DELAWARE FOOTBALL NEWS
SPRING FOOTBALL SERIES – WEEK FOUR – BLUE & WHITE GAME
In the final part of my four part season on Delaware's spring football session I attended the annual Blue & White game. Former head coach Ryan Carty had installed a multi-part showcase that included a series of scrimmages with positional challenges intertwined. Coach Sanchez elected to keep that format and was largely hands off as he allowed the coordinators and position coaches to run the showcase while he observed. The offensive players wore all blue while the defense was in all white.
OFFENSIVE LINE VS DEFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line took on the defensive line with alternating pass block and run block competitions.
The competition was even with Amos Talalele winning it for the offensive line on the final matchup. He drove Trace Scott back to secure the win.
SCRIMMAGE #1
The blue offense got the better of the white defense when quarterback Mason Kelsay found WR Ja'Carree Kelly over the top for a late touchdown.
The white defense had the blue offense on the ropes after a sack by freshman defensive end Ted Krumholz early in the possession.
QUARTERBACK CHALLENGE
All five quarterbacks competed in a skills competition showing off accuracy, throw power, and mobility. The challenge consisted of six throws of increasing difficulty and point values.
Blake Brown went 5-for-6 for 20 points, and he was the only quarterback to hit the base of the goal post for five points. His final throw hit the moving target on the back of a golf cart for six points, enough to pass Mason Kelsay.
Kelsay came in second, completing 4-of-6 passes for 15 points.
Larry Azur finished third with eight points, Tre Lloyd and Alfonso Arora each had five points.
OPEN FIELD TACKLING COMPETITION
Former WR turned RB Luke Brown scored the only offensive touchdown of the drill, helped by blockers WR Thomas Amankwaa and TE Riley Williams.
The defense stepped up for the final two iterations of the drill with LB Collin Gill, LB Julius Puryear and S Nate Spak combining to stop HB Darrion Dupree. Safety KT Seay took down RB Oliver Redd short of the endzone to secure the win for the defense.
SCRIMMAGE #2
The white team took the win in the second scrimmage with CB Hasson Manning Jr batting down Blake Brown's pass that was intended for WR Yannick Smith on fourth down. Earlier in the drive TE Jake Bredell made an acrobatic catch to keep the possession rolling. The white team played tough against the run with DT Bryce Jenkins and LB Gavin Moul both dropping runners in the backfield.
SPECIAL TEAMS SHOWCASE
With no real competition for kicking duties it was Skyler Sholder and Brock Glass's turn to show off their abilities. Sholder dropped a pair of kickoffs inside the five yard line while Glass put a pair of punts out of bounds inside the ten yard line.
Sholder went 4 of 6 in a field goal competition and defeated Glass who made just two of the kicks.
After that was a punt catching competition with RB Luke Brown securing the win as the only one able to successfully field a third ball.
SCRIMMAGE #3
With the offense winning the first scrimmage and the defense taking the second the third scrimmage was for all the marbles.
The defense would secure the win late with Kshawn Cox picking off Tre Lloyd as time expired.
COACH SANCHEZ'S THOUGHTS
“I really enjoyed it. I think the format allows for us to see more of more players than you might get in a traditional spring game so it was productive for sure.”
Delaware will return for fall camp in late July and will open their season on August 29th at Virginia.
Szn is nigh! Leggo!