Delaware's, Henderson's offensive display at Rhode Island "staggering"

KINGSTON, Rhode Island – Nolan Henderson’s numbers, Rhode Island coach Jim Fleming said, “were staggering.”

They certainly did deliver an early knockout punch of the Rams for Delaware in its football visit to Meade Stadium Saturday.

But Delaware’s offensive display was formidable beyond its standout quarterback, though he was certainly at the forefront.

The Blue Hens’ Colonial Athletic Association opener couldn’t have been more emphatic, featuring a 28-point second quarter that formed the foundation of a 42-21 rout.

Delaware (3-0 overall) entered the game ranked No. 9 nationally in FCS and will certainly garner higher regard after its dominance of the No. 17 Rams (2-1, 1-1).

Five takeaways from the Blue Hens’ win:

That was rather offensive

Delaware’s 610 yards of total offense were its most since the 2013 opener and came against a proven defense.

Crucially, there was superb balance as Delaware gained 231 yards on the ground and averaged 4.9 yards per carry after having less success the first two games at Navy and against Delaware State.

“The run game is definitely a quarterback’s best friend,” Henderson said.

Under first-year coach Ryan Carty, the ex-UD quarterback who coordinated high-scoring offenses and New Hampshire and Sam Houston, Delaware looked as comfortable as it had in its up-tempo spread. Maybe the Hens just needed three games to get in form, though they’ll sure become more polished – and potentially more powerful – as the season progresses.

"It's my first game as a head coach in the CAA but it was not my first game in the CAA," Carty said afterward. "So I know what it takes to win and score points in this conference. It's gonna take efforts like that and guys playing really hard, playing really tough and playing for 60 minutes and making plays."

Henderson at top of his game

Henderson’s 379 yards were the seventh highest single-game total in UD history and most since Pat Devlin in 2009. He completed 29 of 34 throws with four touchdowns, all in the first half. All his numbers were career highs.

His ability to throw on the run and challenge a defense on the edge with his rollouts makes Henderson a chore to defend, along with his accuracy.

“He put the ball right where it needed to be,” Fleming said.

Remember, Henderson’s 70.7 completion percentage in the 2021 spring season set the single-season record at a school who has had quarterbacks named Gannon and Flacco and Nagy, among others. He’s at 67.9 percent today for this season.

“It felt everything that was called was working,” the Smyrna High grad said afterward.

Offensive line improves

One of the most important stats in Saturday’s game, as Carty made sure to point out in the postgame, was Delaware’s sacks allowed.

Zero.

Delaware had given up a CAA-high nine the first two games. Rhode Island had made a league-best 11, though 10 came in one game against Bryant.

Carty raved Saturday about the offensive line’s play. The unit did feature a new starter at right tackle with third-year player Blaise Sparks, who spent his first season at Illinois, stepping in for Cole Snyder. The two had rotated the first two games and Snyder also saw action.

“They played together,” Carty said of the line, “and they played so hard. For three games now they have not been outplayed, I know that.”

The improved rushing performance also reflects on the Hens’ front.

“Us being balanced keeps [defenses] off-balance,” Carty said.

Numbers game

Tackles were actually quite spread out for the Blue Hens Saturday as safety Ty Davis led the way with six.

Johnny Buchanan, who led FCS nationally with 38 coming into the game, and three others were next with four.

Artis Hemmingway had two of the Hens’ five tackles for lost yardage.

Delaware was 7-for-15 on third-down conversions to URI’s 2-for-12.

Another positive sign for Delaware with the improved running attack was Khory Spruill stepping in to get necessary yardage.

Spruill, who often steps in when tough yards are needed, had 2-, 4- and 6-yard runs to start Delaware’s 99-yard drive for its second touchdown, plus an 11-yard carry on the fifth snap of the 8-play series.

Welcome to the CAA?

Hampton and Delaware meet for the first time in football and the Pirates make their CAA debut Saturday at 6 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

It’s certainly a daunting challenge for Hampton, based on what Delaware did Saturday.

But the Pirates are 3-0 after beating ex-MEAC rival Norfolk State Saturday 17-7.

The CAA is notoriously competitive week to week, and every season a surprise team puts itself in the running for an

NCAA playoff berth. Carty’s comment heading into the URI game is as suitable this week as it was last week.

“It’s just such a battle-tested group of teams that you have to be ready to roll every week no matter who you’re playing,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. I mean, we’re all Top 20 teams. That’s how the CAA is.”

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware's, Henderson's offensive display at Rhode Island "staggering"