Conference USA · Ryan Carty, year 2 (8-7) · Delaware Stadium · 22,000 · 17,268 avg in 2026
LastL 26–35 at Vanderbilt · Sat Sep 12 · Colin Gallagher 1.5 sacks, 2.5 TFL, 9 tackles
Nextvs Coastal Carolina · Sat Sep 19 · 11:30 am ET · Delaware Stadium · Delaware by 5 · Game preview
Updated Tue Sep 15 · through week 2
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 3 | #41 | #210 | -31.5✓ | Merrimack | W 42–7 73 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 12 | #43 | #44 | +20.5✓ | @Vanderbilt | L 26–35 137 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 19 | #40 | #190 | -5 | Coastal Carolina | |||
| 4 | Sep 26 | #40 | #50 | @Virginia | ||||
| 5 | Oct 2 | Liberty | ||||||
| 7 | Oct 13 | @Middle Tennessee | ||||||
| 8 | Oct 20 | Missouri State | ||||||
| 9 | Oct 27 | @Western Kentucky | ||||||
| 10 | Nov 7 | @Kennesaw State | ||||||
| 11 | Nov 14 | Florida International | ||||||
| 12 | Nov 21 | @New Mexico State | ||||||
| 13 | Nov 28 | Jacksonville State |
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12 | @Vanderbilt | L 26–35 | 338 | 2 | 31:20 | -0.080 | 31.9% | 142.8% | |
| Sep 3 | Merrimack | W 42–7 | 547 | 1 | 27:18 | +0.396 | 47.2% | 146.3% | |
| Season average (2 games) | 442 | 1.5 | +0.158 | 39.6% | 144.5% | ||||
Delaware won six national titles and produced an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback -- then arrived in the FBS in 2025 and won a bowl game it wasn't even supposed to be eligible to play in.
Delaware arrived in the FBS with more championship history than most of the programs it now plays, and outsiders still talk about FCS-to-FBS jumps as programs proving themselves from scratch. The 68 V…
The season in chapters
What fans said
Real posts from the day of the game, chosen by community score · usernames not shown
What it is like to watch them2025 · 7-6 · last season
✓ measured from 13 games · ranks are among Conference USA teams the same season
Recent form · last 10 games · incl. 2025
Mixed. 5-5 over the last 10, and lost the last one.
Next Sep 19
vs Coastal Carolina · at home
~ our read on style
Market outlook
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-09-14
the open questionwhere does it go from here?
Delaware cusa championship shortened — implied probability moved from 14.4% to 19.0% (+4.7pp) between Sep 13 and Sep 14, 2026 (tier C).
our readbackground
Donovan Lewis is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
our readbackground
Kyre Duplessis is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
our readbackground
Viron Ellison Jr.: a closer signal screened this season.
our readbackground
Delaware enters 2025 at No. 109 in SP+ — Ryan Carty's first season opens with a winning record but faces a steep climb to sustain it under Conference USA expectations.
our readbackground
Ryan Carty begins his tenure with a 7-6 record, signaling a shift as Delaware's fanbase redefines its identity beyond its historic Wing-T legacy.
our readdeveloping
Outcome band · Delaware · 2026
Floor, base and ceiling come from the season-path projection, which plays out conference title games and the CFP — so a ceiling can run past 12 games.
Delaware enters 2025 rated No. 109 in SP+ (-10.9). SP+ describes what the program HAS done, not what it will do. The season is the field test. The preview consensus leans in — but preseason ratings reward the recent past, not the season ahead.
The 'the projection is underselling us' read -- fans betting the season beats the preview number.
The 'the model has seen the tape' counter -- efficiency ratings reward what a program has actually done, not hope.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
This event was in 38 of 304 board posts (12%) over the last 60 days — a fanbase consumed by it. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Delaware: the fanbase's identity shifting.
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
This event was in 25 of 304 board posts (8%) over the last 60 days — engaged but not consumed. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
More in this tab
Delaware won six national titles across its history, perfected the Wing-T offense under Tubby Raymond, produced NFL MVP Rich Gannon and Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco -- and in its first-ever FBS season, 2025, won the 68 Ventures Bowl 20-13 over Louisiana, becoming only the second program ever (after Jacksonville State) to win a bowl game in its FBS debut year.
The program ledger
since 2025Julian Reese II commits to Delaware
Class ranked #115 nationally and the SP+ trending mid-tier FBS — Carty needs linebacker depth that can play, not just fill a roster spot, and Reese II addresses real pressure at that level.
4-star LB commits to Alabama
Ranked #114 nationally and losing linebacker depth fast — a 4-star walking into Tuscaloosa instead of Newark tells you exactly where Delaware sits in the FBS mid-tier right now.
C-USA title odds: +595 → +425 (▲4.7pp implied)
C-usa title odds improved 4.7pp without an obvious public catalyst.
Top 3 commits
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
FL leads the 2026 class with 4 commits. National footprint reaching 10 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
64 signees across 15 states, 2023-2026. NJ leads the pull.
Miles from home · 2026 roster
The median Delaware player grew up 120 miles from campus.
Half this roster came from closer than that; half came from farther.
Straight-line distance from each player's listed hometown to Delaware Stadium. Hometowns are placed at city-centroid precision, not street address — fine at this scale, but a player's true door-to-door number can differ by a few miles. 140 of 153 listed players have a geocoded hometown. Source: CFBD roster hometowns.
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
Winning the penalty battle: 6 penalties committed vs. 13 drawn on opponents, a 43-yard edge.
48 penalty yards committed vs. 91 drawn on opponents, 2026 season total.
Outcome band · Delaware · 2026
Recruiting Footprint · 2026