Tar Heels Present Big Challenge For Delaware

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Delaware Blue Hens will step up a level this week as they take to the road to visit the University of North Carolina down in Chapel Hill.

Delaware is 1-2 on the season after losing a heartbreaker on the Main Line to rival Villanova this past weekend, 28-21. The game was close throughout and the Blue Hens actually led in the fourth quarter, but Villanova scored two late touchdowns to grab the win.

"I was really proud of the players and how hard they played," Delaware head coach Dave Brock tells KYW Newsradio. "I really thought they grew up a lot as a team and really performed the way we hoped they would. With a young team, you really hope for improvement, really in our case on a week-to-week basis. We had an awful lot of improvement from the second week to the third week. Effort's been incredible all year and I feel like we are on the right path. We have to change the result. The result's not very good at all."

Listen to the entire interview with Delaware's Dave Brock

The Blue Hens will have their hands full with the Tar Heels of FBS. North Carolina is 2-1 this season and in their last two games, they have scored 101 points.

"First and foremost, the challenge is the personnel," Brock says. "They have really, really talented players. The quarterback (Marquise Williams) I think is an elite player. He can run, he's a big human being, really can throw the football well. They've got very good skill, they are massive up front, experienced."

Williams is completing 68% of his passes for the Tar Heels. He has 646 yards, six touchdown passes and four interceptions. He is also second on the team in rushing with 167 yards and he has a score on the ground.

Matching up with an FBS squad is always a challenge for FCS teams like Delaware, but Brock says they will give it everything they have.

"The situation our program is in right now," Brock says, "we're just going to have to go down there and play as fast and as hard and as physical as we possibly can. Tackle in space. They're going to play at the pace they want to play at, we just have to be able to get off the field on third down, get them to third down, really eliminate big plays. Make them earn everything they get."

Delaware and North Carolina will kickoff at 12:30pm on Saturday.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.