Colonial Athletic Football

Okay, that's a stupid question, right?

Maybe, maybe not.

Truth be told, this year the best teams of the CAA will probably be better than the bottom-dwellers of the ACC.

UVA got embarrassed by William & Mary (turnovers...yikes!). Duke lost to Richmond. And Maryland narrowly escaped JMU in overtime.

Now there is no doubt about it: the University of Virginia (UVA) is bad. They need to fire their coach, the students know it, and they are just waiting for the alumni to catch on. At this point, I think most of the CAA, probably the toughest division in 1-AA...excuse me, in the "Football Championship Subdivision" (just in case we make anyone feel bad about being double-A instead of single-A.) could beat the Hoos.

Maryland is less terrible, but they still should have lost to JMU. JMU had that game and couldn't close it out. (personally, I blame the coach and the play-calling, but that's my opinion. Yours can certainly be different) Maryland is not a better team than Madison. JMU has some speed, some running and passing capability. and they just couldn't hang on to win. That's okay, I guess, but by losing they put themselves behind in the CAA standings already.

Duke almost lost to JMU last year, and they lost to Richmond this year. So, what exactly makes them better than the CAA teams?

Nothing.

The FCS is just like the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly 1-A). There are good teams and there are bad teams, there are divisions that are tough all around, like the CAA, and divisions that are top heavy with the bottom teams really not playing well, like the ACC.

The ACC is a tough division. Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami are all top-25 teams. The ACC as a whole is 14-9 in the first two weeks, with only one team losing more than one game (UVA) and one team to only play one due to an early bye.

In the first two weeks of the season, the CAA is a collective 15-6, with three teams only playing one game due to early bye weeks, and only Northeastern has lost more than one game.

Clearly, if you put Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech up against Richmond, Villanova, JMU, or William & Mary...my money is on the ACC, but it's no guaranteed win. But the question becomes less-clear when you look at, say, Richmond verses Maryland, or Villanova against Wake Forest. Who do you pick in those games?

It all becomes much less clear.

So, should we abolish the line that separates the FCS from the FBS? The playoff system from the bowl system? Or should we blur it, abolish the FCS and just have those divisions join the big divisions?

Honestly, you probably couldn't do it. There's too much money tied up in college football, in the bowls and the sponsorship and the advertising, for any real change to happen.

And maybe it shouldn't. Maybe the FCS teams deserve their shot at some sort of national championship that they wouldn't get if they were part of 1-A. Either way, its an interesting question to think on.

Since a few people are extremely angry with me for expressing my opinion, let me preface this by saying this is a rant against a coach that I, personally, do not like, have never liked, and think that frankly, we can do better. And if you want to scream at me in the comments section, please do so, but refrain from any profanity, thank you.

JMU (James Madison University) has just lost to Maryland in overtime. JMU had more yards than Maryland on offense, played better most of the game, and, oh, by the way, blew two late leads and couldn't generate more offense than a yard  or two.

All because of one man.

His name is Mickey Matthews. He's the overpaid and overrated. One championship does not make a good coach. We'll call that luck. And a good team. That good team came within in one game of the title not once, but twice. By slim margins both times.

The reason?

Poor play-calling/offensive decisions.

The Maryland game is a microcosim of Mickey Matthews inability to make good calls in big games. With the Dukes leading 35-28 with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter, he let the offense sputter into a three-and-out. Playing conservative and taking care of the ball. That's a good plan with two minutes left. It's even a good plan with a ten point lead with 8:30 left. But you don't take all the wind out of the offensive sails.

Why? Do you take your hottest hitter out of the game to preserve his bat when you're up by a run or two in the seventh? No.

You also don't make your offense go three-and-out all in the name of protecting the football when they are coming off a 70 yard touchdown run. I've watched college football my entire life and I've learned three things: coaches who have never been able to win the "big" games will never win then, conservative football never wins the game, and when watching a Boise State game, do not adjust your set, the field is actually blue.

