Delaware Opens CAA Slate Saturday At JMU

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The University of Delaware football will play its Colonial Athletic Association opener on Saturday down in Harrisonburg, Virginia as they visit James Madison University.

The 2-1 Blue Hens are coming off a bye week. They last played back on September 17th when they lost at Wake Forest, 38-21.

"We had a lot of guys banged up in that Wake Forest game and they needed some rest," Delaware head coach Dave Brock tells KYW Newsradio. "If we had had to play the following week we would've been without a number of players. But those kids have kind of gotten back and we're really in a good place health-wise. We feel good, we're going to get our quarterback back, Joe Walker, our tailback back, Wes Hills and we'll probably be as close to full strength as you could be going into October."

Listen to the entire interview with Delaware head coach Dave Brock:

Delaware will be taking on a JMU team on Saturday that is off to a 3-1 start and ranked as high as #6 in the FCS polls.

"Dynamic, offensive football team," Brock says. "Certainly a run-first operation, two elite running backs, big group up front. Very talented on the perimeter with pass catchers, the quarterback's a very good player."

JMU is averaging 48.8 points while rushing for 328 yards a game this season.

As for the other side of the football, Brock says the Dukes have a new look.

"Changed schemes, changed coordinators (Bob Trott) with a new head coach (Mike Houston)," Brock says. "Be our first look at it. They play a little bit differently than a lot of people on the back end. Very disruptive front, very talented and active linebackers."

These two teams met in Newark last year, the Dukes winning, 24-21.

Saturday's game will kick-off at 1:30pm.