After a thrilling victory against Louisiana Tech in Week 11, the Delaware Blue Hens (5-4, 3-3) travel to Texas to take on the Sam Houston State Bearkats (1-8, 0-5), who just came off a big win against Oregon State. Can the Blue Hens keep rolling on the road? Let’s dive into this Delaware vs. Sam Houston 2025 college football preview and find out!
Delaware Blue Hens vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats: 2025 College Football Preview
Conference USA has been up-and-down throughout the year, with surprising upsets and big victories. That will be no different in Week 12, as the Blue Hens arrive at Sam Houston for another C-USA showdown.
Matchup History
As will be the case with many Delaware football games now that they’re in the FBS, this is their first matchup ever against Sam Houston.
With that said, in the conference, Delaware is 3-3, and will look to go above the .500-mark against their conference opponents. For the Bearkats, they are still looking for their first victory in the conference after defeating Oregon State last week.
Keys to the Game
Key Players for Delaware
At this point, it’s a little exhausting to declare that the running attack for Delaware needs to help quarterback Nick Minicucci. However, that remains the case entering Week 12. There comes a point where the quarterback’s heroics won’t be enough, and that can’t afford to happen this week. Joe Silver and Viron Ellison need to do better. The past three games, the duo has combined for 167 yards on 51 carries. That’s an average of just 3.27 yards per carry, and not enough from a collegiate rushing attack. To further the point, Delaware is currently 117th in the nation in yards per game, at just 109.5. And, most of that comes from the quarterback. If Delaware wants to win this game (and finish the season strong), they must get some production out of their run game.
On defense, the whole unit will be key in this matchup. To be honest, all the Blue Hens need to do defensively is maintain gap responsibility and avoid any mental lapses. To put it lightly, Sam Houston’s offense has been very underwhelming this season. However, if Delaware takes them too lightly and makes mistakes, it could open the door for the Bearkats to take advantage.
Key Players for Sam Houston
If Sam Houston wants to keep this game close, they must rely on their rushing attack. Because of that, running backs Landan Brown, Alton McCaskill, and Elijah Green will be key.
The Bearkats deploy a multitude of running backs to supplement their poor passing attack. The Blue Hens are around the middle of the pack in terms of run defense, meaning there’s some potential holes to exploit for Sam Houston. All three aforementioned backs for the Bearkats have breakaway potential. Each of them has a rush for over 50 yards, and all have at least six rushes of 10+ yards this season. Sam Houston will need those kind of explosive plays if they wish to remain competitive in this game.
On defense, linebacker Antavious Fish will be key for the Bearkats defense. Not only will Fish be responsible for being an anchor in run defense, but he must try to contain Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci if he breaks the pocket. Delaware hasn’t been able to run the ball well. Fish and company will need to make sure that remains the case in Week 12. Forcing Delaware to be one-dimensional hasn’t necessarily worked for every team this year. However, it puts added pressure on the quarterback, and could force him into making mistakes. Limiting Minicucci is key, and that starts with the middle linebacker for the Bearkats.
How Does Delaware Win in Week 12?
For the Blue Hens to come out victorious in Week 12, it’s a pretty simple formula.
On offense, getting some explosiveness out of their running back room will be important. They don’t have to run the ball for yardage, but getting key first downs and keeping the chains moving keeps their offense on the field, and forces the Bearkats defense to be there, too.
Secondly, the unit has to limit turnovers. Turnovers have been one of the few problems the program has faced this season, and a reason for a few of their losses this year. If they can protect the football, this should be a relatively easy victory for Delaware.
On defense, the unit just needs to do their job. Keeping gap responsibility, trusting their coaching and scheme, and not making any mental errors will be key. Expect the Bearkats to try some trickery to gain an edge in this contest. The Blue Hens defensive unit needs to be prepared for that, and more in this game.
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