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Monday, January 10, 2011

Texas-sized heartbreak EWU stuns Hens with 20-point comeback

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January 10, 2011

Letter from the Editors

Dear Blue Hens, Almost as soon as we learned that UD would be going to the national championship game in Frisco, Texas, we decided to put out a special edition to commemorate the event. Although The Review has a few football fans on staff, there are a fair number of us (including your Executive Editor) who sometimes ask, “Wait, what’s a conversion again?”

But on Friday, football knowledge (or lack thereof) didn’t matter; the university community, students and alumni alike, came together to support our team. While the outcome may not have been what any of us had hoped for, the camaraderie and empathy we felt as we watched the game demonstrated something bigger: the sense of community that makes college so memorable.

While we wish these pages were filled with stories of victory, we hope that when you look back at this issue— whether it’s in a few months or 10 years—it is a reminder of the best parts of college: the chance to make friends, to unite for a common cause and to do something worthwhile.

Faithfully yours, Josh Shannon, Editor in Chief Alexandra Duszak, Executive Editor

Blue Hens fans cheer early in the second half of Friday’s title game.

THE REVIEW/Josh Shannon

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January 10, 2011

Junior tight end Colin Naugle dives out of bounds on a 28-yard reception from quarterback Pat Devlin in the third quarter.

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THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Hens blow 19-point lead, fall in title game

BY TIM MASTRO Sports Editor

FRISCO, Texas — One by one the Delaware players slowly trudged off the field and into the locker rooms. Some stayed on the bench, heads in hands, sobbing. Others sunk with their heads in the grass. Players and coaches tried to console one another.

Seventeen minutes before, the sideline looked destined to be a place of hugs, high-fives, and a trophy presentation. The Hens had a 19-0 lead late in the third quarter and were close to a national title.

Then Bo Levi Mitchell caught fire.

The Eastern Washington quarterback led his team to 20 unanswered points in a dramatic come-from-behind 20-19 victory over Delaware in the FCS national championship game. The defeat is Delaware’s second championship loss in four years.

“To say the loss is devastating is an understatement,” Head Coach K.C. Keeler said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been associated with a loss like this.”

The Eagles’ Brandon Kaufman caught an 11-yard pass from Mitchell with 2:47 left to complete the comeback, and Mike Jarrett’s extra point gave Eastern Washington the win. Kaufman got behind the Delaware defense, made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone and managed to keep a foot in bounds.

Moments earlier, controversy struck. On a fourth-and-one deep inside Delaware territory, Eagles’ freshman running back Mario Brown rushed for one yard, barely enough for an Eastern Washington first down after a measurement.

The spot was reviewed, and the officials decided to place the ball at the

22-yard line and remeasure. A problem arose, however, because the chain officials had already moved the markers, forgetting where the original first-down marker had been. A remeasurement also awarded the Eagles a first down, despite the ball having been moved back a significant amount.

“We stopped them,” Keeler said.

“There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.

We stopped them. The way the ball was spotted originally, it was a first down.

But the chain was not on the 22. The chain was past the 22. That’s why as soon as they said the ball’s put back on the 22, we knew we stopped them and not game over but game close to over.”

Delaware did have a chance to take the lead on its final possession.

Pat Devlin ran for two first downs and threw for another to bring the Hens into Eastern Washington territory. An incompletion, a nine-yard sack, and a nine-yard completion to Rob Jones set up a fourth and ten with Delaware’s season on the line.

An Eagles’ blitz forced Devlin to move to his left and throw off balance. The ball was underthrown to Mark Schenauer, who lunged and was able to make a shoestring catch. His momentum carried him to the ground, forcing him to fall a yard short of the first down marker.

“Just didn’t get enough steam on it and kind of dropped off the table the last second,” Devlin said about his throw. “[Schenauer] made a heck of a catch from what everyone else said but just a little too short.”

Mitchell, who won the game’s Most Outstanding Player Award, engineered the comeback, throwing for 302 yards and three touchdowns. The SMU transfer was aided by big games from Kaufman and Nicholas Edwards.

Kaufman finished with nine catches for

120 yards and two scores. Edwards had a touchdown of his own and six catches for 74 yards.

Kaufman put Eastern Washington on the board for the first time with a 22yard touchdown with 1:48 remaining in the third quarter. Edwards got his touchdown with 8:16 to go in the game when Mitchell found him open for a nine-yard completion to the end zone. A few plays earlier, Mitchell had

“To say the loss is devastating is an understatement.”

—Head Coach K.C. Keeler connected with Edwards for a 10-yard gain on fourth-and-eight.

“It’s tough to swallow,” senior safety Anthony Bratton said about the defense’s second half performance.

“Knowing you had the game in your hands, the game was in your control.

And then them coming back and winning it, you feel like you dropped the ball. You take that personally, you always feel like it’s your fault.”

Early on, the game had all indications of a Delaware rout. The Hens came out swinging and delivered a touchdown on their very first drive.

For six minutes, they controlled the ball and went 80 yards in 14 plays, using a good balance of running and passing before freshman running back Andrew

Pierce found the end zone. Pierce also converted on a key fourth-and-short, busting up the middle for three yards to keep the drive alive.

Kicker Mike Perry, who missed an extra point after the first touchdown, booted two field goals in the first half.

The kicks were from 21 and 33 yards.

His missed extra point did not matter, because Eastern Washington elected to go for a two-point conversion after its first touchdown, which it did not convert.

Backup running back David Hayes made the Hens’ lead 19-0 in the second half. The sophomore rushed up the middle for a one-yard score with 7:12 left in the third quarter.

But the Eagles were not even close to feeling like they were out of the game.

“I just felt like we can make this a tight game and have a chance to win in the end, even though we went down 19‑0,” Eastern Washington Head Coach Beau Baldwin said. “The monkey off our back was to score that first touchdown obviously, and that was huge. What that also does is it helps give the defense a spark, because we really hadn’t done much on offense in the first half.”

Delaware dominated the first half, outgaining the Eagles 230 yards to 62.

