NEWARK — On paper, Delaware’s football players can’t win any titles this fall.
There’s no Coastal Athletic Association or FCS national championships on the table as the Blue Hens start transitioning to the FBS level.
But don’t overlook revenge as a pretty powerful motivator said veteran defensive lineman Jack Hall.
Both Delaware and its CAA rivals know this is the last time they’ll face each other as conference foes.
“Obviously, one of our goals is to beat the crap out of everybody,” Hall said with a smile.
“I’ve been in the CAA for four years now. You don’t make very many friends in this conference. It’s a very competitive conference with very good teams and we’ve had a lot of hard-fought games.
“We really just want to take it to this entire conference and kind of bid it a nice farewell,” he said. “We’re kind of calling it our ‘Farewell Tour.’ We want to really leave this team and this program in a much better place than we found it.”
The Hens say motivation won’t be a problem in a season they open on Thursday by hosting Bryant at 7 p.m.
Third-year coach Ryan Carty knows Delaware’s schedule puts in a good position this fall.
Other teams — like Sam Houston State and future Conference USA rival Kennesaw State — played only nine-game slates with some unfamiliar foes in their transition years.
But the Hens will play their normal eight-game CAA schedule. They’ll even face a ninth league team in Bryant, which is joining the CAA this fall.
That game was scheduled before the Bulldogs decided to become part of the conference.
With Penn and Sacred Heart as Delaware’s other non-conference fates, the Hens will play an entire 11-game FCS schedule in their last season at this level.
Delaware even gets seven home games this fall.
And the whole thing is topped off by one last game with rival Villanova, on Nov. 23 on the Main Line.
With the Wildcats picked to win the CAA this fall, the Hens would love nothing more than to play for an unofficial league crown in their last game in FCS.
“We’re fortunate, we are,” said Carty. “For our 2024 team, this isn’t a transition year. This is the 2024 season in the CAA.
”We probably haven’t had to think about the rhetoric around it as much because of that. That’s really been a great thing for our program. We’re excited about this season. It’s certainly not anything that anybody is looking past.
“We’re excited for the ability to go finish what we started in the CAA and make sure that we do a great job of leaving our mark.”
It’s worth noting that the reason transitioning programs are ineligible for the FCS playoffs is because they’ve usually started awarding more scholarships in their move up to FBS. Delaware is giving 73 scholarships this fall, 10 more than the FCS limit.
With that in mind, there seems to be no reason why the Hens shouldn’t have a chance to win all 11 of their games this season.
For the first time since 2018, not counting the 2021 spring season, Delaware won’t be facing an FBS program. And in ‘18, the Hens still played FCS juggernaut North Dakota State.
Led by standout running Marcus Yarns and veteran quarterback Ryan O’Connor on offense and linebacker Dillon Trainer on defense, Delaware certainly seems to have the makings of a very good team.
The Hens like both their offensive and defensive lines and have added 13 transfers they think will make an immediate impact.
More than anything, though, Carty said he likes the belief his players have in each other.
“I feel really good about it,” Carty said about his team. “We feel good about this season.
“I think this team is the closest that we’ve had in three years. I think it’s the one that buys in the most to what we’re trying to accomplish and understands why we’re trying to do the things that we’re doing.”
In his first two seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, Carty has a record 17-9 with a 2-2 record in a pair of FCS playoff appearances.
Carty won’t be able to add to those playoff numbers this fall but he said he and his players are OK with that.
“They’re playing for each other,” said Carty. “This is what they have. They have 11 games. It’s finite and we know that.
“We know exactly what we’re getting and who we’re playing and when we’re playing them. And those things aren’t going to change.
“That’s what they’re playing for. All the work that they’ve done leading up to this point .... is to make sure they take advantage of the opportunities they’ve been granted — which is 11. Absolutely it’s a no-brainer for them to go out there and give it their all for 11 games.”
Hall said he remembers his freshman season when the Hens played in the spring because of the COVID Pandemic. Delaware ended up reaching the FCS semifinals after playing a shortened regular season.
Hall said that season reminds him of this one after some of the talk he’s heard.
“They told me that year didn’t really mean anything either,” he said. “And it was one of the most special years I’ve been a part of.
“When you’re playing football, it always matters.”
Delaware Football
2024 Schedule
AUGUST
29-BRYANT 7 p.m.
SEPTEMBER
14-At North Carolina A&T* 1 p.m.
21-PENNSYLVANIA 6 p.m.
28-SACRED HEART 3:30 p.m.
OCTOBER
5-At Monmouth* 1 p.m.
12-MAINE* 1 p.m.
19-At Richmond* 3:30 p.m.
26-ALBANY* 3 p.m.
NOVEMBER
9-RHODE ISLAND* 1 p.m.
16-CAMPBELL* 1 p.m .
23-At Villanova* 1 p.m.
- CAA game. Delaware is not eligible for the CAA title as it transitions for FBS.
- Bryant is in its first season in the CAA but the contest was scheduled before it joined the league.
2023 RESULTS
6-2 CAA, 9-4 overall
W-At Stony Brook* 37-13
L-At Penn State 7-63
W-Saint Francis, Pa. 42-14
W-New Hampshire* 29-25
W-Duquesne 43-17
W-North Carolina A&T* 21-6
W-At Hampton* 47-3
W-At Towson* 51-13
L-Elon* 7-33
W-At Campbell* 45-7
L-Villanova* 7-35
NCAA Division I FCS playoffs
W-Lafayette 36-34
L-At Montana 19-49
* CAA game.
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