# 2007 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

The 2007 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the South Division of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach K. C. Keeler, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 11–4 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the CAA's South Division. Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Fightin' Blue Hens beat Delaware State in the first round, Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals, and Southern Illinois in the semifinals before losing to Appalachian State in the NCAA Division I Championship Game. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

## Preseason
### Conference changes

The 2007 season marked the first season of play for the Colonial Athletic Association, which was formed in 2005. From 1997 to 2006, the Delaware Blue Hens football team was a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Delaware, along with Hofstra University, James Madison University, the University of Maine, the University of Massachusetts, the University of New Hampshire, Northeastern University, the University of Rhode Island, the University of Richmond, Towson University, Villanova University, and the College of William & Mary, left the Atlantic 10 Conference to form the twelve-team conference.

### Recruiting class

The Blue Hens received 17 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 7, 2007.
College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Shea Allard OL | Wareham, Massachusetts | Wareham HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | 5.2 | Nov 12, 2006 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Chuck Anderson LB | Parsippany, New Jersey | Parsippany HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | – | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Michael Atunrase DL | Yardley, Pennsylvania | Lawrenceville School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | 4.9 | Jan 9, 2007 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Scott Bradish QB | Newton, Pennsylvania | Council Rock North HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Sam Burrows OL | Wilmington, Delaware | Concord HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 315 lb (143 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jerry Butler RB | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | George Washington HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Cody Cipalla DB | Albion, Pennsylvania | Northwestern HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 4.5 | Dec 4, 2006 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 72 |||||||
| Tyrone Grant DB | Brooklyn, New York | Poly Prep Country Day School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 4.6 | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Siddiq Haynes DL | Durham, North Carolina | Jordan HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 287 lb (130 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Demitrius Hester DL | Gibbstown, New Jersey | Paulsboro HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Eddie Lugo LB | Brooklyn, New York | Poly Prep Country Day School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 213 lb (97 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Marvin McKinnie DB | Woodbury, New Jersey | Woodbury HS (Dean JC) | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 152 lb (69 kg) | 4.3 | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Chris Morales DL | Methuen, Massachusetts | Central Catholic HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | 4.8 | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Will Nagle OL | Green Harbor, Massachusetts | Marshfield HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Colin Nagle TE | Reading, Pennsylvania | Reading Central Catholic HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jay Pena DB | Lawrence, Massachusetts | Whittier Tech | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Michael Perry K | Thorofare, New Jersey | West Deptford HS | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | – | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Zack Reed TE | Huntingdon, Pennsylvania | Huntingdon Area HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 5.0 | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Lou Ritacco QB | Nutley, New Jersey | Nutley HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 4.8 | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Phillip Thaxton RB | Yorktown, Virginia | Grafton HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 4.4 | Dec 26, 2006 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 70 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Delaware Commit List for 2007". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 14, 2011. "RecruitTracker 2007: Delaware". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 14, 2011. "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 14, 2011. |||||||

### Transfers

The Blue Hens received three transfer students prior to the start of the 2007 season in defensive end Ronald Talley from Notre Dame, linebacker Johnathon Smith from Connecticut, and running back Jerry Butler from Wisconsin. Talley left Notre Dame midway through the 2006 season before transferring to Delaware. On August 27, offensive tackle Anthony Grosso transferred from Florida State after leaving the squad a week prior.

