2024 Schedule

[hensfan40yrs]

Interesting story about Penn. I was at the 1981 Penn game. Delaware was really sticking it to Penn when Raymond called off the dogs midway through the third quarter. There was an older fella sitting near me screaming his head off at Raymond for easing up. Turns out the guy was on the 1921 Delaware team that lost 89-0 to Penn. The then Penn coach (John Heisman) left the front line players in because he later said they needed more practice for next week's opponent. Old memories die hard.

kinda like remembering all your old football scores but cant remember what you walked out in garage to get?

[Caribbean Hen]

Last Penn game a long way from a slam dunk. At least we don't have to face Rhoady for a fifth time in a row up there.

Right, in 2019 Penn choose to go for 2 for the win and came up short. Delaware wins

Great story about the guy from the 2021 team at Penn game

[Cluck U]

A probably unavoidable weak experience for our final season in FCS. Those that already sneeze blue & gold confetti will rush to get their tickets on line this afternoon and the rest of the world will shrug their shoulders and go about their business. I really don't think we could expect anything , schedule wise, other then close to what we got so I'm in for another year but only an exceptional showing by the 23 Hens will give any confidence or incentive for others to jump on the boat. And another loss to Nova will certainly shut the door for any new excitement moving into the FCS.

I keep hearing how other teams have made the transition that didn't dominate in FCS and I agree they exist but it does nothing realistic for our program to forecast success down the road while eating cream puffs and losing to the stronger programs short term

Kick azz in 2023 and show the country Ryan and UD belong at the next level NOW and stop mumbling about eventually growing into those big boy pants or there will be a lot of empty seats sooner then you think.

2023?

Someone needs to grow into the new year.

Again, no need for an exceptional showing in 2024…that is complete nonsense. Rare was the exceptional showing under our last 6 coaches, so no need to make some silly demand that things have to happen NOW. 8 wins was the measuring stick of a successful season for even our HOF coaches…Carty has met or exceeded that bar in his first two years…and will likely do it again in 2024.

And nova? Buh-bye! After that game, win or lose, our true fans will be excited about the 2025 schedule, which is already looking to be light years ahead of our recent schedules in the deteriorating CAA…and much better than the dreck in the old, weak A-10. Gone are the great days of the CAA that existed during the 2000s.

It is good to be moving up. Take the time to do it right. Building a program takes time, as we were told.

[hensfan40yrs]

A probably unavoidable weak experience for our final season in FCS. Those that already sneeze blue & gold confetti will rush to get their tickets on line this afternoon and the rest of the world will shrug their shoulders and go about their business. I really don't think we could expect anything , schedule wise, other then close to what we got so I'm in for another year but only an exceptional showing by the 23 Hens will give any confidence or incentive for others to jump on the boat. And another loss to Nova will certainly shut the door for any new excitement moving into the FCS.

I keep hearing how other teams have made the transition that didn't dominate in FCS and I agree they exist but it does nothing realistic for our program to forecast success down the road while eating cream puffs and losing to the stronger programs short term

Kick azz in 2023 and show the country Ryan and UD belong at the next level NOW and stop mumbling about eventually growing into those big boy pants or there will be a lot of empty seats sooner then you think.

2023?

Someone needs to grow into the new year.

Again, no need for an exceptional showing in 2024…that is complete nonsense. Rare was the exceptional showing under our last 6 coaches, so no need to make some silly demand that things have to happen NOW. 8 wins was the measuring stick of a successful season for even our HOF coaches…Carty has met or exceeded that bar in his first two years…and will likely do it again in 2024.

And nova? Buh-bye! After that game, win or lose, our true fans will be excited about the 2025 schedule, which is already looking to be light years ahead of our recent schedules in the deteriorating CAA…and much better than the dreck in the old, weak A-10. Gone are the great days of the CAA that existed during the 2000s.

It is good to be moving up. Take the time to do it right. Building a program takes time, as we were told.

recruiting recruiting recruiting

[Hens79]

I think the point here is that Buffalo (for example) may be awful in FBS but they have been in the FBS since 1998 so they may be a able to handle Delaware (new to the FBS) for a couple years. But Delaware is certainly capable of knocking them off. Im not sure the Hens are going to jump in and run off wins like JMU.

