December 2007 is Delaware Month at AGS - Read the Fact a Day

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December 2007 is brought to you by the fans of the University of Delaware. Thanks to all the fans who contributed to sponsor this month.

University of Delaware

Location: Newark, Delaware
Founded: 1743
Chartered: 1833
Undergraduates: 16,548
President: Dr. Patrick T. Harker
Mascot: Fightin' Blue Hens
Colors: Blue and Gold
Home Field: Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium (22,000 cap.)
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Affiliations: NCAA Championship Subdivision, Colonial Athletic Association

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12/2

The Mascot

YoUDee is the official mascot of the University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens. YoUDee's proud lineage extends to the Revolutionary War. It and the Blue Hens before it have a reputation for courage and ferocity in battle, traits symbolic of the fighting spirit of the University of Delaware's athletic teams.

Lineage: YoUDee's great-great-great-grandfather, Col. George W. YoUDee, distinguished himself in the Revolutionary War and was cited for bravery in battle. Capt. John Caldwell, commenting after the Battle of Trenton, said, "There's no yellow streak in that chicken. He's blue to the bone." He was given a gold medal of valor, so blue and gold now serve as YoUDee's official colors.

Plumage: Careful breeding has produced beautiful plumage of PMS #300 blue feathers, particularly striking in YoUDee's broad, sweeping tail.

Height: 6 feet, 8 inches, from the soles of his blue and yellow sneakers to the top of his comb.

Chest: 64 inches

Wingspan: 6 feet, 1 inch

Tailspan: 5 feet, 6 inches

Footwear: Air YoUDees. YoUDee's stylish size 28FF blue and yellow sneakers help it soar through the air with hangtime measured in minutes.



http://www.udel.edu/PR/YoUDee/images/waving.jpg

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12/3

The Delaware Fight Song, popular since the 1930s, was composed by alumnus George F. Kelly '15. Its first appearance is found in the Student Handbook from 1933. It is performed at home football games and at other athletic contests by the Delaware Marching Band and other instrumental ensembles.

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12/4

FIGHT SONG

And then we'll fight! fight! fight! for Delaware,
Fight for the Blue and Gold,
And when we hit that line,
Our team is there
with a daring spirit bold
And when we strike with might
Let foes beware
Our glorious name we'll uphold

And then we'll fight! fight! fight! for Delaware,
Fight for the Blue and Gold,
Delaware will shine to-night,
Delaware will shine.
When the sun goes down and
the moon comes up,
Delaware will shine.

And then we'll fight! fight! fight! for Delaware...
[repeat]

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12/5

Delaware Stadium, one of the finest football facilities in the country at the NCAA FCS level, celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2002 football season.

Erected in 1952 and enlarged prior to the 1964, 1970, 1972 and the 1975 seasons, the 22,000-seat stadium is the largest in the CAA Conference and one of the largest in the nation in FCS football.



http://research.me.udel.edu/images/resources_undergraduate_stadium.jpeg

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12/6

On August 29, 2002 the field was dedicated as Tubby Raymond Field, in honor of longtime Blue Hen Football coach Harold "Tubby" Raymond.

http://www.clarkcompanies.com/Site%20Revision/images/Large%20Project%20Photos/University-of-Delaware-Foot.jpg

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12/7

Delaware Football has earned six national championships, 18 Lambert Cups, 43 playoff games, and eight Atlantic 10 Conference Championships.

(information does not include 2007 season)

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12/8

Game Day notes:
http://www.udel.edu/sportsinfo/football/fbnotes07-siu.pdf

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12/9

Former Head Coach Harold Raymond

Harold “Tubby” Raymond ascended to head coach after 12 years as an assistant coach. Raymond compiled a 300-119-3 record in 36 years, a mark that places him 10th on the all-time college coaching win list with great coaches like, Eddie Robinson, Bear Bryant, and Joe Paterno.

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12/10

Raymond picked up his 300th career victory, becoming just the ninth coach in college history to reach the mark and only the fourth to earn all the wins at one school, when his Blue Hens defeated Richmond 10-6 in his final game at Delaware Stadium on Nov. 10, 2001.

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12/11

Raymond's coached his teams to to wire service national champions in 1971 and 1972. The 1972 team was undefeated at 10-0. He had four Boardwalk Bowl wins in four tries, 14 Lambert Cups, three Middle Atlantic Conference titles, six Yankee Conference/Atlantic 10 titles, and 16 NCAA playoff appearances.

His 1979 team finished the season as national champions by downing Youngstown State 38-21. A 13-1 record made them the nation's winningest team- on any level.

