2010 CAA Football Preview #5: Delaware Blue Hens

Dirty Woodpeckers

The Basics: Delaware returns 8 starters on both offense and defense including standout (some might say overhyped) Penn St. transfer QB Pat Devlin.  They are also sure to trot out their usual stable of shady transfers who made their way to “beautiful” Newark after failing in the classroom or having ego/playing time disagreements with their former coaches at FBS schools.  These factors combined with a strong following, seven home games, a creampuff non-conference schedule devoid of an FBS game, and assuming they can produce in spite of being coached by K.C. Keeler should lead to a real return to prominence for the Blue Hens in 2010 CAA Football.

How hot is that seat? Coach KC Keeler is entering his 9th season running this tradition-rich (Rich Gannon, Joe Flacco, etc.) program and despite a ton of early success, the last few years have left Delaware’s enormous (by FCS standards) fanbase wondering what the hell is going on.  The rise of the Virginia CAA programs (JMU, W&M, UR) has begun to stand in stark contrast to the mediocre product in Newark and watching long-time and most hated rival Villanova hoist the Championship trophy had to be especially painful in the Toll Booth State.  This year Keeler has a ton of talent returning and only four road games (although they travel to the Commonwealth for all three of those games including October 2nd in the ‘Burg) so it could be make-or-break time for the HC.

Blue Hens, really? According to that bastion of accuracy and reliability, Wikipedia, the Blue Hen is actually a variety of chicken that was adopted as the official state bird of Delaware in 1939.  Thankfully, UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources maintains a breeding group of the Blue Hen Chickens on the campus farm.  JMUSB tee to anyone that brings a live Blue Hen to the official JMUSB D2 tailgate on October 2nd.

Early omen: Despite not playing an FBS game this year, the Blue Hens are bringing in South Dakota State on September 11th.  Not exactly the measuring stick the Dukes will be dealing with in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg that day, but the Jackrabbits are a real up-and-coming FCS program and this should be a solid indicator of whether UD is really back.  This is the only non-conference game that will count at all when the playoff committee gets together and a loss here is probably more damaging than a win would be helpful.  HUGE game for Delaware.

Things ruined by Delaware students and alumni: The Preakness – every year these are the idiots winging full cheap domestic beers across the infield and ruining the day for your WAGS (wives and girlfriends), who were previously letting you crush beers, bet on port-a-potty races and actually enjoying themselves in the sunshine and now are one slip in the mud away from leaving early.  Seriously, it may be the Maryland Terps and Towson Tigers taking heat for questionable behavior, but at the core of any malfeasance you’ll always find a Blue Hen.

Your trip anywhere on 95 – This state exists for only one reason: making money by taking advantage of normal people.  They accomplish this noble goal through only two means: 1) Turning their little 10 mile stretch of I-95 into a giant toll booth and raping you coming and going to the tune of around ten bucks and 2) Creating tax loopholes and favorable status for U.S. corporations.  Stay classy Delaware!

Parting Shot: Delaware’s stadium has always seemed massive in my mind for an FCS school.  They’ve been consistently drawing 20,000 a game for a while now and travel decently.  Stadium holds 22,000 and is very outdated from a facilities standpoint.  Now take a look at THIS!

2010 JMUSB Prediction: 8-3, 5-3 CAA – with no FBS game, they could end up the very definition of a bubble team.  No more divisioins in the CAA should help though because they might be fourth overall and might have been fourth in the old CAA South.