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Battle of the Blue

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Delaware – Villanova Rivalry
Delaware YoUDee logo Villanova logo
Teams Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
Villanova Wildcats
First Meeting November 11, 1895
Delaware 10, Villanova 6
Most Recent Meeting November 17, 2012
Villanova 41, Delaware 10
Series Villanova leads, 24–21–1
Trophy Battle of the Blue Trophy

The Battle of the Blue is an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens and Villanova University Wildcats. The first game was played between the two teams in 1895, was played annually from 1964 to 1980 when Villanova dropped football, and then resumed with the re-emergence of Villanova football having been played annually since 1988. Beginning in 2007, the annual Delaware–Villanova game became known as Battle of the Blue. As part of this concept, the winning team gets to keep the Battle of the Blue Trophy at its institution for the year and is responsible for bringing the trophy to the following installment of the rivalry game. The trophy consists of a football with a Villanova logo and the Wildcat shade of blue on one side and the Blue Hen logo and the Delaware shade of blue on the other side. The ball sits in a wooden platform and the scores of each game are engraved on the base of the trophy. Villanova had possession of the trophy for the first four years, until Delaware won in 2011.

Three times within the first four years of the rivalry's existence, one of the teams went on to reach the NCAA Division I Football Championship. In 2007, the Wildcats upset #9 Delaware 19–14 to claim the first ever Battle of the Blue Trophy. Delaware would later reach the FCS National Championship game before falling to the Appalachian State Mountaineers 49–21. In 2009, Villanova would win their first-ever appearance in the national championship, defeating the Montana Grizzlies 23–21. The 2010 meeting marked the first time the game had gone into overtime, with the Wildcats securing another upset win over the #1-ranked Delaware team on a recovered fumble. Once again, however, Delaware would reach the national championship, but would lose to Eastern Washington, 20–19.

In 2011, the Battle of the Blue was the first American football game to be played at PPL Park in Chester, PA, in which Delaware beat Villanova to earn the trophy for the first time.[1]

Game results

Date Winning Team Losing Team Site Series Leader Overall Record
November 23, 1895 Delaware 10 Villanova 6 Villanova, PA UD 1–0
October 3, 1896 Villanova 14 Delaware 0 Newark, DE — 1–1
October 18, 1924 Villanova 17 Delaware 3 Villanova, PA VU 2–1
October 20, 1962 Villanova 22 Delaware 10 Newark, DE VU 3–1
October 17, 1964 Villanova 34 Delaware 0 Villanova, PA VU 4–1
October 16, 1965 Delaware 24 Villanova 21 Newark, DE VU 4–2
October 15, 1966 Villanova 16 Delaware 14 Villanova, PA VU 5–2
September 30, 1967 Villanova 21 Delaware 13 Newark, DE VU 6–2
September 28, 1968 Villanova 16 Delaware 0 Villanova, PA VU 7–2
September 27, 1969 Villanova 36 Delaware 33 Newark, DE VU 8–2
October 3, 1970 Villanova 34 Delaware 31 Newark, DE VU 9–2
October 2, 1971 Delaware 23 Villanova 15 Newark, DE VU 9–3
November 4, 1972 Delaware 14 Villanova 7 Villanova, PA VU 9–4
November 3, 1973 Villanova 24 Delaware 7 Villanova, PA VU 10–4
November 2, 1974 Delaware 49 Villanova 7 Newark, DE VU 10–5
November 1, 1975 Delaware 14 Villanova 13 Villanova, PA VU 10–6
October 16, 1976 — 24 — 24 Newark, DE VU 10–6–1
October 15, 1977 Villanova 33 Delaware 16 Villanova, PA VU 11–6–1
November 11, 1978 Delaware 23 Villanova 22 Newark, DE VU 11–7–1
October 13, 1979 Delaware 21 Villanova 20 Villanova, PA VU 11–8–1
November 1, 1980 Delaware 17 Villanova 7 Newark, DE VU 11–9–1
October 15, 1988 Delaware 10 Villanova 7 Villanova, PA VU 11–10–1
October 14, 1989 Villanova 20 Delaware 11 Newark, DE VU 12–10–1
October 13, 1990 Delaware 19 Villanova 15 Villanova, PA VU 12–11–1
October 19, 1991 Delaware 38 Villanova 28 Newark, DE — 12–12–1
October 17, 1992 Delaware 21 Villanova 20 Villanova, PA UD 13–12–1
October 16, 1993 Delaware 19 Villanova 7 Newark, DE UD 14–12–1
September 17, 1994 Delaware 38 Villanova 31 Villanova, PA UD 15–12–1
September 16, 1995 Delaware 28 Villanova 7 Newark, DE UD 16–12–1
September 14, 1996 Villanova 27 Delaware 0 Villanova, PA UD 16–13–1
September 13, 1997 Villanova 35 Delaware 25 Newark, DE UD 16–14–1
September 12, 1998 Villanova 34 Delaware 31 Villanova, PA UD 16–15–1
November 20, 1999 Villanova 51 Delaware 45 Villanova, PA — 16–16–1
November 18, 2000 Delaware 59 Villanova 42 Newark, DE UD 17–16–1
November 17, 2001 Villanova 19 Delaware 14 Villanova, PA — 17–17–1
November 23, 2002 Villanova 38 Delaware 34 Newark, DE VU 18–17–1
November 22, 2003 Delaware 20 Villanova 17 Villanova, PA — 18–18–1
November 20, 2004 Delaware 41 Villanova 35 Newark, DE UD 19–18–1
November 19, 2005 Delaware 38 Villanova 13 Villanova, PA UD 20–18–1
November 18, 2006 Villanova 28 Delaware 27 Newark, DE UD 20–19–1
November 17, 2007 Villanova 19 Delaware 14 Villanova, PA — 20–20–1
November 22, 2008 Villanova 21 Delaware 7 Newark, DE VU 21–20–1
November 21, 2009 Villanova 31 Delaware 12 Villanova, PA VU 22–20–1
November 20, 2010 Villanova 28OT Delaware 21 Newark, DE VU 23–20–1
November 19, 2011 Delaware 26 Villanova 16 PPL Park, Chester, PA VU 23–21–1
November 17, 2012 Villanova 41 Delaware 10 Newark, DE VU 24–21–1

See also

References

  1. ^ "Delaware Finally Gets Battle of the Blue Victory, Downs Villanova 26-16 to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive". BlueHens.com. University of Delaware. 2001-11-16. Retrieved 2011-11-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)

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