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Delaware cleared the bench in last week’s 49-0 rout of Sacred Heart.
Four quarterbacks played, 12 Blue Hens caught passes, nine carried the football and 23 made tackles.
Regulars may be needed a little longer Saturday in a 1 p.m. game at Monmouth, where Delaware must contend with the most explosive offense in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
Making quick work of the Hawks (3-2 with three straight wins) would require an unstoppable offense and a stingy defense able to get sacks and take the football away for Delaware (4-0).
Running back Saeed St. Fleur, a Bergen Catholic grad and Roselle, New Jersey, resident, said the key for the Blue Hens is to “keep doing what we’ve been doing,” which could be a challenge at Monmouth.
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How to follow
Delawareonline.com will have live updates on the game from Brandon Holveck beginning with photos, videos and social media posts before kickoff through to its conclusion with postgame reaction. Follow @holveck_brandon on X (formerly Twitter).
How to see
Kessler Stadium in West Long Branch, New Jersey, has just 4,200 seats. Tickets may be purchased in advance on monmouthhawks.com or by calling 732-263-5735.
How to watch
The game is being streamed on Flosports.com for a fee.
How to listen
WDSD 94.7-FM is airing the game with Scott Klatzin calling the action, Bill Harman providing analysis and Nick Alessandrini reporting from the sidelines. They come on the air at noon.
UD student radio WVUD 91.3-FM is also broadcasting the game with Michael Boyer and Daniel Steenkamer on the microphones.
What’s the weather forecast?
Mostly sunny with temperatures in the 70s.
What’s the series record?
This is just the third meeting between the schools and first at Monmouth. Delaware won 42-7 in 2007 and 49-17 in 2022, Monmouth’s first year in the CAA.
Why is this game important for Delaware?
The Blue Hens appreciate a challenge, which they’ve only had once in four games, and they’re likely to get one from Monmouth. It’s important for Delaware to show it’s making progress toward its 2025 climb to Conference USA in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
What will be interesting to see?
How does Delaware’s defense stand up to Monmouth’s prolific attack and who starts at quarterback for the Blue Hens?
Starter Ryan O’Connor missed the Sacred Heart game but could return. If not, Zach Marker performed well in three starts last year and in relief of the injured Nick Minicucci last week. Delaware coach Ryan Carty wouldn’t specify a likely starter.
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Who is a player to watch for Monmouth?
There are many, but quarterback Derek Robertson has certainly taken a liking to Monmouth’s offensive approach and proven to be quite adept at executing it.
He is a grad transfer from CAA rival Maine, where he started for two years and was among the league’s more effective passers. His older brother Jimmy, a former RPI quarterback, is Monmouth’s quarterbacks coach.
This year Robertson’s 1,676 passing yards and 14 TD throws lead FCS.
Who is a player to watch for Delaware?
Defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude leads Delaware with 4½ tackles for loss. The Blue Hens will need some of those against Monmouth and Abou-Jaoude, from Newton, New Jersey, will want to have a big game in his home state.
“Our defensive guys know that we still want to stop the run,” Carty said. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s important. But it’s turnovers and it’s havoc, and so [tackles for loss], hits on the quarterback, passes deflected, sacks, that’s what’s going to create possessions and create wins.”
What does Monmouth coach Kevin Callahan say?
“I don’t know if we’ve got time for me to let you know all of the challenges that we’re going to face this week. They’re an extremely talented offensive group. They’re a veteran group with the large number of grad students and seniors on their roster, and they play a lot of people. They played three different quarterbacks, all whom have been able to move the ball, and they’re averaging 40-some points a game. They’ve played 10 or more receivers, all of whom caught the ball and had big plays. They’ve used five different running backs, and their offensive line is the biggest that we’ve played so far. So they have the ability to run the ball and be dominant on the line of scrimmage.”
What does Delaware coach Ryan Carty say?
“I think what they do is really sound, technical and physical. And when you can add that with a bunch of talent and a quarterback who’s playing confidently and making the correct reads right now, that’s a lot of firepower.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Blue Hens at Monmouth football: How to follow Saturday’s game