The 62 yards allowed by Delaware were the fewest in a first half all season.

The team’s previous low, 85, was in the season opener versus West Chester.

With the game 19-0, Delaware looked to be headed for a repeat of the 2003 national championship, when it shut out Colgate 40-0.

But the trio of Mitchell, Kaufman, and Edwards did not let that happen.

“The second half, receivers just turned it up,” Mitchell said. “They did everything they’ve been doing all

year, and that’s making plays. My balls weren’t perfect. They weren’t. They made plays and did what they had to do, and we won the game because of them.”

In Devlin’s final career game at Delaware before likely becoming an NFL draftee, he threw for 220 yards, completing 22 out of 34 attempts. He threw an uncharacteristic interception, which ricocheted off Schenauer’s hands and into Allen Brown’s.

The interception was only Devlin’s third of the season; he had thrown 163 pass attempts since his last pick. He was also was sacked three times by the Eagles, two of which came at key moments in the fourth quarter as the Eagles blitzed more regularly in the second half.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” center Rob McDowell said as he back tears. “Nothing we had not seen. Just didn’t execute. I didn’t step up my play.”

Pierce topped the 100-yard mark for the seventh time this season. He rushed for 142 yards on 28 carries to finish with 1,655 on the season. That mark is the second highest in Delaware history, trailing only Omar Cuff’s 2007 season.

Nihja White led all Delaware receivers with five catches for 73 yards.

All those catches came in the first half.

Tommy Crosby was next with 56 yards on five catches in his final game in a Delaware uniform.

The Hens outgained Eastern Washington 417-327 for the game, but could only manage two touchdowns.

“We didn’t really execute,” Devlin said. “Whether it be me missing reads or missing throws, or just whatever. We really just didn’t execute like we have been. And we need to be efficient on offense, and at times we weren’t and it really hurt us.“

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January 10, 2011

Ending leaves fans crying in their beer

BY ALEXANDRA DUSZAK

of champagne ready to pop the moment Delaware clinched the title.

More than 300 Hens traveled But when Eastern Washington’s some 1,400 miles by plane, bus or rally began to threaten a Blue car to Pizza Hut Park for Friday’s Hen victory, the mood changed game. For students staying in altogether.

Newark, the “The clock ran journey to the out and everybody “The clock ran bars was a bit less was just not in arduous—unless a good mood. out and they happened to Somebody flipped arrive at Grotto everybody was a table over,” said Pizza as game Holly Frink, a time approached. just not in a server at Grotto Fans began Pizza and a 2010 good mood. arriving at the university alumna. popular Main Despite the Somebody Street sports bar disappointing end, between 2:30 and seniors said flipped a table some 3:30 p.m. for the they were happy 7 o’clock game, to get together for over.” said bouncer DT one last Blue Hen Gears, a 2009 football game as alumnus of the college students. university. All of “It’s our senior —Holly Frink, the tables were year, and we’ve all Grotto Pizza server been roommates full by 4 p.m.

The volume since freshmen of people in the bar area made year, so it’s kind of a nice way to it nearly impossible to move or start our spring semester,” said buy a drink. With every table in senior Meghan Moritz, who sat in the restaurant section full, game a booth with her three roommates. watchers spilled into the aisles Seniors Brian Cooney and between. One student, senior Jimmy Clifford have been attending Benji Werth, drank from a pitcher football games with their Dickinson because he said it was too much A1 floormates since freshman year, trouble to keep making his way and this one was no different. back to the bar.

“We have the most school “A madhouse, an animal spirit on campus,” Clifford said. house,” Gears said.

Cooney said supporting Although the crowd thinned the football team is especially somewhat after halftime, the important to him because he has atmosphere remained festive while class with many of the players. the Hens maintained their lead “We’re here to support them, over Eastern Washington. The make sure they know we’re on their staff of Grotto Pizza had bottles backs,” Cooney said.

Executive Editor

THE REVIEW/Nick Wallace

Junior Alex Lespinasse painted his body blue and gold as a way to show his support for the Blue Hens. Lespinasse was one of more than 100 people who gathered to watch the game in the Trabant University Center.

Students show spirit at Trabant viewing party

By LAUREN MONTENEGRO and ZOE READ The Review

THE REVIEW/Lauren Scher

Seniors Mark Weidman and Benji Werth watched the championship game from Grotto Pizza. Werth said he bought a pitcher of beer because it was easier than fighting his way back to the bar to get his cup refilled.

More than 100 students and alumni gathered in Trabant University Center Friday night to support the Blue Hens in their bid to win the Division 1-AA National Championship. People of all ages sat watching the games on a large screen in the multipurpose rooms, which was decorated with blue and yellow balloons.

Junior Alex Lespinasse showed his team spirit by painting his chest blue and yellow, even though he was not in Texas with the rest of his friends.

“My friends and I called ourselves the paint squad,” Lespinasse said. “No matter how cold it is, we paint our bodies.

They’re in Texas, and I couldn’t make it because of Winter Session, so I’m here supporting from Delaware.”

Junior Emily Taylor also said many of her friends went to Texas. She said she thought the mix of people in the audience at the viewing party made the atmosphere similar to that of a game. However, watching the game on a large screen has

additional benefits, she said.

“It’s easier to follow the ball when the camera is showing you,” Taylor said.

Several English Language Institute students who attended the party said they did so because they wanted to learn more about their new country. Xiangyu Zhang, originally from China, said she enjoyed watching the game with fellow students.

“I enjoy the atmosphere because the students are enjoying it,” Zhang said. “Because we are not American, it’s a chance to get into the American culture.”

Many alumni also came out to support the Hens. Ken Lomax, who graduated in 1971, said he enjoyed the atmosphere.

“It’s not quite as intense as some fan gatherings, but most people are watching,” Lomax said.

Assistant Director of Recreation Services Barry Miller, who coordinated the event, said the university has not hosted many viewing parties in the past, but after the good turnout hopes to host another event in the future. “[It] gives the students some place to watch the game and have a little school spirit, and maybe have a little camaraderie,” Miller

said.

