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11:33 a.m., Jan. 3, 2003--A resumption of the Navy series and seven home games, including four under the lights of Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium, highlight the 2003 University of Delaware football schedule announced Thursday, Jan. 2, by UD Director of Athletics Edgar N. Johnson.
For the second straight season, Delaware will play 12 regular season games. Seven contests will be at home, the most regular season home games hosted by the Blue Hens at Delaware Stadium since 1993. The four night home games are also the most ever in one season at Delaware. The schedule also includes three opponents that advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs a year ago.
Delaware will be home for each of its first three games, hosting Southern Conference foe The Citadel on Sept. 6, Atlantic 10 opponent Richmond for Freshman Parents Day on Sept. 13 and longtime NCAA Division II rival West Chester on Sept. 20.
The Hens will play their first road game Sept. 27 at league rival Hofstra, return home to face William & Mary Oct. 4, and travel to Durham, N.H., to take on New Hampshire Oct. 11.
Delaware will then host Rhode Island for Homecoming Oct. 18, for its fifth home game in the first seven weeks.
The U.S. Naval Academy returns to the Blue Hen schedule Oct. 25 as Delaware will travel to Annapolis, Md., to take on the NCAA Division I-A Midshipmen for the first time since 1995. Delaware won five of the nine contests between the two from 1985 until 1995 in what became a spirited rivalry.
Following the Navy game, Delaware will take on 2002 Atlantic 10 co-champions Maine and Northeastern in consecutive weeks, hosting the Black Bears for Parents Day Nov. 1 and traveling to Boston to take on the Huskies Nov. 8.
The Hens will host Massachusetts Nov. 15 before closing out the regular season on the road at 2002 NCAA semifinalist Villanova Nov. 22.
The Blue Hens posted a record of 6-6 under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler during the 2002 season and will return 33 players with starting experience, including 19 on the offensive side. Delaware lost five of its six games by four points or less during the campaign.
Leading the Blue Hens will be senior quarterback Andy Hall, senior running back Antawn Jenkins, All-Atlantic 10 guard Jason Nerys, and sophomore wide receivers Justin Long, Brian Ingram and David Boler, and All-Atlantic 10 tight end Rick Lavelle. The defense will be led by two-time All-Atlantic 10 defensive back Sidney Haugabrook, fifth-year senior safety Mike Adams, and starting defensive linemen Mondoe Davis and Chris Mooney.
Article by Neil Thomas
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