### Preseason awards

Projected starting running back Omar Cuff earned Preseason first-team All-CAA honors, Lindy's College Football Preview Magazine Preseason All-America honors, and The Sports Network Preseason third-team All-America honors.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 7:30 pm | at William & Mary | No. 19 | Zable StadiumWilliamsburg, VA (rivalry) | CN8 | W 49–31 | 11,639 |
| September 8 | 7:00 pm | No. 15 (D-II) West Chester* | No. 13 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE (rivalry) | | W 41–14 | 22,495 |
| September 15 | 3:30 pm | Rhode Island | No. 10 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | CN8 | W 38–9 | 22,064 |
| September 22 | 7:00 pm | at Towson | No. 11 | Johnny Unitas StadiumTowson, MD | CSN | W 27–7 | 10,856 |
| September 29 | 7:00 pm | Monmouth* | No. 12 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | | W 42–7 | 21,431 |
| October 6 | 12:00 pm | at No. 15 New Hampshire | No. 11 | Cowell StadiumDurham, NH | CN8 | L 30–35 | 7,115 |
| October 13 | 12:00 pm | Northeastern | No. 15 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | | W 30–20 | 21,570 |
| October 27 | 1:00 pm | at Navy* | No. 9 | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | CSTV | W 59–52 | 35,213 |
| November 3 | 12:00 pm | No. 12 James Madison | No. 7 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE (rivalry) | CSN | W 37–34 | 22,061 |
| November 10 | 1:00 pm | No. 9 Richmond | No. 6 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | | L 56–62 $^{5OT}$ | 21,187 |
| November 17 | 3:30 pm | at Villanova | No. 9 | Villanova StadiumVillanova, PA (Battle of the Blue) | CN8 | L 10–16 | 10,817 |
| November 23 | 1:30 pm | No. 10 Delaware State* | No. 13 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE (NCAA Division I First Round, rivalry) | ESPN | W 44–7 | 19,765 |
| December 1 | 2:00 pm | at No. 1 Northern Iowa* | No. 13 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA (NCAA Division I Quarterfinal) | ESPNGP | W 39–27 | 15,803 |
| December 8 | 4:00 pm | at No. 4 Southern Illinois* | No. 13 | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL (NCAA Division I Semifinal) | ESPN | W 20–17 | 11,503 |
| December 14 | 8:00 pm | vs. No. 5 Appalachian State* | No. 13 | Finley StadiumChattanooga, Tennessee (NCAA Division I Championship Game) | ESPN | L 21–49 | 23,010 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||||

## Game summaries
### William & Mary

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #19 Delaware | 0 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 49 |
| William & Mary | 3 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 31 |
In the first CAA Conference game of the newly formed conference's history, Delaware senior running back Omar Cuff tied an NCAA record with seven touchdowns in the game. Cuff tied with Archie Amerson of Northern Arizona, who set the record in 1996, and Jessie Burton of McNeese State, who tied the record in 1998. Cuff rushed for 244 yards and six touchdowns on 30 attempts, with four receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Joe Flacco passed for 202 yards and one touchdown in the 49–31 victory over William & Mary.
With the win, the Blue Hens became 1–0 on the season.

### West Chester

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #15 (D-II) West Chester | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| #13 Delaware | 21 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 41 |
In the first quarter of Delaware's home-opener against the West Chester Golden Rams, quarterback Joe Flacco led the Blue Hens on a 62-yard drive that ended in a seven-yard touchdown run by Omar Cuff. On the Golden Rams' next drive, a tipped pass resulted in a Delaware interception. The Blue Hens took advantage of this opportunity, ending the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Cuff. The Blue Hens led the West Chester Golden Rams 34–0 heading into halftime.
Cuff scored rushing four touchdowns in the first half, with 21 rushes for 93 yards in the 41–14 win. Freshman running back Phillip Thaxton, who replaced Cuff in the second half, rushed for 177 yards on 12 attempts. On his first collegiate carry, he scored a 62-yard touchdown. His 177 yards was the most by a Blue Hen in his debut in college. Flacco finished with 305 yards, with wide receiver Mark Duncan catching five passes for 121 yards. Delaware finished with 599 yards of total offense in their fourteenth-straight win over West Chester.
With the win, the Blue Hens extended their record to 2–0.

### Rhode Island

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
| #10 Delaware | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
Joe Flacco passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns on 25 completions. Junior wide receiver Aaron Love, playing through groin and shoulder injuries, caught 10 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown. Mark Duncan caught six receptions for 109 yards. Freshman cornerback Anthony Walters made five tackles and recovered a fumble in the endzone for a touchdown.