The mood in Trabant quickly became sullen after Eastern Washington mounted its fourthquarter comeback. Fans watched in shock as the Hens lost to Eastern Washington in the last minutes of the game.

For one fan, an early prediction became a reality.

Senior Jay Kistler commented on the extra point kicker Mike Perry missed in the first quarter.

“I hope they got yelled at because they missed the extra point,” Kistler said. “That could come back to bite us.”

And it did. In the end, the Blue Hens were defeated by one point in the last minutes of the fourth quarter. Fans started to leave in disappointment before the loss was official.

Even though students were quiet and upset, they remained confident and proud of their team.

Senior Chelise Strickland said even though she was shocked by the loss, she still supports the team.

“They made it that far and they played far,” Strickland said.

“I’m glad I came out. It was worth supporting them.”

January 10, 2011

5

Blue Hen Nation gears up at tailgate

BY JESSICA SORENTINO AND LAUREN ZAREMBA The Review

FRISCO, Texas — Found in a sea of blue and gold outside Pizza Hut Park Friday night were Bob McKinley and his wife Mary Kate, both 1977 alumni, who have only missed football games when their children were playing sports of their own. A championship game is something they would never miss, they said—no matter how far they’d have to travel to get there.

The McKinleys, residents of North Wilmington, flew into Dallas and rented a car for their stay in the Lone Star State. It was their first time to Texas, and probably their last.

“I never liked Texas,” Bob McKinley said. “I never wanted to come to Texas. It took something like this to get me to Texas.”

The McKinleys were just two of the nearly 5,000 Delaware fans who made the 1,400-mile trip to Frisco. Many gathered in the east parking lot of the stadium Friday night for a four-hour tailgate to hype themselves up for the game.

Senior Michael Rowley drove 23 hours with nine other people to get to Frisco for the game. He said the trip was long and boring, but he was happy he came.

“Tennessee was pretty cool, but Arkansas was literally the most bland, boring state I’ve ever driven through,” Rowley said.

“We stopped for like one meal and some gas stations for rest stops, but that’s it.”

Attending the championship game was a spur of the moment, spontaneous decision, Rowley said. Even though this was the first Delaware football game he was attending this season, he said he felt it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I’m still recovering from the drive here and still dreading the drive back, but I’ve put that to the back of my mind and I’m totally enjoying my time,” Rowley said.

Wide receiver Phil Thaxton had an entourage cheering him on during the game, lead by his uncle Robert Clark. Clark, a resident of Monroe, La., drove his RV to Frisco for the game with 11 other members of Thaxton’s family.

During the tailgate, Clark was DJing from a sound system he set up in the parking lot.

The championship game was approximately his fourth Delaware football game, but he and his travel companions were enthusiastic about the upcoming competition.

“We’re having a big time, a great time. I’m glad to be here and I hope like hell we win,” Clark said.

Stephanie Bratton, defensive back Anthony Bratton’s mother, was also in attendance, sharing in the excitement with enthusiastic students and alumni. Bratton has attended every single game during her son’s college career and flew to Texas with her mother to see her son’s last game.

“This is my first time in Texas, trying to find a cowboy, baby. I love it,” she said.

Bratton, a resident of Manassas, Va., said she saw her son the previous night at the team hotel. Because Anthony is a senior, he was responsible for room check at the team’s 11 p.m. curfew.

Throughout the afternoon on Friday, Bratton and her mother walked around the parking lot talking to fans, enjoying the day.

“Oh my gosh, unbelievable,” she said of the crowds at the tailgate. “The best fans ever. Go Blue Hens.”

THE REVIEW/Lauren Zaremba

Bob and Mary Kate McKinley, both 1977 alumni, flew to Dallas and rented a car so they could tailgate before Friday’s game.

Also found in the crowd was Arizona Cardinals tight end and former Blue Hen Ben Patrick.

Patrick, who played at Delaware in 2006, said he has a hard time attending regular season games since the Cardinals play at the same time, but when his season with the Cardinals ended, he was not going to miss the opportunity to see his alma mater play for the championship.

This was Patrick’s first tailgate, he said, because he is always playing the game, and he said he was thoroughly enjoying spending time with all of the fans.

“I never know what a tailgate is like,” he said. “This is incredible.”

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

The family of wide receiver Phil Thaxton rented an RV and set up a sound system for the tailgate.

Budget cuts force marching band to limit travel

BY JOSH SHANNON Editor in Chief

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

The members of the marching band who traveled to Texas practice before the game. Due to budget cuts, only one-third of the band could go.

FRISCO, Texas — From a corner section of Pizza Hut Park, wedged between the Blue Hens side of the stadium and the student section, the university’s marching band kept the thousands of Hens fans entertained with renditions of the Delaware Fight Song and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”

One hundred band members flew to Frisco to support the team. But while they performed, more than 200 more sat at home.

Due to budget constraints, only juniors and seniors were eligible to go, according to band director Heidi Sarver.

In 2003 and 2007, when the Hens traveled to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the national championship game, the entire band made the trip. The band’s website still lists the national championship game as mandatory for all members.

“The decision to send 100 members was based upon available funding made possible by the university administration,” Sarver stated in an e-mail message last week. She would

talk only through e-mail and did not provide specifics.

“Of course they are disappointed,” she said of the band members who were not able to go on the trip. “But they also understand better than anyone else that economic times are tough and that if there was a way for us to take them we would. The amazing thing about the band is they support each other as well as the greater good all the time. “ University spokeswoman Meredith Chapman said last week she was not able to find out who at the university made the decision to cut the band’s travel funding or why the decision was made.

After more inquiries from the media, Stacey Bunting-Thompson, associate director of athletics for external relations, e-mailed a statement through the Office of Communications and Marketing.

“We are especially thankful for the to send 100 band members and staff, made possible by the generosity of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the provost, Athletics, UD central administration and the

many generous gifts by innumerable donors to the Marching Band and the Department of Music,” the statement read in part.

