Battle of the Blue

Battle of the Blue
	Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Villanova Wildcats
Sport	College football
First meeting	November 11, 1895; Delaware, 10–6
Latest meeting	November 18, 2023; Villanova, 35–7
Next meeting	November 23, 2024; Villanova, PA
Trophy	Battle of the Blue Trophy
Statistics
Meetings total	57
All-time series	Villanova leads, 34–22–1
Trophy series	Villanova leads, 15–2
Largest victory	Delaware, 49–7 (1974)
Longest win streak	Villanova, 8 (2012–2019)
Current win streak	Villanova, 3 (2021–present)

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Locations of Delaware and Villanova

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.

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]

Game results

Delaware victories	Villanova victories	Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
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	Tie	24–24
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.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
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	Villanova	21–7
43	November 21, 2009	Villanova, PA	Villanova	31–12
44	November 20, 2010	Newark, DE	Villanova	28–21^OT
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	Villanova	35–7
Series: Villanova leads 34–22–1

References

↑ "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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[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.

[1]

Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
Venues	Frazer Field (1913–1946) Wilmington Park (1940–1952) Delaware Stadium (1952–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games 1974 Grantland Rice Bowl Delaware State: Route 1 Rivalry James Madison Lehigh Villanova: Battle of the Blue West Chester William & Mary
Culture & lore	YoUDee "The Delaware Fight Song" Marching Band Winged football helmet
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
National championship seasons in bold

Villanova Wildcats football
Venues	Shibe Park (1925–1926, 1936–1949, 1951, 1953) Villanova Stadium (1927–present) Philadelphia Municipal Stadium (1930, 1953–1957) Franklin Field (1948–1950, 1952–1953) Subaru Park (alternate; 2011–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Delaware: Battle of the Blue Temple: Mayor's Cup
Culture & lore	Will D. Cat "V for Villanova"
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
National championship seasons in bold

Game results

See also

References