All those accomplishments also earned Raymond his special place in the College Football Hall of fame.

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12/12

Raymond’s Milestone Victories

1st win: 35-13 over Hofstra
50th: 31-14 over West Chester
85th (UD record): 18-16 over Temple
100th: 26-0 over North Carolina A&T
150th: 30-13 over William and Mary
200th: 19-15 over Villanova
250th: 38-17 over Hofstra
300th: 10-6 over Richmond

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12/13

Historic Moments

1941- At the end of the 1941 season Delaware received its first invitation to play a post-season game. The Winston-Salem, NC Junior Chamber of Commerce invited the Blue Hens to meet Catawba College in the town’s Bowman Gray Memorial Stadium on November 29, 1941 for a guarantee of $1500.00. Proceeds were to go to the Red Shields Club of underprivileged children as sponsored by the Salvation Army.

Coach Murray stated in his reply: “I’m afraid that there will be so much opposition here to a post-season game that they will not allow us to make the trip.”

Coach Murray had to decline.

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12/14

National Championship Game/Game day notes.

http://www.udel.edu/sportsinfo/football/fbnotes07-asu.pdf

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12/15

1946

After WWII football returned to the Delaware campus in a big way. It was not long before the eyes of the Nation were on the Hens and their long unbeaten streak. Time referred to Delaware as the "Little Champ" and Newsweek marveled at the exploits of the "Big Blue Hens".

Fifty-seven squad members played in 1946 and 21 scored at least one touchdown. The team amassed 358 points in 10 games while holding all opponents to 45, and was ranked 16th in the nation in the final AP major college poll.

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12/16

1946

The Delaware-Muhlenburg game was billed as the "Battle of the Little Giants", as the game to decide the nation's small college national championship. Paul Hart scored two first half touchdowns and the Hens led 13-0. Muhlenberg's Jack Crider scored in the third and Harold Bell passed to halfback Ed Sikorski for a fourth quarter score, but Delaware guard Gene Carell blocked both conversion tries. Delaware's Mariano "nine" Stalloni bullied in for the clincher for a 20-12 win.

Delaware was crowned national champions for the first time.

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12/17

Head Coach Dave Nelson arrived at Delaware in 1951 and found the remnants of a 2-5-1 team, no campus stadium, and untested freshman and sophomores. To compound the situation, his opening game was against Lehigh, a team Delaware had never beaten.

That year, Delaware pulled a 7-0 upset against Lehigh.

1959- Under Nelson’s guidance, the Hens (8-1) won their first Middle Atlantic title and first Lambert Cup. The Lambert Cup is awarded to the East’s best football team.

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12/18

1963- What Delaware opponents feared the most was the sight of All-American halfback Mike Brown in the open field. Once he saw daylight, the fleet-footed Brown was never caught from behind.

With running backs Joe Slobajan, John Wallace, Clint Ware, and Chuck Spangler, and crafty quarterback Chuck Zolak, they formed an unbeatable combination. The 1963 squad (8-0) was Nelson’s only undefeated team, winning the UPI small college national title.

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12/19

1971- Delaware (10-1) won its third national championship, losing only to Temple, 32-27.

The Hens finished the season ranked in College Division statistics:
First in total offense (515.6 yards per game).
Second in scoring (42. points per game).
Seventh in rushing defense (57.9 yards allowed per game)

Delaware made its final Boardwalk Bowl appearance, crushing highly touted C.W. Post and their star QB Gary Wickard, by an impressive 77-22 final score.

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12/20

1972- It was the culmination of the previous four seasons. The team was undefeated (10-0), and repeated as College Division National Champion in the eyes of both the AP and the UPI. At the close of the season, team captain Dennis Johnson issued a statement to the press indicating that, by unanimous vote, the team had decided not to play again in the Boardwalk Bowl.

The team felt there was no Eastern opponent worth playing, and NCAA rules prohibited meeting the top teams from other regions. There is little doubt that the Hen's widely publicized decision led to the revised NCAA playoff format in 1973.

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12/21

1977- ABC-TV offered then Div-II, Delaware, $250,000 to move the last game of the season with undefeated Division I Colgate to Veterans Stadium for a 4PM nationally televised game.

Delaware’s Athletic Director, Dave Nelson said no, a response that infuriated Colgate and shocked ABC-TV.

23,019 Delaware fans were delirious, as the Hen’s upended the Red Raiders 21-3. The victory effectively ruined Colgate’s hopes of a bowl bid.