The statement did not address the students who could not go, and Bunting-Thompson did not return a call from The Review.

Tyler Dukes, a freshman saxophone player, said he wished the entire band could go but understands why the trip was limited to upperclassmen.

“We were all kind of disappointed we couldn’t go down, but most of us understand,” Dukes said.

At Eastern Washington University, the entire marching band was given the opportunity to travel to Texas. EWU spokesman David Meany said the band has between 100 and 150 members, but fewer than 100 made the trip.

Sarver said last week the seniors and juniors in UD’s band were looking forward to the trip.

“The band members are incredibly excited to go,” she said. “They know they are an integral part of the football experience and are eager to contribute.”

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January 10, 2011

The week THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Quarterback Pat Devlin talks to teammates on the sidelines.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

A Delaware fan navigates an obstacle course set up outside the stadium.

Gov. Jack Markell poses with fans before the game.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Fans in the student section cheer on the Hens.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

January 10, 2011

7

in photos

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Vice President Joe Biden autographs a Blue Hens flag for a fan.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

A fan shows off his display of Delaware memorabilia in the parking lot prior to the game.

A group of fans show their Delaware pride before the game.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

8

January 10, 2011

Pierce has chance to be all-time great Running back goes from unknown to freshman phenom in just a few games

BY KEVIN MASTRO Sports Editor

FRISCO, Texas — ­ Last year, a small figure was a popular sight at Delaware football practices. The players and even a few coaches did not know who this kid was.

He would go to all the games and sit in the stands just like any other fan. Nobody could predict, least of all Andrew Pierce, just how big of a role he was going to play for the Hens this year.

Fast forward a year and the kid is known to everyone. The grayshirt freshman running back has broken just about every freshman rushing record at the university.

“I always had the mentality that I wanted to do my best,” Pierce said after the semifinal victory over Georgia Southern. “I was given the opportunity to come here and it was so emotional to think about everything that happened to me before I got here.”

Not recruited out of Cumberland Regional High School in Bridgeton, N.J., Pierce was unsure if he would be able to play college football. The Hens staff liked what they saw in Pierce, but had already offered two running backs scholarships and did not have room for another. So Head Coach K.C. Keeler and the rest of the staff got to figuring out how to get Pierce to Delaware.

“It’s a little sensitive to walk on as an out-of-state student, so we put a plan together,” Keeler said. “He took a county college class, just to kept himself fresh. He worked out, got a job, and would come to every ballgame and just sit and dream about playing some day in that stadium.”

Spring semester, Pierce enrolled at Delaware and participated in spring drills, thoroughly impressing Keeler and his staff. He was named the starting running back in the summer, which

came as a surprise to fans who were still unfamiliar with Pierce’s running style. After 1,655 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, the five-foot, 11-inch 200 pound back now has a reputation as one of the best in the CAA. In his first collegiate game against West Chester University, Pierce rushed for 119 yards and a score. He would not look back from there. In his second game against South Dakota State, he went for 165 yards and a touchdown and then capped it off with 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Duquesne.

The following week at Richmond, Pierce had one of his most impressive games of the season. In his first road game, he rushed for 114 yards, but also scored three important touchdowns and showcased his hard, physical running style by barreling over defenders and breaking through tackles.

Pierce went on to break the freshman rushing record for yards and touchdowns. He also caught three touchdowns this season, including one game-tying score against Villanova with less than 30 seconds to go. Although, he later fumbled in that game to give Villanova the victory, he was able to move forward and credits this team’s senior leadership as the main reason for his success this year.

“The 17 seniors that I have by me and [Pat Devlin] and [Anthony Walters] and [Matt Marcorelle], they’re just great and they show me a lot as being a freshman,” Pierce said. “Hopefully, I can carry that on to when I get to be a senior one day and be able to be a great leader, just like these guys are.”

There were some worries from fans and even Keeler that Pierce’s body would tire as the season got longer, but once the playoffs started, Pierce put any doubt to those thoughts to rest. Against Lehigh, he rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown. In the quarterfinals versus New Hampshire, Pierce got 90 hard-earned rushing yards that helped the Hens keep possession in a low scoring game.

He exploded for 186 rushing yards against Georgia Southern, a number that surprised even him.

Although he did not score in the game, his yards helped the Hens run the clock down effectively and set up the clinching touchdown by his

backup, sophomore David Hayes.

Pierce again turned heads in the championship game, going for 142 yards on the ground and scoring the opening touchdown of the game.

Even though the Hens ended up short, Pierce knows there are things he can take away from the pain of coming so close.

“I mean, it hurts,” he said. “But we gotta get back to work as soon as we get back, and I know it’s going to be our momentum going into winter and the spring and summer.

So hopefully we can get back here next year.”

Statistically, if Pierce keeps up this pace, he might go down in history as the best running back to ever put on a Delaware uniform.

The current rushing record is held

by Daryl Brown, who played from 1991-1994, with 4,587 yards. If Pierce averages anything more than 977 yards on the ground per season over the next three years, he will break that record. His 1,655 yards this season, were second most by a Delaware running back in a year, trailing only Omar Cuff’s 1,945 yards in 2007.

Cuff also holds the rushing touchdown record with 65, which might be too far out of Pierce’s reach, but if he keeps up these types of performances, anything is possible.

Not too bad for that kid on the sideline.

from the

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Andrew Pierce’s 1,655 yards this season were the second most by a Delaware running back in a year.

January 10, 2011

9

Injury, questionable spot cost Hens title

BY TIM MASTRO Sports Editor

FRISCO, Texas — Once Mark Schenauer’s knee hit the ground the game was over. There were still 47 seconds left on the clock, requiring two kneel downs by Eastern Washington for the game to end. Delaware’s defense had to come back on the field as the clock ran off.

The same defense that was the best in the country, allowing only 11.5 points against them coming into this game. (Only the Rose Bowl champions, TCU, boasted better numbers in all of the NCAA.) The same defense that had two All-Americans in the secondary.

