Delaware visits Montana in FCS playoffs Saturday night. How to follow the road game
What is now Delaware’s final FCS playoff tour takes it to one of the nation’s most prolific and difficult destinations Saturday night.
The Blue Hens (9-3), now slated to a climb to the Football Bowl Division, aim to extend their postseason in a 9 p.m. EST visit to Montana (10-1), which is the tournament’s No. 2 seed. Washington-Grizzly Stadium will be packed, loud and cold.
Delaware has been walloped in 2021 spring and 2022 playoff ventures to South Dakota State. This visit holds the same potential perils for the underdog Blue Hens.
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Pulling off the upset will require a much cleaner effort than the Hens exhibited in last week’s 36-34 first-round win over Lafayette in which they recovered from four straight first-half turnovers that put them 21 points behind.
Montana, which had a first-round bye, is unlikely to be so merciful should Delaware encounter similar initial difficulty in this round-of-16 encounter.
How to follow
Delaware Online will have live coverage of the game, with frequent updates beginning before kickoff through to its conclusion with postgame reaction.
How to watch
The pay streaming service ESPN+ is carrying the game.
How to listen
WDSD (94.7) is airing the game with Scott Klatzin calling the action and Nick Alessandrini providing color. The broadcast begins an hour before kickoff at 8 p.m.
Student radio station WVUD (91.3) is also broadcasting the game with Daniel Steenkamer and Michael Boyer detailing the action.
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What’s important for Delaware?
True freshman Nick Minicucci is likely making his second start at quarterback for Delaware and he’ll need to be on target with his passes, smart with his runs and get great protection. A standout Montana secondary means “if you leave [the ball] up there, they’ll go get it,” Delaware coach Ryan Carty said.
What’s an interesting fact?
Montana’s 7-game win streak to finish the season coincided with Central Arkansas transfer Clifton McDowell becoming the starting quarterback. He has completed 95 of 155 passes with nine touchdowns and just one interception and rushed for 565 yards and seven TDs.
“They have given themselves a little bit more versatility on offense and that’s helped them,” said Carty.
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Who is a player to watch for Montana?
Noseguard Alex Gubner was Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year while getting eight tackles for loss and three sacks. He is among several standouts in the Grizzlies defense, which makes his recognition more impressive. Montana has allowed just 14.5 yards per game which is third in FCS.
Who is a player to watch for Delaware?
Delaware will need to get the ball into the hands of Jourdan Townsend, one of its best playmakers as a receiver and returnman. Townsend was All-CAA at both positions and has 41 catches for 586 yards and three touchdowns.
What does Montana coach Bobby Hauck say?
“They [the Blue Hens] spent a good part of the season ranked in the Top 10. They just have a really nice football team. They're big and strong and physical. They play hard . . . They just do a nice job. You can tell that they know what they're doing. There's a reason why they're where they are and that's why they're in the playoffs.’’
What does UD coach Ryan Carty say?
“They're really good through and through. I think that's probably what you notice on tape regardless of what phase of the ball you're putting on there. They're consistent and they're physical and sound and, man, are they well coached . . . They obviously have skill guys that can go make explosive plays, but also they can run the ball extremely well. And then on defense, they just run to the ball and tackle so well.”
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How to follow: Delaware visits Montana in FCS playoffs Saturday