Not exactly. UB's not been an awful FBS program in recent years; a little better than average in the G5. Over the last six seasons, they're 38-33 with a couple of bowl wins.

Their less than stellar '23 record is not predictive of their '29/'30 competitiveness, nor did it have any bearing on UD's decision to schedule them for future games. They're an historic rival, have been a decent FBS program, and are willing to play a home-home. Criteria met.

If we develop the program I think we're capable of developing, we should be able to compete with them favorably by '29. By then, we'll be a well-established FBS program ourselves.

Like you, I don't think UD is situated to jump into the fray and win immediately (for several reasons), but reserve the right to be pleasantly surprised. 2024 should tell us some things and will be interesting from the development standpoint.

Thanks BG for taking the time to look up that UB was 38-33 with a couple of bowl wins that last few years. It is sure better than listening to someone that admits that don’t follow FBS and just know Fordham recently beat UB.

As for the 2024 schedule, I was hoping for a little better, but 7 home games makes up for it a little. Just get more and better players, win as many games as possible and leave FCS and the CAA behind in 2025.

Oh, and make sure bbk keeps taking sleeping pills until 2025.

[bluehenbillk]

Oh, and make sure bbk keeps taking sleeping pills until 2025.

Am I happy UD is going to FBS? Sure, just like 80-85% or more of UD fans are.

Do I like the way they’re transitioning and are they setting them selves up for FBS initial success? Hardly.

Playing a last year of CAA is irritating and I fear a harsh welcome (see Sammy this year) to FBS for UD. What makes it harder to jump on board with is everyone has universally said the JMU transition to FBS is as good of a model that exists, they were our rival for years, you couldn’t help be jealous of their success. But UD saw it and chose NOT to take a similar path…

I can’t help look at this:
https://jmusports.com/sports/football/schedule/2022

And then look at UD’s 2024 schedule and I just can’t stop shaking my head no….

[Hens79]

Oh, and make sure bbk keeps taking sleeping pills until 2025.

Am I happy UD is going to FBS? Sure, just like 80-85% or more of UD fans are.

Do I like the way they’re transitioning and are they setting them selves up for FBS initial success? Hardly.

Playing a last year of CAA is irritating and I fear a harsh welcome (see Sammy this year) to FBS for UD. What makes it harder to jump on board with is everyone has universally said the JMU transition to FBS is as good of a model that exists, they were our rival for years, you couldn’t help be jealous of their success. But UD saw it and chose NOT to take a similar path…

I can’t help look at this:
https://jmusports.com/sports/football/schedule/2022

And then look at UD’s 2024 schedule and I just can’t stop shaking my head no….

Whatever …

You should just take the hits on your years long “wake me” rather than trying to transition from “never” to “wrong way”.

[Hengrad07]

I’d ask every scholarship player if they would like to redshirt, if still available.

Play 4 games and move on to 2025.

[Udforever1]

I’d ask every scholarship player if they would like to redshirt, if still available.

Play 4 games and move on to 2025.

Felt this way a little bit at first, but totally disagree now. This program needs to keep winning after a decade of failure. Go 9-2 and into FBS with continued momentum.

[UDan]

...are they setting them selves up for FBS initial success? Hardly.

Playing a last year of CAA is irritating and I fear a harsh welcome (see Sammy this year) to FBS for UD. What makes it harder to jump on board with is everyone has universally said the JMU transition to FBS is as good of a model that exists, they were our rival for years, you couldn’t help be jealous of their success. But UD saw it and chose NOT to take a similar path…

I can’t help look at this:
https://jmusports.com/sports/football/schedule/2022

And then look at UD’s 2024 schedule and I just can’t stop shaking my head no….