The same defense that had shut out the Eastern Washington Eagles for the first 43 minutes of the game. The same defense that had only allowed 62 yards in the first half, its best first half of the season.

That defense, which allowed 20 points in the final 17 minutes, could only watch the premature celebrations as the final 47 seconds slowly ticked away. Some of them could not bear to look.

Anthony Walters was one of those players. Walters, a senior defensive back, one of the most decorated defenders in Delaware history and an All-American this season, was lying face down on the white tarp covering

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Referees measure for the first time on the controversial fourth-down spot late in the game.

the Delaware sidelines after the failed fourth down conversion. He lined up approximately 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage for the two kneel-downs, crouched, staring sullenly at the ground.

At the post-game press conference, Walters was asked how difficult Eastern Washington was to defend.

“I don’t think they were,” he said bluntly.

He was asked to elaborate.

“What happened was we lost one of our players to a clipping, Jake Giusti,” Walters said. “Kind of put us in a bind on what personnel packages we could run.

We ended up running some packages that took me off of number one and put us in a lot of zone. I don’t think the guys were tough to cover at all. I don’t think they were beating anybody one‑on‑one.

Most of their catches were hitches.”

The play Walters is referring to is listed in the box score as a 55-yard kickoff by Sean Banner and a 30-yard return by Greg Herd to the Eastern Washington 45-yard line. It happened with 7:05 left in the third quarter. But the box score does not tell the full story.

Freshman defensive back and kick return specialist Jake Giusti was racing down to make a tackle and appeared to be clipped from behind on the play. No flag was thrown and Giusti stayed down.

A stretcher was brought onto the field; Giusti waved it off and was able to walk back to the bench, but did not return to the game because of a knee injury.

“When Jake Giusti got hurt, it sort of made us move people around,” Head Coach K.C. Keeler said. “Normally we wouldn’t have taken Anthony off of No. 1 very much, but we were forced to because of where Jake played in the nickel and dime packages, those kinds

of things.”

Delaware was forced to play more zone, and a lot less man-to-man then it usually does. It tried almost every defensive set possible to find the right combination after Giusti’s injury.

None of it could stop Eastern Washington quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell once he got going. He was consistently able to find the soft spot in the zone and drove down the field with ease in the fourth quarter.

“Obviously that’s a pretty good football team we lost to,” Keeler said.

“We want to make sure everyone knows that. That’s very clear. It’s a very good football team we lost to.

The Hens held Eastern Washington to a total of 98 yards on 35 plays on the Eagles’ first seven drives of the game.

The first scoring drive covered 80 yards in about a minute and a half on just five plays late in the third quarter. The next drive was all pass plays—14 of them— and went 89 yards down the field. The final scoring drive covered 63 yards in eight plays.

The Eagles had to convert two fourth downs on their final two drives.

The second was a fourth-and-one. They called one of their few running plays of the second half and freshman Mario Brown was taken down by Bernard Makumbi and Siddiq Haynes as soon as he hit the line. A measurement occurred and the officials ruled first down.

“I thought we did stop them,” senior defense back and the other AllAmerican Anthony Bratton said. “It’s a game of inches, and they got the inch or two they needed.”

But maybe Bratton was right.

Replays showed the ball was down behind the first down marker. After a

video review, the ball was re-spotted at the 22-yard line and another measurement was ordered. Keeler said at the post-game press conference that once he heard the ball was being put at the 22, he knew his defense got the stop.

One problem—the markers had already been moved. There is a clip used to indicate where the markers should be, but that was picked up and moved as well. The officials had no idea where to place the markers for the second measurement.

“They guessed,” Keeler said.

“I mean, I was right there with them.

They’re like, ‘Well, I think it was on the 22.’ It wasn’t on the 22. I’m pretty sure that when you go back and look at the videotape, you’ll see that the chain was past the 22 yard line, meaning that was not a first down.”

With new life, Mitchell hit Brandon Kaufman for the game-winner a few plays later. The extra-point put Eastern Washington up 20-19. It was only the fourth time the defense allowed 20 or more points in a game this year.

The other times were against UMass, Villanova, and Lehigh.

While there was no guarantee the Hens would be able to run out the clock if Eastern Washington had indeed turned the ball over on the fourth and one attempt—the Eagles still had two timeouts—Keeler was adamant it was a blown call.

“That’s disappointing,” he said.

“We’re in a championship ballgame and we have a spot with three minutes left to go in the game that dictates who wins and loses. And usually I don’t really complain about things like that, but that one hurt. It really did.”

For Frisco, title game a chance to shine

BY JOSH SHANNON Editor in Chief

FRISCO, Texas — When the Blue Hens arrived here Tuesday, they were met by all the staff members of their hotel, who were wearing blue and gold.

They later went to a local elementary school, where the students, decked out in Delaware gear, held a pep rally for a team they had never watched play and had likely never heard of.

Throughout the town, stores and restaurants displayed signs welcoming the teams to Texas, and some even had hand-painted Delaware and Eastern Washington logos on their windows.

“Just the way the town has embraced us and how everyone’s just so excited to have us, you can tell, this is genuine, and I think they’ve made a great impression on everyone,” Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said.

The NCAA’s decision to move the game from late December to January, as well as the town of Frisco’s efforts, made the national championship game feel like bowl-game experience, Keeler said.

That is the exact effect the city was trying for, said Frisco Mayor Maher Maso.

“This is my first experience to being around the players all week,” Maso said. “They are so excited. That’s what it’s about for us, making sure they have the experience of a lifetime.”

Frisco, a town located approximately 40 minutes north of Dallas, hosted the game for the first

time this year, after Chattanooga, Tenn., played host to the championship for the past 13 years.

The city decided to bid in 2009 for the game, and won a contract to host it through at least 2013.

The fastest growing city in nation, Frisco has seen its population increase from 21,000 in 1997 to 110,000 in 2010. The entire area north of Dallas is expanding, Maso said, and Frisco’s strong school system and easy access to highways draws people, especially young families, to the town.

