Delaware Travels to Richmond For Season's Final Road Game
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Delaware Blue Hens will take to the road for the final time this season on Saturday as they visit CAA foe Richmond.
Delaware is 5-4 (2-4 in the CAA) after a 34-27 overtime loss to Towson this past weekend. The Blue Hens gave a surging Towson team all they could handle and then some despite being besieged by injuries up and down the roster.
"Part of me was very, very proud of how hard we played and how physical we played," Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler tells KYW Newsradio. "We played to the end. But the other part of me, I grew up in this tradition here, I grew up in this culture. And it's not okay to lose. That's part of this culture. We've won six national championships, in the last ten years we've won 81 games and no one's won more in our league . . . . . So we have tremendously high expectations for our program, so it's tough for me to be completely thrilled that we lost an overtime game, but at the same time you have to recognize that these kids did really battle."
LISTEN: Matt Leon interviews KC Keeler
On that injury front, Delaware played that Towson game without junior running back Andrew Pierce, as he sat out with a knee injury. Keeler says there's a pretty good chance you won't see Pierce again in 2012.
"We think he is doubtful for the rest of the year," Keeler says. "Julian has done a great job and we'll just kind of move forward that way."
Julian is junior Julian Laing, who started for Pierce against Towson and rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown.
As for Saturday against Richmond, Keeler says the 6-3 Spiders - who shut out Rhode Island last weekend 39-0 - will be a tough match-up.
"This is a team that is balanced on offense and defense, playing well on both sides of the ball. Can throw it, can run it. Physical up front. I think it's going to be a heck of a football game and we are excited for the challenge."
Delaware and Richmond will kick-off at 3:30pm on Saturday.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.
