# 2014 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

The 2014 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Dave Brock, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing in a four-way tie for fifth in the CAA. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

## Preseason
### Recruiting class

Delaware announced the signing of 22 players on February 5, 2014.
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Ryley Angeline ATH | Chester Springs, PA | Downingtown East HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | – | Aug 5, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Charles Bell LB | Conestoga, PA | Penn Manor HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | – | Dec 8, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Malcolm Brown DB | Gaithersburg, MD | Quince Orchard HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | – | Dec 11, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Tre Brown WR | Harrisburg, PA | Milton Hershey HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 4.42 | Aug 16, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Mario Farinella OL | Bloomfield, NJ | Bergen Catholic HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | 5.0 | Aug 24, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Troy Gallen WR | Glen Mills, PA | Malvern Prep | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 4.36 | Aug 13, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Andrew Grau TE | Rehoboth Beach, DE | Cape Henlopen HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | – | Feb 5, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Maurice Harley DB | Upper Marlboro, MD | St. John's College HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | – | Feb 5, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Anthony Jackson LB | Riverdale, MD | Suitland HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.7 | Sep 16, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Quai Jefferson WR | Woodland Park, NJ | St Joseph Regional HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | – | Nov 5, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Thomas Jefferson RB | Prospect Park, NJ | Passaic Tech | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | – | Jan 26, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| James Kretkowski OL | Mineola, NY | Oceanside HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | – | Dec 8, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| John Nassib DE | West Chester, PA | Malvern Prep | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | – | Nov 20, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Bilal Nichols DL | Newark, DE | Hodgson Vo-Tech | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | – | Nov 18, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jethro Pepe OL | Colonia, NJ | St. Joseph's HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | – | Aug 16, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jake Powell TE | Marlton, NJ | Cherokee HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | – | Aug 12, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Frank Raggo K | Randolph, NJ | Randolph HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 163 lb (74 kg) | – | Feb 5, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Donte Raymond LB | Rahway, NJ | Rahway HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | – | Jan 20, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Bryan Reed OL | Mount Sinai, NY | Mount Sinai HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 291 lb (132 kg) | – | Jul 31, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Joseph Walker QB | Philadelphia, PA | Martin Luther King HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | 4.57 | Dec 29, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Brandon Whaley TE | Haymarket, VA | Battlefield HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | 4.8 | Oct 2, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Kareem Williams RB | Schnecksville, PA | Parkland HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.49 | Jan 24, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| 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 2014". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 5, 2014. "RecruitTracker 2014: Delaware". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 5, 2014. "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 5, 2014. |||||||

### Transfers

Three players transferred into Delaware for the 2014 Season:
| Player | Position | Previous School | Hometown |
| C.J. Jones | DB | Boston College | Wilmington, DE |
| Blake Rankin | QB | Rutgers | Bloomsburg, PA |
| Anthony Speziale | OL | Wagner | Manahawkin, NJ |

### Preseason awards

* Nick Boyle – CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team (Tight End)
* Eric Enderson – CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team (Punter), The Sports Network FCS Preseason All-American Second Team (Punter)
* Michael Johnson – The Sports Network FCS Preseason All-American Third Team (All Purpose).
* Jalen Randolph – CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Candidate
* Ryan Torza – CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Candidate
* Laith Wallschleger – CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Candidate

### Conference predictions

Delaware was picked to finish sixth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
       CAA Preseason Poll (first place votes)
       1. New Hampshire (15)
       2. Villanova (2)
       3. Richmond (3)
       4. William & Mary (3)
       5. Towson
       6. Delaware
       7. Maine
       8. James Madison (1)
       9. Stony Brook
       10. UAlbany
       11. Rhode Island
       12. Elon

### Preseason rankings
#### FCS Coaches Poll

Delaware received 15 votes in the Preseason Coaches Poll, resulting in a tie for 35th. The Blue Hens face four teams ranked in the preseason poll (#4 New Hampshire, #7 Towson, #13 Villanova, and #22 William & Mary). In addition, they meet up with two teams to receive votes but not be ranked (James Madison and Sacred Heart).