The town relies heavily on tourism to support that growth, and Pizza Hut Park, the site of Friday’s game, helps draw in visitors. Built six years ago, the 21,000-seat stadium is the home of Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas.

City officials made an effort to involve the community in promoting Friday’s game, and Maso said the residents responded well.

“The community has really come to embrace this,” he said. “You have signs on IKEA and the parking garages. If you go around town to some of the restaurants, they’ve painted their windows with team colors. The byproduct of that is what the coaches and players are telling me, that they’ve never experienced anything like this.”

Leslie Lane, the owner of Denim and Dazzle, a small women’s clothing boutique on Frisco’s Main Street, had blue and gold streamers hanging in her window, next to black and red ones supporting Eastern Washington.

“It’s fun for everyone,” Lane said

Friday afternoon. “We’re proud to have it here.”

Earlier in the week, she dressed up as a Hens player while one of her coworkers dressed up as an Eastern Washington player.

“We don’t favor either team, so that’s why we did both,” said Lane, though she did note that she is familiar with the First State from visiting family members in Smryna.

Down the street at Manny’s Icehouse Grill, the lunch crowd trickled in past windows painted with Blue Hens and Eagles. Co-owner Richard Galvan said he was happy to support the game. The town held a contest storefront window decorating contest, and the winner will win $400, he said.

“We were trying to get some pompoms to put on the building,” Galvan said. “But next year, I’ll be more prepared.”

The town’s efforts did not go unnoticed by either team.

“When we went to the little elementary school and how the little kids embraced us, screaming their lungs out for us, and they don’t even really know much about the University of Delaware, it’s just a great blessing seeing everybody welcome us here,” Hens running back Andrew Pierce said.

Eastern Washington was also treated to the same attention.

“It’s been wonderful,” said Eagles linebacker J.C. Sherritt. “Everybody at the hotel to the elementary school, it’s been really professional and well done.”

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Leslie Lane, owner of Denim and Dazzle in downtown Frisco, decorated her storefront in support of Delaware and Eastern Washington.

10January 10, 2011

commentary

Future, although cloudy, looks bright

BY KEVIN MASTRO Sports Editor

FRISCO, Texas — Any seasonending loss is tough, and the way the Hens fell on Friday night makes it even harder to move on. But now that a few days have passed, the focus can start to shift to next season.

At first glance, next year looks to be one Commentary aforrebuilding Delaware.

Kevin Mastro After all, they are losing 16 seniors.

Pat Devlin, the best quarterback in the country according to Head Coach K.C. Keeler, will most likely be on an NFL team this fall. While the loss of Devlin will have the biggest impact on the offense, his position is not the only one affected.

At the wide receiver position, Tommy Crosby, Phil Thaxton and Mark Mackey will all be gone. Despite a rough start to the season, Crosby became a valuable target during the playoffs, when he caught a touchdown pass against Lehigh and had five catches for 56 yards in the title game. It should not be over looked that Crosby was knocked unconscious on the field during the semifinal win against Georgia Southern and somehow returned to have an effective performance in the championship. Thaxton is also a tough loss. He gave the Hens a nice screen and slant option with his speed, and helped out on kick returns. Mackey was plagued by concussion problems during his senior year, but was an effective possession receiver.

The two most game-experienced Hens, Zack Reed and Kevin Uhll,also

will have graduated. Both appeared in their 53rd game on Friday, which set the all-time record for most appearances by a Delaware player. Uhll’s intelligence, strength and experience will be missed at his right tackle position, while Reed’s consistent long snapping ability was a very underrated strength for the team over the past four years. Reed’s long snapping partner, punter and holder Ed Wagner, will also be gone The defensive side of the ball will suffer the loss of seven starters. The most affected area is the secondary, where the Hens lose all four starters.

Anthony Walters and Anthony Bratton have a shot to play in the NFL, but their dual impact may be the biggest loss Delaware has to face. Walters could play either cornerback or safety, and his intelligence and play-making ability will be sorely missed. Bratton’s ability to defend both the run and pass from his deep safety position won’t easily be replaced. Captain Tyrone Grant and transfer Darryl Jones will also graduate what was one of the best secondaries the Hens have ever had.

At the linebacker position, middle linebacker and sixth-year senior Matt Marcorelle also has a shot to be picked up by an NFL team. His experience, leadership, intelligence and athletic ability is one of the bigger losses Delaware has to deal with. Bernard Makumbi, who played well in the playoffs, also leaves the linebackers.

The defensive line suffers the loss of the two starting defensive tackles, Justin Johnson and Siddiq Haynes.

Johnson was one of the most improved players on the team this year, and the loss of him, along with Haynes’ reliable play, will hurt the Hens pass rush and run-stopping ability.

Right now it is almost impossible to know who will take over all of these positions come next fall. Recruits still need to be brought in, and transfers are always a possibility. However, looking

at the roster now, there is still reason to believe the Hens can be competitive again next year.

The biggest question mark is who will take over the quarterback position from Devlin. Trevor Sasek got valuable experience this year and proved himself a viable candidate after leading the team to victory at James Madison, one of the tougher venues in the CAA. Sasek’s mobility is a strength, and he possesses a strong arm. While Sasek is no Devlin, he has proven he can compete in the conference.

The other possibility, besides another transfer of course, is Justin Burns. Burns red-shirted this year to retain his freshman eligibility and has won praise for his performance on the scout team. Keeler has spoken highly of Burns during the season, and it will be interesting to see who wins the job during spring and summer practice.

The run game will be the team’s biggest strength next year. Andrew Pierce and David Hayes provide a dual-threat running game that will be among the best in the CAA. The entire offensive line besides Uhll will return, and his spot will be taken over by Brandon Heath, who played in several games this season.

Nihja White, Rob Jones and Mark Schenauer will lead the receiving core next year. White emerged as a huge playmaker this season, while Schenauer became one of the most reliable pass catchers in the conference.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Hens will boast two of the better defensive ends in the league with Chris Morales and Michael Atunrase.

