University of Delaware Athletics
Football Readies for the 68 Ventures Bowl Against Louisiana
12/12/2025 2:19:00 PM | Football
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware football team will travel to Mobile, Ala. for the 68 Ventures Bowl on Wednesday, December 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. This will be the first game between the two schools in any sport. The Fightin' Blue Hens find themselves heading to a bowl game after securing six wins on the season and not enough six-win teams eligible for the 42 FBS bowl games (including CFP). They join six other Conference USA schools playing in a postseason bowl this season.
UD, along with FBS newcomer and conference mate Missouri State, become the second and third first-year FBS programs over the past three seasons to make a bowl game, joining CUSA's Jacksonville State in 2023. Overall, Delaware is one of four programs in all of FBS football since 2012 to advance to a bowl game in its first season (UAB, 2017) with six other six-win teams missing out previously.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
ABOUT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
TICKET INFORMATION
Don't miss your chance to be part of the action at Delaware Stadium this fall. Get your single-game tickets for the 2025 Delaware home football season today!
Season tickets offer the best seats at the best price for every home game and come with great benefits, such as ticket priority for away games and invites to exclusive member-only events. Partial Plans offer fans flexible options and price savings over individual games.
For more information or to secure your seats, visit BlueHens.com/fbtickets.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Delaware football, follow the Blue Hens on X, Instagram, and like on Facebook.
UD, along with FBS newcomer and conference mate Missouri State, become the second and third first-year FBS programs over the past three seasons to make a bowl game, joining CUSA's Jacksonville State in 2023. Overall, Delaware is one of four programs in all of FBS football since 2012 to advance to a bowl game in its first season (UAB, 2017) with six other six-win teams missing out previously.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
- Delaware enters the contest 6-6, 4-4 CUSA, following a 61-31 home win over UTEP.
- UD landed 11 student-athletes on All-CUSA teams in its first season in the conference: OL Fintan Brose (First Team), WR Kyre Duplessis (First Team), S KT Seay (First Team), OL Steven Demboski (Second Team), QB Nick Minicucci (Second Team), KR Mysonne Pollard (Second Team), K Nate Reed (Second Team), LB Gavin Moul (Honorable Mention), OL Anwar O'neal (Honorable Mention), WR Sean Wilson (Honorable Mention/All-Freshman Team), and CB Jamarion Kolagbodi (All-Freshman Team).
- The Blue Hens' explosive offense is taking the league by storm, sitting tied for first in Conference USA with 29.8 points per game. Minicucci leads the Hens with the No. 1 passing offense in the league and sixth best in the country, as UD is tallying 302.2 yards per game through the air.
- At the helm of the Blue & Gold offense, Minicucci is having one of the best seasons in school history, leading CUSA in passing yards (3,507), completions (303), attempts (482), passing yards/game (292.3), total offense (3,738), total offense per game (311.5), and points responsible for (194). On the ground, the signal caller sits tied for fourth in the conference with 10 rushing touchdowns. Minicucci is the second QB in program history with 20 passing TDs and 10 rushing TDs (first since 1969). He ranks among the nation's best in passing yards per game and passing yards, currently placing fourth in passing yards per game and fifth in passing yards and sixth nationally in total yards per game and total yards.
- In the backfield, Delaware is led by the running back combo of Jo Silver and Viron Ellison Jr., who have combined for 958 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
- The dynamic duo of Duplessis and Wilson spearhead a diverse group of pass catchers, joining forces for 115 catches, 1,551 yards, and seven touchdowns. Wilson sits fourth in CUSA in catches (60) and third in receiving yards (796), while Duplessis is tied for fifth in catches (55) and fifth in yards (755).
- Moul has been a stalwart in the second level of the Hens' defense as he leads the team and ranks third in the league in tackles with 103. His 8.6 tackles per game place him 35th-nationally in the category. He became the 37th player in program history to record at least 100 tackles in a season for the Blue & Gold.
ABOUT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
- The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak to end 6-6 under head coach Michael Desormeaux and garnered eight All-Sun Belt selections this season.
- Under Desormeaux, the Ragin' Cajuns have gone 29-24 since his debut in the 2021 New Orleans Bowl, taking over for Billy Napier, who left for Florida prior to the game. Louisiana will be going bowling for the seventh-straight season, having gone 1-3 in bowl games in Desormeaux's tenure, with the lone victory coming in the aforementioned New Orleans Bowl over the Marshall Thundering Herd.
- In 2025, Louisiana is a ground-and-pound team with the 29th-ranked rushing offense in the nation, averaging 189.8 yards per game.
- On defense, the Ragin' Cajuns are strong at stopping their opponent when they reach the red zone, ranking 31st in the country with a 79.1 percent success rate.
- Louisiana is led on offense by QB Lunch Winfield, who has totaled 1,324 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air this season.
- RBs Bill Davis and Zylan Perry form a one-two punch in the backfield, combining for 1,407 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
- WR Shelton Sampson Jr. leads the team in catches (29), receiving yards (495), and receiving touchdowns (5).
- Defensively, LB Jaden Dugger ranks 11th in the country with 9.8 tackles per game, totaling 118 tackles.
TICKET INFORMATION
Don't miss your chance to be part of the action at Delaware Stadium this fall. Get your single-game tickets for the 2025 Delaware home football season today!
Season tickets offer the best seats at the best price for every home game and come with great benefits, such as ticket priority for away games and invites to exclusive member-only events. Partial Plans offer fans flexible options and price savings over individual games.
For more information or to secure your seats, visit BlueHens.com/fbtickets.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Delaware football, follow the Blue Hens on X, Instagram, and like on Facebook.
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