Battle of the Blue

The Battle of the Blue is an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens and Villanova University Wildcats. The first game was played between the two teams in 1895 and was played annually from 1964 to 1980 when Villanova dropped football. The rivalry resumed when Villanova restarted its football program in 1988. Beginning in 2007, the annual Delaware–Villanova game became known as Battle of the Blue. As part of this concept, the winning team gets to keep the Battle of the Blue Trophy at its institution for the year and is responsible for bringing the trophy to the following installment of the rivalry game. The trophy consists of a football with a Villanova logo and the Wildcat shade of blue on one side and the Blue Hen logo and the Delaware shade of blue on the other side. The ball sits in a wooden platform and the scores of each game are engraved on the base of the trophy. Villanova had possession of the trophy for the first four years, until Delaware won in 2011.

For the American Civil War battle known as the Battle of the Blue, see Battle of Byram's Ford.

Battle of the Blue
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
Villanova Wildcats
SportCollege football
First meetingNovember 11, 1895
Delaware, 10–6
Latest meetingNovember 19, 2022
Villanova, 29–26
Next meetingNovember 18, 2023
Newark, DE
TrophyBattle of the Blue Trophy
Statistics
Meetings total56
All-time seriesVillanova leads, 33–22–1
Trophy seriesVillanova leads, 14–2
Largest victoryDelaware, 49–7 (1974)
Longest win streakVillanova, 8 (2012–2019)
Current win streakVillanova, 2 (2021–present)
🌍
Locations of Delaware and Villanova

Three times within the first four years of the rivalry's existence, one of the teams went on to reach the NCAA Division I Football Championship. In 2007, the Wildcats upset #9 Delaware 19–14 to claim the first Battle of the Blue Trophy. Delaware would later reach the FCS National Championship game before falling to the Appalachian State Mountaineers 49–21. In 2009, Villanova would win their first-ever appearance in the national championship, defeating the Montana Grizzlies 23–21. The 2010 meeting marked the first time the game had gone into overtime, with the Wildcats securing another upset win over the #1-ranked Delaware team on a recovered fumble. Once again, however, Delaware would reach the national championship, but would lose to Eastern Washington, 20–19.

In 2011, the Battle of the Blue was the first American football game to be played at the venue now known as Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, in which Delaware beat Villanova to earn the trophy for the first time. [1]

The 2020 season’s Battle of the Blue game, played in spring 2021 as with many other FCS regular-season games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ended in controversy when victorious Delaware players mockingly danced on the Villanova “V” midfield logo as the final seconds ticked away, inciting a skirmish requiring coaches of both teams restraining student-athletes.

Game results
Delaware victoriesVillanova victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 November 23, 1895 Villanova, PA Delaware 10–6
2 October 3, 1896 Newark, DE Villanova 14–0
3 October 18, 1924 Villanova, PA Villanova 17–3
4 October 20, 1962 Newark, DE Villanova 22–10
5 October 17, 1964 Villanova, PA Villanova 34–0
6 October 16, 1965 Newark, DE Delaware 24–21
7 October 15, 1966 Villanova, PA Villanova 16–14
8 September 30, 1967 Newark, DE Villanova 21–13
9 September 28, 1968 Villanova, PA Villanova 16–0
10 September 27, 1969 Newark, DE Villanova 36–33
11 October 3, 1970 Newark, DE Villanova 34–31
12 October 2, 1971 Newark, DE Delaware 23–15
13 November 4, 1972 Villanova, PA Delaware 14–7
14 November 3, 1973 Villanova, PA Villanova 24–7
15 November 2, 1974 Newark, DE Delaware 49–7
16 November 1, 1975 Villanova, PA Delaware 14–13
17 October 16, 1976 Newark, DE Tie24–24
18 October 15, 1977 Villanova, PA Villanova 33–16
19 November 11, 1978 Newark, DE Delaware 23–22
20 October 13, 1979 Villanova, PA Delaware 21–20
21 November 1, 1980 Newark, DE Delaware 17–7
22 October 15, 1988 Villanova, PA Delaware 10–7
23 October 14, 1989 Newark, DE Villanova 20–11
24 October 13, 1990 Villanova, PA Delaware 19–15
25 October 19, 1991 Newark, DE Delaware 38–28
26 October 17, 1992 Villanova, PA Delaware 21–20
27 October 16, 1993 Newark, DE Delaware 19–7
28 September 17, 1994 Villanova, PA Delaware 38–31
29 September 16, 1995 Newark, DE Delaware 28–7
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
30 September 14, 1996 Villanova, PA Villanova 27–0
31 September 13, 1997 Newark, DE Villanova 35–25
32 September 12, 1998 Villanova, PA Villanova 34–31
33 November 20, 1999 Villanova, PA Villanova 51–45 OT
34 November 18, 2000 Newark, DE Delaware 59–42
35 November 17, 2001 Villanova, PA Villanova 19–14
36 November 23, 2002 Newark, DE Villanova 38–34
37 November 22, 2003 Villanova, PA Delaware 20–17
38 November 20, 2004 Newark, DE Delaware 41–35
39 November 19, 2005 Villanova, PA Delaware 38–13
40 November 18, 2006 Newark, DE Villanova 28–27
41 November 17, 2007 Villanova, PA Villanova 19–14
42 November 22, 2008 Newark, DE Villanova21–7
43 November 21, 2009 Villanova, PA Villanova 31–12
44 November 20, 2010 Newark, DE Villanova 28–21OT
45 November 19, 2011 Chester, PA Delaware 26–16
46 November 17, 2012 Newark, DE Villanova 41–10
47 November 23, 2013 Chester, PA Villanova 35–34
48 November 22, 2014 Newark, DE Villanova 35–28
49 September 19, 2015 Villanova, PA Villanova 28–21
50 November 19, 2016 Newark, DE Villanova 41–10
51 November 18, 2017 Villanova, PA Villanova 28–7
52 November 17, 2018 Newark, DE Villanova 42–21
53 November 23, 2019 Villanova, PA Villanova 55–33
54 April 17, 2021 Villanova, PA Delaware 27–20
55 November 20, 2021 Newark, DE Villanova 21–13
56 November 19, 2022 Villanova, PA Villanova 29–26
57 November 18, 2023 Newark, DE
Series: Villanova leads 33–22–1

See also

References
  1. "Delaware Finally Gets Battle of the Blue Victory, Downs Villanova 26-16 to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive". BlueHens.com. University of Delaware. November 16, 2001. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
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