Blue Hens match report: UD wins prize against Penn
Delaware had to battle back against Penn but won in front of a raucous crowd at Delaware Stadium on Saturday, September 21, 2024. DelawareOnline sports reporter Kevin Tresolini examines the keys to the Blue Hens’ victory.
Winning football games may not be quite as crucial for the Blue Hens this year, as they don’t have the traditional postseason prizes within their reach.
Delaware (now 3-0) ruined that performance on Saturday night.
The fact that Penn took an early lead at Delaware Stadium was a great incentive for the hosts.
Delaware’s effort had to be determined and the execution perfect for the Hens to earn a 29-22 victory over the pesky Quakers, who were playing their opener.
That made it one of the most satisfying wins in recent memory for the Blue Hens, and with a nod to the Earth, Wind & Fire hit, they’ll remember the night of September 21st. Here are our five takeaways:
You have to want it to win
“If you went into the locker room right now,” Delaware coach Carty said after the game, “you’d think we won the award. Getting a win is really hard.”
“You play against a good football team and you win in front of the crowd (17,848) that helped us win. … I think the amount of time the crowd did something positive for the Blue Hens tonight was outstanding.”
The early 9-0 deficit and 6-16 halftime deficit was the motivation Delaware needed that night, and Carty felt that the Quakers might have come onto the field with a more determined performance as a visiting team.
“We’re football players,” said wide receiver Phil Lutz. “That’s why we love playing football, no matter what happens at the end of the season.”
“Whether we make the playoffs or not, we’re going to go out and play as hard as we can.”
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This paid off on Saturday, as Delaware scored three times in a row in the second half to take a 21-16 lead.
The Hens then needed Jo’Nathan Silver’s 13-yard touchdown run and Ty Davis’ interception with 1:44 left to secure the win.
“This is a special place to play football,” Carty said, “whether we’re playing for the playoffs or not. We play for each other and we play to win every game. I’m so proud of the way we played tonight, we finished like that tonight. We’re going to go back and correct the things we didn’t do well so we can get better every game.”
Big evening for Lutz
Lutz played his first three college football seasons at Division III at Tufts and graduated feeling like he could succeed at a higher level.
The sophomore Blue Hen continued that on Saturday, covering 144 yards on his seven catches, including touchdowns of 41 and 39 yards.
He had one game at Tufts in 2022 with 10 catches for 237 yards and six touchdowns and, he said, played primarily as a slot receiver. As a wideout, he has become a downfield threat for the Hens.
“Football is a game of confidence,” he said. “If you go out there and play with confidence, I think anything is possible.”
Lutz has caught 11 passes for 261 yards in three games, for an average of 23.73 yards per catch.
Blue Hens reaction: Carty and players on victory against Penn
Delaware needed a late touchdown and a crucial turnover to stop Penn at Delaware Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Coach Ryan Carty and the players say the crowd and playing off each other was a factor in the comeback.
Subs increase
Silver ran 57 yards on 11 attempts and scored the game-winning touchdown as a replacement for the injured Marcus Yarns.
Delaware’s banged-up offensive line benefited from All-CAA tackle Fintan Brose, who is not playing this year and will only be able to play in four games. This is his first game of the season.
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Carty praised Cole Snyder for stepping in when guard Patrick Shupp was injured early in the game.
“This is two weeks in a row, he’s played almost a full game and you wouldn’t know it,” Carty said. “We don’t think he’s a backup. We’ve put him on the offensive line two games in a row now, once at left tackle and once at left guard. He’s played two different positions in two weeks and both times a great offense has come off the field. I’m just really proud of him.”
Decisive punt moment
Penn nearly blocked an earlier punt and then muffed Josh Cupitt’s kick in the fourth quarter on what could have been the game-deciding play.
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The Quakers took over at the UD 38 and then finished an 8-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown to quarterback Aidan Sayin, the keeper on fourth down, to make it 22-21 with 6:02 minutes left.
“They were going to try, we knew that,” Carty said, but Penn was successful anyway. “… That’s one of the things we can certainly learn from. There was obviously an attack mode going on. When we see that, we need to get rid of the ball a little quicker. Plus, there was an open man.”
Allay concerns
Delaware is now 9 of 13 on extra point kicks, with Nate Reed making 6 of 8 before freshman Skyler Sholder missed his one attempt and Brandon Ratcliffe making his first three before missing the only attempt on Saturday.
Delaware attempted two points on its next three possessions and converted one, but Reed made a 35-yard field goal.
“That’s a problem,” Carty said of the PATs, “because now we have to make 35 2-point plays every week.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com. And our DE Game Day newsletter.
