Special Spring: Delaware State football to host Delaware for first time in series history
DOVER, Del. (BVM) — While neither the Delaware State University nor the University of Delaware football programs were able to participate this fall due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that hasn’t stopped the two schools from building excitement when the two programs finally take the field. With both DSU’s football conference, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and UD’s football conference, the Colonial Athletic Association, making the decision to postpone their football seasons to the spring, this set up an opportunity for the two schools to give their fans a game to remember.
On Nov. 24, Delaware State announced that the Hornets football team would host the Blue Hens at Alumni Stadium on April 10, 2021. While this game won’t be the first time the two programs will meet, marking the 10th such meeting, it will be the first time that the small Delaware State will host the matchup.
“It’s great for DSU and the Hornets to compete against the University of Delaware at our Alumni Stadium home for the first time in the history of the series,” DSU Director of Athletics Dr. D. Scott Gines said in a press release.
Though there will be excitement surrounding the matchup on campus, Hornets fans will hope for different results with the help of home field advantage. The Hornets have yet to win in the series, going 0-9, but last year gave a slight glimmer of hope. For the first time in the history of the matchup, the Hornets held a lead over the in-state rival when the team took a 6-3 lead in the second quarter during the team’s matchup in 2019. Although the Blue Hens would eventually take the game 31-13, the game showed that the Hornets have what it takes to eventually get into the win column.
In addition to the 2021 season news, the Hornets also announced that the series would continue in 2022, this time with the Blue Hens hosting the matchup at UD Stadium in Newark, Del.
The rivalry will also get an added twist this year as both the men’s and women’s basketball programs are scheduled to meet during their seasons, though the originally scheduled games have been postponed.
“With the women’s and men’s basketball home games against the Blue Hens this December, our teams will be hosting their First State rivals in three consecutive showcase events in a four-month period,” Gines said in the release.
First State football fans should be intrigued by the in-state matchup. With both teams coming off of down 2019 campaigns and the previous matchup having more competitiveness than in years past, it will be interesting to see how the game turns out this time around. With the backdrop of a season unlike any other, where football will now take place in the spring instead of the fall, fans of both sides will hope that the game is as memorable as the situation surrounding it. As most citizens during 2020 have learned, anything is possible.