Mickey is two of those things. He can't win the big game and he plays conservative football with small leads which almost always leads to a heartwrenching, last-minute loss.

And yet, the university continues to support him. They even extended his contract.

JMU will never be able to win with this man. He's proved time and time again that he makes poor decisions with the game on the line. So why is he still the coach? Because he won in 2004? That was five years ago. Five. Since then the Dukes have been back to the playoffs three times and haven't made it to the title game.

I held the parabola (sound disc) on the sidelines of the FCS semi-final game last year. JMU had many chances to win that game and advance to face Richmond, who they previously beat.

With the game on the line, Mickey played conservative, and Montana won in heart-wrenching, last-minute fashion.

Listening to the Maryland game, at the 8:30, when JMU went three and out, I knew they were going to lose. Because, like most college football fans, I know something  that the professional coach hasn't yet grasped: conservative football never wins games.

Old Foreman Field in its heyday, circa 1945


A lot of Americans, even sports fans, spend a lot of time discussing the very validity of college athletics.

Football seems to be under siege at a number of schools across the country, and the recent economic downturn isn't making the arguments for football easier, at least for those who don't have all the facts at their fingertips.

Enter Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Years ago, the school noticed that despite a raucous and spirited undergraduate lifestyle, a paltry number of alumni were staying connected to school. Even fewer were donating money.

So ODU sent out a questionnaire asking the alums what the #1 thing the school could do to get them more interested.

The top answer?

"Start football."

And so, after many decades of just wishing for it, Old Dominion will begin varsity football this fall.

The Monarchs will play as an independent team until 2011, when they will join the CAA, (home of teams like Towson and Richmond).

ODU already has 33 scholarship players on full or partial scholarship; 18 more arrive in August. The remaining 22 scholarships are being saved for future classes. (A total of 63).


Foreman Field, pre-Renovation
Foreman Field, a renovated version of the old Foreman Stadium will seat about 20,000 people for football. It cost $24.8 million for the renovation.

Foreman Field originally cost $300,000 to build and was completed in 1934 as part of a Public Works project under President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal.” (The original stimulus plan).

And get this, ODU has received 14,859 season-ticket applications for this season. No Ivy team comes close to that kind of season ticket to total seats ratio.

The football program’s '09-10 operating budget is projected to be $2.5 million. Ticket sales will cover about $1.4 million of that; suite sales another $540,000. The difference will be covered by student fees and private donations.

The prices for a single-game ticket: $20 for adults, $15 for 17 and younger.

ODU could begin scheduling games against BCS schools like Virginia and Virginia Tech as early as 2016.

I first wrote about the ODU story when I first heard about it 2007.

Since then, the school has met every published goal from fixing up the stadium to getting the local community behind the team and the program.
ODU will be the fifth school to start a Division I football program this decade. In 2001, Florida Atlantic went 4-6. Florida International was 5-6 in 2002, followed by Coastal Carolina (6-5 in 2003) and Campbell (1-10 last season). Of those four, Florida Atlantic’s attendance was highest, at 12,987 a game; Campbell was lowest at 3,683.


Artist's rendering of the new Foreman Field


ODU was originally scheduled to play Cornell this season, but that game was later scrapped. The Monarchs will travel to New York City to play Fordham on October 3rd.

Will any Ivies, including Columbia ever put ODU on their schedule? I'd love to see the Lions play the Monarchs, but I'm biased.

My dad used to teach at ODU when we lived in Norfolk in the late 1970's-early 1980's. I used to always wonder what they would ever do with that big stadium at the entrance of campus. I think they used for graduation and nothing else. For a time, they played a college all-star game sponsored by the Shriners called the Oyster Bowl, but that ended in the mid 1990's.

Good luck Monarchs, we'll be watching you closely.

There's a surprising amount of information flowing out of the Patriots camp this month. What with the departure of Josh McDaniels, Rodney Harrison's decision that he may retire, a possible franchise tag on Matt Cassel, oh, and, of course, Tom Brady's knee.

