Tag: Blue Hens

Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Ryan Staub (16) calls for the ball in the second half against the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Ryan Staub, QB carousel lead Colorado past Delaware

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ryan Staub completed 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns to lead Colorado to a 31-7 win over Delaware on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

Colorado (1-1) rotated quarterbacks, with Kaidon Salter starting and Julian Lewis and Staub also seeing action. Staub tossed touchdowns of 21 and 71 yards while Salter hit on 13 of 16 passes for 102 yards and rushed nine times for 26 yards and a touchdown.

Sincere Brown caught four passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, and DeKalon Taylor also caught a touchdown for Colorado. Micah Welch had a rushing touchdown for the Buffaloes.

Nick Minicucci completed 18 of 36 passes for 312 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Fightin’ Blue Hens (1-1). Jo Silver scored a touchdown, Jake Thaw caught four passes for 85 yards and Ja’Carree Kelly had two catches for 83 yards for Delaware.

Colorado got on the board first as Salter went 6-for-6 on a 12 play, 87-yard scoring drive. He added three rushes for 29 yards on the drive and scrambled for a nine-yard touchdown to give Colorado a 7-0 lead at the 5:39 mark of the first quarter.

Alejandro Mata drilled a 28-yard field goal to extend the Colorado lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter.

With 45 seconds left in the first half, Minicucci’s shovel pass to Silver led to a 4-yard touchdown as Delaware closed the deficit to 10-7. But, Staub engineered a 75-yard scoring drive in just 36 seconds that was capped with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Taylor as Colorado took a 17-7 halftime lead.

Another quick-strike scoring drive opened the second half, as Staub punctuated a three-play drive with a 71-yard TD pass to Brown for a 24-7 Colorado lead.

A blocked punt gave Colorado a short field and led to a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Welch for a 31-7 CU lead with 14:13 left in the game.

The Blue Hens managed just one score in three red-zone trips. They turned it over on downs inside the Colorado 10-yard line on their opening drive of the second half, and then missed a field goal in the closing minutes. The team also fumbled at the end of a 67-yard gain into the red zone early in the fourth quarter, scoring just seven points on seven trips across midfield.

– Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders congratulates Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) following a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado seeking first win of season, welcomes new FBS member Delaware

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado missed a chance for a significant win in its opener last weekend and now turns the page and focuses on playing Delaware on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

Colorado (0-1) took some positives from the 27-20 home loss to Georgia Tech on Aug. 29, most notably ball security. The Buffaloes didn’t commit a turnover against the Yellow Jackets, but they didn’t take enough advantage of their three takeaways, scoring just once.

The most significant issue was clock management on the final drive. Head coach Deion Sanders’ squad had the ball with 1:07 remaining but didn’t use the two timeouts it had left.

Quarterback Kaidon Salter, taking over for Sanders’ son Shedeur (now with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns), had a solid day, completing 17 of 28 passes for 159 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass to DeKalon Taylor to open the game’s scoring in the first quarter. Salter, a transfer from Liberty in his Colorado debut, also ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

However, Deion Sanders said highly-touted freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis will take some snaps Saturday but declined to address who would start.

“He’s playing this week for sure,” Deion Sanders said. “I know when I’m going to see him. You just don’t know when you’re going to see him. I know when we’re gonna see him.”

Delaware (1-0) made the jump from FCS to FBS this season and opened with a 35-17 win over Delaware State. Quarterback Nick Minicucci threw for 270 yards (28 of 36) and three touchdowns and ran for 44 net yards and another on nine carries in the victory.

He will face a defense that allowed Georgia Tech QB Haynes King a combined 299 yards running and passing.

Saturday will be the first time the Blue Hens faces another FBS team since making the leap to the top level, and their first game ever against a current or former member of the Big 12 Conference.

Delaware’s roster has 14 transfers from Power 4 programs. One of those, defensive end Noah Matthews, came to the Blue Hens via the University of Kentucky to play for a school that is located an hour from where he grew up in the state.

“I wanted to come back and show people, this is what Delaware does,” Matthews told ESPN. “We can play big-time football, too. After this year, they’ll know exactly who we are.”

Sanders is impressed by Delaware.

“I love what they’re doing,” Sanders said. “On film, they do some nice things. They got some people that could make things happen offensively, as well as them getting to the ball defensively.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Noah Vedral (0) hands off to running back Aaron Young (4) during the second half against the Temple Owls at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Unbeaten Rutgers chasing improved offense vs. Delaware

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For the first time since 2014, Rutgers is off to a 2-0 start even though its results on offense are not necessarily indicative of its record.

Ranked near or at the bottom nationally of several major offensive categories, the Scarlet Knights hope to display an improved ability to move the ball and remain unbeaten Saturday afternoon when they host FCS foe Delaware in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers (2-0) is seeking its first 3-0 start since winning the first seven games of the 2012 season in coach Kyle Flood’s debut season after Greg Schiano’s first stint. The Scarlet Knights are unbeaten despite ranking 129th in yards per completion, 118th in total offense, tied for 114th in third-down conversion, tied for 98th in red zone offense and 93rd in rushing offense.

In the season opener, Rutgers cruised to a 61-14 win over Temple despite getting 365 total yards offense, and in Saturday’s 17-7 win at Syracuse, offense was significantly more difficult to come by. Against Syracuse, the Scarlet Knights totaled 195 yards on offense, converted 3 of 15 third downs and did not score until Kyle Monangai’s 11-yard TD run with 6:46 left in the third quarter.

Quarterback Noah Vedral completed 22 of 28 passes for 145 yards and a go-ahead touchdown later in the third quarter.

“I actually thought Noah did exactly what he needed to do,” Schiano said. “He needed to come here and play a clean game, and he really did do that.”

Delaware (2-0) is ranked sixth in the STATS Perform FCS poll, made the FCS semifinals last season and was picked second in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll. The Fightin’ Blue Hens followed up a 34-24 win at Maine with a 27-10 win over St. Francis (PA) when Nolan Henderson completed 18 of 23 passes for 259 yards.

“Delaware was one of the best (four) teams in the whole country last year — that’s why they played (in the semifinals),” Schiano said. “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. We understand exactly what Delaware is.”

Delaware is 0-9 against FBS opponents since Joe Flacco led a 59-52 win at Navy in 2007. In 2019, Delaware held a lead into the fourth quarter in a 17-14 loss at Pittsburgh.

“College football is a beautiful thing,” Blue Hens coach Danny Rocco said. “On any given Saturday, you just start all over every week.”

Saturday is the 32nd meeting between the schools but first since 1973.

–Field Level Media