Bell Sets Freshman Single-Game Passing Record in First-Career Start as Football Falls at Middle Tennessee

Tuesday, October 13

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

7 PM

University of Delaware

2-4 , 0-2

Middle Tennessee

3-3 , 1-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Delaware	3	13	7	7	30
Middle Tenn.	5	7	14	7	33

Game Notes

Photo by: Mikey Reeves

Bell Sets Freshman Single-Game Passing Record in First-Career Start as Football Falls at Middle Tennessee

10/13/2026 10:41:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – QB Tyler Bell set the Delaware single-game passing yards record by a freshman (306) as the University of Delaware football team lost a close one to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, 33-30, on Tuesday night at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. The Fightin' Blue Hens drop to 2-4, 0-2 CUSA, while the Blue Raiders rise to 3-3, 1-1 CUSA.

HEN HIGHLIGHTS

Delaware's third down defense held MTSU without a conversion on five attempts in the first half and 2-for-9 in the game.
Bell set the Delaware single-game passing yards record by a freshman with 306 yards on 22-of-36 passing to go with two passing touchdowns, 15 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown. His passing total surpassed the previous freshman single game passing yards held by Bill Vergantino (286) against New Hampshire on September 30, 1989.
WR Bryson Graves completed his second-career touchdown pass to Bell, while adding 86 all-purpose yards to lead the team.
WR Donovan Lewis topped the Hens with six catches and 83 receiving yards, both career highs.
TE Josh Humes recorded his first-career receiving touchdown on his first-career catch that went 33 yards.
RB Kaderris Roberts notched his third-multi touchdown game of his career, tallying one rushing and one receiving score.
S George Mullins tallied his second interception of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Delaware used a nine-play, 59-yard drive to go up 3-0 on its opening possession, capped off by a 33-yard field goal by K Tucker Smack. Middle Tennessee answered immediately with a field goal of its own, evening the game at three with 6:55 left in the first. Minutes later, MTSU forced an intentional grounding penalty in the endzone, resulting in a safety to take a 5-3 advantage.
Early in the second quarter, the Blue Raiders found paydirt from a yard out on a QB run to go up 12-3. With 7:20 remaining in the first half, Roberts bounced an 11-yard run outside and bowled over a MTSU defender en route to the endzone, cutting the home team's lead to 12-10. As time ticked down under a minute to go in the first half, Mullins intercepted a pass to set the Hens up at the 15-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Bell handed the ball off to Graves on a reverse who then threw it back to his QB who took it 15 yards to the house. After the trickery, Delaware held a 16-12 lead at the break.
MTSU opened the second half with an 80-yard touchdown pass to go back in front, 19-16. The Hens struck back after Humes was on the receiving end of a 33-yard pass from Bell that went the distance to lead 23-19. The Blue Raiders clapped back as they connected on an 18-yard touchdown in the corner of the endzone, leaving a 26-23 MTSU lead.
UD jumped back in front, 30-26, on a Bell to Roberts pop pass that the speedy running back housecalled from 23-yards out. With 3:06 left in the game, Middle Tennessee scored a 14-yard touchdown to go up 33-30 and hold on for the victory.

GAME NOTES

Bell became the first-true freshman QB to start a game for the Fightin' Blue Hens since Nick Minicucci started an FCS Playoff game against Lafayette on November 25, 2023. The rookie signalcaller became the first-true freshman gunslinger to start a regular-season game since Mike Connor did so on November 17, 2001 at Villanova.
The 15-yard touchdown pass from Graves to Bell was the first receiving TD by a Delaware QB since Trent Hurley caught one from WR Rob Jones for 13 yards at Villanova on November 11, 2013.
Graves became the fifth Blue Hen to throw a TD pass this season and second by a non-quarterback. The five touchdown passers are the most in the country this season and tied for the most by a CUSA team all-time in a season, matching Memphis in 2008 and Southern Miss in 2021. The two non-QB touchdown passers are tied for the most in the nation this season (Louisiana Tech).
WR Ty Salazer made his collegiate debut with snaps on special teams.

UP NEXT
The Fightin' Blue Hens will return home to host the Missouri State Bears for Weekday CUSA play on Tuesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. The game will air nationally on ESPNU.

TICKET INFORMATION
Get your 2026 Delaware football tickets now by visiting bluehens.com/fbtickets.

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