The Blue Hens were not very welcoming Saturday night.
By the time visiting Hampton made its initial first down on the opening play of the second quarter, Delaware had scored two touchdowns.
The Pirates, playing their first football game as Colonial Athletic Association members, didn’t cross midfield until their third play of the third quarter, after Delaware had scored a third TD.
GAME STATS: Delaware 35, Hampton 3
Delaware’s defense didn’t relent and the offense improved as the game progressed, with quarterback Nolan Henderson notching another career high as the Blue Hens coasted to a 35-3 victory in front of 16,035 at Delaware Stadium.
In doing so, Delaware (4-0 overall, 2-0 CAA) sent another reminder it is back in the business of pursuing conference titles and NCAA playoff berths. The only remaining unbeaten team in the CAA, Delaware is ranked No. 8 nationally in FCS.
Hampton, a former MEAC and Big South member facing Delaware for the first time, fell to 3-1 while gaining just 156 total yards. Hampton was 0-for-12 on third-down conversions.
“Obviously, they’re newcomers to the league,” said UD linebacker Liam Trainer. “We thought they were gonna try to make a statement. We know we got their best shot. Their first league game was very important to them, as it was to us.”
Delaware Stadium is already sold out for next Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. Parents Day bout with Towson, which will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus. Towson (2-2) lost 37-14 to visiting New Hampshire in the Tigers’ CAA opener Saturday.
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Hampton had won its first three games over a Division II school and two former MEAC rivals. The Pirates entered Saturday allowing just 293 yards per game, second fewest among Colonial teams, and were No. 1 against the run.
Delaware did have to punt twice early and couldn’t match its prolific performance from last week’s 42-21 win at Rhode Island, where the Hens’ 610 total yards were the most in nine years. But the Hens still collected 448 total yards.
Henderson, coming off career bests in the win at URI, completed 30 of 43 passes for 296 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. He became the first Blue Hen quarterback to throw four TD passes or more in back-to-back games. It’s the fourth time a UD quarterback has thrown for five touchdowns.
“In the second half we started making plays,” said Henderson, who completed all 14 of his second-half passes, three for touchdowns. “There were plays to be made in the first half and we just weren’t making them. I wasn’t putting the ball where it needed to be. I wasn’t really settled in until the second half. I think the second half I was able to kind of calm down because there were some wide open guys tonight.”
His comfort and connection with Thyrick Pitts paid off on 15- and 8-yard scoring passes that gave Delaware a 14-0 halftime lead and a 7-yard third-quarter hookup. On the first, Pitts became the ninth UD player to have 2,000 career receiving yards. He had seven catches for 61 yards.
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But the Blue Hens went into the halftime locker room feeling they should have gotten more themselves after allowing Hampton just 48 yards.
“It really does build a lot of momentum for us,” Trainer said of Delaware’s early defensive dominance, which included allowing just one first down in the first half.
Henderson had a first-quarter pass picked off in the end zone, though Amonte Strothers’ subsequent pick for Delaware set up the second touchdown.
And a final UD second-quarter series died on downs when Henderson was dropped for a 2-yard loss on a fourth-and-goal carry from the 4.
“I thought we left some points out there,” coach Ryan Carty said.
They were better in the second half, putting together 70, 75- and 74-yard scoring drives, with Henderson throwing 36 yards to Jourdan Towson on the opening series of the third quarter and 3 yards to Marcus Yarns for the other touchdowns.
Hampton’s only points came with 12:00 left as Axel Perez kicked a 20-yard field goal after Delaware fumbled at its 8-yard line.
“We got better at halftime,” Carty said. “We kinda let it sink in what the attack was gonna be for them and how they were gonna come after us and made some adjustments.”
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