The 2025 college football season will see the Delaware Blue Hens officially enter the FBS. As new members of Conference USA, this season’s slate is mixed with competitive G5 and Power Conference opponents. Will the Delaware football team have enough firepower to disprove current 2025 schedule predictions for a competitive season? Let’s dive in.
Delaware Football: 2025 Game-By-Game Schedule Predictions
August 28: vs Delaware State Hornets
What better way to open the season than a home opener against an in-state rival that you haven’t lost to. That is the case for Delaware in Week 1, as they host the Delaware State Hornets.
Ryan Carty’s squad will introduce former NFL player Desean Jackson into college football, who makes his first appearance as a head coach. And, in short time, Jackson has done a great job getting talent into the building. However, there’s a reason there’s multiple football subdivisions.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Delaware State will pull off the upset. They’re on the road, it’s the home opener for Delaware, and they should be out-sized and outmatched. On top of that, we will likely see some growing pains from Coach Jackson as he acclimates to the regular season.
Prediction: Win (1-0)
September 6: at Colorado Buffaloes
The hardest game on the schedule comes early for Delaware, as they take on Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes. Playing against a Big 12 program in their home turf is no easy task. And despite Colorado losing multiple key players this past offseason, their roster is still more talented than the Blue Hens currently are.
This game will showcase the difference between an FCS school moving up to the FBS against a P4 program. Unfortunately, Delaware takes a loss here.
Prediction: Loss (1-1)
September 13: vs UConn Huskies
Despite being an independent program, the UConn Huskies are closer to a power conference opponent than a G5 team. Hosting UConn will give a slight boost to Delaware, but the talent differential will be too much to overcome once again.
Delaware has good run-stoppers on the inside, but whether or not they can contain UConn’s elite rushing attack remains to be seen. At the moment, I just think UConn is too good for Delaware to overcome this early in the season.
Prediction: Loss (1-2)
September 20: at FIU Panthers
The FIU Panthers were once where Delaware was. Yet in the era of Willie Simmons, expectations have risen significantly.
FIU has a good quarterback in Keyone Jenkins, with multiple playmakers on the offense. Can Zach Marker and Jake Thaw keep with the Panthers’ production? I think this game could be close in the first half before FIU ultimately pulls away.
Prediction: Loss (1-3)
October 3: vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The schedule doesn’t get much easier for the Blue Hens in their first season in the FBS. October brings Western Kentucky to Delaware, a team that saw themselves in the conference championship game just a year ago. However, this will be a much different team.
The Hilltoppers are expected to have more than 75-percent of their starting roster to be transfer portal players. Their new starting quarterback is Maverick McIvor, who was an elite passer at the FCS level. Last season he threw for nearly 4000 yards and had 30 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He led his team to the FCS playoffs before losing to the eventual champions, North Dakota State.
In the end, I think this becomes a high-scoring affair. With Delaware at home, there’s a chance they stop their three-game skid here.
Prediction: Win (2-3)
October 15: at Jacksonville State Gamecocks
The Gamecocks made some overhauls to their offense, bringing in Gavin Wimsatt, Caleb Coombs, and Cam Cook from the transfer portal. Wimsatt has yet to prove he can excel as a passer, so this game could be a grinder of a matchup with occasional deep tosses to Coombs or other receivers.
Jacksonville State has a lot of transfers in the secondary, which means there’s opportunity for Delaware to take advantage. In the end, I think Delaware comes out on top.
Prediction: Win (3-3)
October 22: vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Derek Mason is looking to revitalize his head coaching career after his stint with Vanderbilt years ago. He’s taken over Middle Tennessee, who finished with a 3-9 record last season, second-worst in the conference.
While Delaware is making the jump from the FCS, their team is just more talented than what the Blue Raiders have to offer. This is a game where the Blue Hens offense could really shine.
Prediction: Win (4-3)
November 1: at Liberty Flames
With the Blue Hens surging, they open November with a game against the Liberty Flames. They’ll face Ethan Vasko, who takes over as signal-caller from Coastal Carolina.
Liberty is a program that’s been building in the right way. Most of their starters have been with the program for multiple years. And even though Vasko is a new face running the offense, the Flames are a team that’s been hot as of late.
This is a tough matchup for Delaware where I think they just get outmatched on the road.
Prediction: Loss (4-4)
November 8: vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Like the aforementioned Liberty, Louisiana Tech also has been trying to build their program the right way. While the results have been mixed, it makes for an interesting matchup late in the season.
This is likely a make-or-break year for Bulldogs’ head coach Sonny Cumbie. With a 11-26 record as head coach, this is a desperate team. Unfortunately for Louisiana Tech, Delaware doesn’t have the same concerns.
In a matchup at home, I think Ryan Carty will out-coach Cumbie in a game that may be too close for comfort.
Prediction: Win (5-4)
November 15: at Sam Houston Bearkats
Sam Houston lost head coach K.C. Keeler to Temple, and with it a handful of players. However, the team has Phil Longo at the helm, a successful offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in his own right.
One thing about Longo’s offense is that they will put up yardage in bunches. Because of that, it’s hard to see too much of a fall-off from the Bearkats entering 2025. And, by the time this matchup comes along, Sam Houston is likely finding their groove.
Currently, it’s hard to say Delaware will be able to match the Bearkats’ offensive production on the road.
Prediction: Loss (5-5)
November 22: at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
In their second power conference matchup, Delaware hits the road to play the Demon Deacons in North Carolina.
Wake Forest has a veteran under center in Robby Ashford, with a litany of transfers manning starting positions. The team also still has Demond Claiborne, one of the best running backs in the nation. Wake Forest may no longer be running the slow-mesh, but they’ll grind Delaware into submission in this matchup.
Prediction: Loss (5-6)
November 29: vs UTEP Miners
The finale for Delaware ends against the UTEP Miners, a team that has really struggled in recent years. Quarterback Skyler Locklear will look to improve from his marks from last season. However, it’s just hard to find a way where UTEP is able to pull away from Delaware.
While getting to six wins won’t mean a bowl game appearance for the Blue Hens this year, it’s a good start for their first year in the FBS.
Prediction: Win (6-6)
Delaware Football: Final Thoughts and Predictions on the 2025 Schedule
The first year of FBS football will be no walk in the park for Delaware. And, while they may struggle at times, it’s necessary for the program to grow moving forward. While there may be struggles, primarily with the physical size of players, being a part of FBS recruiting will change that in time.
In the end, it will be an important learning experience for coach Ryan Carty. And, if Zach Marker, Jake Thaw, and the rest of the team’s playmakers can shine, it only boosts the program further.
While 6-6 doesn’t get the Blue Hens to a bowl game in 2025, it sets a precedent for years to come.
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