Delaware Beats Missouri State 61-38 as Minicucci Throws Five Touchdowns in His Return

Delaware beat Missouri State 61-38 on Tuesday night at Delaware Stadium in Newark, in the highest scoring Conference USA game since 2017. The Blue Hens never punted. Quarterback Nick Minicucci, back after missing two games with a knee injury, completed 20 of 29 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns, matching the school single game record. Delaware improved to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in Conference USA, ending a three game losing run and taking its first conference win of the season. Missouri State fell to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

The lead kept changing hands

Kaderris Roberts opened the scoring with a 31 yard touchdown run for Delaware. Missouri State answered with a 15 yard touchdown run by Connor Lair, and J.J. O'Neal then returned an interception for a touchdown to put the Bears ahead 14-7 after one quarter. Minicucci replied with touchdown passes of 6 yards to Bryson Graves and 26 yards to Scott Moore, giving Delaware a 21-14 lead. Henry Belin IV hit Isaiah Myers from 11 yards to tie the game at 21. A 33 yard field goal put Delaware back in front, but Myers caught a 6 yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the half, and Missouri State went in ahead 28-24.

Short fields decide the second half

Delaware took control after the break, helped by field position. Missouri State was called for three penalties on the opening kickoff of the second half, and the Blue Hens needed four plays to score and retake the lead. Lair ran in from a yard out to put the Bears back on top 35-31, finishing an 82 yard drive that included a 52 yard pass from Belin to Myers. A long kickoff return set Delaware up again, and a short touchdown pass from Minicucci to Elijah Sessoms brought the sixth and final lead change of the night. A strip sack by Jawarren Corbin and two interceptions then set up two more Delaware touchdowns, and the Blue Hens led 52-35 early in the fourth quarter. Delaware started its first six drives of the second half, on average, at the Missouri State 34 yard line, and scored 37 points after halftime.

A record night in a losing effort

Jo Silver ran 13 times for 101 yards for Delaware, which finished with 482 total yards and 26 first downs. For Missouri State, Belin completed 26 of 35 passes for 337 yards. Myers caught 11 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, the second highest single game receiving total in school history, behind only the 249 yards Steven Rush posted against Illinois State in 2003. His yardage also ranks in the top ten in Conference USA history. Lair added a career high 85 rushing yards on 15 carries. The game was the first football meeting between the two schools, which both moved up from the FCS and joined Conference USA last year. It drew 14,214 fans and was shown nationally on ESPNU. Missouri State is home next, against Sam Houston on Tuesday, October 27, on ESPN2.