Column: Blue Hens "Get Big" In Win Over UNH

Before the plane even landed in Delaware on the way back from the Blue Hens' tough loss at Elon last weekend, head coach Danny Rocco went to offensive coordinator Jared Ambrose with a simple message: "we need to get big and run the ball."

Delaware football certainly got big, and certainly ran the ball in a 16-10 win over New Hampshire that pushed the Blue Hens right back to the top of the Colonial Athletic Association standings and right back into the FCS playoff conversation.

After watching the Wildcats' film, the Delaware coaching staff noticed a mismatch opportunity in New Hampshire's league-best defense: their undersized linebackers. So for the first time this season, the Blue Hens deployed redshirt junior Brandon Nixon (6-foot-1, 280 pounds) and redshirt freshman Braden Brose (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) in the backfield as extra blockers.

The move paid off, as redshirt junior DeJoun Lee (23 carries, 103 yards, 1 touchdown) and redshirt freshman Will Knight (16 carries, 101 yards) became the first Delaware duo to both reach the 100-yard rushing mark since 2017.

The one-two punch was on full display on an impressive scoring drive right before halftime. Responding immediately to New Hampshire taking a 10-3 lead, the Blue Hens marched 74 yards in five plays and 2:05. After Lee hit the hole to the right to gain 16 yards and a first down, Knight broke off a 39-yard rush to the left to get inside the red zone. Lee eventually punched in the score from nine yards out.

"I mean, I love that," Lee said in the postgame press conference. "I think that [drive] embodies it. We're back and forth, it's selfless. It's constant, and I feel like it really batters the defense. Because you have two backs that are solid that can continuously go 100% right at you."

With trust in each other, each of the backfield duo has no problem subbing out of the game when tired to make sure the freshest back is in. Combined with an offensive line that opened running lanes, and each player's ability to break tackles, the Blue Hens recorded their most rushing yards since Sept. 7's thrilling triple overtime victory at Rhode Island.

"To be able to put bigger bodies in the game, and make those guys play a long, physical game against bigger-bodied players, we thought would create somewhat of an advantage as we got deeper into the game," Rocco said. "As we put some drives together, we did have that kind of rhythm."

After a crushing 42-7 loss at Elon last weekend, Delaware needed an immediate win to right the ship. Beating the No. 23-ranked team in the country, who hadn't lost a conference game to date, is a great way to rebound.

"At the end of the day, you either respond or you don't respond, and this team responded," Rocco said. "Really proud of the effort and really happy about the result."

Stray Observations

Defensive tackle and captain Cam Kitchen had his best performance of the season, and should be the frontrunner for the CAA's Defensive Player of the Week award. He batted down three passes at the line, including one that turned into a Matt Palmer interception. Kitchen overwhelmed the New Hampshire offensive line, recording seven tackles and two sacks, including a strip sack of Max Brosmer in the fourth quarter that set up a Delaware field goal.
Outside of Lee's touchdown, senior kicker Jake Roth accounted for Delaware's other nine points. After the field goal unit struggled with consistency early in the year, Roth hit three picture-perfect kicks and was mere inches away from sinking a 52-yard field goal.
Crucially, Delaware won the turnover battle. In addition to Palmer's pick and Kitchen's fumble recovery, redshirt freshman Amonte' Strothers jumped a route in the fourth quarter and laid out for an interception just as the Wildcats were driving into Delaware territory. Strothers, a promising prospect in the defensive backfield, saw the most action of his young career.
Led by Kitchen, the defensive line had arguably its best performance of the year. The unit registered a season-high three sacks and held New Hampshire to just 2.8 yards per rush. Often utilizing a three-man front, the Blue Hens were still able to get pressure to the freshman Brosmer, making his day an uncomfortable one.
Freshman Jourdan Townsend continues to make important contributions on the margins. A 20-yard punt return, a 13-yard catch on an out route, and a five-yard gain on a jet sweep were all crucial in setting up Delaware's first score of the game.
The sold-out Parents and Family Weekend crowd made a difference. As the Wildcats attempted to put together a final scoring drive, Delaware Stadium got LOUD, especially on third downs. "Our crowd today was great…That last drive of the game, some of those third downs, it was deafening. It's a tough place to come in and win when we have that kind of energy in our stadium," Rocco said. "Together we won that football game."

Players Mentioned

Braden Brose

Cam Kitchen

Will Knight

Dejoun Lee

Brandon Nixon

Matt Palmer

Jake Roth

Amonte' Strothers

Jourdan Townsend

University of Delaware Athletics