3 & Out: Marker makes return as Delaware trounces Hampton, readies for increased competitors

BY DANIEL STEENKAMER
Managing Sports activities Editor

Late final November, Delaware’s soccer teaching workers started in earnest a diligent off-field endeavor: including quarterback depth for the long run with out longtime starter Nolan Henderson. 

With the Blue Hens’ Soccer Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff motion on the docket, Delaware entered the switch portal scouting course of that “just about doesn’t cease,” Head Coach Ryan Carty stated Monday, although the postseason is a pocket of time with elevated consideration to the roster-moving panorama.

“We would have liked to be sure that the [QB] room behind [Henderson] was clear for the long run,” Carty stated. “And that’s at all times the place particularly that’s a very powerful one to have depth at.”

Carty and his colleagues have been positive to cowl ample floor in surveying quarterbacks who could possibly be as much as the Hens’ process.

“We simply put our head down like we at all times do and scoured the entire continent, to be trustworthy,” Carty stated. 

In scrutinizing a listing of obtainable junior-college gamers, Zach Marker’s title stood out, Carty stated, and are available spring observe in Newark with Marker carrying blue and gold, the second-year head coach would get his first probability to watch the Norwalk, Iowa native go the pigskin.

“Earlier than the primary spring observe, I had him out right here, I stated, ‘Nicely, now we’re about to see for those who can really throw,” Carty stated of breaking in Marker. “As a result of I had by no means seen him throw dwell.”

Carty preferred what he noticed dwell at Hampton College in Saturday’s 47-3 thumping of HU by the Blue Hens. Marker’s pummeling of the Pirates whereas beginning in lieu of Ryan O’Connor leads this week’s version of 3 & Out.

Meet Marker

Phrase of O’Connor’s withholding from the journey to Hampton attributable to an upper-body harm unfold within the Armstrong Stadium press field pregame. Marker and freshmen Nick Minicucci and Daniel Lipovski have been Delaware’s quarterbacks on the visiting sideline–all three wound up taking part in within the Hens’ outclassing of HU.

It started with Marker getting the beginning. The Iowa Central Neighborhood School switch, who started the season in a platoon with O’Connor earlier than getting damage at Penn State in September, didn’t skip a beat in his resumption of taking part in time. Marker made fast work of overmatched Hampton, going 17-of-28 passing for 239 yards and one landing earlier than ceding his spot within the shotgun to Minicucci late within the third quarter.

Marker additionally dashed for a dashing landing of 18 yards that put Delaware up by 30 within the second quarter. 

“I felt good,” Marker stated of his scamper postgame, however with one remorse.

“I didn’t stand up to my aim in miles per hour,” Marker stated with a smile. “I solely hit 20.1. I wished 22.”

With O’Connor’s standing unsure for Delaware’s subsequent outing at Towson College on Oct. 28, Marker would possibly get one other probability to fulfill his burst-of-speed benchmark sooner relatively than later.

Humiliating Hampton

Along with O’Connor’s absence, Delaware didn’t journey with large receiver Chandler Harvin, who was held again with a lower-body harm. The Blue Hens weathered their lacking offensive items way more competently than Hampton’s effort, which was lacking beginning quarterback Chris Zellous and main operating backs Elijah Burris and Darran Butts.

Although Pirates tailback Tymere Robinson stuffed in admirably because the hosts’ lone shiny spot together with his 20 carries for 119 yards, Delaware’s protection was not threatened by both of Hampton’s backup quarterbacks. The Blue Hens restricted HU to 73 workforce passing yards on 5 completions by the mixture of Jared Lewis and Malcolm Mays.

By scoring 17 first-quarter factors, together with Jourdan Townsend’s 82-yard punt return landing, Delaware left little question as to its superiority at Hampton within the first quarter-hour.

The short cushion was to the delight of Delaware’s touring fan contingent, which constituted a substantial chunk of the introduced 4,186 in attendance.

Turning to Towson 

In Towson Saturday, Delaware encounters a regional rival that seems forward of schedule beneath first-year head coach Pete Shinnick. The Tigers are 2-2 in Coastal Athletic Affiliation Soccer with the wins coming impressively at New Hampshire (54-51 in extra time) and at William & Mary (34-24).

Whereas Towson-Delaware video games are yearly battles between groups with in depth familiarity and a wholesome distaste for one another, the Tigers might have a particular goal educated on the Hens this Halloween weekend. Delaware rose to No. 5 within the Stats Carry out FCS High 25 on Monday.

The Blue Hens stay in first place within the CAA with 4 regular-season video games remaining, however all will likely be extra aggressive than the beatdown in Hampton. The vary of outcomes for Delaware continues to be large: By profitable out, the Hens would guarantee themselves a seed within the FCS playoffs. Only one loss, if to not Villanova College, would seemingly remove that first-round bye chance.