Delaware Blue Hens return home to face Penn Quakers in football
The Blue Hens return home to face the Quakers in their season opener. All the important names, facts
A diving catch gave Delaware a touchdown, but the Blue Hens were unable to convert another.
And now they’re in trouble.
Phil Lutz leapt up to catch Ryan O’Connor’s pass and ran into the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown with 4:48 left in the second quarter. Brandon Ratcliffe’s PAT attempt missed, putting Delaware down 9-6 against Penn.
KT Seay then reached up to intercept a pass from Penn before sailing out of bounds on the next series, giving Delaware possession at the 35-yard line. But Delaware had to punt and Penn took advantage.
The Quakers gained 91 yards in just six plays and Bisi Owns caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Aidan Sayin. The Quakers went into halftime with a 16-6 lead.
Penn outgained Delaware in total yards 267 to 148.
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Fintan Brose back in the squad
All-CAA right tackle Fintan Brose returned to the lineup for Delaware tonight against Penn at Delaware Stadium, bolstering an offensive line recently weakened by injuries.
Brose, who is expected to take a redshirt to preserve him for next year’s promotion to Conference USA and the Football Bowl Subdivision, is available to play in four games and the Blue Hens needed him tonight against Penn. He had not played in the first two games.
The Quakers played their season opener against Delaware (2-0) and scored on the first series of the game with an 18-yard pass from Aidan Sayin to Jared Richardson to make it 6-0. Dillon Trainer blocked the extra point.
Delaware was then stopped on a drive at the Penn 5 when a pass was incomplete on fourth-and-1. The Quakers then scored on Sam Smith’s 37-yard field goal to take a 9-0 lead with 11:17 left in the second quarter.
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The Blue Hens move forward
Guards Bradly Anyanwu and tackle Blaise Sparks both left last Saturday’s 42-13 win at North Carolina A&T due to injuries.
But Anyanwu, the Dover High graduate, led the offensive linemen onto the field for pregame warmups, showing he was healthy enough to start. Guard Patrick Shupp, the only one of the five returning starters at forward defense whose participation was not in question, center Steven Demboski and tackle Anwar O’Neal joined Brose.
Demboski filled in last week for Brock Gingrich, who was injured in Delaware’s season-opening win over Bryant. O’Neal, a Middletown High graduate, had started the first two games in place of Brose, who filled in for Sparks against Penn.
“It was a piecemeal effort,” Delaware coach Ryan Carty said after practice on Wednesday.
Leading returning receiver Jojo Bermudez, top rusher Marcus Yarns and starting defensive lineman Jack Hall were also not used.
Carty, however, said he does not believe any of the injured players mentioned above will be out for an extended period of time or are the type of players who may need surgery.
“We’re going to go out there and put 11 guys on the field and we’re going to be OK,” Carty added. “But it’s certainly not going to be as easy as we’d like it to be for Week 3.”
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Tough challenge
Five years ago, Delaware had to thwart a late 2-point attempt in a 28-27 win over Penn.
The Quakers remain potentially problematic, having a 6-4 record with four losses by a total of 16 points in the 2023 season and a wealth of experience. This is also their season opener, which adds to Delaware’s preparation difficulties.
“I know they have nine returning starters on offense,” Carty said, “and that’s why I feel like they’re going to be as good or even better there than they were last year.”
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.
