delaware fans:

[TCisMYhero]

How is devlin looking? Haven't heard much about him.

[Henwatcher]

Devlin is doing very well. He is definitely one of the top QB's in FCS. UD won't win many more games in 2009, but Devlin is not the reason.

[93henfan]

Devlin's numbers so far for the year:

4 games, 79/124 (63.7%), 923 yds, 6 TDs, 2 INTs

+1 to Henwatcher's comment that Devlin is not the problem this year. He is excelling in spite of mediocre receivers, an adequate-at-best OL, and a pretty bad scheme.

[bullseye44]

Devlin is a big guy with a big arm. He looked good against W&M last week - he'd have been really good if UD had any semblance of an offensive line. If I was a UD fan, I'd be really excited about him once you get more talent and experience up front. The ability to run the ball and have time to pass and he'll be awful dangerous. He's got pretty good wheels too.

[tandemlax]

Looked very at home in the spread offense last weekend- good accuracy on the short passes and nice touch on the deep balls. Honestly, he was also the most threatening ball carrier for the Hens in Williamsburg- might say more about the overall lack of a running game than his mobility though. After watching him run the 2 minute drill several times with nearly the entire W&M starting defense still in the game, I'd be confident with him at the helm in the 4th quarter of a close game if I were a Delaware fan.

[GannonFan]

Devlin is just as advertised, if not more so. Certainly a great QB. We'll see if he can help the Hens salvage the season, although losing by 11 total points to two of the top 5 teams in FCS isn't really a disaster as such. We certainly want to win those games, but it's not like UD is losing to slouches here.

[WMTribe90]

Devlin is just as advertised, if not more so. Certainly a great QB. We'll see if he can help the Hens salvage the season, although losing by 11 total points to two of the top 5 teams in FCS isn't really a disaster as such. We certainly want to win those games, but it's not like UD is losing to slouches here.


GF, several times this preseason you scoffed at posters that suggested UD had other problems beyond poor QB play last year. So, with Devlin playing well, especially at WM, how is UD still losing if all the other pieces of a playoff team remained in place fromlast year? Perhaps there was some merit to the suggestion that UD's OL was sub par. In fact, you claimed the UD OL vs WM DL matchup wasn't critical because Devlin would get rid of the ball quickly. Well, luckily for us, our DL did pressure Devlin most of the night and created six sacks or Devlin would have picked us apart as he did on the last drive of each half.

And you can throw around that 11 point in losses to two top five team stat all day, but at no point after the first quarter was WM in danger of losing to UD. WM controlled both lines of scrimmage. The score said it was close, but anyone that saw the game knows otherwise.

That all said, Devlin is the real deal. He'e very accurate in the short game. He has nice touch on his long balls, though he did miss on a couple against WM. He's mobile and a legit run threat. UD could win six or sven games if they keep playing and can scrap together some semblance of a running attack.

[GannonFan]

GF, several times this preseason you scoffed at posters that suggested UD had other problems beyond poor QB play last year. So, with Devlin playing well, especially at WM, how is UD still losing if all the other pieces of a playoff team remained in place fromlast year? Perhaps there was some merit to the suggestion that UD's OL was sub par. In fact, you claimed the UD OL vs WM DL matchup wasn't critical because Devlin would get rid of the ball quickly. Well, luckily for us, our DL did pressure Devlin most of the night and created six sacks or Devlin would have picked us apart as he did on the last drive of each half.

And you can throw around that 11 point in losses to two top five team stat all day, but at no point after the first quarter was WM in danger of losing to UD. WM controlled both lines of scrimmage. The score said it was close, but anyone that saw the game knows otherwise.

That all said, Devlin is the real deal. He'e very accurate in the short game. He has nice touch on his long balls, though he did miss on a couple against WM. He's mobile and a legit run threat. UD could win six or sven games if they keep playing and can scrap together some semblance of a running attack.

Glad to see you hold me in such esteem. xlolx

As for UD's problems, the main issue last year was, and remained, QB. That was a team that could've made the playoffs if they had a QB. Nothing has changed about that at all. Going into this year, everyone, myself included, knew that the OL was young (younger than last year even) and the WR's, outside of Duncan and Baker, were unproven. Baker blew out his knee in the West Chester game (and most UD posters said at the time that Baker was the most important piece on offense after Devlin) and Duncan has self-destructed personally. UD was never going to have much of a running game, but they were going to have WR's that could get separation from defenders. What's happening now, with no Baker and no Duncan, is that UD can't get WR's open in anything other than a 5 WR set. And you can't win many games having to go to that extreme. Devlin's good, but he can't make WR's get open. The plan was also to pass first and run second later, but UD hasn't been consistent enough getting production from the passing game, and from less WR sets, to allow that to happen.

As for the 10 point difference, spin it anyway you want - it was 10 points. I seriously doubt Laycock was holding back the horses so as not to score too much on UD. I don't think UD had a great chance of winning that game, but W&M played throughout the game and couldn't make the margin any wider. I don't see how that's in dispute.

