Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 8 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Delaware appears to have found the right coach. Now it needs to find a quar- terback. In his first season in charge of the pro- gram, Ryan Carty led the Blue Hens to a rare win over an FBS foe, along with a re- turn to the FCS playoffs following a one- year absence. Under the guidance of their new head coach, a former Delaware quar- terback who played on the school's 2003 FCS championship team, the Blue Hens opened with a 14-7 stunner over Navy and parlayed their early-season momentum into an 8-5 record that included a 56-17 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs. The season ended on a grim note, how- ever, with a 42-6 loss to eventual FCS champs South Dakota State in the sec- ond round. The game was stopped by the officials, coaches and athletics directors with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter after quarterback Ryan O'Connor had to be carted off the field on a stretcher following a blow to the head. O'Connor has since made a full recov- ery and is one of several candidates to take the reins of the offense after super senior Nolan Henderson signed a free- agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens in May, forgoing his opportunity to spend a seventh year at Delaware. A junior from Easton, Md., O'Connor saw action in four games last year in re- lief of Henderson, including both play- off contests, but he does not have the job locked up. During spring practice, the coaching staff also took a long look at Zach Marker, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College. "They both have done a great job oper- ating the offense at a high level," quarter- backs coach Sean Goldrich said. "It's been a close battle." Elsewhere on offense, Delaware boasts several players with the potential to make an inexperienced quarterback look good. A year ago, receiver Jourdan Townsend totaled 698 yards and 6 touchdowns. He'll provide an inviting target, though the Blue Hens will need to build depth now that their next three leading pass catchers have departed. At running back, Marcus Yarns is back after rushing for 481 yards last season, while Jo'Nathan Silver was one of the stars of the Blue-White Spring Game, scoring on runs of 28 and 18 yards. Those two will have a veteran offensive line to run behind in the fall, a unit that Carty described as potentially "one of the strengths of our team." On the opposite side of the ball, Dela- ware was more than solid last year, rank- ing first in the Colonial Athletic Asso- ciation against the pass (137.8 yards per game) and in total defense (282.3 ypg). The Blue Hens must replace two FCS All-Americans in linebacker Johnny Bu- chanan and safety Kedrick Whitehead, but they welcome back All-CAA defen- sive end Chase McGowan, who led the team in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (9.5) last year. — Matt Herb S E P T . 9 | N O O N | P E A C O C K | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | U N I V E R S I T Y P A R K Receiver Jourdan Townsend, a native of Farrell, Pa., has earned all-conference honors as both a wideout and a punt returner. PHOTO COURTESY DELAWARE ATHLETICS GAME 2 DELAWARE 2023 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2022 Result Aug. 31 at Stony Brook — Sept. 9 at Penn State — Sept. 16 St. Francis (Pa.) W, 56-17 Sept. 23 New Hampshire — Oct. 7 Duquesne — Oct. 14 North Carolina A&T — Oct. 21 at Hampton W, 35-3 Oct. 28 at Towson W, 24-10 Nov. 4 Elon L, 27-7 Nov. 11 at Campbell — Nov. 18 Villanova L, 29-26 WHAT COULD GO RIGHT Ryan O'Connor could turn out to be the perfect fit at quarterback, enabling Delaware to continue its upswing in Year 2 of the Ryan Carty coaching era. WHAT COULD GO WRONG The team's substantial losses on defense could undermine its bid to compete with the Dakota schools, which have combined to win 10 of the past 12 FCS championships. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: First meeting Head Coach: Ryan Carty (8-5 in one season at Delaware; career coaching record: same) 2022 Record: 8-5, 4-4 Colonial Athletic As- sociation Returning Starters: 10 (7 offense, 2 de- fense, 1 specialist) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Marcus Yarns (481 yards, 2 TD) Passing: QB Ryan O'Connor (170 yards, 1 TD) Receiving: WR Jourdan Townsend (698 yards, 6 TD) Tackles: S Ty Davis (54) Sacks: DE Chase McGowan (5) Interceptions: S Nic Ware, S Steven Rose Jr. (1)