Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football, 1889–99

The Delaware football[1] team represented Delaware College (now the University of Delaware) in college football. Playing their home games in Newark and Wilmington, Delaware, the football program started in 1889. Delaware was coached by Ira Pierce in 1896 and Herbert Rice from 1897 to 1899. They compiled a 14−13−4 record in the seven seasons before employing a head coach. Pierce coached the team to a 0−6−0 record in 1897, and Rice finished with a 9−12−3 record in his first three seasons as head coach. Rice went on to have a 16−20−4 record as head coach for five total seasons.

Contents: 1889 -1890 - 1891 - 1892 - 1893 - 1894 - 1895 - 1896 - 1897 - 1898 - 1899

1889

1889 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1889 record 1–1–1
Head coach Unknown
Date Opponent Site Result
October 26 at Del. Field Club of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware L 0–74  
November 26 Warren Athletic Club of Wilmington W 30–0  
December 7 Conference Club of Dover T 0–0  

1890

1890 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1890 record 3–2–0
Head coach Unknown
Date Opponent Site Result
October 4 at Swarthmore Swarthmore, Pennsylvania L 0–54  
October 11 Swarthmore Sophomores L 0–30  
October 18 at Del. Field Club of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware W 6–0  
October 23 at Wilmington Friends School Wilmington, Delaware W 12–0  
November 20 Delaware Sophomores Homewood Driving Park • Newark, Delaware W 8–0  

1891

1891 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1891 record 5–3–1
Head coach Unknown
Date Opponent Site Result
October 3 at Haverford Haverford Township, Pennsylvania L 0–18  
October 10 Wilmington YMCA W 58–0  
October 17 St. John's L 4–16  
October 24 at Shortlidge Academy Media, Pennsylvania[2] L 0–6  
October 27 Franklin (Baltimore) T 6–6  
October 31 Del. Field Club of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware W 4–0  
November 6 Washington College W 10–0  
November 14 Warren Club of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware W 30–0  
November 21 Shortlidge Academy W 14–12  

1892

1892 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1892 record 1–2–2
Head coach None
Date Opponent Site Result
October 15 at Haverford Haverford Township, Pennsylvania L 0–40  
October 22 Philadelphia YMCA L 4–6  
October 29 at Wilmington YMCA Wilmington, Delaware W 14–0  
November 10 Washington College T 6–6  
December 3 vs. Del. Field Club of Wilmington Delaware City, Delaware T 0–0  

1893

1893 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1893 record 2–1–0
Head coach Unknown
Date Opponent Site Result
October 23 at Warren Athletic Club of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware L 0–2  
November 11 at Philadelphia Manual Training School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania W 44–0  
November 18 at Conference Academy of Dover Dover, Delaware W 56–0  

1894

1894 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1894 record 1–1–0
Head coach Unknown
Date Opponent Site Result
October 6 at Haverford Haverford Township, Pennsylvania L 0–36  
October 27 Hahnemann W 38–0  

1895

1895 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1895 record 1–3–0
Head coach Unknown
Date Opponent Site Result
October 5 Swarthmore L 0–14  
October 12 Swarthmore L 12–31  
November 15 Delaware Alumni Newark, Delaware L 0–2  
November 23 Villanova W 10–6  

1896

1896 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1896 record 0–6–0
Head coach Ira Pierce (1st season)
Date Opponent Site Result
October 3 Villanova L 0–14  
October 17 at Swarthmore Swarthmore, Pennsylvania L 0–44  
October 24 Haverford Newark, Delaware L 0–24  
October 31 Conference Academy L 0–12  
November 18 at Pennsylvania Military College Chester, Pennsylvania L 0–14  
November 21 Haverford Wilmington, Delaware L 0–6  

1897

1897 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1897 record 1−5–1[3]
Head coach Herbert Rice (1st season)
Date Opponent Site Result
October 2 Haverford Newark, Delaware L 0–16  
October 6 Swarthmore Wilmington, Delaware L 6–12  
October 16 Ursinus Newark, Delaware W 4–0  
October 23 at Haverford Haverford Township, Pennsylvania L 0–48  
October 30−31 Ursinus L   
November 5 St. John's College T 14−14  
November 13 at Pennsylvania Military College Chester, Pennsylvania L 0–18  

1898

1898 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1898 record 2–5–2
Head coach Herbert Rice (2nd season)
Date Opponent Site Result
October 1 at Swarthmore Swarthmore, Pennsylvania L 0–22  
October 8 Conference Academy W 29–0  
October 14 St. John's College T 0–0  
October 15 at Pennsylvania Military College Chester, Pennsylvania L 0–6  
October 22 Conference Academy W 46–0  
October 29 Ursinus Collegeville, Pennsylvania L 0–46  
November 5 at Swarthmore Swarthmore, Pennsylvania T 0–0  
November 12 at Haverford Haverford Township, Pennsylvania L 0–18  
November 24 at Pennsylvania Military College Chester, Pennsylvania L 5–11  

1899

1899 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Conference Independent
1899 record 6–2–0
Head coach Herbert Rice (3rd season)
Date Opponent Site Result
September 30 at Wilmington High School Wilmington, Delaware W 5–0  
October 7 Tome Institute W 76–0  
October 14 at Pennsylvania Military College Chester, Pennsylvania W 23–0  
October 18 at Swarthmore Swarthmore, Pennsylvania L 0–17  
October 21 Conference Academy W 56–0  
October 28 Haverford L 0–23  
November 8 Maryland A&M W 34–0  
November 18 at Conference Academy Princess Anne, Maryland W 35–0  

Notes

  1. From the program's first season in 1889 through the 1910 season, Delaware did not have an official nickname. It was not until 1911 that they became known as the Fightin' Blue Hens.
  2. "DELAWARE COLLEGE BEATEN.". New York Times. October 25, 1891. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  3. p. 123 Delaware College Yearbook 1899
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