There are 123 teams in the NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision this fall.
When they reach their opponent’s 20-yard line, 112 of them are better at scoring points than Delaware.
When the field gets smaller, the Blue Hens’ up-tempo spread offense apparently becomes less effective.
Delaware’s red-zone troubles have been a constant through the 2022 season, and they spring from a myriad of reasons. Culprits have included the lack of a consistently reliable running attack, inefficient execution, penalties and an undependable kicking game.
The Blue Hens have scored on just 20 of their 31 red-zone visits, getting 19 touchdowns and only one field goal. That 64.5-percent rate is worst in the Colonial Athletic Association.
“I just think it comes down to everybody on the field has to execute,” UD guard Stevon Brown said Monday. “ . . . Everyone needs to do their job well and I think we need to just keep being consistent when we go down there.”
DIFFICULT DAY:QB Henderson plays but Blue Hens not up to the task in CAA loss at Elon
Saturday’s 27-7 loss at Elon, where Delaware again failed to seize opportunities, dropped the Hens to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the CAA. They slipped six spots to 18th in the Stats Perform FCS national media poll Top 25 Monday.
First-year Colonial member Monmouth (4-5, 2-4) visits Delaware Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. That game matches a Monmouth offense that’s No. 1 in the CAA in yards (480.9) and points (39.9) per game against a Delaware defense allowing the fewest yards (265.6) and points (13.9).
But the Monmouth defense has struggled, giving up a CAA-worst 445.6 yards per game. The Blue Hens will hope to capitalize while being better at finishing their possessions with points.
A multitude of mistakes, misfortune and malfunctions have characterized Delaware’s red-zone struggles.
The offense installed by first-year coach Ryan Carty and his staff is aimed at creating space in which players can get free to gain yards. But when there is less space, inside the 20, the Blue Hens have struggled to get the needed yards and, therefore, the necessary points.
The clearest evidence is this: On the final series of downs during Delaware’s 11 scoreless red-zone trips this season, the Blue Hens have completed just 2 of 17 passes for 6 yards with two interceptions.
CAA STANDINGS: UNH alone at the top
Delaware quarterbacks have also been sacked six times for minus-42 during those series, with two also resulting in lost fumbles.
Running the football hasn’t been a trustworthy option either. Delaware has gained just 19 yards on 10 carries on those series with three gains of four yards or more.
Three of those 11 have ended with missed field goals – a 39-yarder by Brandon Ratcliffe at Navy, a 47-yarder by Andrew MacMillan against Towson and Garrett Bennion’s 28-yarder against Morgan State. The one against Towson came after a holding call actually erased a touchdown, with a sack pushing Delaware farther back.
A penalty also undermined Delaware on Saturday, when it had first-and-10 at the Elon 17 before a sack for minus-3 yards and two incomplete passes. On the second, Carty was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after questioning why what he felt was a roughing-the-passer infraction wasn’t called after Nolan Henderson was hit along the Elon sideline.
“That’s on me,” Carty said.
WALK-ON WONDER:Diligence, determination elevate walk-on Buckman among top Delaware receivers
Henderson, a dangerous runner, was playing with his injured left shoulder in a harness Saturday so his opportunities to carry the ball were limited in an effort to curtail potential contact.
Carty did agree that a more effective running game would likely boost the Blue Hens’ red-zone success. Delaware’s 132.1 yards per game ranks 10th in the CAA and its 4.0 yards per carry is tied for eighth.
“The thing that kinda helps you is being able to make people miss in open space,” Carty said. “ . . . A couple of run plays we did have down there ended up being one-on-ones and we didn’t make them miss Saturday. That’s something that we’ve talked about, we have to make sure we win those. It’s not acceptable. It’s not something we can say, ‘Oh, they made the play.’
“We have to make the play when it’s a one-on-one on defense, which we didn’t do the other day. And we have to make the play on offense when it’s a one-on-one and we didn’t do that the other day. That’s what it comes down to.”
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.