We know Tedy Bruschi wants to return for a 14th season. But Junior Seau is most likely not coming back, and as evident from the 2008 season and that game at the end of the 2007 season that we won't mention, the team needs a better defense.

Harrison was one of the few bright lights (most of the time) on the D, and don't you dare call him a dirty player. That man played hard, and hit hard, but he has never injured anyone.

And he still could be back next year. The good thing with Harrison is that he's no Farve. If he retires, he's done. He's not coming back.

Interesting note on Farve: Apparently, he won't talk to Aaron Rogers, and he may be a Viking next year. OK. Minnesota would be better off grabbing Cassel if he's a free agent than the old man. Remember the tankage at the end of the season?

Back to the Pats. There's still a chance that Cassel will be franchise tagged by the Pats. I'm not so sure this is the best course of action for anyone. Let's face it, Matty could be a starter in a lot of places, and there are several teams hurting for a QB. Now, if the Pats could keep him for less than the $14.6 million franchise tag, then I'm all for it, but otherwise...

And Tom Brady will be back and ready for the season. Yes, I know Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb both struggled after having their knee surgeries, but they had it at the end of the season, so Tommy's had months more to recover.

I think he'll be ready to play on opening day, but I believe we will not hear a word about him, his knee, or anything else until then. Unless you watch TMZ, then you'll see him. But in regards to football, nothing.

The Patriots are like the mob. They don't speak, they keep things "in the family," and weaknesses are never taken public if at all possible. That is why Brady will not be seen on ESPN until August. And we won't know anything about the Cassel decision until it's made.

But I think next season is going to be great. They still have Randy Moss, Wes Welker, a okay O-line, a few young guys mixing it up in the defense, and not one, but TWO great quarterbacks (at the moment). They need to fix their woefully bad secondary and add a few linebackers to the aging core.

For instance: James Madison University quarterback Rodney Landers is entering the draft as an outside linebacker/running back (good arm, better runner). The Pats should pick him up; he can be like Mike Vrabel. He should be in the fourth/fifth/sixth round somewhere.

Also, many on the Baltimore Ravens defense are free agents. If they have the cap room, the Pats should grab them up.

James Madison University's QB Rodney Landers beat out Virginia Tech's CB Victor "Macho" Harris and Virginia's LB Clint Sintim for the Dudley Award for the top Division I player in the state of Virginia. He is the first player in JMU history to win the award, and the fact that he beat out two Division I-A guys to get it is pretty darn amazing.

Rodney was the near unanimous choice, getting 14 of 15 first place votes, a pretty impressive feat for someone who is still relatively unknown nationally.

He started the season as one of the most impressive running quarterbacks ever seen, and the passing game has only improved since then. Landers has led the Dukes to a 12-1 record and stands just one game away from the FCS National Championship.

This season, Landers has passed for 1,519 yards and 21 touchdowns and run for 1,686 yards and 16 scores.  He averages 130 yards a game rushing, leading all FCS QBs by nearly 50 yards, and is 111/173 passing with only four interceptions.

If it would help sway the Walter Payton award in Rodney's favor, I'd point out that Armanti Edwards threw FIVE interceptions against Richmond alone. 

Tonight, Landers and the James Madison Dukes hope to defeat the Montana Grizzlies and head to the National Championship. The game will air on ESPN2 at 8PM. Be sure to tune in, because if the other rounds are any indication, this is going to be an exciting game.

One last note: If you don't follow FCS football that closely, you may not care/know about this, but I think the App State/JMU Rivalry just got bigger. After JMU students streamer-ed App State's stadium, the streamers were run over multiple times and apparently returned to JMU's student athletic boosters, the Student Duke Club.

In retaliation, and to celebrate App State's exit from the playoffs, the Student Duke Club has supposedly sent a box of plastic spiders. If this did indeed happen, I'd be curious to hear about any retaliation.

So, if you hear anything, be sure to post in the comments section!

The JMU Dukes held off the tough Villanova Wildcats on the back of Rodney Landers. With his three passing touchdowns and game winning one yard TD run, Landers was easily the hero of the game. Three or four times, it appeared he would be sacked for a loss, only to escape (amazingly) and run back to the line of scrimmage or even gain yards.

