1979 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

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1979 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
NCAA Division II national champion
Zia Bowl, W 38–21 vs. Youngstown State
ConferenceIndependent
Record13–1
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTed Kempski (12th season)
CaptainJim Brandimarte
Home stadium Delaware Stadium
Seasons
←  1978
1980  →
1979 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Delaware ^  – 13 –1 –0
Towson State  – 9 –1 –0
No. 4 Morgan State ^  – 9 –2 –0
Eastern Washington  – 7 –2 –0
Nicholls State  – 8 –3 –0
United States International  – 8 –3 –0
American International  – 6 –3 –0
No. 10 Santa Clara  – 6 –3 –0
Kentucky State  – 6 –5 –0
Central State (OH)  – 5 –5 –0
Central Connecticut  – 4 –5 –0
James Madison  – 4 –5 –0
West Chester  – 4 –7 –0
Southern Connecticut State  – 3 –7 –0
Arkansas–Pine Bluff  – 2 –8 –0
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1979 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team was an American football team that represented the University of Delaware as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division II football season. In their 14th year under head coach Tubby Raymond, the Blue Hens compiled a 13–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 546 to 228, and defeated Youngstown State, 38–21, in the Zia Bowl to win the Division II national championship. The team also received the Lambert Cup as the best Division II team in the east. [1]

Contents

The Blue Hens were led by a high-scoring offense that averaged 39 points per games. They defeated Merchant Marine, 65–0, setting a school record with eight rushing touchdowns. It was at the time the second-highest margin of victory in school history, trailing a 93–0 victory over William & Mary in 1915.

Quarterback Scott Brunner tied the school record with 24 passing touchdowns. [2] After the season, Brunner received first-team Division II Kodak All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). [3] [4] He was also named the All-Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Player of the Year. [2] Other key players included:

The team played its home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware, and led Division II football in attendance, with 19,644 attendees per regular season home game. [7]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 8at Rhode Island
W 34–147,141 [8]
September 15 West Chester
W 42–618,975 [9]
September 22 Temple
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
L 14–3122,068 [10]
September 29 Merchant Marine No. 2
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 65–017,081 [11]
October 6 Lehigh No. 2
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (rivalry)
W 21–1420,636 [12]
October 13at Villanova No. 1
W 21–2014,500 [13]
October 20 C.W. Post No. 1
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 47–1920,343 [14]
October 27 William & Mary No. 1
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (rivalry)
W 40–019,728 [15]
November 3 Maine No. 1
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 31–1418,679 [16]
November 10at No. 2 Youngstown State No. 1
W 51–4513,142 [17]
November 17at Colgate No. 1
W 24–165,000 [18]
November 24No. 6 Virginia Union No. 1
W 58–2814,357 [19]
December 1No. 5 Mississippi College No. 1
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE (NCAA Division II Semifinal)
W 60–1013,787 [20]
December 8vs. No. 2 Youngstown StateNo. 1
W 38–214,000 [21] [22]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[23]

Honors

After the season, senior quarterback Scott Brunner earned American Football Coaches Association first-team All-America honors, Associated Press (AP) second-team All-America honors, All-Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year honors, and first-team All-ECAC honors. Guard Herb Beck earned AP first-team All-America honors. Fullback Bo Dennis, tight end Jaime Young, center Mike Donnalley, linebacker Mike Wisniewski, cornerback Vince Hyland, and safety Guy Ramsey earned AP honorable mention All-America honors. Dennis, Young, Beck, Donnalley, Wisniewski, Hyland, Ramsey, and kicker Brandt Kennedy earned first-team All-East (ECAC) honors. [24]

References

  1. ↑ "Delaware Voted Lambert Cup". Youngstown Vindicator . November 21, 1979. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Hens honored: Team, Brunner cited". The Morning News. January 23, 1980. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "'All-American' Brunner now leads Hens". Evening Journal. November 30, 1979. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Hens' Brunner named a Kodak All-American". The Morning News. November 30, 1979. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Hens' Beck named All-America; Brunner placed on second team". The Morning News. December 14, 1979. p. 33, 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "All-Time Honors". University of Delaware Athletics. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Michigan Attendance King Again". Youngstown Vindicator. December 20, 1979. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Delaware rips URI". Boston Sunday Globe. September 9, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Mariani, Brunner lead Delaware in 42–6 assault on West Chester". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 16, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Broomell spurs Owls over Delaware". Courier-Post. September 23, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Hens massacre Mariners 65–0". Sunday News Journal. September 30, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Tomashek, Tom (October 7, 1979). "Lehigh Finds Delaware Defense Offensive in 21-14 Hen Triumph". Sunday News Journal . Wilmington, Del. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Blue Hens rally by Villanova 21–20". The Sunday Times. October 14, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Post is no match for Delaware". Newsday. October 21, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Delaware routs W&M 40–0". Daily Press. October 28, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Delaware too much for UM". The Bangor Daily News. November 5, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Hens' comeback one for the book". Sunday News Journal. November 11, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Delaware Dazzles Colgate, 24-16". Press & Sun-Bulletin . Binghamton, N.Y. November 11, 1979. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Hens' offense too much for Panthers". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 25, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "60–10, Delaware scores at will in win over MC". The Clarion-Ledger. December 2, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Delaware collects Zia Bowl win". Albuquerque Journal. December 9, 1979. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Delaware Captures A Crown; Low Scoring at start". The New York Times. December 9, 1979. p. S4.
  23. ↑ "Final 1979 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Delaware)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  24. ↑ "All-Time Honors". University of Delaware Athletics. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
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