University of Delaware Athletics
Football Heading to 68 Ventures Bowl to Take on Sun Belt’s Louisiana
12/6/2025 5:30:00 PM | Football
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Delaware football program is set to take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Wednesday, December 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET, the bowl announced Saturday.
Fans can secure tickets on bluehens.com/fbtickets and follow along on Delaware's 2025 68 Ventures Bowl website for events, merchandise, and more.
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.
Delaware finished its first season at the FBS level 6-6 under fourth-year head coach Ryan Carty. UD landed 11 student-athletes on All-CUSA teams in its first season in the conference, led by first teamers OL Fintan Brose, WR Kyre Duplessis, and S KT Seay. The Blue Hens' explosive offense took the league by storm, finishing tied for first in Conference USA with 29.8 points per game behind the arm of All-CUSA Second Team selection QB Nick Minicucci. Minicucci led the Hens to the No. 1 passing offense in the league and sixth best in the country, as UD tallied 302.2 yards per game through the air.
At the helm of the Blue & Gold offense, Minicucci had 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 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 pass yards per game and passing yards, finishing the regular season fourth in both categories and sixth nationally in total yards per game and total yards.
Elsewhere on offense, Delaware is led by the running back combo of Jo Silver and Viron Ellison Jr., who combined for 958 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. The dynamic duo of Duplessis and WR Sean Wilson spearheaded a diverse group of pass catchers, joining forces for 115 catches, 1,551 yards, and seven touchdowns. Wilson, who was named All-CUSA Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team, finished fourth in CUSA in catches (60) and third in receiving yards (796), while Duplessis ended tied for fifth in catches (55) and fifth in yards (755).
LB Gavin Moul, who garnered All-CUSA Honorable Mention laurels, was a stalwart in the second level of the Hens' defense as he led the team and finished 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.
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 30th-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 30th 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 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
Get your 2026 Delaware Football season tickets and 68 Ventures Bowl tickets now by visiting bluehens.com/fbtickets.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Delaware football, follow the Blue Hens on X, Instagram, and like on Facebook.
Fans can secure tickets on bluehens.com/fbtickets and follow along on Delaware's 2025 68 Ventures Bowl website for events, merchandise, and more.
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.
Delaware finished its first season at the FBS level 6-6 under fourth-year head coach Ryan Carty. UD landed 11 student-athletes on All-CUSA teams in its first season in the conference, led by first teamers OL Fintan Brose, WR Kyre Duplessis, and S KT Seay. The Blue Hens' explosive offense took the league by storm, finishing tied for first in Conference USA with 29.8 points per game behind the arm of All-CUSA Second Team selection QB Nick Minicucci. Minicucci led the Hens to the No. 1 passing offense in the league and sixth best in the country, as UD tallied 302.2 yards per game through the air.
At the helm of the Blue & Gold offense, Minicucci had 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 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 pass yards per game and passing yards, finishing the regular season fourth in both categories and sixth nationally in total yards per game and total yards.
Elsewhere on offense, Delaware is led by the running back combo of Jo Silver and Viron Ellison Jr., who combined for 958 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. The dynamic duo of Duplessis and WR Sean Wilson spearheaded a diverse group of pass catchers, joining forces for 115 catches, 1,551 yards, and seven touchdowns. Wilson, who was named All-CUSA Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team, finished fourth in CUSA in catches (60) and third in receiving yards (796), while Duplessis ended tied for fifth in catches (55) and fifth in yards (755).
LB Gavin Moul, who garnered All-CUSA Honorable Mention laurels, was a stalwart in the second level of the Hens' defense as he led the team and finished 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.
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 30th-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 30th 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 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
Get your 2026 Delaware Football season tickets and 68 Ventures Bowl tickets now by visiting 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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