Tag: Delaware football

Watch: Bo Melton shows NFL athleticism with touchdown catch for Rutgers

Rutgers football senior wide receiver Bo Melton showed NFL scouts his big-play ability with a touchdown catch.

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Rutgers got a big contribution early in the game from wide receiver Bo Melton, who made an outstanding catch midway through the first quarter to put Rutgers up first on the scoreboard. It was the kind of catch that perfectly showcases Melton’s ability to NFL teams with tremendous athleticism and body control evident.

At 9:34 in the first quarter, a 28-yard pass from Noah Vedral to Bo Melton put Rutgers up 7-0, the senior wide receiver making an acrobatic catch as he tumbled into the endzone. Melton spun in the air to adjust to the ball, maintaining possession as he fell backward, all with Delaware senior Justis Henley draped on him in rather tight coverage.

Henley is in his second season as a starter for Delaware.

On the play, Vedral ran a play-action off running back Kyle Monangain that froze the safety help over the top for Delaware.

 

Then early in the second quarter, Melton split the coverage for a 57-yard catch, showing speed in the go-route.

Rutgers leading receiver last year, Melton came into this game with 14 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Rutgers Greg Schiano on Overlooking FCS Teams: ‘You’re Foolish if You Even Think That Way’

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano knows from experience the danger posed by an FCS opponent.

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Greg Schiano knows just how dangerous an FCS program can be. The Rutgers football head coach has seen a season derailed in the past by a program that fans, media, and perhaps even his team underestimated.

It was the second week of the 2004 season and Rutgers had just beaten Michigan State at home in their season opener. The very next week, Rutgers was supposed to go 2-0 but lost 35-24 to FCS program New Hampshire.
Rutgers finished the season 4-7 (1-5 in the Big East).

With 2-0 Rutgers facing Delaware this weekend, Schiano was asked about the danger the FCS program poses to his Scarlet Knights. Delaware made the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs last season.

And Schiano need not go back to his first tenure at Rutgers for much motivation for his team. This past Saturday, Florida State was upset by the FCS’ Jacksonville State.

“There’s been eight FCS teams that beat FBS teams in the last nine days now make it 10, right? So you’re foolish if you even think that way, quite honestly. I told them, we don’t need to talk about it but you if you watched college football – which our guys do – it’s very clear,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.

“And Delaware – they were one of the best [four] teams in the whole country last year, that’s why they played that [semifinal] game. And as you watch them, they’re a good football team. They have good players on offense, good players on defense, and good players in the kicking game.”

Rutgers is coming off a good, solid start to the season but there is plenty of room for improvement. Saturday’s 17-7 win at Syracuse showcased a tremendous effort by the Scarlet Knights on defense and on special teams, specifically punting. But the offense remains a work in progress.

That’s where a program like Delaware that won their conference last year and is currently No. 6 in the most recent FCS poll poses a danger for Rutgers.

This is a good solid Delaware team, perhaps the best of the three opponents Rutgers football will face before the Big Team season begins next week.

It would be easy for the Scarlet Knights to look past this game and underestimate Saturday’s opponent.

“So, to me, just like it was for Temple and for Syracuse, it’s about rosters getting ready – our team getting ready to be the best that we can be and we certainly weren’t on Saturday,” Schiano said.

“You know, you never are right? But we weren’t close to playing our best football. We need to get a lot closer to it than we were. So that’s our goal. But we understand exactly what Delaware is very good football team.”

Delaware vs South Dakota State Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Playoffs

Delaware vs South Dakota State prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Delaware vs South Dakota State prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Delaware vs South Dakota State Broadcast

Date: Saturday, May 8
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET
Venue: Dana J Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD
Network: ESPN

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Delaware vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Game Preview

Why Delaware Will Win

The defense keeps on rocking.

Delaware (7-0) went into Jacksonville State and held down the high-powered attack to just 14 points – with a late touchdown as a part of it – and just 200 yards of total offense.