[WMTribe90]

Glad to see you hold me in such esteem.

As for UD's problems, the main issue last year was, and remained, QB. That was a team that could've made the playoffs if they had a QB. Nothing has changed about that at all. Going into this year, everyone, myself included, knew that the OL was young (younger than last year even) and the WR's, outside of Duncan and Baker, were unproven. Baker blew out his knee in the West Chester game (and most UD posters said at the time that Baker was the most important piece on offense after Devlin) and Duncan has self-destructed personally. UD was never going to have much of a running game, but they were going to have WR's that could get separation from defenders. What's happening now, with no Baker and no Duncan, is that UD can't get WR's open in anything other than a 5 WR set. And you can't win many games having to go to that extreme. Devlin's good, but he can't make WR's get open. The plan was also to pass first and run second later, but UD hasn't been consistent enough getting production from the passing game, and from less WR sets, to allow that to happen.

As for the 10 point difference, spin it anyway you want - it was 10 points. I seriously doubt Laycock was holding back the horses so as not to score too much on UD. I don't think UD had a great chance of winning that game, but W&M played throughout the game and couldn't make the margin any wider. I don't see how that's in dispute.

I'm not spinning anything. The outcome of the game was never in doubt and WM dominated both lines. Simple facts. You can clutch to the final margin of victory, but the concensus of all UD and WM fans present was that WM thumped UD.

[bluehenbillk]

GF & the other posters are on target. Devlin is a talent that is getting to shine to his fullest right now, I haven't seen a FCS QB playing right now I'm more impressed with. Losing Baker hurts, Duncan is a head case, but the OL not consistently allowing a run game really hurts.

[GannonFan]

I'm not spinning anything. The outcome of the game was never in doubt and WM dominated both lines. Simple facts. You can clutch to the final margin of victory, but the concensus of all UD and WM fans present was that WM thumped UD.

And again, you can ignore the score all you want, but there have been plenty of games where a team can be dominant at the lines and in the stats and still lose. UD thumped JMU in 2004 yet still ended up on the wrong side of the score. A 10 point game is a 10 point game - the play of the lines and the other statistics don't change the math. A game kept close is a game that can be lost on just a handful of plays. xthumbsupx

[WMTribe90]

And again, you can ignore the score all you want, but there have been plenty of games where a team can be dominant at the lines and in the stats and still lose. UD thumped JMU in 2004 yet still ended up on the wrong side of the score. A 10 point game is a 10 point game - the play of the lines and the other statistics don't change the math. A game kept close is a game that can be lost on just a handful of plays.

OK, you convinced me. Congratulations on your very competitive 10-point loss.

[Fear the Bird]

Yeah have to agree with everything that has been said - he is as good as advertised and should be even better with more repetitions. Let's not forget aside from the drive against Ohio St. last year, he has essentially gone 2 years without playing in a real game.

The wide receivers on Delaware simply are not talented enough to create the separation and make plays. We were very spoiled in 2003 with Boler and Long and even in our 2007 run with Love, Ben Patrick, etc. Losing Josh Baker, especially on a damn punt cover really hurt a lot worse than most realize. Hopefully there is some talent out there for 2010.

[GannonFan]

On the bright side, we do have some young WR's that are emerging. Rob Jones looks like the real deal, Crosby is pretty good if he stays healthy, and White did come in with a lot of hype. Problem is, they are all still young. Hopefully they keep getting better as the year goes on since the hole left from Baker and Duncan is significant. Bodes well for next year, at least, but it would be nice if they can really speed up the maturation for this year.

[Ivytalk]

OK, you convinced me. Congratulations on your very competitive 10-point loss.

From where I sat in the south end zone, it sure looked like W&M dominated play. The last UD TD was a gift from the refs.xcoolx

[aust42]

Glad to see you hold me in such esteem. xlolx

As for UD's problems, the main issue last year was, and remained, QB. That was a team that could've made the playoffs if they had a QB.

I want some of what your smoking. xsmiley_wix There is no way Delaware would have made the playoffs last year with a good QB. Granted, the QB situation was horrendous, but Delaware's offense line last year was probably the worst O-line in the 100+ year history of Delaware football. We had a 250 llb Tackle last year (I think they list him at 265 llb this year too) that got abused all year long. Our center was really the only good lineman. That line couldn't push a cart on wheels two feet downfield. This years O-line might be worse. The center graduated and everyone else came back.

[LacesOut]

GF, are you a lawyer??

Man you can spin anything in your posts!! LOL

And your ability and propensity to do so is just amazing!!

[Hoyadestroya85]

Mark Duncan is the one who was stabbed right? and wasn't he also the one who nailed the cop at the NC game?

[YoUDeeMan]

From where I sat in the south end zone, it sure looked like W&M dominated play. The last UD TD was a gift from the refs.xcoolx

And the first W&M TD was another gift...from our D. xoopsx