The Review

Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy of UD Photo Services Sophomore Jared Bradley scored two touchdowns Saturday.

Delaware's annual Blue-White Spring football game brought 1,200 fans to Tubby Raymond Field on Saturday, even with the season opener five months away.

The offense, led by senior quarterback Joe Flacco, looked sharp and played efficiently for much of the game, which was broken into six segments. The Hens returned 10 starters on the offensive side of the ball, losing only All-American tight end Ben Patrick. Flacco will have a strong receiving corps nonetheless, highlighted by juniors Aaron Love and Kervin Merchaud.

Expectations are high for the offense next year, and the pressure is on Flacco to lead the team to victory although he said he is confident with the players around him.

"There's not too much pressure, that's for the fans," Flacco said. "I'm always pretty relaxed, I expect to come out every game and win."

Senior running back Omar Cuff, the team's leading rusher the past three seasons, was named one of this year's captains, along with senior offensive lineman Mike Byrne and sophomore defensive end Matt Marcorelle. Cuff had a 35-yard touchdown catch early in the game and afterward said he has hopes for a healthy and successful season.

Despite suffering several minor injuries last season, Cuff was a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, which recognizes the best offensive player in Division I-AA. Flacco was also nominated last season. Red-shirt freshman Kevin Uhll said he expects both players to be even better this year.

Uhll, an offensive lineman, and junior defensive lineman Manny Marshall were named the most improved players of the spring session. Marshall saw limited action last year but has been working hard in the offseason, something he said will be the key if the defense plans to rebound.

The defense struggled last season, allowing 25.9 points per game, the most Delaware has allowed with Keeler as head coach.

The Hens will lose six defensive starters, including cornerbacks Roger Brown and Rashaad Woodard. The frontrunners to replace them in the defensive backfield are red-shirt freshmen Chuck Burton and Aaron Walters. Walters recorded seven tackles, a statistic that caught the attention of head coach K.C. Keeler, who commented on his strong play after the game. Although the defense was unable to force any turnovers in the scrimmage, they showed several glimpses of strong play, especially in the red zone.

The scrimmage-style game pitted the blue offense against the white defense and used an altered scoring system. The offense gained points by scoring but also received two points for every first down. The defense earned four points for a change of possession, six points for a turnover and seven points for a touchdown. The offense defeated the defense 86-44.

A spring football game is tradition at many schools, including Penn State, whose team has attracted 40,000 fans in eight of the last 11 years, almost double the capacity of Delaware Stadium. The defending national champion Florida Gators drew 47,500 this weekend in their Blue-Orange game. Another Division I-AA team, Richmond, drew about 1,500 fans to its game last weekend.

The Hens found success on both sides of the ball during the scrimmage and they look to rebound from the first losing season in the Keeler era.

"The sky is the limit for this team," Flacco said.

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