Blue Hens know Maine out for revenge

By Andy Walter

NEWARK — The game had barely ended when Maine’s football players sent Delaware a message.

The Blue Hens may have just dumped the Black Bears, 37-0, in their spring season opener.

But Maine would get a second chance at Delaware soon.

“After the game, the Maine players were like, ‘All right, we’ll see you in the fall, we’ll see you in the fall,’” said Dejoun Lee, the Hens’ senior running back. “I respect it.

“I was like, ‘OK, we will.’ That’s fine. We understand what it means to them.”

Just six months after that lopsided contest on March 6, Maine will get it chance for revenge against the fifth-ranked Hens as the two squads open their fall season on Thursday night.

This time, though, the CAA matchup will be played in Orono, Maine at 7 p.m. in what could be a rainy night at Alfond Stadium. The game is being live-streamed on FloSports for a fee.

The Black Bears are the first team looking to avenge a spring loss to Delaware but they’re not the last. The Hens also face Stony Brook, Rhode Island and Villanova this fall after beating them in the spring.

Delaware’s players said they understand that some opponents will have them circled on the calendar, both because of their lofty FCS national status at the moment and because the Hens just beat them in the spring.

“You’re going to get every team’s best shot when you’ve got a target on your back,” said quarterback Nolan Henderson. “But that’s where you want to be as a football program. You don’t want to be the bottom dog that everyone’s taking lightly.

“You want to be the guy that teams are trying to come after. It’s exciting. This league is tough to begin with but now, for sure, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot. We’re going to need to bring our ‘A’ game every week and it starts with Maine.”

Delaware leads the all-time series with Maine, 21-11, and has won the last two meetings. But the Hens hold only a 12-11 edge since 1985.

From his point of view, Lee said the Hens have plenty of motivation of their own going into Thursday’s opener.

“We understand how much it means to us to start off on the right foot — and really start off hot like we did last spring,” he said. “Because that sets the tone for the season. We plan to really get it going and show everybody that the spring wasn’t just a special season, it’s what the Delaware Blue Hens are about now.”

Weather or not?

According to the weather forecasts, there’s some potential for heavy rain in Maine on Thursday as the remnants of Hurricane Ida pass out to sea.

But, of course, the timing of any rain is the most important factor if it’s going to effect the game.

Delaware coach Danny Rocco said he always follows the weather closely and the Hens will be prepared for anything they might face.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I tracked the weather in Maine about six months ago,” he said. “You start looking. ... How much rain will we get? I don’t know.

“I actually just got an email from someone who’s giving me emails daily as to weather and expectations. We’ll have a plan.”

Injury update

Rocco said that starting tight end Bryce DeMaille did not practice on Monday morning and his status for Thursday’s game is questionable.

The status of a few offensive linemen seems to be up in the air for the opener. Center Mickey Henry was sidelined with what appeared to be a back injury during preseason.

“There’s a lot of things being decided right now in real time,” Rocco said on Monday. “We have different combinations but we don’t have everybody available. That’s just kind of how it is.

“As we head into tomorrow, it’s going to be different than it was today. It’s a reality right now. We’re fortunate we have a pretty good pool of candidates that have the ability to be versatile and do some different things.”

New names

Considering that Delaware returns practically its entire roster from the spring, it’s going to be difficult for any new players to break into the lineup.

But Penn State transfer Joe Bruno is one of the more interesting newcomers. The 6-foot, 200-pound running back has a good combination of both size and speed.

Bruno only joined the team as preseason camp was starting.

“I would say his role would be specific to certain jobs,” said Rocco. “There are some things we’ll do with Bruno and they (Maine) don’t know what they are. They don’t know until they see him do it.

“We already have established players so you don’t even feel the necessity for him to have to do everything.”

Rocco also mentioned receiver Noel Miller, tight ends Braden Brose and Levaughn Lewis and running backs Quincy Watson and Marcus Yarns as new faces who might contribute. On defense, Rocco said cornerback Nic Ware has made some good improvement.

Extra points

Rocco said Henderson, Lee, Kedrick Whitehead and Frank Burton would be team captains again but that a few more names would join them as captains before Thursday. “This will be the deepest list of captains I’ve ever had,” said Rocco. ... UD students start class on Tuesday so practices will move from morning to afternoon. ... Among the former Henlopen Conference players listed on Delaware’s roster are Henderson (Smyrna), offensive lineman Bradly Anyanwu (Dover), receiver Makhi Jackson (Smyrna) and defensive back Doug Reed (Polytech).