Delaware @ Colorado: Week 2 Snap Counts and Takeaways

The Delaware Blue Hens lost its first game of the 2025 season, falling to Colorado 31-7. While showing flashes and cutting Colorado’s lead to 3 nearing halftime, the Blue Hens could not capitalize with points following explosive plays to keep up with Colorado’s scoring. Let’s look at the snap counts and thoughts from both sides of the ball last weekend.

Offense

Snap Counts

#70 (LT) Anwar O’neal: 66
#71 (LG) Patrick Shupp: 66
#54 (C) Fintan Brose: 66
#62 (RG) Anthony Caccese: 66
#75 (RT) Noah Rosahac: 66
#4 (QB) Nick Minicucci: 65
#19 (WR) Kyre Duplessis: 44
#88 (TE) Elijah Sessoms: 43
#27 (RB) Jo Silver: 43
#18 (WR) Sean Wilson: 39
#15 (WR) Jake Thaw: 32
#41 (TE) Connor Witthoft: 28
#0 (WR) Max Patterson: 25
#9 (WR) Ja’Carree Kelly: 20
#23 (RB) Viron Ellison Jr.: 13
#8 (WR) Nick Laboy: 12
#1 (WR) Brandon Rehmann: 12
#6 (WR) Nick Tyree: 9
#28 (RB) Saeed St. Fleur: 5
#26 (RB) Greg Spiller: 5
#16 (QB) Braden Streeter: 1

Key Takeaways

• While only finishing the day with 7 points, progressing the ball downfield was not an issue for the Blue Hens in a tough environment at Folsom Field. On 10 total drives, the offense only had one three-and-out, averaging 6.6 plays and 41.2 yards per drive. The reasoning for finishing in single digits was not being able to capitalize after moving the ball in dangerous areas of the field: falling short on 4th-and-1 at Colorado’s 6-yard line, fumbling the ball on Colorado’s 8-yard line after a 67-yard breakout pass play, and missing a 28-yard field goal on their final drive of the afternoon. Both sides had 3 red-zone opportunities, Colorado scoring on all three and Delaware only once.

• This area of the game will be a weekly point of conversion as it helps portray the story on the game’s close margins: 3rd- and 4th-down success rates. The “honeypot” for a successful offense on third downs at the FBS, particularly G6 level is 40%: where each of the top Conference USA programs lived in 2024 (Jacksonville State 41.1%, Liberty 40.9%, Western Kentucky 40.5%, Sam Houston 38.8%). On Saturday, Delaware only converted on 2 of its 10 3rd-down attempts, averaging 7.8 yards per try. The Blue Hens will need to find ways to make their lives easier on 3rd-downs in Week 3.

• Another weekly topic in this will be tracking the offense’s explosive plays, where the Hens found themselves in dangerous field positions from a trio of 30+ yard completions to Jacarree Kelly (67), Jake Thaw (45), and Sean Wilson (31). Thaw, who had his fourth “3rd-and-Thaw” chain-moving reception of the season, led the team in receiving for the second-straight week with 85 yards. Kelly, who had a career-high 83 receiving yards, had a catch on a screen that went for 16 yards on the offense’s only scoring drive. Viron Ellison Jr. also had a reception out of the backfield break out for 28 yards. Nick Minicucci, having 9 different receivers on the other end of his 18 completions for 312 yards, will continue to spread the ball out to his playmakers.

• Jo Silver had his first touchdown on the season, scoring on a 4-yard shuttle pass from Minicucci. On this drive, Silver gained 23 yards on each of the last four touches, including a pair of 8-yard rushes to get the offense within the 10-yard line. Silver finished the day with 15 total touches, outputting 11 carries for 47 yards and 4 receptions for 12 yards and a score. The Hens will look to continue to get the ball in Silver’s hands in dangerous positions.

• The offensive line held their own against one of the biggest, strongest defensive fronts they’ll face this season. The same starters from a week ago (from left-to-right: O’neal-Shupp-Brose-Caccese-Rosahac) did not get called for a penalty and the Colorado defense only finished the day with 2 sacks for 3 yards. The right side stood out in particular, with Noah Rosahac finishing with PFF’s highest overall grade on the line (64.5) and Anthony Caccese receiving the highest pass-block score (87.1) in their second career starts. Lastly, a shoutout is needed for Viron Ellison Jr.’s pass block on a blitzing linebacker to allow Sean Wilson’s 31-yard reception to develop.

