Delaware Blue Hens at North Carolina A&T Aggies: What to know
All the important names and facts as Delaware makes first and likely last trip to North Carolina A&T for second game of the 2024 season Saturday
A rare early September open date has given Delaware an extra week to prepare for its first road trip of the 2024 football season.
Whether or not the Blue Hens needed it will become evident during their Coastal Athletic Association opener at North Carolina A&T.
The game doesn’t count in the standings for Delaware due to its 2025 climb to Conference USA in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
But the Hens will still want to be as thorough and dominant at Truist Stadium as they were in their Aug. 29 opening-night 48-17 rout of Bryant at Delaware Stadium.
“It was unique to go out there and you have fall camp, then you have a game, and you get all amped up for it, and then all of a sudden, you’re off again,” Delaware coach Ryan Carty said.
“So not a bad thing, just different. And I think we handled it pretty well.”
Kick-off is at 1 p.m.
How to follow
Delawareonline.com will have live updates on the game beginning before kickoff through to its conclusion.
How to see
There are 21,500 seats at Truist Stadium and tickets are available at the gate.
How to watch
The game is being streamed on Flosports.com for a fee.
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How to listen
WDSD 95.7-FM is airing the game with Scott Klatzin calling the action and former Blue Hens quarterback Pat Devlin providing analysis. They come on the air an hour before kickoff.
UD student radio WVUD 91.3-FM is also broadcasting the game with Sanaa Mason and Michael Kormalos offering the details.
What’s the weather forecast?
Temperatures in the mid-70s with rain likely resulting from Tropical Storm Francine.
Why is this game important for Delaware?
Playing its final season as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision and the Coastal Athletic Association, Delaware is determined to build a solid foundation for next year’s move up and winning every game and frequently doing so in lopsided fashion is the expectation.
What’s the series record?
Delaware beat the visiting Aggies 21-6 at Delaware Stadium last year in the schools’ first CAA meeting. The Blue Hens also won the only other encounter 26-0 in 1978 in Newark.
What will be interesting to see?
How good is North Carolina A&T? The Aggies won six MEAC titles from 2014-19, have made five FCS playoff appearances and won four Celebration Bowls over the SWAC champ from 2015-19.
They haven’t been as successful in subsequent moves to the Big South and then last year’s switch to the CAA. North Carolina A&T went 0-8 in its CAA debut last year and is 1-1 overall this year with a 45-13 loss at FBS Wake Forest and 27-20 overtime win over Division II Winston-Salem State.
A loud and large partisan crowd will likely be on hand to encourage the Aggies.
Who is a player to watch for North Carolina A&T?
Junior cornerback Karon Prunty, a former All-Big 12 pick at Kansas, was the Aggies’ only preseason All-CAA player and is “one of the better ones we’ll face all season” and part of a “very good” secondary, Carty said, that will be hunting for takeaways.
Who is a player to watch for Delaware?
Quarterback Ryan O’Connor will be trying to build off a strong opening-night performance in which he tied a career high throwing four touchdown passes and completed a career-best 29 passes on 41 attempts for 245 yards.
What does North Carolina A&T coach Vincent Brown say?
“They’re [the Blue Hens] really talented. Coach Carty does a great job of finding the weaknesses of the opponent’s defense. They’ve got great playmakers at all the skill positions. Marcus Yarns is a touchdown waiting to happen when he carries the ball. The quarterback, very effective when he distributes the ball. Offensive line, they’re big. They’re a really talented team defensively. They don’t give up a lot of explosive plays. So we know we have our work cut out for us.”
What does Delaware coach Ryan Carty say?
“They’re a really well-coached team. They play with an edge. They have talent out there. They’re sound and tough. Offensively, they have a couple of guys that can kind of burst [Kenji Christian and Wesley Graves have each had 100-yard games rushing]. They have a little thunder and lightning package in the backfield. The quarterback [returning sophomore starter Kevin White] has taken progressive steps. Kind of each game that he plays, you can see him get a little bit better.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
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Publish date : 2024-09-11 22:27:00
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