But that’s what the Blue Hens do. They finished second in the FCS in scoring defense starting with an outstanding secondary that doesn’t give up a thing. Yeah, JSU had quarterback injury issues, but still, it only came up with 93 passing yards with a slew of those coming late.

But to beat South Dakota State, you have to hold up on the lines.

Delaware’s style of play keeps everyone fresh. It lives on turnover margin – the team was second in the nation but turned it over twice against JSU – and the team dominates the time of possession battle. It’s the chicken and the egg – the offense controls the tempo on third downs to keep the D fresh, the D comes up with third down stops and keeps the O line from getting gassed.

Delaware held the ball for over 38 minutes in the 20-14 win last week, but …

Why South Dakota State Will Win

The Blue Hen offensive line struggled to get anything going on the ground, and the rushing attack isn’t about to work against the Jackrabbits.

South Dakota State (7-1) struggled against Southern Illinois in a 31-26 win that should’ve been a lot easier, but the defensive front held the Saluki running game to 127 yards.

The Jackrabbits win by controlling games with the ground game thanks to a killer offensive line that’s played among the best in the FCS. Against this Delaware D, they might not get their 230+ rushing yards they normally crank out, but they’re going to grind, the defensive front is a rock against the run, and the team is fantastic at the turnover battle – just like Delaware.

No, it might not have been easy against Southern Illinois, but the team was +3 in turnover margin and the offense came up with the one big drive it had to have late.

What’s Going To Happen

Delaware is going to make this very, very tough.

The Blue Hen defense is the real deal, with the ability grind games down to a stop, but South Dakota State can do that, too. QB Nolan Henderson is just good enough keep everything moving, but he can’t do it alone.

South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski should be able to play Henderson big moment for big moment.

It’s be a tough, low-scoring battle with South Dakota State doing a bit more on third downs, and Gronowski coming up with two big pass plays that Delaware won’t.

Delaware vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 23, Delaware 17
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 5

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Delaware at Jacksonville State Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Playoffs

Delaware vs Jacksonville State prediction and FCS Playoffs quarterfinal game preview.

Delaware vs Jacksonville State prediction and FCS Playoffs quarterfinal game preview.

Delaware vs Jacksonville State Broadcast

Date: Sunday, May 2
Game Time: 3:00 pm CT
Venue: Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Network: ESPN3

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Delaware vs Jacksonville State FCS Playoff Game Preview

Why Delaware Will Win

It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t easy, but Delaware (6-0) was able to push past Sacred Heart 19-10 with a great day from the defense, two takeaways, and just enough offensive production when the opportunities were there to get by.

This is a much, much stronger Blue Hen offensive team than it showed against the Pioneers.

The offense only generated 202 yards and the passing game didn’t do anything down the field, but as the team showed all season long, it was great in the turnover margin – +1 against Sacred Heart – the pass defense was a wall, and the No. 2 scoring D in all the FCS allowed just ten points.

Consider it a positive that Delaware wasn’t anywhere close to being as good as it normally is and still won. But …

Why Jacksonville State Will Win

The Jacksonville State (10-2) offense has the pop and firepower to push the Blue Hens. No one’s been able to do much with the passing game against the Delaware secondary, but the Gamecocks are terrific in pass protection, balance out the offense, and the ground game can pick up the slack if nothing is happening through the air.

The Jacksonville State O line controlled everything against Sacred Heart, the offense was balanced, and there wasn’t any issue in the 49-14 blowout despite having the ball for fewer than 20 minutes. The time of possession battle usually doesn’t matter to the Gamecocks, but they should be able to control the clock a bit better against Delaware.

The JSU D didn’t come up with any takeaways – that’s not normal. It’s great overall defensively, the offense catches a few breaks thanks to a slew of takeaways, and …

What’s Going To Happen

Be slightly stunned if this isn’t a defensive fight.

