Knowing the Grind: Blue Hens Pull Through In Penn Win

A college football season is a grind. It's next to impossible to be at 100% for every day of a 12-game schedule. Head coach Danny Rocco noted in the postgame press conference that the triple overtime win at Rhode Island and the battle with No. 1 North Dakota State took a physical and emotional toll on the his No. 20 Delaware team.

So while the Blue Hens' 28-27 win over Penn Saturday afternoon may not have been the most complete game, the fact that Delaware came back from a two-touchdown second-half deficit to move to 3-1 on the season is something to be celebrated.

"There's a lot of things to go back and dissect and look at. Yet, the big news is that we won," Rocco said. "The big news is another game where we were trailing significantly, down two scores, we were able to come back and find a way to win. That's a real statement about the character of your kids and your program and the commitment level of your student-athletes."

After the Quakers took at 21-7 lead after the first drive of the third quarter, the Delaware offense kicked into its most efficient gear of the afternoon, scoring touchdowns on three of its next four drives.

It started with a Nolan Henderson scramble on 2nd and long with a lunge for the first down marker. A Penn personal foul tacked on to the end of the play moved Delaware deep into Quakers territory, where redshirt senior running back Andre Robinson broke free for a 25-yard gain to get Delaware into the red zone. Henderson found junior wide receiver Gene Coleman II's back shoulder in the corner of the end zone to cut the lead to 21-14.

On the next drive, it was sophomore tight end Bryce De Maille with his team-leading third touchdown of the season, burning the Penn defense on a 17-yard wheel route score to tie the game. Redshirt freshman running back Will Knight had broken several tackles earlier in the drive on a 23-yard rush to get in scoring range.

The Blue Hens went ahead for good in the fourth quarter when Knight punched it in from six yards out, his first rushing touchdown in a Delaware uniform. The score was set up by a 45-yard catch by redshirt sophomore Thyrick Pitts the previous play, where he dragged a Penn defender for several yards before eventually being taken down.

The game looked in jeopardy late in the fourth quarter when Penn returned a punt for a touchdown, but the Quakers failed to complete a pass on what would have been the go-ahead two-point conversion. Robinson gained a crucial first down on the final drive of the game that allowed the Blue Hens to run out the clock and seal the win.

Stray Observations

The defense was at its best in the third and fourth quarters. After it scored to start the third quarter, Penn failed to score on any offensive possession, punting three times and turning the ball over on downs once. The fourth-down stop came at the start of the fourth quarter when senior defensive end Brandan Hall stuffed Isaiah Malcome on third down, and sophomore linebacker Drew Nickles stuffed Karekin Brooks on fourth.
As the offense was struggling in the first half, the defense also came up with two huge turnovers to halt Penn drives. Late in the first quarter, Redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Toro batted a pass at the line of scrimmage that fell into the hands of Nickles. Later as the Quakers were driving in the second quarter, redshirt freshman safety Noah Plack delivered a punishing hit on Ryan Cragun, popping the ball loose. Toro jumped on the fumble to swing momentum back to the Hens.
Toro had his most productive game in a Delaware uniform to date, finishing with the fumble recovery and five tackles.
Pitts is developing into a solid deep threat for the Blue Hens. The receiver from Manassas, Va., finished with five catches for 128 yards (25.6 yds/catch), including two for over 40-yard gains.
The offense started the game hot, marching down the field for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Robinson had a 29-yard burst on a screen pass aided by a Mario Farinella downfield block to enter Penn territory. The next play, Pitts ran a great route to get separation and catch his second touchdown of the year.
Although the Blue Hens didn't record a sack, they applied significant pressure on Penn quarterback Nick Robinson in the second half, forcing him into several errant throws and limiting the Quakers' production.
For just the second time in the past 13 games, the Blue Hens didn't have a single turnover all afternoon. Henderson, in particularly, tossed for three TDs with no interceptions in his first collegiate start.

University of Delaware Athletics

Knowing the Grind: Blue Hens Pull Through In Penn Win

Players Mentioned

Gene Coleman II

Bryce De Maille

Mario Farinella

Nolan Henderson

Will Knight

Drew Nickles

Noah Plack

Andre Robinson

Anthony Toro

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