Following a 17-day break, Liberty is back in action at Williams Stadium on Saturday afternoon, playing host to FBS and CUSA newcomer Delaware.

Game Overview

  • Matchup: Liberty Flames (3-4, 2-1 CUSA) vs Delaware Blue Hens (4-3, 2-2 CUSA)
  • Date & Time: Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • Series History: N/A, first meeting

Preview of the Blue Hens

Liberty looks to run its win streak to three when Delaware comes to town for a CUSA contest on Saturday, November 1 in what will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS Sports Network from Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The Blue Hens are in their first year competing in Conference USA and the FBS. They made the move up after a long and storied tenure in the FCS, including the 2003 National Championship under former head coach KC Keeler (also coached at Sam Houston prior to the 2025 season). Ryan Carty is in his fourth year as head coach at his alma mater as he was the backup quarterback for the 2003 national championship team and also behind Delaware great Joe Flacco.

Carty led Delaware to consecutive FCS Playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023 and enters 2025 coming off back-to-back nine-win campaigns. So far this season, Carty and the Blue Hens are 4-3 and 2-2 in conference play. Since it is their first year in the FBS as they transition to the new level, Delaware is ineligible for a bowl game and the CUSA Championship Game.

They picked up their first win over an FBS opponent as an FBS member in Week 3 over UConn, 44-41, in overtime. They followed that up with a 38-16 win at FIU in their inaugural CUSA contest. Losses to Western Kentucky (27-24) and Jacksonville State (38-25) followed before Delaware bounced back with a 31-28 win this past Wednesday night at home over Middle Tennessee.

Delaware has quickly become one of the top passing offenses in the conference. They enter this week’s game at Liberty ranking first in the league in total offense (419.7 yards per game), passing offense (299.4 yards per game), third down conversion rate (48.5%), and offensive touchdowns scored (26). The Blue Hens are the third scoring offense in CUSA, averaging 29.1 points per game. Carty, who calls the plays, is also very aggressive, as they lead CUSA in 4th down conversion attempts with 19, converting 11 times. Saturday’s game will pit CUSA’s top passing offense against the league’s top passing defense as they Flames rank first in pass defense, holding opponents to 166.7 yards passing.

Nick Minicucci is the signal caller for the Blue Hens. He leads CUSA in total offense (315.6 yards per game) and passing yards per game (295.7). Minicucci has completed 179 of 278 passes for 2,070 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He is in his third season at Delaware, as he started five games last season, completing 79 of 123 passes for 824 yards and 10 touchdowns. This year, Minicucci has also ran 63 times for 139 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Minicucci’s top target is wide receiver Kyre Duplessis who has 34 catches for 483 yards and 4 touchdowns this season. He ranks second in CUSA with 69 yards receiving per game. Duplessis has also returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown. Elijah Sessoms is a senior tight end with 17 receptions for 151 yards. Minicucci certainly spreads the ball around plenty. Six different players have at least 17 catches on the season while eight different Blue Hens have a receiving touchdown.

While the Blue Hens are certainly a more pass-centric team, they also have had some success running the ball. They average 120.3 yards rushing per game with 13 rushing touchdowns while averaging 3.76 yards per carry. Jo Silver ranks 6th in the league in rushing with 82 carries for 426 yards and 3 touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 60.8 yards per game.

Delaware has been really good on third downs, converting 48.5% on offense. This leads CUSA and ranks 23rd nationally.

“What makes them so good (on 3rd down) is one, he can throw but also he runs,” Chadwell said of Minicucci and the Blue Hens. “We’ve got to do a good job of winning first down. Then, if we win first down, and they are in second and long, now maybe do you force them where they have to throw it on second and long and now maybe it’s third and long. We have to do a great job on first down. If they are winning first down and they are a lot of third and mediums and third and shorts it’s going to be a long day for us. We’ve got to be able to get off the field. We’ve got to really dominate first down. It’s got to be a big deal for us and try to get them out of a comfort zone on third down because they do a good job.