Defense

Snap Counts

#7 (S) KT Seay: 69
#35 (LB) Gavin Moul: 68
#19 (LB) Dillon Trainer: 57
#21 (LB) Anthony Crenshaw Jr.: 56
#1 (CB) Nate Evans: 52
#17 (S) Jason Scott: 48
#6 (CB) Kshawn Cox Jr.: 44
#2 (S) Mysonne Pollard: 41
#9 (DT) Keyshawn Hunter: 34
#11 (DT) James Yelbert Jr.: 33
#3 (S) Hasson Manning Jr.: 30
#13 (DE) Noah Matthews: 28
#93 (DT) Jack Hall: 28
#18 (CB) Jamarion Kolagbodi: 28
#29 (CB) Nyair Domnie: 26
#14 (S) Kahlil Ali: 26
#8 (DE) Ethan Saunders: 25
#52 (DT) Dominick Brogna: 23
#0 (DE) Q’yaeir Price: 21
#33 (DT) Trace Scott III: 18
#98 (DT) Nick Karika: 17
#32 (LB) Marje Mulumba: 11
#44 (DE) Kaeden Singleton: 7
#58 (LB) Colin Gallagher: 5
#31 (DE) Brandon Gorham: 4
#20 (LB) Meikhi Cuttino: 4

Key Takeaways

• The rotations for all three phases of the defense looked similar to Week 1. Anthony Crenshaw Jr. earned his first career start in the bandit role after Blake Matthews, who left the Delaware State game with an injury, did not play after receiving a pregame “Questionable” tag. Freshman cornerback Jamarion Kolagbodi saw his snap count significantly increase. Sophomores Colin Gallagher, Meikhi Cuttino had their first defensive snaps of the 2025 season, while freshman Brandon Gorham made his defensive debut on the line.

• After a 12-play, 87-yard scoring drive for Colorado, the defense settled into the game, only allowing three points on the following three drives. Defensive coordinator Manny Rojas’s side extinguished the home crowd’s excitement for 5-star freshman Julian Lewis’s debut, forcing punts on each of his two full drives.

• There were two possessions that this group would’ve wanted back. After the offense cut the lead to one possession, the Buffaloes countered with a 6-play, 75-yard scoring drive of their own in 36 seconds to take a 17-7 lead into the break. Also receiving the ball to start the second half, Colorado wide receiver Sincere Brown found himself free down the right sideline to break for a 71-yard touchdown on a 3rd-and-6 play, extending the lead to three scores. Third string quarterback Ryan Staub, who entered the game for these drives, finished the day 7-10 with 158 passing yards in relief. Some “what-if” thoughts exist if the Blue Hens were able to stop one or both of the two major throws Staub completed on 3rd-and-long that reshifted the game’s momentum.

• The defensive front was impressive against Colorado, forcing 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 12 quarterback hurries. 14 members of the defense contributed to tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including Trace Scott III, Kaeden Singleton, and Brandon Gorham all recording their first career sacks. This group, also cleaning up its run defense from a week ago, will look to carry this momentum into its matchup with Connecticut.

• Jamarion Kolagbodi was the highest-graded defender for the Blue Hens via PFF, receiving a 75.3 overall score with tackling and coverage grades at 79.1 and 74.8. The true freshman finished the day with 3 tackles and an impressive pass breakup, recognizing a designed screen on a trips set and breaking through the outside blocker to force the incompletion. Kolagbodi has been called upon with early season injuries to the cornerback room in A’Khoury Lyde and Keontae Jenkins.

The special teams unit will have to clean things up for next week after another near-side field goal miss on the right hash, as well as Colorado blocking a punt following a mishandled snap.

The Blue Hens will have an opportunity to get back in the win column in a non-conference battle against former Yankee Conference/Atlantic 10 rival Connecticut, who have been one of the strongest G6 programs in recent history. In 2024, the Huskies finished 9-4 with a win over ACC side North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl. The independent FBS program has also started the year 1-1, almost taking down Syracuse on the road last weekend. Delaware, while leading the all-time head-to-head series 20-7, will open Saturday as home underdogs in the first matchup between the two schools since 1998.

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