Ethan Clark will back them up, but the defensive tackle position is a question mark, although there is plenty of talent there. Jamaul Christopher impressed as a true freshman while Quincy Barr really came on at the end of the season.

Bobby Kennedy and Matt Hardison give the team plenty of depth there.

The linebacker position will be the biggest strength on the defense.

Paul Worrilow is coming off an outstanding season and will move to middle linebacker after the departure of Marcorelle. Andrew Harrison will remain at his outside linebacker spot and Kyle Hunte will take over at the other outside spot. Eddie Lugo, Mike Hirt and Carl Smith will backup the starters and add sufficient depth on special teams.

The secondary spots are the toughest to predict next year, since the Hens lose all four starters. Marcus Burley will likely start at corner, after seeing a lot of time there this year.

Jake Giusti will start at the other corner position. Giusti, who played excellently on special teams this season, will probably return kicks too. Keeler has been quoted saying that he loves the way Giusti plays football and it seems Giusti has potential to be a star for the team. Ricky Tunstall and Tim Breaker, both of who played sparingly this season, will play the safety positions.

Brandon Cheaton and Derek Coleman will give the secondary depth.

On special teams, Sean Baner and

Mike Perry will be the kickers again, and Baner may even take over punts.

The team still needs to find a long snapper, although right now Schenauer is listed as the backup snapper on the depth chart.

The team will be tested early next year as its first game is at FBS Navy.

After that though, the schedule gets easier with home games against West Chester, Delaware State and new CAA member Old Dominion, all games the Hens should win. The Hens travel to Maine, Rhode Island, Towson and Villanova and host William & Mary, UMass and Richmond in conference.

Like always, it is a tough CAA schedule.

A lot will happen between now and the start of next season for the Hens.

The spring game will help provide a better picture of what type of team they will have. However, I think although they will not be as good next year, the Hens have enough talent to get back to the playoffs.

Kevin Mastro is a sports editor at The Review. Send questions, comments and 2011 season tickets to kmastro@udel.edu.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Nihja White will be one of the receivers returning next year for the Hens.

THE REVIEW/Spencer Schargorodski

Running back Andrew Pierce, who had a record-setting season this year, will return in 2011.

January 10, 2011

commentary Blame doesn’t rest on any certain player

FRISCO, Texas — Who’s fault is it? What went wrong? Were we screwed?

Those are questions I heard on my trip back from Dallas, and struggled with myself. People had many different opinions and plenty of blame to go around to everyone on the field.

The fact of the matter is this— no one play or player is the reason Delaware lost. It’s such an old and tired cliché, but it’s true—you win as a team, you lose as a team.

To me, the game came down to one simple Commentary fact (I’m going Tim Mastro to avoid talking about the questionable fourth down spot because the game should not have come down to that). Delaware absolutely dominated the first half. Complete and utter domination, yet it was only 12-0 at halftime. If you’re outgaining a team 230-62, you should have a bigger lead than 12 points.

Delaware managed to force only one turnover on defense, an interception

by Darryl Jones off a bobbled pass. But no one was able to step up and make a play on defense in the fourth quarter. No sacks, no fumbles, no interceptions in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Pierce and David Hayes had done such a great job this season of getting yards in the fourth quarter to not only kill the clock, but to give the defense a rest. This would have been important on Friday night, considering the warped speed Eastern Washington used when driving down the field.

Pierce rushed for 142 yards in the championship, but only one of those yards came in the fourth quarter. The offensive line, affected by injuries during the game to guards Will Nagle and Gino Gradkowski, seemed to stall in the fourth quarter as well. It was not getting as much of a push and was not protecting Pat Devlin as well as it had earlier in the game.

The injury to Jake Giusti hurt a ton as well. With Giusti out, the Hens could not match up Anthony Walters and Tyrone Grant on a single receiver.

Instead, they had to play zone, a strategy that backfired immensely because Mitchell picked the zone apart with ease.

It appeared the Hens got too conservative too quickly on offense and then became indecisive on whether they should be running the clock down or going for more points right away. Before the final drive, Delaware’s previous two drives were three-and-outs, yet another example of failing to put the game out of reach when it could have.

This is a tough defeat to take, but the success of this season should not go unnoticed. Before it started, I was expecting a 7-4 record until I realized how good this team could really be. I hope the fans aren’t too hard on the team, it was a great season and sure there are some question marks for next year but that team will still be really competitive.

Time to start thinking about 2011. .

Tim Mastro is a sports editor at The Review. Send questions, comments and a time machine to tmastro@udel.edu.

11

With time, good memories will replace bad FRISCO, Texas ― When I woke up here Saturday morning, I had the same pit in my stomach that was there when I went to bed.

I couldn’t rid my mind of a certain few images from the previous night’s game: P a t D e v l i n ’s final pass as a Blue Hen reaching Mark Schenauer just a yard or Commentary two too short Josh Shannon to sustain D e l a w a r e ’s last-seconds drive.

K.C. Keeler fervently but futilely pleading with the referees to correct their mistake in measuring the spot on Eastern Washington’s game-winning drive.

Thousands of Eagles fans storming the field to celebrate the storybook ending to their team’s season.

But mostly I remembered the look on the faces of the Hens players and the thousands of blueand-gold-clad fans―a look of sadness, disappointment and utter shock.

Losing a game is bad; losing a game you thought you had in the bag is even worse. Delaware fans’ spirits were on top of the world when the Hens led 19-0, but they came crashing down to Earth a quarter later when the Eagles completed their improbable comeback.

It’s easy to let the last quarter of Friday’s game color the whole season. It’s even easier to let it put a damper on the excitement of this past weekend. As Delaware fans streamed out of Pizza Hut Park, I heard more than a few say that the final score made the trip here a waste.

I felt that way at first, too.

But the more I thought about it, I realized that while it hurts now, when I look back on it years from now, it’s not the loss that I’ll remember.

Instead, I’ll remember the excitement of the fans who flew 1,400 miles to see their team play. I’ll remember junior Eric Oppenheimer, who was so determined to bring his friends to Frisco that he organized a bus trip to help students get to the game.