### Towson

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #11 Delaware | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Towson | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
The Delaware defense held Towson's offense to 157 total yards, with seven sacks on the quarterback. Sophomore defensive end Matt Marcorelle made six tackles with three sacks for 27 yards. Omar Cuff rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. Joe Flacco passed for 274 yards and one interception. Aaron Love made seven receptions for 107 yards.

### Monmouth

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Monmouth | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| #12 Delaware | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
Omar Cuff rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, and caught a touchdown pass. He became the school's all-time scoring leader with 314 points, breaking the previous record of 308. Joe Flacco passed for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Cornerback Fred Andrew returned an interception for a touchdown of 78 yards. Phillip Thaxton rushed for a 14-yard touchdown, and tight end Robbie Agnone caught an 11-yard touchdown pass. Freshman safety Cody Cipalla made seven tackles (four solo).

### New Hampshire

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #11 Delaware | 0 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 30 |
| #15 New Hampshire | 0 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
Joe Flacco passed for 419 yards and two touchdowns with 40 completions and 51 pass attempts. Omar Cuff rushed for 88 yards on 22 carries and made seven receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. He broke the school record for rushing touchdowns in a career with 49. The previous record was 47 by Daryl Brown in 1991–1994. Defensive end Ronald Talley blocked a field goal attempt by New Hampshire kicker Tom Manning.

### Northeastern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northeastern | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| #15 Delaware | 10 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
Omar Cuff rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries and caught a touchdown pass. Kicker Jon Striefsky kicked three field goals of 37, 31 and 19 yards. Joe Flacco passed for 222 yards and one touchdown on 17 completions. Robbie Agnone and wide receiver Kervin Michaud both caught five passes.

### Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #9 Delaware | 7 | 21 | 14 | 17 | 59 |
| (FBS) Navy | 14 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 52 |
Omar Cuff rushed for 141 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries. Joe Flacco passed for a career-high 434 yards and four touchdowns on 30 completions. Kervin Michaud made eight receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Robbie Agnone caught seven passes for 133 yards. Junior linebacker Erik Johnson made 20 tackles, and Anthony Bratton made 12 tackles and recovered a fumble.

### James Madison

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #12 James Madison | 0 | 6 | 21 | 7 | 34 |
| #7 Delaware | 10 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 37 |
Omar Cuff rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 28 attempts and made seven receptions for 66 yards. Joe Flacco went 33-for-41 and passed for 257 yards. He also rushed for one touchdown. Aaron Love made nine receptions for 94 yards. Anthony Walters recovered a fumble and intercepted a James Madison pass. Jon Striefsky made three field goals in the first half of the game.

### Richmond

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | 4OT | 5OT | Total |
| #9 Richmond | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 62 |
| #6 Delaware | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 56 |
Joe Flacco passed for 375 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two touchdowns. Mark Duncan made nine receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Omar Cuff rushed for 189 yards and two touchdowns on a school-record 48 attempts.

### Villanova

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #9 Delaware | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Villanova | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
Joe Flacco went 17-of-31 and passed for 145 yards. Omar Cuff, playing through a back injury, rushed for 75 yards on 17 attempts. Aaron Love made seven receptions for 79 yards, and Anthony Walters made seven tackles.

### Delaware State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #10 Delaware State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| #13 Delaware | 20 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 44 |
Omar Cuff rushed for a school-record 288 yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries. The previous record for rushing yards in a game was 272 by Daryl Brown in 1994. Cuff also broke the single-season rushing record with 1,657 yards. The previous record was 1,625 by Germaine Bennett in 2003. Joe Flacco passed for 189 yards and one touchdown on 11 completions.

### Northern Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Delaware | 0 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 39 |
| #1 Northern Iowa | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
Erik Johnson recovered a fumble and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Joe Flacco passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns and scored a one-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. He broke the school record for passing yards in a season with 3,686. The previous record was 3,436 by Matt Nagy in 2000. Omar Cuff rushed for 102 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries. Mark Duncan caught eight receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown. Jon Striefsky missed two extra point attempts in the first half, but made two field goals distancing 47 and 42 yards.

