1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

The 1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 32nd-year head coach Tubby Raymond, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 12–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the A-10's Mid-Atlantic Division. For the sixth time in seven sessions, Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where the Fightin' Blue Hens beat Hofstra in the first round and Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual national runner-up, McNeese State, in the semifinals. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
DivisionMid-Atlantic Division
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 3
Record12–2 (7–1 A-10)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTed Kempski (30th season)
Offensive schemeDelaware Wing-T
Defensive coordinatorBob Sabol (7th season)
Home stadiumDelaware Stadium
(capacity: 22,000)
1997 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
New England Division
New Hampshire x  5 –3   5 –6  
Connecticut  4 –4   7 –4  
Maine  4 –4   5 –6  
Rhode Island  2 –6   2 –9  
Boston University  1 –7   1 –10  
UMass  1 –7   2 –9  
Mid-Atlantic Division
No. 1 Villanova x$^  8 –0   12 –1  
No. 3 Delaware ^  7 –1   12 –2  
No. 20 Northeastern  5 –3   8 –3  
Richmond  4 –4   6 –5  
William & Mary  4 –4   7 –4  
James Madison  3 –5   5 –6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 6at No. 22 New HampshireNo. 6
W 27–10
September 13No. 18 VillanovaNo. 4
L 25–35
September 20West Chester*No. 11
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (rivalry)
W 28–7
September 27at NortheasternNo. 10
W 38–14
October 4at Boston UniversityNo. 11
W 49–17
October 11No. 21 RichmondNo. 6
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 24–714,324[1]
October 18at James MadisonNo. 6
W 49–2712,000[2]
October 25at UMass*No. 4
W 40–95,317
November 1No. 20 William & MarydaggerNo. 3
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (rivalry)
W 14–018,707
November 8ConnecticutNo. 3
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 37–29
November 15at Lehigh*No. 3
W 24–197,122[3]
November 29No. 17 Hofstra*No. 3
W 24–14
December 6No. 8 Georgia Southern*No. 3
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)
W 16–711,203
December 13No. 7 McNeese State*No. 3
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)
L 21–2314,461[4]

[5]

References
  1. "Punter White lifts Blue Hens with foot, arm". The News Journal. October 12, 1997. Retrieved November 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Blue Hens pile up the points". The News Journal. October 19, 1997. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Tomashek, Tom (November 16, 1997). "'Flat' Blue Hens Slip Past Lehigh". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Kick halts Delaware's hopes". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 14, 1997. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "1997 Football Schedule". Delaware Blue Hens. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
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