On defense, Delaware led by former Liberty linebacker and assistant coach Manny Rojas. He has been the Blue Hens’ defensive coordinator since 202. Rojas and the Blue Hens are allowing 28.3 points per game and 391.6 yards of total offense to opponents this season. They are the fourth best passing defense in CUSA, holding opponents to 230 yards passing per game while ranking 9th in rushing defense, allowing 161.6 yards on the ground. Teams have had some success on 4th downs against the Blue Hens, converting 10 of 12 opportunities. KT Seay and Mysonne Pollard each have two interceptions on the season.

Delaware has struggled at times and on certain units on special teams. They rank last in CUSA in field goals made, connecting on 4 of 8 field goals this season. The Blue Hens are also last in punting, averaging 36 yards per punt.

As is always the case, the turnover battle is important. In their four wins this season, Delaware is +5 in the turnover margin and -1 in their three losses.

Coach Carty on the Flames

“Any balanced team is always going to be really difficult to defend. I think these guys are that team. Right now, they are, numbers-wise, they are going to rely on the run and try to build it out from there and then take their shots. The quarterback’s gifted when it comes to passing the ball and getting the ball to some really good targets out wide. They do some different things in the run game, they kinda vary it up. They are certainly not bland, when it comes to run schemes. They get after you a little bit and always have a nice wrinkle each week. We have to be ready for those things coming off a bye, see what they’re going to throw at us. What we’ve done in the past to stop the run is going to be what it takes – 11 hats to the ball, staying in our gaps, not trying to do too much, making sure we are doing our job, counting on the guy next to us to make the tackle when it spills to him, and keeping our eyes in the right spots for those play-action shots, making sure we can fill those gaps but also making sure we are keeping our focus on the people that we have to cover.”

“Just another opportunity for us to go against one of the better teams, perennially, in Conference USA, and a team that has obviously put Conference USA on the map a couple years back. I think it’s certainly something that is exciting for our guys. It’s exciting for us every time we get an opportunity to play on national TV, to go to a new venue, I’ve never been to Liberty. It will be exciting for me, as well, to go to a new venue, and play against a team that has a name recognition like Liberty does. We are excited for that opportunity to go and see how we stack up against them, and see what our preparation looked like leading up to that game, and see where we are talent-wise to go against one of the teams that, obviously, has been one that has been a bowl team perennially and obviously won the conference two years ago.”

“I think there are obvious factors in college football that kinda separates some people who have stuff and some people who don’t. In our defense, I think we were that team in FCS football that had stuff that other people didn’t. We’re working to be that team that can have the extra economic structure around our program and around our athletic department and our university to put us on the same path as that. But there are certainly things like Liberty have, and a couple other Group of Five teams have, that others don’t. That’s alright. On Saturday, it’s about who shows up and who plays really hard, who plays tough, who plays the cleanest, who doesn’t turn the ball over. Those are the things that are going to help us win on Saturday. It’s still going to be 60 minutes, 53 1/3 yards wide, and 100 yards deep. Those things matter the most. Whatever the parameters are the NCAA allows us, we are going to continue to strive and get to that point, but I think Liberty has been there for a little bit and a little bit quicker than we got there, for sure.”

Coach Chadwell on the Blue Hens

“They had a lot of success in FCS. They are a national championship program. I think anytime you’ve had that type of success in FCS, when you transition up, I think you’ve got a chance to have good teams early on. When you’re FCS, you typically get to keep your kids longer. They’ve been able to build. If you look at their team, a lot of them are older. They’ve been there in their program a long time. I think they’ve done a really good job. They’ve been in a lot of games. They’ve won some big games, and the ones they’ve lost, they had opportunities in those games, and they’ve turned the ball over a little bit, unfortunately, or they’d have a way better record in the league than what they do now.”

Prediction

Spread: Liberty -3.5

My forecast: Liberty 24, Delaware 23

My record this season: 5-2 straight-up, 5-2 against the spread