I can't help but appreciate that James Madison was given four FBS home games by the Sun Belt Conference for fall 2022 to make the expedited transition possible. Those games saw the Dukes host Texas State, Marshall, Georgia State, and Coastal Carolina. JMU's new league gift-wrapping it four conference home games, of course all at FBS level, allowed JMU to schedule just one more FBS home game OOC in '22 (vs. Middle Tennessee) to hit the necessary five FBS home games total on the year.

Delaware didn't "choose" for Conference USA to not provide that kind of immediate help, the kind that would bump up the league entry year into year 1 of the football transition. Most cases are like Delaware's, in which year 1 of transition features last FCS slate, year 2 of transition is first FBS slate with lack of conf champ game and bowl eligibility.

Pretty confident that the only reason UD can enjoy seven home games in 2024 is because the relationship with the CAA/CAAFB is fine on an administrative level, which saves the headache of having to be an FCS independent scrambling for games for just one season.

Shaking head? I think you'd shake at temporarily FCS indy Kennesaw State's 2023 schedule/the Owls' year 1 of transition:

https://ksuowls.com/sports/football/schedule/2023
games vs. Tusculum, bad FCS Charleston Southern, Lincoln (CA), and Virginia-Lynchburg

[HENJOHN]

Good summary and points Dan.

[bluehenbillk]

Sure Kennsesaw’s schedule sucked, hard to argue with that. But UD is doing the same thing Sammy did which was roundly criticized on this board. Then again some people like to bash the old CEO for anything.

All that being said I didn’t like how Sammy went about it, it didn’t translate to year 2 going well, and UD is following that same path.

[Udforever1]

Sure Kennsesaw’s schedule sucked, hard to argue with that. But UD is doing the same thing Sammy did which was roundly criticized on this board. Then again some people like to bash the old CEO for anything.

All that being said I didn’t like how Sammy went about it, it didn’t translate to year 2 going well, and UD is following that same path.

Jacksonville State played an FCS schedule last year, went 9-2 then went 9-4 this year. Some others…

App State transition years:
2013- FCS schedule (went 4-8) 2014- 7-5 in first Sun Belt/FBS season.

Georgia Southern transition years:
2013- FCS schedule (went 7-4) 2014- 9-3, won the Sun Belt in first Sun Belt/FBS yesr

Coastal Carolina transition years:
2016- FCS independent (went 10-2) 2017: 3-9 in first Sun Belt/FBS season

Liberty transition years:
2017- FCS schedule (went 6-5) 2018: 6-6 first year FBS as an independent.

Just some examples. I’ve said JMU is the blueprint but that was more so going into FBS with success and momentum, which to me we still have a chance to do next year despite only being able to compete for a regular season title. I don’t think playing an FCS schedule hurts.

While I would have loved to have joined CUSA this year, doesn’t sound like UD had a choice, unlike JMU.

[Brookside kid hen]

Look it really comes down to this, the next two years are truly TRANSITION years. Yes win as many games as we can, but no matter if we are 11-0 or 0-11 our season is over after the clock hits 0:00 in our last game, no playoffs, very very likely no bowl game. Let's get everything together and ready, recruiting, transfer portal additions, all of it, and be ready to play winning FBS football in late August 2026. You either trust RC, CR and president Assanis to guide this process to a successful conclusion or you don't. Simple as that. I've got to put my faith in the fact that they are the right people for this job. Others obviously may not believe so. Opinions are like A-Holes, everyone has one. Lol. But putting too much credence in the results in the next two seasons is a mistake in MHO. I'm more concerned with 2025, want to see us be competitive no matter how many/few games we win. Then if we are truly competitive in 2025, we should come out all guns blazing when it really matters, in 2026.

[Caribbean Hen]

It sure seems like UD should hire a knowledgeable moving to FBS consultant to help the staff out. It seems like a truly demanding process piled on to the rapidly changing college football landscape they are already dealing with. I don’t know, maybe they already have hired some help. I think UDForever would be the perfect guy for it. He puts out facts!

How is it even possible to scout all of these guys in the portal?

Tracking The Rubik's cube of partial scholarships and who has what and everything else that goes with coaching in today’s environment. Ryan Carty has his work cut out for him.