First impressions are important on the football field.
Delaware opens its 2024 season Thursday night, and will want to give what is certain to be a large, enthusiastic audience a hint of what is to come.
Season openers are also often a bit of a mystery. New players stepping in may also correlate to revised offensive and defensive schemes.
That makes preparation a bit more difficult for the two teams, so Delaware and visiting Bryant will certainly want to make sure they are first excelling at what they do and adjusting as they see fit.
“You really have to worry about yourself in Game One,” Delaware coach Ryan Carty said as his third season since returning to his alma mater neared.
“You really have to focus on who we are, what we wanna be good at and try our best to dictate, ‘Hey, this is who we wanna be.’ Let’s see how they react to that and then let’s react and play that chess game as the game goes on.”
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.
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How to follow
Delaware Online will have live updates on the game beginning an hour before kickoff with photos and video through to its conclusion with postgame reaction.
How to see
Tickets are still available and may be purchased on Bluehens.com or at stadium ticket windows. A large student turnout is expected.
How to listen
WDSD 95.7-FM is airing the game with Scott Klatzin calling the action, Bill Harman providing expert analysis and Nick Alessandrini reporting from the sidelines. They come on the air an hour before kickoff.
UD student radio WVUD 91.3-FM is also broadcasting the game with Daniel Steenkamer and Ethan Fager offering the details.
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How to watch
The game is being streamed on Flosports.com for a fee.
What's the weather forecast?
Temperature at kickoff should be around 70 with cloudy conditions and perhaps a shower.
Why is this game important for Delaware?
Delaware begins its 133rd football season, but this one is different.
While the traditional goal of earning a postseason berth is unavailable this year, Delaware is intent on building a winning foundation from which to build its FBS future. A solid opening night would be the ideal springboard.
Delaware is playing its final season as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and the Coastal Athletic Association before next year’s move to Conference USA in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Blue Hens are, therefore, ineligible for the NCAA playoffs.
What’s the series record?
This is the first meeting between Delaware and Bryant, located in Smithfield, Rhode Island. While the Bulldogs are first-year football-only members of the CAA, this is a nonconference game that was scheduled before their entry was announced and, therefore, does not factor in the league standings.
Bryant has only had a football team since 1999, when it debuted in the Division II Northeast-10 Conference. The Bulldogs made the NCAA playoffs in 2006 and 2007. The program was elevated to Division I at the FCS level in 2008, and played in the Northeast Conference from 2009-21 and then the Big South for the last two years.
Last year Bryant was 6-5 overall and 4-2 in league games, losing each of those two by one point in overtime.
What will be interesting to see?
Delaware graduated its top four pass catchers from 2023. It has an impressive collection of potential with players it returned and added. But who will thrive in the game-day setting and prove to be returning quarterback Ryan O’Connor ’s favorite targets?
Who is a player to watch for Bryant?
Jarrett Guest gives Bryant the proven and talented quarterback that’s often a major requirement for CAA success. The transfer spent the last five years at Coastal Carolina, where he started some games and completed 80 of 127 passes for 1,243 yards and 10 TDs.
“He’s been there, he’s done it,” Bryant coach Chris Merritt said. “We’re excited. He’s different than the kid we’ve had back there for the last three years, but he’s sound and he brings just different qualities to the table. I’m excited to see him run, too.”
Who is a player to watch for Delaware?
Marcus Yarns is poised for a big final college football season. The preseason All-American led the Hens with 939 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last year. His 6.90-yards-per-carry average ranked fourth nationally in FCS. He’s also a threat in the passing game after getting 24 receptions for 311 yards and three TDs last year.
Delaware’s offense relishes its ability to make big plays down the field, and Yarns is as capable as anyone of doing that.
What does coach Bryant coach Chris Merritt say?
“Delaware’s a fine program, well-coached. We’ve had the opportunity the last two years [to play FBS foes] FIU and UNLV . . . I’d put Delaware right there with them. It’ll be a good benchmark for us to see exactly where we’re at after that football game. Obviously, Delaware’s a quality opponent.”
What does Delaware coach Ryan Carty say?
“We’re excited to be able to go out there and kinda put on display what we’ve been working on over the past half a year. We’ve had a lot of offseason training and it’s about that time to get excited about playing football again, and getting a chance to go under the lights in front of an unbelievable crowd.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How to follow: Bryant University at the University of Delaware in 2024 football opener
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