After defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers 38-15 in their season opener last Saturday, the Penn State Nittany Lions will host the Delaware Blue Hens out of the CAA of the FCS. This will be the first matchup between the two schools in program history. This will be the 207th time Penn State has faced a team that is currently in the FCS; they are 116-79-12 in their previous matchups. The Blue Hens are coming off a 37-13 win over Stony Brook.
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HEAD COACH - RYAN CARTY
Carty is in his second year with the Delaware Blue Hens after spending time at New Hampshire and Sam Houston State as an assistant and offensive coordinator. In December 2021, he was hired by Delaware to take over the program following the firing of Danny Rocco. Rocco served as an analyst for Penn State last season before being hired at VMI to be the head coach of the Keydets.
In Carty's season, the Blue Hens were 8-5, including 4-4 in CAA play. The Blue Hens played one game against an FBS opponent last season in the Navy Midshepman. In that game, Carty's debut with the program, the Blue Hens upset Navy 14-7.
WHAT TO KNOW: OFFENSE / DEFENSEÂ
Offensive Coordinator - Ryan Carty
- Scheme: RPO spread-style
- Play Calling (Pass % / Run %): 43.1% / 56.9%
- Passing Stats Per Game (2023): 24-for-38 (63.2%), 414 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
- Rushing States Per Game (2023): 34 carries, 145 yards, 3 TD
Defensive Coordinator - Manny Rojas
- Scheme: Multiple
- Passing Stats Allowed Per Game (2023): 14-of-41, 163 total yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
- Rushing Stats Allowed Per Game (2023): 30 attempts, 164 total yards, 1 TD
Key Players on Offense
QB Ryan O'Connor - The 6-foot3 O'Connor is a junior for Delaware and is in his first season as the Blue Hens starting quarterback after having just four games of experience under his belt. In his debut as their starter, O'Connor completed 24-of-38 passing attempts for 346 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT.
RB Marcus Yarns - Yarns had a quality performance against Stony Brook with 11 rushing attempts for 107 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior, Yarns totaled 481 rushing yards and two touchdowns across 73 carries.
WR Jourdan Towsend - A Farrell, Pennsylvania native, Towsend was one of the Blue Hens' top receivers in 2022 with 61 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns. In the season opener, Towsend recorded three receptions for 46 yards.
Key Players on Defense
LB Jackson Taylor - A Glenside (PA) native, Taylor transferred to Delaware this offseason after spending the first few years of his career at West Chester. He recorded seven tackles and one quarterback hurry.
NT Keyshawn Hunter - An Old Dominion transfer, Hunter recorded five tackles in the season opener and is a quality defensive tackle in the middle of the Blue Hens defensive line.
DE Chase McGowan - McGowan is expected to have a bigger role for Delaware after a quiet 2022 season in which he only recorded 25 total tackles. He had two tackles and half a sack last week.
VARIOUS NOTES
- Penn State is 4-2 all-time on September 9, including winning three of their last matchups on the date, including a 33-14 win over Pittsburgh in 2017.
- Penn State has scored 30+ points and has totaled 400+ yards in eight straight games dating back to last season.
- Delaware has 16 wins all-time against FBS opponents, including their 14-7 win over Navy last season.
- The Blue Hens are 723-479-44 all-time and have 23 playoff appearances. They've won six national championships, five at the Division II level and one FCS title in 2003.
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