Photo: Ben Hershey on Unsplash
The University of Delaware’s football team opened the 2026 season with a dominating 42-7 win over the FCS-level Merrimack Warriors on Thursday.
Game Recap:
Blue Hens lead by seven points after one quarter of play.
The first game of the season for UD opened with Merrimack receiving the ball at the team’s 26-yard line. It was the Hens’ defense that impressed during the Warriors’ drive, as they allowed only 8 yards, recorded a sack, and forced a punt.
Delaware’s offense’s first drive of 2026 would start at the 50-yard line, and the team would cruise 50 yards down the field in nine plays to end with junior running back Viron Ellison Jr. dashing off for an 11-yard touchdown to give his team a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.
UD’s rushing attack was in full force during this series as 28 of the 50 yards came on the ground.
The Hens ended the first half with a 21-0 lead.
Both teams struggled in the early part of the second quarter as they each missed a field goal and punted.
It would only get worse for Merrimack at the 5:51 mark on the eighth play of their drive, when their quarterback, AJ Hairston Jr., was intercepted by sophomore safety George Mullins, who had a touchback.
The interception lit a spark in UD’s offense as they went 80 yards in six plays to end with senior quarterback Nick Minicucci dashing off for a 12-yard touchdown run to give his team a 14-0 advantage with 3:55 left in the first half.
Two drives later, Delaware was threatening to score more points after a nine-play, 61-yard drive led them to the goal line, but the team stalled and on fourth down tried for the usual easy three points. Merrimack would complete the goal-line stand by blocking the field-goal attempt and leaving the University of Delaware’s offense empty-handed.
The Warriors did nothing with that goal-line stand as they fumbled the ball on their very first play of the drive, as UD senior linebacker Blake Matthews scooped it up and took to the Merrimack’s 12-yard line.
Delaware’s offense only had 16 seconds left in the second quarter, but that was enough to take advantage of the great field position their defense gave them. Minicucci would find his junior wideout Sean Wilson for a 12-yard touchdown pass to put their team ahead 21-0 at halftime.
UD leads by 35 at the end of the third quarter.
The Hens continue to pour on the points in the early minutes of the second half of this game as senior running back Kaderris Roberts pounded in a touchdown at the one-yard line to give his team a 28-0 edge. With 10:35 left on the clock.
It was Ellison and Kaderris’s night to shine, as on the UD’s next score, they executed a trick play with Nick Minicucci pitching Viron the ball, and then the running back showed off his arm by throwing a 75-yard dart to his teammate, Roberts, who ran all the way for the score to put UD up 35-0.
Merrimack would finally get on the board in the late minutes of the third when they started their drive at the 30 yard line thanks to their defense, which intercepted the Blue Hens quarterback. The Warriors took advantage of the turnover as their running back, Galamama Mulbah, scampered for seven yards for the touchdown to cut the score to 35-7.
Blue Hens win 42-7!
When the fourth quarter hit, Delaware’s offense was still firing as quarterback Nick Minicucci found junior wide receiver Nick Tyree for an 8-yard touchdown pass to seal a 42-7 win over Merrimack.
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