Football’s First-Half Lead at Vanderbilt Not Enough to Down Commodores

Saturday, September 12

Nashville, Tenn.

4:15 PM

University of Delaware

1-1 , 0-0

Vanderbilt

2-0 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Delaware	0	17	0	9	26
Vanderbilt	14	0	21	0	35

Photo by: Ethan Heddinger

Football’s First-Half Lead at Vanderbilt Not Enough to Down Commodores

9/12/2026 8:19:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

NASHVILLE – The University of Delaware football team fell to the Vanderbilt Commodores, 35-26, on Saturday afternoon in FirstBank Stadium. Delaware led 17-14 at the halftime break, becoming the first group of six team to lead an SEC team at halftime since Toledo led Mississippi State, 28-3, on September 14, 2024 and the first CUSA team to do so since New Mexico State led Auburn, 10-7, on November 18, 2023.

HEN HIGHLIGHTS

QB Nick Minicucci completed 11 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, while QB Braden Streeter went 4-for-5 for 58 yards over three drives in relief, before Minicucci's return in the second half.
RB Jo Silver tallied his third-career 100-yard rushing game, scampering for 109 yards on 16 carries.
WR Da'Wain Lofton set career bests in receptions (four) and receiving yards (142), while also making a career-long catch of 57 yards and hauling in a receiving touchdown. It was Lofton's first career game of 100+ receiving yards.
WR Bryson Graves became the first Hen to block a punt and return it for a touchdown since Quincy Watson did so against Delaware State on September 10, 2022.
WR Sean Wilson surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for career receiving yards with 30 yards on two grabs.
LB Gavin Moul recorded 10 tackles to lead the team, his ninth-career double digit tackle game, to go with a forced fumble.
LB Colin Gallagher career highs in tackles (9), sacks (1.5), and TFLs (2.5).
K Tucker Smack went 2-for-2 on field goals with makes of 40 and 37 yards, marking his first two DI field goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After the teams traded empty possessions for a majority of the opening frame, Vandy ran it in from two yards out to take a 7-0 lead. As time expired in the first quarter, the Commodores scored their second rushing touchdown to make it 14-0.
K Tucker Smack got the Fightin' Blue Hens on the board with a 37-yard field goal to cut it to 14-3 with 12:51 remaining in the second. UD found paydirt on fourth and goal from the one-yard line as RB Viron Ellison Jr. took the direct snap up the middle to make it 14-10 with 1:56 to play in the half. With 16 ticks remaining in the second quarter, Graves blocked a punt and recovered it in the endzone to put the Hens up 17-14 heading into the break.
Vanderbilt scored on the opening possession of the third quarter, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run to go up 21-17. The Commodores blocked a punt and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown to go up 28-17 early in the third. Vandy tacked on another TD to increase its lead to 35-17.
Smack added another field goal to open the fourth quarter, knocking it in from a career-high 40-yards out to cut it to 35-20. Minicucci found Lofton for a 43-yard touchdown, but a failed two-point conversion left a 35-26 score with 6:37 left in regulation.

GAME NOTES

Minicucci's 11 completions gives him 481 for his career, tying him for fifth all time in program history with Pat Devlin.
Minicucci now sits at 41 career touchdown passes, knotting him with Joe Flacco and Rick Scully for sixth all time in UD history.
Graves' punt block was the first by a Blue Hen since Marcus Yarns vs. N.C. A&T on October 14, 2023.
It was the first-career start for WR Donovan Lewis and DE Brandon Gorham, while OL Collier Book made his career debut.

UP NEXT
The Fightin' Blue Hens will return home to face Coastal Carolina on Saturday, September 19 at 11:30 a.m. The game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.

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

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