JMU pulled ahead in the first, with a TD pass to Mike Caussin. Early in the second, they padded the lead with a 26 yard TD pass to Bosco Williams  (the Hail-Mary hero from the regular season game against Villanova).

Just before half-time, a Lander's fumble (which was not a fumble, he was down on contact before the ball came loose) and a Villanova drive had tied the game at 14.

By the end of the thrid quarter, JMU was leading 24-14, on a Dave Stannard field goal and Landers TD pass to Kirby Long.

Villanova game roaring back in the fourth, scoring a TD but missing the extra point as it bounced off the upright. 24-20, JMU. JMU took two minutes off the clock on their next drive, but were forced to punt. Nova then drove down the field and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 6:48 left in the game.

The fans did not give up. JMU drove down the field, converting on a key 4-2, and Rodney ran the ball for a 1-yard TD with 1:38 left in the game.

This gave the ball back to Nova with little time left and no time outs. Fortunately for the Dukes, Chris Whitney's pass was intercepted by Marcus Haywood, who scrambled for a few yards to take more time off the clock. With just under a minute left, two knees from Rodney sealed the deal. The moment that ball was intercepted, the always-rowdy student section got louder than ever.

Of course, they were already excited due to fellow CAA Richmond trouncing Appalachian State 33-13 at home. The oh-so-vaunted Armanti Edwards threw five interceptions and just one TD. And people want him to win the Walter Payton Award?

Clearly, the only choice for that award should be Rodney Landers. He's had comparable numbers (except for interceptions) with Edwards all year. The only difference is that Edwards beat a very bad Michigan team LAST YEAR. That's done. This is this year, and clearly the best QB in the league is James Madison University's Rodney Landers.

Next week, the Dukes take on Montana. The game starts at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. Richmond will face off with UNI on Saturday, with the winner of each game advancing to the National Championship on Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

So here's to another good game from Rodney, and GO DUKES!

With round 2 of the FCS (1-AA) playoffs rapidly approaching, individual honors have been pouring in for the #1 ranked Dukes. James Madison's own QB Rodney Landers is a finalist for 1-AA Player of the Year.

As well he should be. I get that Armanti Edwards is like, god, to people in Boone, NC, but when the game is on the line, I want the ball in Rodney's hands. Some of the newest shirts popping up around campus are ones with the superman logo, but with a "7" instead of the traditional "S".

Why, you ask? Because he is superman. If I could find the video of it, I would put it up here, but in the game against Wofford, he ran over four guys to get into the end-zone for the game winner, and didn't stop because he was not going to be denied (paraphrased from his own words at the press conference).

This week the Dukes face off with Villanova, and the only weakness we can possibly exploit is 'Nova's propensity to have bad road games. As most people will tell you, when that stadium is packed, JMU can be the worst place to play in the entire FCS. I would say the east coast, but we have to contend with Florida, WVU, VT, and Penn State (to name a few), all of whom are notoriously unfriendly places to play. But still, the significantly smaller student body at Madison, crammed into their significantly crappier and smaller stadium, can make even the best QBs nervous simply because they can't hear.

Round 2 looks to be a big one, especially for the CAA. Richmond heads down to Boone, NC to face App State in what looks to be a smash-mouth game and promises to be a close one. New Hampshire faces the equally difficult UNI, a game (I think) that they will lose. And JMU plays host to Nova, and the only thing separating Nova from the CAA title was a fluky Hail-Mary jump-ball from Rodney Landers to Bosco Williams as time expired. No doubt they want revenge, but I think (and call me a homer all you want) that JMU pulls this one off.

In other news...

how 'bout Texas getting shafted out of the Big 12 and thus, the National Championship? Or, should we call it the sort-of National Championship. Who is to say who actually belongs there? The BCS? Hmm...nope. Not likely.

Also, my pick for the OU/Mizzou game? OU. Barring a major appearance by Choklahoma, OU should be able to handle Mizzou who just suffered a somewhat momentum-killing loss to Kansas.