And I’ll remember the 55 students who spent 24 hours on that bus to get to Texas.

I won’t forget looking up from the field to see a sea of blue and

gold so big I thought I was back in Delaware Stadium. Nor will I forget watching the student section singing and dancing along with the marching band.

I’ll think of the sense of community I felt when Blue Hen Nation took over Frisco, with fans who bumped into each other in the airport or in restaurants greeting each other like old friends, not the strangers they actually were. And I’ll think of Gov. Jack Markell freely roaming the tailgate, getting his face painted and cheering just like a normal fan, and university President Patrick Harker being mobbed in the student section by people chanting his name and clamoring to take a picture with him.

But my lasting memory of the game will be of the fans’ reaction toward the team as the stunned players walked off the field. The Hens had just finished playing what was arguably their worst quarter of football this season and gave away a game they were winning.

But the fans didn’t boo, or even just walk away with their heads hung low. No, they stood and faithfully cheered on their team as though it had won the championship.

Sports have a funny way of

renewing one’s spirit every year.

One season may end in the most bitter of disappointments, but the next will begin with as much hope as ever.

The cliche “there’s always next year” is older than the game itself, but it’s equally as true. In just eight months, 20,000 fans will once again pack into Delaware Stadium, the band will strike up the fight song, and the Hens will run onto the field as they have for 121 years, full of promise and dreams of what the season could bring.

Friday’s game, just like the title game in 2007, will always be remembered by Blue Hen Nation as a “chance at immortality,” as Keeler puts it, that slipped away.

But also like the 2007 team, this year’s squad will also be remembered as a talented, classy, hard-working group of men that treated the fans to one heck of a season.

Today, as always, I’m proud to be a Blue Hen. Josh Shannon is the Editor in Chief of The Review. Send questions, comments and a gift certificate to Babe’s Chicken House Restaurant to jshannon@udel.edu.

Tearful ending shouldn’t overshadow success FRISCO, Texas — “It’s over. I can’t believe they lost.”

That’s what I said to myself after Mark Schenauer could not reach me on fourth down. I had positioned myself just past the 30yard line on Delaware’s sideline right next to the first down marker. It was the same spot in relation to the marker where I stood a few minutes earlier, when I saw the Hens tackle Mario Brown just before the Commentary marker and Kevin Mastro officials still award the first down anyway.

As a reporter, you are supposed to put your personal feelings aside when reporting on games. As a student here, it was hard for me to do this at times while watching the Hens. I went to every game this season, home and away, and only once did I really have to try to control my emotions up until Friday night. That was when I was sitting in the media overflow section at James Madison, right behind a bunch of screaming James Madison fans, as Mike Perry was about to hit a game-winning field goal with three seconds to go. You can’t suppress your emotions all the time, but I had to try to keep them in control.

Instead of staying there to watch Eastern Washington finish out the game, I decided to start walking toward where I knew the postgame press conferences would be. I didn’t want to watch Eastern Washington’s celebrations.

I turned to my right and saw senior defensive back Anthony Walters on his knees with his head in the ground. “Oh man,” I thought to myself, “Poor Dubs.”

You aren’t supposed to have favorites, you have to be objective as a reporter, but Walters was always my favorite player this year. He is talented, great during interviews, funny and has an incredibly high football IQ. One of my most vivid memories of this season is Walters in that James Madison game. He had injured his shoulder pretty badly, so badly that he would miss the next two games because of it. However, he returned in that game and despite the protests from the bench, he refused to come off the field and was making tackles with just his one good arm. On Friday, it pained me to see him disappointed, and I quickened my pace down the sideline.

I had just crossed midfield when I saw senior wide receiver Tommy Crosby being comforted on a bench. As I walked passed, I could hear him sobbing. My heart sank even more; Tommy was my second favorite player on the team. This was someone who was basically booed off the field after dropping two passes

against Maine when the team was up 20 points. He rebounded well however, having the best games of his career against Villanova, and Lehigh in the Hens’ first playoff game. Then I remembered how he had to be taken off the field and to the hospital in the semifinal versus Georgia Southern. He did not get to participate in the celebrations after that game, and there wouldn’t be any after this one.

I walked even faster, past the offensive linesman, all of whom had tears in their eyes. I took a quick glance at Kevin Uhll, who had just set the record for most appearances by a Delaware player along with Zack Reed. He would not end his storied career with a title.

I was finally down to the end zone, Eastern Washington had taken a knee for the final time and their fans were coming on the field. I was about to turn the corner, head across and go up to wait for the press conferences to start, but then I stopped. I realized this would be the last time I would be on the field with the team, and I guess I did need to see them walk off the field one last time. I stood next to the tunnel and tried to look normal. I couldn’t cheer them off of course, but the crowd behind me did plenty of that. I saw the saddest group of young men trudge past me, witnessed a lot of tears, a few expletives, and I was fine with it.

I went up to the press conference and by the time it started, I had put myself back into reporter mode,

asked the questions I needed to and perused the finals stats.

For whatever reason, I identified with this team more than a lot of teams at the university and those that I follow in sports. I got to see the players in and out of their competitive environment and realize that they are not only great athletes, but great people as well. In the spring, I will graduate and won’t be able to have the same experience covering the team. It was something I only got to do for a year, but something I will remember forever.

I guess the point of this column is as follows: A lot of people will search for someone to blame about the loss and say “Oh, it was all his fault.” I think that is a terrible thing to do because it takes away what these kids accomplished during the season. Every single one of them contributed something to the team and helped them get to the title game. That’s why this was such a great team.

The emotion I witnessed after that game was raw emotion at its finest. Those kids put everything they had into the 2010 season, and they got so far. They should be celebrated and appreciated for their efforts, and they deserve their place as one of the best teams in the history of Delaware football.

Kevin Mastro is a sports editor at The Review. Send questions, comments and a box of tissues to kmastro@udel.edu.

12 January 10, 2011

“Thanks for the memories, Hens” – the staff of The Review

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