A picture of the pylon at Delaware Stadium during the team’s first game of the 2026 season against Merrimack. Photo Credit: Dave Reeder.
The Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0) defeated the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (1-1), 35-26, on September 12, in the program’s first gridiron matchup against an SEC foe.
Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis jogged on the field with his team setting up at their own 30 yard line for the first offensive possession of the second half. The Blue Hens controlled most of the momentum after entering halftime ahead, 17-14, and that feeling continued after the Blue Hen defense stopped the Commodore offense on first and second down, forcing a third and long for the freshman signal caller.
Curtis received the third down snap in the shotgun and surveyed the middle of the field while moving up in the clean pocket his offensive line provided. Curtis shifted his eyes from the middle of the field to the left sideline where senior receiver Junior Sherrill was running open. Curtis delivered a 35-yard throw to the Nashville native along the left sideline, continuing a drive that ended with Vanderbilt taking a lead it would never relinquish.
Curtis scored the go-ahead touchdown with a two-yard run into the endzone, scoring the first of three consecutive Vanderbilt touchdowns in the third quarter. Those scores helped Vanderbilt defeat the Blue Hens, 35-26, Saturday evening.
The Commodores defense followed Curtis’ go-ahead score by forcing the Blue Hens into a three and out on their ensuing possession. The Blue Hens lined up to punt from their own 25 yard line and snapped the ball to punter Josh Cupitt. Cupitt took a few steps and readied his leg to kick the ball, but as he went to send the ball flying, Vanderbilt sophomore Austin Howard flew in undeterred and blocked the kick. Howard tracked the bouncing ball down in the endzone and scored the second special teams touchdown of the game.
The score gave Vanderbilt a two possession lead with a little over nine minutes to play in the third quarter and wiped away any lingering momentum the Blue Hens’ created with their own punt block touchdown that ended the first half.
Delaware scored all 17 of its first half points in the second quarter, beginning with a Tucker Smack field goal a little less than three minutes into the quarter. Backup quarterback Braden Streeter led Delaware’s first touchdown drive later in the quarter, cutting Vanderbilt’s lead to four with under two minutes to play in the first half.
The two teams traded possessions within that final two minutes and with 22 seconds left, the Commodores were forced to punt from their own 17 yard line. Graduate punter Tyler Ebel took a few steps forward and, as the ball left his foot, Blue Hen junior Bryson Graves was in front of the kick, batting it down. Graves recovered the ball in the endzone and completed the score, making UD the first Conference USA team (CUSA) to lead a SEC team at halftime in over two years.
There weren’t many bright spots for the Blue Hens after that dynamic end to the first half.
BLOCKED ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Ec2ypZvIrJ
— Delaware Football (@Delaware_FB) September 12, 2026
Vanderbilt controlled most of the action in the second half and led by 18 at the end of the third quarter due to a 19-yard touchdown throw from Curtis to senior tight end Walter Taylor that ended the frame. Nick Minicucci returned in the second half after leaving the game with an injury in the first half and led the Blue Hens on one last touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, connecting with wide receiver Da’Wain Lofton for a 43-yard touchdown.
The touchdown was a testament to the program’s ability to keep fighting for a win despite being overmatched by a superior opponent.
Vanderbilt showed its superiority with its defense which dominated all game using multiple different blitz packages to confuse Delaware’s protection scheme and get to the Blue Hen quarterback. The Commodores recorded six sacks, nine quarterback hurries and 11 tackles for loss seemingly always having a player or two in the Blue Hen backfield.
A good sign for the Blue Hens was how their own defense held up against the Commodore offense. Delaware’s defense played a lot better than what the final score suggests, holding Vanderbilt to 100 rushing yards and 339 total yards of offense. UD recorded one turnover, three sacks and five tackles for loss, while facing two different Vanderbilt quarterbacks throughout the game.
Freshman Jared Curtis took the majority of quarterback snaps for the Commodores finishing the game with 14 completions, 210 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Minicucci finished with 11 completions, 182 passing yards, a passing touchdown and two interceptions.
Delaware running back Jo Silver led all rushers with 109 yards on the ground and Lofton finished as the game’s leading receiver with 147 receiving yards on four catches. Both are career highs for the sixth year receiver.
The Blue Hens will try and use the positives from their battle against last season’s fifth best SEC team to earn a win against Coastal Carolina at home on September 19. Their game against the Chanticleers will begin at 11:30 a.m. and be nationally broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
It’s one of seven nationally televised games the second year FBS program will play in this season.
Ryan Colasanti joins Delaware Live following four years at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. There he covered multiple sports for the school’s radio station as both a reporter and editor. Ryan is excited to return back to the state and cover all things Delaware sports.
