As positive omens go, Delaware football followers have to appreciate this bit of historical foreshadowing.
The Blue Hens beat Towson Saturday 24-10 at sold-out Delaware Stadium to raise their record to 5-0.
It’s the ninth time since the advent of NCAA football playoffs in 1973 that Delaware has started a season with five straight wins. Each of the previous eight included a postseason berth and, in four cases, a national championship game appearance.
Hopeful harbingers are welcomed. But it’s early October with numerous days and many games left before the 2022 Blue Hens can measure themselves against their 5-0 counterparts of 1973 (NCAA quarterfinalists); 1974 (NCAA runners-up); 1995 (NCAA quarterfinalists); 2000 (NCAA semifinalists): 2003 (NCAA champs); 2007 (NCAA runners-up); 2010 (NCAA runners-up); or 2021 spring (NCAA semifinalists).
Delaware’s first bit of business coming off its Parents’ Day win is the realization that, in future games, failure to convert opportunities may not be quite as forgivable.
“This conference is going to keep bringing better teams and better teams and better teams at us,” coach Ryan Carty said. “That’s how this works. We have to continue to get better, I know that.”
That leads our five takeaways from the Delaware Towson-game.
Gotta get more
Delaware possessed the football for 36:51 and gained 534 total yards.
That should have been the source of more than 24 points.
But Delaware had drives stopped on downs at the Towson 34- and 21-yard lines, one when it appeared a penalty could have been called against the Tigers; had a touchdown erased by a holding penalty; missed its third field goal in as many tries this year; did then settle for a field goal on a drive that reached the Towson 4; and had a pass intercepted at the Towson 2.
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Delaware did kindly kneel down late in the game in the final minute having driven again to the Towson 24.
And the Blue Hens lived up to their big-play potential in the second quarter on Kyron Cumby’s 65-yard touchdown run and Chandler Hardin’s 74-yard TD catch and run on a pass from Nolan Henderson.
“We made enough [plays] today,” Carty said. “Hopefully we can make more and continue to make bigger plays.”
Cumby shows talent
Cumby was highly recruited by FBS schools coming out of high school in Texas and played two seasons at Illinois. After transferring to Texas Tech last year but not playing in any game, he went back into the transfer portal and landed at Delaware.
Though the Blue Hens have employed a backfield-by-committee approach, Cumby has often been the first and most frequent choice to carry the football. That paid off Saturday when he became Delaware’s first 100-yard rusher this year – getting exactly that on 15 carries – and scoring on the 65-yard dash.
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“Everything that’s happened to me has brought me to this moment and I just think I’m blessed to be in an offense like this . . . I just think it’s an opportunity that I gotta capitalize on,” he said.
Delaware had three receivers lined up on the right side of the field on the touchdown. Cumby went up the middle and found himself in the clear, he said, because center Brock Gingrich blocked a linebacker and allowed him to cut left. He then escaped a diving tackle attempt before being in the clear the last 55 yards.
Defense rules again
Delaware’s defense now hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the last eight quarters after limiting Towson to a field goal Saturday. The Tigers’ touchdown came on a 98-yard interception return.
The Tigers gained just 158 yards, including 20 in the second half, had just nine first downs, punted seven times and had the ball for just 23:09.
Change coming to Towson?
Towson chose not to play football during the COVID-imposed spring 2021 season and, partially as a result of the pandemic and popularity of the transfer portal, has had significant roster turnover.
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Rob Ambrose, the Tigers’ coach since 2009 who guided the Tigers to the FCS title game in the 2013 season, is on an expiring contract at a school with frequent turnover and new athletic leadership.
His team is 2-3 after going 4-7 last fall.
“I’ve seen multiple iterations of my university over multiple decades,” said Ambrose, also a former wide receiver and assistant coach at Towson. “I like the light that’s coming out at the moment. But we need some work.”
Playing football “in the hardest league at this level to coach in,” he said of the CAA, adds to the challenge.
Back to the Colonial capital
Amazingly, this will be the first time any of Delaware’s players have gone against William & Mary in Williamsburg.
Delaware and William & Mary played each other every season except for one from 1982 through 2017, with regular-season and playoff meetings in 1986 and 2004.
But they didn’t meet in the 2018, 2019 or 2021 spring seasons, making this the first game in Williamsburg since 2016.
Saturday’s 3:30 game at Zable Stadium matches Delaware against the 18th-ranked Tribe, which the Hens handled last year at Delaware Stadium 24-3.
It could have CAA title and FCS playoff implications, as William & Mary is 4-1 overall, with a win over FCS Charlotte, and 1-1 in the CAA after starting slow but prevailing 27-10 at Stony Brook Saturday.
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com.
