1971 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1971
| team = Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 10–1
| head_coach = Tubby Raymond
| hc_year = 6th
| off_coach = Ted Kempski
| oc_year = 4th
| off_scheme = Delaware Wing-T
| def_scheme = 5–2
| stadium = Delaware Stadium
| champion = {{ubl
|AP small college national champion
|UPI small college national champion
|Boardwalk Bowl champion
}}
| bowl = Boardwalk Bowl
| bowl_result = W 72–22 vs. {{cfb link|year=1971|team=C.W. Post Pioneers|title=C.W. Post}}
}}
{{1971 NCAA College Division independents football records}}
The 1971 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team was an American football team that represented the University of Delaware as an independent during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. In their sixth season under head coach Tubby Raymond, the team compiled a 10–1 record and was voted No. 1 in the AP and UPI small college polls. The season concluded with a 72–22 victory over {{cfb link|year=1971|team=C.W. Post Pioneers|title=C.W. Post}} in the Boardwalk Bowl.{{cite web|title=2012 Delaware Football Media Guide|publisher=University of Delaware|year=2012|page=160|url=https://issuu.com/udbluehens/docs/2012footballguide}}
The Blue Hens were the top-ranked small-college team in both total offense (515.6 yards per game) and rushing (371.2 yards per game). Their average of 42.2 yards per game ranked second to Michigan Tech. Running back Gardy Kahoe led the team with 1,216 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in the regular season. He added 112 rushing yards in the Boradwalk Bowl. Quarterback Sam Neff led the team in passing with 1,177 passing yards.{{cite news|title=Hens Tops in Total Offense|newspaper=Evening Journal|date=December 14, 1971|page=40|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-hens-tops-in-total-offe/166691549/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Kahoe was also selected as a first-team player on the 1971 Little All-America college football team.{{cite news|title=Hens' Kahoe Named Little All-American: C.W. Post's Wichard Is QB Pick|newspaper=The News Journal|date=December 9, 1971|page=61|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89196847/hens-kahoe-named-little-all-american/|via=Newspapers.com}} Kahoe and defensive back John Bush were both selected as first-team players on the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II All-Star team.{{cite news|title=Kahoe, Bush named to All-ECAC squad|newspaper=The Morning News (Wilmington, DE)|date=December 17, 1971|page=61|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news-kahoe-bush-named-to-al/166696232/|via=Newspapers.com}}
The team played its home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware. Ralph Borgess was the team captain.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1971
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
| timezone = Eastern
| time = y
| rank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 18|||{{cfb link|year=1971|team=Gettysburg Bullets|title=Gettysburg}}|7|Delaware Stadium|Newark, DE|W 30-8|15,414|{{cite news |title=Hens Find a Wide-Open Glenn to Duck Bullets |first=Ray |last=Finocchiaro |date=September 20, 1971 |page=22 |newspaper=The Morning News |location=Wilmington, Del.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70811915/1971-delaware-gettysburg/ }}
|September 25||at|New Hampshire|6|Cowell Stadium|Durham, NH|W 40-7|10,458|{{cite news |title=Neff Said: Hens Flying Through Air |first=Ray |last=Finocchiaro |date=September 27, 1971 |page=10 |newspaper=The Morning News |location=Wilmington, Del.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70818255/1971-delaware-unh/ }}
|October 2|1:30 p.m.||Villanova|4|Delaware Stadium|Newark, DE (rivalry)|W 23-15|20,284|{{cite news |title=Villanova Falls to Delaware |first=Chuck |last=Newman |date=October 3, 1971 |page=1D |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70824156/1971-delaware-villanova/ }}
|October 9||at|Lafayette|3|Fisher Field|Easton, PA|W 49-0|11,000–12,000|{{cite news |title=Hen Blender Chops, Crushes, Whips Leopards |first=Ray |last=Finocchiaro |date=October 11, 1971 |page=27 |newspaper=The Morning News |location=Wilmington, Del.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70828493/1971-delaware-lafayette/ }}{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1971 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Lafayette) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/342/stats/12713 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}
|October 16|||Rutgers|1|Delaware Stadium|Newark, DE|W 48-7|16,709|{{cite news |title=Delaware Henpecks Scarlet Knights, 48-7 |first=John |last=Bruns |date=October 17, 1971 |page=A1 |newspaper=The Sunday Home News |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70832374/1971-delaware-rutgers/ }}
|October 23|||{{cfb link|year=1971|team=West Chester Golden Rams|title=West Chester}}|1|Delaware Stadium|Newark, DE (rivalry)|W 47-8|17,648|{{cite news |title=Delaware Demolishes West Chester by 47-8 |first=Bill |last=Simmons |date=October 24, 1971 |page=3D |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70835051/1971-delaware-wc/ }}
|October 30|||Temple|1|Delaware Stadium|Newark, DE|L 27-32|22,582|{{cite news|title=Temple Stuns Delaware on Two Late TDs|page=1D|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pa.|first=Mark|last=Heisler|date=October 31, 1971|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38546065/temple_stuns_delaware_on_two_late_tds/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 6|||Lehigh|3|Delaware Stadium|Newark, DE (rivalry)|W 49-22|21,191|{{cite news |title=Delaware Grinds Up Lehigh 49-22 with Record 520 Yards Rushing |first=Terry |last=Larimer |date=November 7, 1971 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70840196/1971-delaware-lehigh/ }}
|November 13||at|Boston University|1|Nickerson Field|Boston, MA|W 54-0|2,000–4,022|{{cite news |title=Delaware Delivers Punch, BU Takes It on Chin, 54-0 |first=Bob |last=Monahan |date=November 14, 1971 |page=91 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70842417/1971-delaware-bu/ }}{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1971 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Boston University) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/68/stats/12713 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 26, 2022 }}
|November 20||at|Bucknell|1|Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium|Lewisburg, PA|W 46-0|7,800|{{cite news |title=Nixon Didn't Call, but Hens Still No. 1 |first=Ray |last=Finocchiaro |date=November 21, 1971 |page=41 |newspaper=Evening Journal|location=Wilmington, Del.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70845420/1971-bucknell-delaware/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Blue Hens Blank Bison |date=November 21, 1971 |page=18 |newspaper=The Daily Item |location=Sunbury, Pa. }}
|December 11||vs|{{cfb link|year=1971|team=C.W. Post Pioneers|title=C.W. Post}}|1|Atlantic City Convention Center|Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Bowl)|W 72-22|10,614|{{cite news |title=Delaware Destroys Post in Boardwalk Bowl, 72-22 |first=Sandy |last=Padwe |date=December 12, 1971 |page=1D |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70846571/1971-delaware-post/ }}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1971 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Delaware) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/180/stats/12713 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 15, 2024 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football navbox}}
{{Small college football national champion navbox}}
Category:Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football seasons