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12/22

1979- It may be the most celebrated game in Delaware history. It is simply known as “The Shootout.” The Hen’s, who trailed Youngstown State 31-7 at the half, roared out of the locker room to score 44 second half points to win.

At halftime, the Youngstown’s public announcer said. “Let’s hang the chicken!”

Both teams received invitations to the Division II playoffs and four weeks later, Delaware (13-1) again came from behind to defeat Youngstown 38-21 for the Division II national title.

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12/23

1986- The Rich Gannon era of Delaware football (1984-86) came to an end as Delaware won a share of the Yankee Conference in its first year of eligibility. The Hens defeated William & Mary 51-18 in the NCAA playoffs.

Gannon finished his career with over 20 Blue Hen records including total offense marks for a season (3,332) and a career (7,436).

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12/24

1993- If there was ever a roller coaster season for the Hens it was 1993. A high scoring offense combined with a suspect defense made for some exciting, if not heart stopping contests. Last minute wins were the norm.

The Hens pulled out a miracle 28-23 win over Northeastern in the regular season finale when the Huskies fumbled the ball away on the UD one-yard line in the closing seconds. Still the Hens were invited to the I-AA playoffs for the third straight year.

The Hens opened with a wild 49-48 win over number 2 seed Montana, downing the Grizzlies in the freezing conditions in Missoula when Freshman quarterback Leo Hamlett came off the bench hit Keita Malloy on a 32-yard scoring pass with 55 seconds left. The game featured nine lead changes.

The Hens finished their season for the second season in Huntington, WV. Delaware lost to host Marshall 34-31 when the Thundering Herd kicked a field goal with only three seconds left. The Marshall win overshadowed a valiant effort by UD quarterback Dale Fry who came from a mid-season injury to rally the Hens from a 31-17 deficit.

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12/25

1995- The Hens absence from the I-AA playoffs was a brief one as Delaware returned in force and posted and 11-2 record, capped an undefeated 8-0 Yankee Conference mark, won the Lambert Cup and ECAC Team of the Year Awards, and advanced to the I-AA quarterfinals.

Led by ECAC and Yankee Conference Player of the Year in QB Leo Hamlett and a revived defense, the Hens rolled a 9-0 mark before falling to I-A Navy.

Among the wins was an easy victory over the defending national champion Youngstown State. The Hens “avenged” a 41-41 tie with Hofstra in 1994 by downing the Dutchmen 38-17 in the opening round of the I-AA playoffs at Delaware Stadium.

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12/26

1997- This was almost the year that the Hen’s went all the way. If not for the last second field goal by McNeese State’s Shonz LaFrenz in the NCAA I-AA semifinals at Delaware Stadium, Delaware might have been looking at its first eve I-AA title.

The Hens, who overcame the early season loss of standout kick Returner/ spread end Eddie Conti and safety Dale Koscielski to knee injuries, enjoyed a brilliant season, winning 11 straight games following an early season loss to a Villanova team that spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation. Delaware finished the regular season with a 10-1 mark and posted two hard fought playoff wins at Delaware Stadium over Hofstra (24-14) and Georgia Southern (16-7) to set up a rematch with McNeese State.

The Hens came within inches of advancing to the title game for the first time since 1982 as the Cowboys converted a key fourth down at midfield in the final minute to set up Lafrenz’s winning 31-yd field goal for a 23-21 victory. The Hens’ attack was paced by record-setting (SE) Courtney Batts and All-American Brian Smith (LB) and Dorrell Green (SS).

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12/27

The last three coaches are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend.

William D. Murray (49-16-2)
David M. Nelson (84-42-2)
Harold R. Raymond (300-119-3)


post suggested by an AGS member.

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12/28

2000- The Blue Hens (12-2) started off a new century in style, thrilling fans with a big-time passing game and a stingy defense on the way to the Atlantic 10 title, the Lambert Cup and ECAC Team of the Year awards, and above all, the national semifinals. The team was certainly one of the finest in Delaware history, filled with a group of talented veterans whose goal was to return to the NCAA tournament after consecutive 7-4 seasons that kept them out of the post-season party. The Hens, whose only regular season loss was a 45-44 overtime heartbreaker to New Hampshire in November, were determined to become the first UD team to advance to the national title game since 1982. And the prospects looked good for Delaware after decisive home victories of 49-14 over Portland State and 47-22 over local rival Lehigh in the first two rounds. Those wins gave Delaware the chance to host defending national champion Georgia Southern.