### Southern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Delaware | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| #4 Southern Illinois | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Joe Flacco went 21-of-38 and passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Jon Striefsky kicked two field goals, breaking the school's and conference's single-season records for field goals with 21. Omar Cuff rushed for 102 yards and caught four passes for 67 yards.

### Appalachian State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Delaware | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| #5 Appalachian State | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
Joe Flacco passed for 336 yards and one touchdown. Omar Cuff rushed for 83 yards and one touchdown. The record attendance of 23,010 on hand at Finley Stadium was the largest neutral site crowd for the NCAA Division I Championship Game.

## Awards and honors
### Players

* Robbie Agnone
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision honorable mention All-American
* Greg Benson
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Rich Beverley
    Third-team All-CAA
* Brian Brown
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Mike Byrne
    First-team All-CAA
    Walter Camp first-team All-American
    ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District 2
    Associated Press FCS third-team All-American
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision second-team All-American
    First-team All-ECAC Division I Football Championship Subdivision
    College Sporting News Fabulous 50 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision All-American
    Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association National Academic All-Star
    Colonial Athletic Association Student-Athlete of the Year Award
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Brad Casalvieri
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Cody Cipalla
    CAA Rookie of the Week (Oct. 2)
* Omar Cuff
    CAA Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 5)
    The Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 5)
    College Sporting News National Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 5)
    First-team All-CAA
    Walter Camp first-team All-American
    American Football Coaches Association first-team All-American
    Associated Press FCS first-team All-American
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision first-team All-American
    First-team All-ECAC Division I Football Championship Subdivision
    College Sporting News Fabulous 50 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision All-American
    The Sports Media and Entertainment Network Running Back of the Year
* Joe Flacco
    CAA Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 29)
    Colonial Athletic Association Co-Offensive Player of the Year
    First-team All-CAA
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision third-team All-American
    Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year
    First-team All-ECAC Division I Football Championship Subdivision
    Pro Football Weekly honorable mention All-American
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Kheon Hendricks
    First-team All-CAA
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision honorable mention All-American
* Jon Herrman
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Rick Jarnagin
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Erik Johnson
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* J. T. Laws
    2007 Blue Hen Team Sportsmanship Award
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Aaron Love
    Sports Media Entertainment Network Weekly Star (Sept. 18)
    First-team All-CAA
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision honorable mention All-American
* Mark Mackey
    CAA Academic All-Conference
* Matt Marcorelle
    CAA Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 25)
    Third-team All-CAA
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision honorable mention All-American
    College Sporting News Fabulous 50 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision All-American
* Kervin Michaud
    Third-team All-CAA
* Jon Striefsky
    CAA Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 7)
    First-team All-CAA
    Associated Press FCS first-team All-American
    The Sports Network NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision first-team All-American
* Phillip Thaxton
    CAA Rookie of the Week (Sept. 13)
* Anthony Walters
    CAA Rookie of the Week (Sept. 18)

### Coaches

* K. C. Keeler
    Maxwell Club Tri-State Coach of the Year Award
    Johnny Vaught Head Coach Award

### Other awards

* 2007 Lambert Cup
* Eastern College Athletic Conference Team of the Year

## Postseason

Quarterback Joe Flacco was invited to participate in the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine that took place February 21–24, 2008. Flacco was selected to play in the 83rd East–West Shrine Game that took place on January 19, 2008 at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium, but declined after he was invited to play in the 2008 Senior Bowl that took place on January 26, 2008 at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
Flacco was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round (18th overall) of the 2008 NFL draft. Flacco was the only Blue Hen selected in the draft, but three other players signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Offensive guard Rich Beverley was signed by the Washington Redskins, offensive tackle Mike Byrne was signed by the Miami Dolphins, and running back Omar Cuff was signed by the Tennessee Titans.