1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Lambert Cup
NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal, L 21–23 vs. McNeese State
Conference	Atlantic 10 Conference
Division	Mid-Atlantic Division
Ranking
Sports Network	No. 3
Record	12–2 (7–1 A-10)
Head coach	Tubby Raymond (32nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Ted Kempski (30th season)
Offensive scheme	Delaware Wing-T
Defensive coordinator	Bob Sabol (7th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Delaware Stadium
Seasons ←  1996 1998  →

1997 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
New England Division
New Hampshire x		5	–	3					5	–	6
Connecticut		4	–	4					7	–	4
Maine		4	–	4					5	–	6
Rhode Island		2	–	6					2	–	9
Boston University		1	–	7					1	–	10
UMass		1	–	7					2	–	9
Mid-Atlantic Division
No. 1 Villanova x$^		8	–	0					12	–	1
No. 3 Delaware ^		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 20 Northeastern		5	–	3					8	–	3
Richmond		4	–	4					6	–	5
William & Mary		4	–	4					7	–	4
James Madison		3	–	5					5	–	6
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 32nd-year head coach Tubby Raymond, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 12–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the A-10's Mid-Atlantic Division. For the sixth time in seven sessions, Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where the Fightin' Blue Hens beat Hofstra in the first round and Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual national runner-up, McNeese State, in the semifinals. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	at No. 22 New Hampshire	No. 6	Cowell Stadium Durham, NH	W 27–10
September 13	No. 18 Villanova	No. 4	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE (Battle of the Blue)	L 25–35
September 20	West Chester *	No. 11	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE (rivalry)	W 28–7
September 27	at Northeastern	No. 10	Parsons Field Brookline, MA	W 38–14
October 4	at Boston University	No. 11	Nickerson Field Boston, MA	W 49–17
October 11	No. 21 Richmond	No. 6	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE	W 24–7	14,324	[1]
October 18	at James Madison	No. 6	Bridgeforth Stadium Harrisonburg, VA (rivalry)	W 49–27	12,000	[2]
October 25	at UMass *	No. 4	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	W 40–9	5,317
November 1	No. 20 William & Mary	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE (rivalry)	W 14–0	18,707
November 8	Connecticut	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE	W 37–29
November 15	at Lehigh *	No. 3	Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA (rivalry)	W 24–19	7,122	[3]
November 29	No. 17 Hofstra *	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE (NCAA Division I-AA First Round)	W 24–14
December 6	No. 8 Georgia Southern *	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)	W 16–7	11,203
December 13	No. 7 McNeese State *	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)	L 21–23	14,461	[4]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

^[5]

References

1. "Punter White lifts Blue Hens with foot, arm". The News Journal. October 12, 1997. Retrieved November 6, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Blue Hens pile up the points". The News Journal. October 19, 1997. Retrieved October 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
3. Tomashek, Tom (November 16, 1997). "'Flat' Blue Hens Slip Past Lehigh". Sunday News Journal . Wilmington, Del. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Kick halts Delaware's hopes". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 14, 1997. Retrieved March 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. "1997 Football Schedule". Delaware Blue Hens . Retrieved November 7, 2022.