The Hens were a team loaded with stars with the likes of All-Americans Matt Nagy at quarterback, Jeff Fiss at center, Mike Cecere at defensive end, and co-captain Brian McKenna at linebacker. Nagy set 12 school, season, and career records during the campaign, firing away for 3,436 yards and 28 touchdowns. Fiss anchored an offensive line that helped the Hens rank second nationally in scoring at 41.4 points per game (2nd best all-time in UD history) while McKenna, the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, and Cecere, the first four-time all-conference selection in school history, paced a rugged defense that posted three shutouts and held four other opponents to 14 points of less. Among the other highlights were a No. 2 national ranking in The Sports Network Top 20 poll; setting a regular season home attendance record (21,154) for the second straight year; establishing a modern day UD record for points in a game with an early season 84-0 drubbing of West Chester; and a emphatic 44-14 win over eventual national quarterfinalist and No.4 ranked Hofstra as versatile co-captain and team MCP Craig Cummings became the fist player in UD history to pass for a touchdown, rush for a touchdown, and catch a touchdown pass in the same game.

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12/29

2002- The start of the K.C. Keeler Era of University of Delaware football certainly got off to an exciting start. With Tubby Raymond literally passing the ball to Keeler in a pre-game ceremony in which Delaware Stadium field was named in the Hall Of Fame coach’s honor, the 2002 season started with a bang with the Hens knocking of the No. 5 ranked and the eventual national semifinalist Georgia Southern 22-19 before a crowd of 19,056. In addition to the win over Georgia Southern, the Hens also posted one-sided wins over Atlantic 10 co-champions Northeastern (27-10) and Maine (37-13). The Hen’s loses were by a combined total of just 26 points. Never were the close loses tougher than the season finale when rival Villanova, lead by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year QB Brett Gordon, march 74 yards on 11 plays to score the game winning touchdown on a 7 yard pass with just 15 seconds remaining for a 38-34 Wild Cat win.

The 2002 season also marked the retirement of a Delaware football icon for the second straight year. Elbert Chance, who missed just a hand full of games in his 49-year tenure as the unmistakable voice as public address announcer at Delaware Stadium, announced his retirement.

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12/30

DAVID M. NELSON

1920-1991
Head Football Coach (1952-65)
Director of Athletics (1951-84)
Dean, College of PEAR (1980-90)
College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

As Delaware's head football coach in 1951-65, Nelson put the Blue Hens in the national spotlight and established a tradition of excellence. He posted a record of 84-42-2, captured the 1963 small college wire service national title and won three Middle Atlantic Conference titles and three Lambert Cup titles during his tenure. He served as Delaware's director of athletics from 1951 until 1984 and served as dean of the college of Physical Education until his death in 1991. A member of the College Football and Delaware Sports Halls of Fame, he is remembered as the father of the "Wing-T" offense and as the foremost authority on college rules in the country. He also served as the first commissioner of the Yankee Conference in 1989-91 and received the Distinguished American Award from the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame in 1984.

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12/31

The Blue Hen Helmet Design

The University of Delaware Helmet design is familiar to fans nationally and the Hen’s pride in wearing it reflects their strong connection to the history of the game of college football.

Commonly referred to as the “Michigan Helmet” the Blue and Gold headgear dates not to Ann Arbor but to Princeton in the early 1930’s.

During football games at the time, both schools generally wore the same colored uniforms along with leather helmets.

Princeton was coached by Fritz Crisler who used a helmet with a wing pattern on it that was manufactured by the MacGregor-Goldsmith Company, to enable his quarterback to distinguish downfield receivers. Crisler had the leather dyed in Princeton black and orange colors.

When Crisler moved to Michigan in 1938, he used the same helmet but changed the color scheme to the Michigan maize and blue.

Crisler had on his team a man named Dave Nelson who used the same helmet design when he became coach at Hillsdale College in Michigan, changing the colors to blue and white.

Nelson then brought the helmet with him to Harvard (in black and crimson) and later to Maine (in blue and white) in 1949.

Nelson arrived in Newark in 1951 and once again with him came the helmet to which he adapted the Blue Hens’ blue and gold colors. By 1964, leather helmets were replaced by fiberglass and plastic helmets.

Fellow Michigan graduate Tubby Raymond succeeded Nelson as head coach at Delaware in 1966 and continues to today to use the same helmet design.

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On behalf of the administration, and membership of AGS, we thank the Blue Hen fans for their generous donations that allowed December to be, “University of Delaware Month”, at AGS.

I thank, Scott Selheimer, Assistant Director of Athletics, and Media Relations/Sports Information Director, for the donation of the Media Guide.