As for the Gators/Bama match-up...I'm gonna go with Bama. Not sure why, just a gut feeling.

On to the Big Boys (AKA the NFL)

The New England Patriots have signed Rosevelt Colvin back onto the team. Rosie was released in February and later cut by the Texans. With so many of their starters going down, its a miracle that the Pats are even remotely close to the playoffs. With Adalius Thomas out, and their secondary stretched thinner than saran wrap, the Pats defense needs some help.

I often wonder how different they would be if everyone was healthy...all the starters were not injured...I'm thinking we would be winning the AFC East. The Pats have gotten the injury bug big time this year, lets hope that the off-season will be a productive building one and the luck will turn around for the 2009 season.

While I haven't given up hope on the playoffs, we need some help in that department from the Jets, the Colts and the Ravens. And with the exception of the Ravens, they have easier schedules.

Finally, a little MLB to brighten your winter:

The Sox offered 'Tek arbitration. Which means that any team who wants to sign him has to forfeit a high draft pick. There is a lot of mediocrity out there, but 'Tek isn't worth it for any particular team to give up draft picks and the teams that really could use him simply can't afford to lose the pick and pay his salary.

It was, (hopefully) a brilliant move by Theo Epstein. He hasn't made any offers to Varitek, mostly to show the rest of the league that the Sox really don't want him (not true) so no one gets it into their heads to drive the price up. By offering arbitration, it makes the decision to pick up Varitek even more difficult for teams with lots of holes and a tight budget. Varitek should accept the Sox one-year offer and see what happens. Its in everyone's best interest. If Tek tanks, he isn't hanging around on our payroll, if he rebounds, we can offer him money to stay without it being a huge ordeal. Either way, the Sox should be able to keep the Captain one more year.

At least, I hope that's the case. Decisions must be made by midnight on Sunday. In the meantime, GO DUKES! (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Round 1 of the FCS (that's 1-AA) playoffs has come to a close, and the first round clearly favored the home teams.

James Madison played host to the tough offense of Wofford, and what a game it was. While the Dukes had a hard time containing the triple option Wofford offense, Wofford’s D was likewise unable to contain James Madison QB Rodney Landers, who became just the fifth player in FCS history to rush for 3,000 yards (3,250) and pass for 3,000 yards (3,116).

The Dukes also started with great field position every time, starting (on average) on the 35-yard line. Mostly because Wofford refused to kick to JMU return specialist Scotty McGee. It was probably a good plan considering the one time they did, Scotty burned them with a 37-yard return to let the Dukes start on their own 48. McGee also found use on the offensive side of the ball on several long-yard situations due to his speed.

The Dukes led by two touchdowns at half time, but Wofford tied the game heading into the fourth quarter. The following JMU drive stalled, and ended in a field goal, 31-28 JMU, with twelve minutes left in the game.

Wofford again began to drive, and going for it on 4th and 6 at the JMU 40, the Duke’s defense stepped up and stopped the drive just three inches shy of a first down, causing a turnover on downs with nine minutes left.

JMU marched down the field, with QB Rodney Landers and RB Eugene Holloman rushing every play. On 3rd and goal, Landers dragged two Wofford players into the end zone to score what would be the game-winning TD.

The last touchdown upped the score to 38-28 JMU, and left a little over three minutes on the clock for Wofford to drive, score, recover the onside kick and score again. The one thing that hurt Wofford is the crowd noise. Normally a shot-gun team, they went almost entirely under center the fourth quarter, and drove down the field, finally scoring a touchdown in 15 plays, covering 56 yards and taking 2:19 off the clock, leaving them with one minute to onside kick, recover, and at least kick a field goal to go to overtime.

The entire stadium stood waiting, holding its collective breath as the onside kick went up, and was caught by Bosco Williams to seal the win for JMU. Two knees later and the game was over, final score JMU 38 Wofford 35.