Jacksonville State might have a fantastic offense, but the Delaware D is the real deal and won’t let this get out of hand. The Gamecocks will have a bit more offensively – the running game should be okay – and the defense will keep the Blue Hen ground attack in check.

Delaware vs Jacksonville State FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

Jacksonville State 23, Delaware 17
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 4.5

5: 2021 NFL Draft
1: The Laundry Guy

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Delaware vs Sacred Heart Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Playoffs

Delaware vs Sacred Heart prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Delaware vs Sacred Heart prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Delaware vs Sacred Heart Broadcast

Date: Saturday, April 24
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Venue: Delaware Stadium, Newark, DE
Network: ESPN3

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Delaware vs Sacred Heart FCS Playoff Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the FCS Playoff go to BetMGM

Why Sacred Heart Will Win

Here comes the Sacred Heart (3-1) ultra-efficient offense.

It’s balanced, it’s effective, and it keeps everything moving with an FCS superstar running back in Julius Chestnut averaging 179 yards per game on the ground, and with QB Marquez McCray a solid passer who doesn’t make mistakes and can take off if needed.

Delaware might have an offense, and the defense isn’t bad, but the front line doesn’t generate a whole lot of pressure, it doesn’t come up with a ton of tackles for loss, and the O line doesn’t do a great job in pass protection.

The SHU Pioneers don’t turn the ball over, the offense is great at closing off long drives with points, and few teams do a better job of controlling the ball and the clock. However …

Why Delaware Will Win

Delaware (5-0) is one of those teams that’s better in the time of possession battle.

The Blue Hens are brilliant at keeping the chains moving – they keep the ball for well over 34 minutes – partly because the offense is great on third downs and mostly because of a secondary that helps the D get off the field fast. They’re fourth in the nation in passing yards allowed, so to win, Sacred Heart has to crank up its great ground game.

Villanova and Rhode Island each ran for over 100 yards against the Delaware defense, and both teams lost.

What’s Going To Happen

Sacred Heart might have an effective and efficient offense, but Delaware knows how to get the attack moving, too. The Blue Hens are amazing at taking the ball away – it might only take one to get the job done – but it’ll be the passing game that keeps things moving and pushes them into the second round.

Delaware vs Sacred Heart FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

Delaware 34, Sacred Heart 20
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 4

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Maine vs Delaware Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Spring Football

Maine vs Delaware prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Maine vs Delaware prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Maine vs Delaware Broadcast

Date: Saturday, March 6
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Delaware Stadium, Newark, DE
Network: ESPN+

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Maine (0-0) vs Delaware (0-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM

Why Maine Will Win

Will Delaware have the defense to be disruptive and be a problem for a Maine offense that should have an efficient passing game.

The Black Bears had to shuffle the quarterback situation a bit a few years ago, but Joe Fagano is a promising young passer who threw 17 touchdown passes and three picks during his time in 2019, and the hope will be for the downfield game to still be there if he has time to work.

The offense needs to be a bit better on the ground, but again, the passing attack should be able to go from the start to make up for a slew of potential issues. But …

Why Delaware Will Win

The Blue Hens have a bit more experience and should be a bit stronger and shaper right out of the gate.

The offense might not be anything special, but it’ll be balanced and it’s not going to make a whole slew of mistakes. And no, the defense didn’t generate nearly enough of a pass rush two tears ago, but the team should be solid against the run and there’s a good chance – and a hope – to quickly bounce back after an inconsistent 2019.

What’s Going To Happen

Watch out for the Delaware offense to perk up, too.

The big-time weapons might not be there, but the experience should be enough in a slow-and-steady wins the race thing. Be shocked if this is any sort of a shootout as this becomes a low-scoring, tight battle that comes down to mistakes and experience.

The Blue Hens have enough of the latter to get by at home.

Maine vs Delaware Prediction, Line

Delaware 24, Maine 20
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 3

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