 108 times over the last three games. "I always give my offensive line the glory because they carried it 40 times with me. Whatever it takes to win. I felt like I was in a war tonight. I feel good that I was able to help carry my team to a win."

The Delaware lead did not last long though. Villanova regained the advantage at 16-13 early in the second half as Abur-Rahman broke off on another long run, darting 43 yards for the score. Defensive end Michael Atunrase (at left) blocked Hamilton's extra point attempt.

Athlete photoBut that was the last time Villanova would get on the scoreboard as the Hen defense, led by two late sacks by Atunrase, kept the Wildcats in check and Baner and Tunstall added their late game heroics.

"We had lost five in a row to these guys and that had to stop," said Keeler. "We have both had some pretty good teams the last few years and last season we lost in overtime. I didn't talk a whole lot about it with the team, but I told them to just focus and do what we needed to do to win the game.

"We've done everything we can do," said Keeler regarding a possible NCAA Tournament bid. "We are ranked in the Top 15, we've won three straight, and we are the only team in the country that has beaten two Top 10 teams (Towson and Old Dominion). How can you leave us out."