So the Dukes move on to round two, facing off with CAA rival Villanova at 3:30 PM on Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Most D1-AA (or "Football Championship Subdivision") players, coaches, and fans tuned into ESPNU at 7 p.m. Saturday to see who was going to the FCS playoffs. Here's the bracket as it stands:

No. 16 Wofford at No. 1 James Madison

No. 15 South Caroline State at No. 2 Appalachian State

No. 14 Maine at No. 3 Northern Iowa

No. 13 Texas State at No. 4 Montana

No. 12 Weber State at No. 5 Cal Poly

No. 11 New Hampshire at No. 6 Southern Illinois

No. 10 Easter Kentucky at No. 7 Richmond

No. 9 Colgate at No. 8 Villanova

The CAA is well represented with five seeds in the playoffs, three (James Madison, Richmond, and Villanova) in the top eight. The other two: New Hampshire (11th) and Maine (14th).

Let's look at how these schools stacked up against each other:

JMU 24, Maine 10

JMU 38, Richmond 31 (why they kicked to Scotty McGee...I still don't know. Look it up on YouTube.)

JMU 23, Villanova 19 (another last-second victory on the craziest looking pass. Again, look it up on YouTube)

Richmond 44, Maine 17

Villanova 26, Richmond 20

Villanova 24, New Hampshire 13

New Hampshire 28, Maine 24

With the exception of the Richmond-Maine game, none were blowouts, making me think that the CAA is pretty tough. This is the CAA's 18th straight season (16 of them as the Atlantic 10) with multiple bids for the championship.

I personally cannot wait to attend my first playoff game (GO DUKES!). But the competition this year is pretty tough.

The winners of the first round will advance to the quarterfinal Round on Dec. 6. That will go down like this:

Eastern Ky/Richmond winner vs. South Caroline/App State winner

Colgate/Villanova winner vs. Wofford/James Madison winner

Weber State/Cal Poly winner vs. Texas State/Montana winner

Southern Ill/New Hampshire winner vs. Maine/Northern Iowa winner

Then onto the Semifinal round, which is TBD and the remaining two teams from the semis will go on to the Championship game Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Here's my bracket:

OK. I have this wrong. Switch Northern Iowa and Montana. I will now have Northern Iowa beating Appalachian State and Montana losing to JMU in the semis.

For everyone wondering why I have Northern Iowa beating App. State, here's the one simple reason: I think App. State will beat Richmond, but it will be a painful, smash-mouth game with injuries galore. (Note: I am not hoping for this. As a Patriots fan, I have a new view on injuries...Tom Brady going down was hard to watch...and I don't want any player hurt; I just remember how tough it was playing both of those teams. Someone is bound to get hurt.)

My champion? James Madison. Call me biased, but here's to hoping.

A bold statement isn't it? With 6 national titles and 15 conference titles in the trophy case Delaware's 'Fightin' Blue Hens' can throw a little bravado around. Head Coach K.C. Keeler can make statements and proclamations like that when he leads one of the best and most storied NCAA FCS football programs in the country.

Now entrenched in the FCS's toughest division, the Colonial Atheletic Association South, Delaware can always be counted on as a contender for the conference title and a Championship berth. Coach Keeler's most recent source of pride, quarterback Joe Flacco, puncuates that with an exclamation point.

An 18th pick overall by Baltimore in this year's NFL draft, Flacco led the Hens to an 11-4 record overall including a 62-56 loss in five overtimes to the Richmond Spiders, and a 3-1 record in the FCS playoffs, losing in the Championship round to the same powerful Appalachian State team that upset Michigan in its "Big House" 2007 opener.

Various FCS prognosticators and coaches have Delaware ranked third, fourth, fifth and ninth in both conference and national play with the graduation of Flacco weighing heavy in their picks, but Delaware always finds a way to surprise those in the know. The Sporting News picked Delaware as No.5 in the FCS nation and with the quality of competition at that level the Blue Hens must be pleased.

