A picture of the pylon at Delaware Stadium during the Blue Hens first game of the 2026 season against Merrimack. Photo Credit: Dave Reeder.
The Virginia Cavaliers (3-1) defeated the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (2-2), 42-3, on September 26, in the Blue Hens’ final non-conference game of the regular season.
Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula received the snap standing at the Delaware 15-yard line during the Cavaliers’ first offensive possession of the game. Pribula faked a hand-off to the running back on his left and quickly shuffled his feet to reset for a throw to wide receiver Da’Shawn Martin breaking right toward the middle of the endzone.
Pribula hit Martin in stride and completed Virginia’s 13-play opening possession with an 11-yard score. The drive ate up over seven minutes of the opening quarter and was a sign of more to come in Virginia’s 42-3 victory over the Blue Hens, Saturday evening.
The Cavaliers scored touchdowns on four of their six offensive possessions throughout a first half fueled by their passing game. Pribula finished the half with 264 yards passing, completed 21 of his 24 pass attempts and threw for all four of Virginia’s touchdowns.
Martin was on the receiving end of Pribula’s first score on a drive in which the former Penn State and Mizzou quarterback threw a perfect eight for eight to start the game. Fourth year receiver Rico Flores Jr. caught Pribula’s second touchdown throw on the first play of the second quarter and the final two were hauled in by third year receiver Kameron Courtney in the final five minutes of the frame.
The Blue Hens lone scoring drive came in the early stages of the second quarter and featured a good balance of production from the running game and passing game. Running back Jo Silver ran the ball five times for 27 yards and Minicucci completed all four of his passes to get the Blue Hens into Cavalier territory for the first time.
The drive stalled at the Virginia 22-yard line due in part to a holding penalty that negated a first down scramble from Minicucci and the Blue Hens turned to kicker Tucker Smack for a 39-yard attempt. Smack kicked it in giving Delaware its first — and only — points of the night.
The scoring drive provided a spark for Delaware which trailed, 14-3, after the score and the defense capitalized by forcing Virginia’s offense into its only three and out on the night. Any hope those two positive drives provided Delaware fans was extinguished on UD’s next offensive possession.
Facing a collapsing pocket on second down, Minicucci scrambled out to his right and turned upfield for an eight yard gain, sliding to the ground to avoid being met by a pair of Cavalier defenders. Minicucci immediately grabbed the back of his right leg in clear discomfort after the slide and struggled to get to the sideline before the training staff stopped him right before the out of bounds line to check on him.
Minicucci left the game and didn’t return. Junior Braden Streeter took over under center for the Blue Hens with a little under six minutes remaining in the second quarter and played up until UD’s final drive of the game. The ACC Network cameras showed Minicucci on crutches with a brace on his right leg along the sidelines in the second half.
Pribula led the Cavaliers on their first drive of the third quarter and scored his fifth total touchdown on a 14-yard quarterback run. Cavalier backup Eli Holstein took over for Pribula following that drive. Pribula finished the game with an 86 percent completion percentage, 279 yards passing, five total touchdowns and the Cavaliers ahead, 35-3.
Virginia finished the game with 556 total yards of offense and held the Blue Hens’ offense under 200 yards of total offense for the first time since 2023. Virginia entered the game ranked amongst the top 40 defenses in the country allowing under 17 points per game to its opponents.
The biggest concern for the Blue Hens will be the status of their starting quarterback as the team prepares for their first conference game of the season against the Liberty Flames. The Flames beat the Blue Hens, 59-30, at home last season and enter this upcoming game on a three game win streak.
Delaware’s game against the Flames will be played at Delaware Stadium on Friday, October 2. The game will start at 7:00 p.m.
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.
