Massachusetts @ Delaware Friday, October 9, 2009

Tomorrow, 6PM, at Tubby Field @ Delaware Stadium the maroon hot Massachusetts Minutemen will take the field against the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.  

Delaware is a team that I hate, but in an extremely respectful way.  I almost like them, which is weird.  Their fan base is second to none in Division 1 when it comes to traveling to away games.  Note how I said Division 1.  I did not include FCS at the end.  That wasn't an oversight.  They have one of the most active boards of any FCS school, and unlike most other FCS schools, football is king.  I like that.  Every time someone talks about cutting sports at UMass, people (mainly basketball only fans) want to get rid of football.  I'm pretty sure they have the death penalty in Delaware for suggesting the school cuts football.  

Our current Vice President attended Delaware and played Freshman football there.  He ran into the team at an airport on the campaign trail last season, and told them he thought they'd kick Ohio State's ass in football.  Mind you, Delaware was TERRIBLE last season.  They went 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the conference.  And here we had a Vice Presidential Candidate claiming the Blue Hens would kick the Buckeyes' ass.  No one mocked that statement like they would have if Sarah Palin had said it, and there's a reason no on mocked it:  cause it's true (or people don't hate Biden like they do Palin...one of those reasons.  I'm not sure which).

As I was saying, the Hens had a terrible season last year after Joe Flacco (who?) graduated.  They came up to Amherst around the same time last year.  I don't remember the exact records, but both teams needed a win badly to have any shot at the playoffs, and UMass rose to the occasion, beating the Hens 17-7.  I was sitting on the visitors side a section away from the Blue Hen band and all their fans.  The sweetest moment of any UMass game in any sport I've ever been to was Jeremy Miles intercepting a pass and running it back for 50 yards to clinch victory.  The contrast of the ecstasy experienced by myself and other UMass fans and the agony of the Delaware fans was fabulous.  Then UMass played lousy for the rest of the season and also didn't make the playoffs, but at least they beat Delaware!

So now we have the same sort of scenario.  UMass is 3-1 (1-0 in CAA) and traveling to Delaware (3-2 overall, 1-2 in the CAA).  Delaware needs this game badly.  I think 4 losses are the most the committee will allow for playoff teams, and after this Delaware still has James Madison and Navy on their schedule.  As most 4 loss teams don't get in, this is about as must win as it gets for Delaware.  They gotta beat 2 of the 3, and UMass might be the easiest.  

On the UMass side, the schedule gets depressingly tough after this.  4 of the next 5 are against playoff teams, including @ defending national champion Richmond 10/24.  You have to think to go 2-2 against those 4 would be successful.  That means if they lose to Delaware and go 2-2 against the playoff teams, UMass would already be at 4 losses.  As most 4 loss teams don't get in, this is about as must win as it gets for UMass.  They gotta beat 3 of the 5, and Delaware's one of the easier ones.

I've heard so many great things about Delaware's Stadium and their fans.  They always sell out and they're loud.  It's suppose to be a great place to watch a game, but I can't get down there right now.  Hopefully next rotation when the two play down there.  Thankfully, Delaware apparently runs a live webcast of the game, which I will be watching.  I'm going with a close game, but the Minutemen win, 27-24.