#### The Sports Network FCS Poll

Delaware received 213 votes in the Preseason TSN poll, good for 29th overall. The Blue Hens are scheduled to face four teams that were ranked in the poll in 2014 (#4 New Hampshire, #12 Villanova, #13 Towson, and #19 William & Mary). In addition, they will face two teams that received votes but were not in the top 25 (James Madison – 180 votes and Sacred Heart – 14 votes).

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 12:00 pm | at Pittsburgh* | | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ESPN3 | L 0–62 | 40,549 |
| September 7 | 12:00 pm | Delaware State* | | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE (Route 1 Rivalry) | HAA | W 27–9 | 12,511 |
| September 13 | 6:00 pm | Colgate* | | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | HAA | W 28–25 | 15,319 |
| September 27 | 4:00 pm | at James Madison | No. 25 | Bridgeforth StadiumHarrisonburg, VA (rivalry) | CSN | W 30–23 $^{OT}$ | 20,592 |
| October 4 | 3:30 pm | Sacred Heart* | No. 24 | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | HAA | L 7–10 | 14,894 |
| October 11 | 3:30 pm | Elon | | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | HAA | W 34–24 | 19,476 |
| October 18 | 12:30 pm | Towson | | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | CSN | L 17–24 | 17,718 |
| October 25 | 12:30 pm | at No. 18 William & Mary | | Zable StadiumWilliamsburg, VA (rivalry) | CSN | L 17–31 | 7,614 |
| November 1 | 12:00 pm | Rhode Island | | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE | HAA | W 28–13 | 12,798 |
| November 8 | 3:30 pm | at Albany | | Bob Ford FieldAlbany, NY | | W 31–28 | 4,674 |
| November 15 | 1:00 pm | at No. 1 New Hampshire | | Cowell StadiumDurham, NH | | L 14–43 | 8,199 |
| November 22 | 12:00 pm | No. 6 Villanova | | Delaware StadiumNewark, DE (Battle of the Blue) | HAA | L 28–35 | 17,056 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Opening depth chart

Defense :
* FS
* Jake Giusti
* Craig Brodsky
* Kivar Thurman
| WLB | MLB | SLB |
| ⋅ | David Mackall | ⋅ |
| Jalen Kindle | Larry Spears | ⋅ |
| Brandon Snyder | Eric Patton | ⋅ |
* SS
* Ryan Torzsa
* Simba Gwashavanhu
* Kaliq Gatson
* CB
* Mario Rowson
* Mark Doe
* Malcolm Brown
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Laith Wallschleger | Josh Plummer | David Tinsley | Derrick Saulsberry |
| Chris Corvino | Blaine Woodson | Grant Roberts | Vince Hollerman |
| Jordan Andrews | Cedric Udegbe | ⋅ | Brandon Henderson |
* CB
* Roman Tatum
* Justin Watson
Offense :
* WR
* Jerel Harrison
* Ricky Bell
* Diante Cherry
* WR
* Stephen Clark
* Andrew Opoku
* DeAndre Davis
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Ben Curtis | Will Lewis | Brody Kern | JD Dzurko | Connor Bozick |
| Jacob Trump | Andrew Consevage | Peter Thistle | Christian Marchena | Justin Glenn |
| Shawn Davis | Michael Radespiel | Mario Farinella | Sam Collura | James Kretkowski |
* TE
* Nick Boyle
* Matt Rodriguez
* Anthony Speziale
* WR
* Michael Johnson
* Andrew Peterson
* Ricky Emerson
* QB
* Trent Hurley
* Justin Burns
* Richard Czeczotka
* RB
* Jalen Randolph
* Wes Hills
* Trejon Dinkins
* Special teams
* PK Garrett Greenway
* PK Brandon Tuozzolo
* P Eric Enderson
* P Kevin McLaughlin
* KR Michael Johnson
* PR Stephen Clark
* LS Joe Fortunato
* H Eric Enderson

## Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year | Alma mater |
| Dave Brock | Head coach | 2013 | Salisbury (1994) |
| Sean Devine | Offensive coordinator/offensive line | 2013 | Colby (1994) |
| Tim Weaver | Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers | 2013 | Davidson (1990) |
| Dennis Dottin-Carter | Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line | 2013 | Maine (2002) |
| Brian Ginn | Quarterbacks | 2000 | Delaware (2000) |
| Bryan Bossard | Wide receivers | 2014 | Delaware (1988) |
| Tony Lucas | Running backs | 2013 | Columbia (2003) |
| Eddie Allen | Special teams coordinator/tight ends | 2014 | New Haven (2003) |
| Henry Baker | Cornerbacks | 2011 | Maryland (2003) |
| Tom McEntire | Safeties | 2013 | Thiel (2006) |
| Jerry Oravitz | Associate Director of Athletics for Football Administration | 1997 | Salisbury (1984) |
| David Baylor | Player Development | 2006 | Bentley (1997) |
| Jude Moser | Administrative Assistant | | |

## Game summaries
### Pittsburgh

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Hens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Panthers | 21 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 62 |
* Pittsburgh was coming off a win over Bowling Green in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in 2013.
* First time Delaware was shut out since September 14, 1996 (a 27–0 loss at Villanova), snapping a streak of 220 games.
* Largest margin of defeat for Delaware since September 24, 1921 (an 89–0 loss at Pennsylvania).
* Offensive MVP: Nick Boyle – TE
* Defensive MVP: Simba Gwashavanhu – SS
* Special Teams MVP: Andrew Opoku – WR
* Pittsburgh went on to fall to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl.

### Delaware State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| • Blue Hens | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
* Postponed from September 6 at 6 PM to September 7 at 12 PM due to lightning in the area.
* Jalen Randolph named Nate Beasley MVP.
* Offensive MVP: Jalen Randolph – RB
* Defensive MVP: Vince Hollerman – DE
* Special Teams MVP: Michael Johnson – WR

### Colgate

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 9 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 25 |
| • Blue Hens | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 28 |

### James Madison

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • #25 Blue Hens | 6 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 30 |
| Dukes | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 23 |
* Delaware's first OT win since September 10, 2005, against Lehigh (34–33). Hens had lost three consecutive OT games since (2007 v. Richmond (5OT), 2010 v. Villanova, and 2012 v. Towson).
* James Madison went on to fall in the first round of the NCAA First Round to Liberty.

### Sacred Heart

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Pioneers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| #24 Blue Hens | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
* Sacred Heart was coming off of a NEC championship and a First Round loss to Fordham in 2013.
* Delaware's first FCS non-conference loss since January 7, 2011 (v. Eastern Washington, in the National Championship game).
* Delaware's first regular season FCS non-conference loss since September 20, 2008 (at Furman).
* Delaware's first home non-conference loss since September 16, 2006 (v. Albany).
* Sacred Heart went on to win the NEC championship and fall in the NCAA First Round to Fordham.

### Elon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Phoenix | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
| • Blue Hens | 6 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 34 |

### Towson

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Tigers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
| Blue Hens | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
* Towson was coming off a loss in the National Championship Game to North Dakota State in 2013.
* First Homecoming loss since October 31, 2009 to James Madison (20–8).

### William & Mary

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Hens | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| • #18 Tribe | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |

### Rhode Island

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| • Blue Hens | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |

### Albany

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Blue Hens | 0 | 7 | 21 | 3 | 31 |
| Great Danes | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |

### New Hampshire

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Hens | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • #1 Wildcats | 10 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 43 |
* New Hampshire was coming off a Semifinal loss to North Dakota State in 2013.
* New Hampshire went on to win the CAA championship and fall to Illinois State in the NCAA Semifinals.

### Villanova

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #6 Wildcats | 13 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 35 |
| Blue Hens | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
* Villanova went on to fall in the NCAA Quarterfinals to Sam Houston State.

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| Sports Network | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | RV | RV | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |