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Delaware football opens against rival Lehigh

10:13 a.m., Sept. 7, 2005--The University of Delaware football team will kick off the 2005 season against longtime rival Lehigh University at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, on Tubby Raymond Field in Delaware Stadium.

The game, which is sold out, will be the first of the season for the Fightin’ Blue Hens. UD is seeking a third straight share of the Atlantic 10 Conference championship and a third straight trip to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

In the new Sports Network NCAA Division I-AA poll, UD is ranked No. 10 and Lehigh is ranked No. 14.

Lehigh, which is favored to win the Patriot League, opened last Saturday with a 54-26 victory over Monmouth University as senior quarterback Mark Borda threw for 344 yards and tied a school record with six touchdown passes.

Lehigh wide receiver Gerran Walker, who has run a blazing 4.29-seconds in the 40-yard dash, caught seven passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned four kickoffs for 144 yards, with a long return of 50 yards to open the game.

UD features senior quarterback Sonny Riccio, who threw for 2,698 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, and sophomore running back Omar Cuff, who came off the bench midway through the season to lead the Hens with 673 yards on 154 carries.

Senior wide receivers Joe Bleymaier and Brian Ingram are joined by a fleet of talented underclassmen, including Armand Cauthen, Kervin Michaud and Jon Heydt.

Senior tackle Tom Parks, an All-America candidate, anchors the defensive line, with fellow senior John Mulhern providing experience and leadership at middle linebacker.

Junior Rashaad Woodard will handle kick returns for the Hens, who will have a new placekicker in freshman Zach Hobby.

UD and Lehigh have met 44 times, with the Hens leading the series 28-16. Like UD, Lehigh participated in the 2004 Division I-AA playoffs, falling 14-13 to eventual champion James Madison University.

UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler is from Emmaus, Pa., in the Lehigh Valley. He is 30-11 in three seasons as head coach of the Hens, winning the 2003 Division I-AA national championship.

Lehigh is coached by Pete Lembo, who is 36-11 in four seasons with the Mountain Hawks.

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