Delaware has 14 starters returning from last year's Lambert Cup winners, ECAC's "Team of the Year" and has four Lindy's pre-season All-Americans returning this season in senior center and Baltimore native Kheon Hendricks and juniors K Jon Striefsky , DE Matt Marcorelle and QB Rob Schoenhoft.

Hendricks centered the line on an offense that led the CAA in total offense, passing offense and 36.2 average in points per game, 11th in the NCAA overall. Hendricks has been a center for only one season but has already mastered the position well enough to dominate the line.

Striefsky set all time school season records in PATs, FGs and total points and he is a Sporting News All-American as well. Striefsky grades out as one of the top kickers in the NCAA as a whole regardless of division.

On defense Marcorelle had a stellar season with 64 tackles, eight sacks, forced five fumbles, recovering two and stuffing opponents for 94 yards in losses.

At quarterback, Rob Schoenhoft has the biggest shoes to fill this season. A 6'6", 245 lb Ohio State transfer, Schoenhoft was a sophomore on the sideline of last years BCS championship game as a Buckeye backup, so pressure won't be an issue for the new Blue Hen leader. In seven games as a clock killer for OSU, Schoenhoft threw rockets for 129 yards and looked good doing it. Adjusting to Delaware's no-huddle offensive scheme will be the biggest challenge for Schoenhoft.

Delaware has a history of stellar quarterbacks with Flacco only being the most recent NFL pick off of the Newark campus. Other Delaware quarterback success stories have been Jeff Komlo, Scott Brunner, Rich Gannon, Andy Hall and Matt Nagy of the Arena Football League.

This season's Blue Hen squad opens it's season against FBS and regional rival Maryland on August 30th in College Park. Obviously the Blue Hens will be the underdog in this fight but with an all time record of 56-65-1 against the I-A division and Coach Keeler's all out, no-huddle offense, anything is possible.

Tickets for Delaware's opener at Maryland are getting scarce with the Hens allotment slim, and with 20,000 Delaware fans in the hunt, there are only a few available on eBay with prime seats being expensive.

Travel from Newark to College Park is a nightmare on game day. What could be a 90 minute boat and taxi ride will instead be a three hour Beltway busing ordeal for Delaware fans as Terps fans are notorious for clogging early access to Byrd stadium on opening day. A friday night in a hotel near the Inner Harbor and a visit to Babe Ruth's house is highly recommended.

The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens have been a NCAA I-AA/FCS powerhouse since 1940. Founded in Newark, Delaware in 1743 and with an undergraduate enrollment if 16,500, Delaware is truly a small town college with big city ambitions and the football program that was established in the early 1890's has always been a source of pride for the First State.

Blue Hen home games are traditionally sold out well in advance and with Tubby Raymond Field having it's capacity of 22,000 filled with a close knit alumni family, it's trés difficult to aquire a seat...unless one's son belongs to said alumni family.

Regardless of it's size, game days are just as huge in Newark, Delaware as anywhere else in the "big time" BCS college football nation. Thanks to it's academic standards, the University of Delaware and Blue Hen Football have avoided the pitfalls that most programs face to emerge as a model of stability and strength for 21st century college football programs. Transfers from BCS programs to Delaware usually pave the way for national recognition for a player languishing on a I-A depth chart as Joe Flacco's career has shown.

Delaware has the only football program in the NCAA with three head coaches in the College Football Hall Of Fame.

Coach Bill Murray, Coach David Nelson, developer of the classic Wing-T and last but certainly not least, the renaissance man himself, the master of the Wing-T, the "Tub of Wonder", Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond, whose name now graces the field where the Blue Hens do battle. These three pioneers of college football left a combined record of 477-212-7 behind as a legacy and standard for future Delaware coaching staffs to uphold. All three deserve an article of their own in the future.

Coach K.C. Keeler is only the third Blue Hen head coach hired since Murray's departure and with a six season record of 41-22, and the signing of a new ten year contract, it may be a long time before we see a new face on the Delaware sideline.

Pay attention to the FCS/Division I-AA season and you won't be disappointed. As Appalachian State proved only 11 months ago...there's a lot of surprises in small college football.