Football Set to Close FCS Era at Villanova

NEWARK, Del. - University of Delaware football will play Villanova on Saturday, November 23 in the annual Battle of the Blue. It is the 2024 season finale and the Blue Hens' final game as a member of FCS. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Villanova Stadium.

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ABOUT THE HENS

Delaware enters the week at 9-1 overall and 6-1 and in the CAA. A win on Saturday would give the Blue Hens their most wins in a season since 2010 when UD went 12-3 and advanced to the FCS national championship game.
Nick Minicucci was named the CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week, his first career weekly honor, after passing for career-highs of 230 yards and four touchdowns against Campbell. He also ran for personal-bests of 78 yards and two scores.
Marcus Yarns ran for 134 yards against Campbell, his third-consecutive 100-yard performance. It was his fourth of the season and eighth of his career, tying him for eighth all-time in program history.
Four UD running backs have scored touchdowns this season, with Yarns leading the way with five. Jo'Nathan Silver and Quincy Watson each have four. Saeed St. Fleur has scored two. Yarns also has four receiving touchdowns.
Yarns became the 18th player in UD history to rush for 2,000 career yards, surpassing the mark against Rhode Island.
Phil Lutz caught a pair of touchdowns against Campbell to give him 11 touchdown receptions this year. He is the fifth Blue Hen all-time to reach 10 touchdown catches in a season and is now tied for second all-time.
KT Seay is tied for the CAA lead and is tied for fifth in the country with four interceptions this season. It is the most in a season by a Blue Hen since Nasir Adderley had four in 2018.
Gavin Moul's 63 tackles is tops on the team.
Delaware's defense held Campbell to 60 rushing yards, the fourth opponent held under 75 rushing yards this season.
The Blue Hens finished with a perfect 7-0 record at Delaware Stadium in 2024, the 14th undefeated home slate since the first full season at Delaware Stadium in 1953, and the fifth that has consisted of seven wins or more.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS

Villanova enters Saturday with an 8-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in CAA play after falling 40-33 at Monmouth last weekend.
The offense is averaging 23.4 ppg and 322.8 yards of total offense. The defense allows 18.5 ppg, ranking 10th in the country, and 315.2 ypg to opponents.
Connor Watkins, the CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has played in every game this year and completed 52-percent of his passes for 1,619 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing two interceptions. He has also rushed for 316 yards and seven scores.
David Avit has rushed for a team-high 764 yards and eight touchdowns.
Jaylan Sanchez has caught 29 passes for a team-leading 416 yards and three touchdowns, while Devin Smith leads the Wildcats with 34 receptions and five touchdown catches.
Shane Hartzell is fourth in the CAA with 93 total tackles, while Brendan Bell is fifth with 91 tackles. Hartzell also leads Villanova with 4.0 sacks, and Bell leads the way with 13.5 TFLs.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday will be the 58th all-time meeting of the Battle of the Blue and will mark the 26th-straight season that the two local rivals will meet on the gridiron.
The Wildcats own a 34-22-1 series advantage and have won 12 of the past 13 matchups, but three of the last four meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
Delaware's most recent win over Villanova came during the 2021 spring season, a 27-20 victory at Villanova Stadium that clinched the CAA Championship for the Blue Hens.
Head coach Ryan Carty was 3-2 as a player against the Wildcats from 2002-06, winning three-straight games from 2003-05.

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Players Mentioned

Phil Lutz

Nick Minicucci

Gavin Moul

KT Seay

Jo Silver

Saeed St. Fleur

Quincy Watson

Marcus Yarns

University of Delaware Athletics