1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Lambert Cup
NCAA I–AA Semifinal vs. McNeese State, L 21–23
Conference	Atlantic 10 Conference
Division	Mid–Atlantic
Ranking
Sports Network	No. 3
FCS Coaches	No. 3
Record	12–2 (7–1 A-10)
Head coach	Tubby Raymond (32nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Ted Kempski (30th season)
Offensive scheme	Delaware Wing-T
Defensive coordinator	Bob Sabol (7th season)
Home stadium	Delaware Stadium (Capacity: 22,000)

1997 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
New England
New Hampshire x		5	–	3					5	–	6
Connecticut		4	–	4					7	–	4
Maine		4	–	4					5	–	6
Rhode Island		2	–	6					2	–	9
Boston University		1	–	7					1	–	10
UMass		1	–	7					2	–	9
Mid-Atlantic
No. 1 Villanova x$^		8	–	0					12	–	1
No. 3 Delaware ^		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 20 Northeastern		5	–	3					8	–	3
Richmond		4	–	4					6	–	5
William & Mary		4	–	4					7	–	4
James Madison		3	–	5					5	–	6
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware in the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Yankee Conference.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	at No. 22 New Hampshire	No. 6	Cowell Stadium Durham, New Hampshire	W 27–10
September 13	No. 18 Villanova	No. 4	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware (Battle of the Blue)	L 25–35
September 20	West Chester*	No. 11	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware	W 28–7
September 27	at Northeastern	No. 10	Parsons Field Brookline, MA	W 38–14
October 4	at Boston University	No. 11	Nickerson Field Boston, Massachusetts	W 49–17
October 11	No. 21 Richmond	No. 6	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware	W 24–7
October 18	at James Madison	No. 6	Bridgeforth Stadium Harrisonburg, Virginia (Rivalry)	W 49–27	12,000
October 25	at Massachusetts*	No. 4	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, Massachusetts	W 40–9	5,317
November 1	No. 20 William & Mary	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware (Rivalry)	W 14–0	18,707
November 8	Connecticut	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware	W 37–29
November 15	at Lehigh*	No. 3	Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	W 24–19
November 29	No. 17 Hofstra*	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware (NCAA I–AA First Round)	W 24–14
December 6	No. 8 Georgia Southern*	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware (NCAA I–AA Quarterfinal)	W 16–7	11,203
December 13	No. 7 McNeese State*	No. 3	Delaware Stadium Newark, Delaware (NCAA I–AA Semifinal)	L 21–23
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game