SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The school colors may not be an exact match, but they are pretty darn close.
South Dakota State University plays Delaware in the second round of the FCS football playoffs Saturday in Brookings. SDSU drew a bye in the first round. Delaware beat Saint Francis (Pa.) 57-16 on Nov. 26.
SDSU’s school colors are SDSU yellow and SDSU blue, according to the university’s website.
Delaware’s colors are Delaware blue and Delaware yellow-gold, according to the university’s website.
The two programs met in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs during the 2020-21 spring season. The Jackrabbits won 33-3 in Brookings to advance to the national championship game.
SDSU played Sam Houston in that national championship.
Delaware head coach Ryan Carty was the offense coordinator for Sam Houston when it won the national title in May 2021. Sam Houston beat SDSU 23-21.
This season is Carty’s first as head coach at Delaware. He was named the coach in December 2021.
The Delaware player roster lists Ben Dinkel of Kearney, Nebraska, as a punter. Dinkel was listed as a punter at SDSU in 2021.
The two universities differ in enrollment. The Delaware website lists the undergraduate enrollment at 18,618. SDSU listed its fall enrollment at 11,331.
The University of Delaware’s mascot is the Blue Hen. The Blue Hen chicken was officially adopted as the Delaware state bird on April 14, 1939, according to a 2011 Delaware state government report on facts and symbols. The bird first became popular in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War because of its fighting ability during cockfights. The chickens were said to be from the famous Blue Hen brood, according to the state report.
The state is also known as the Blue Hen state.
The SDSU mascot is called a Jackrabbit but a jackrabbit is not a rabbit, it’s a hare. The jackrabbit is a hare because it has long ears and a larger body than rabbits.
Both football programs have produced NFL players.
Some of the more recognizable names from SDSU from the past 30 years are Adam Timmerman, Adam Vinatieri, Christian Rozeboom, Dallas Goedert and Steve Heiden.
Some notable U of Delaware players who made the NFL are Rich Gannon, Joe Flacco and Bilal Nichols.
How do the two teams match up in fan attendance?
Delaware was eighth in fan attendance in 2022, according to Hero Sports, which covers FCS football. The Blue Hens had an average of 16,902 fans.
The Jackrabbits were 10th with an average of 15,561 fans.
Only about 200 fans separated the two teams last year. Delaware had an average of 12,844 fans for 10th spot and SDSU had an average of 12,668 fans for 11th spot, according to Hero Sports.
