Students turn out to cheer on the Fightin’ Blue Hens

Student spirit takes flight early in the season as YoUDee rallies cheers in the South End Zone student section at the UD vs. Citadel game on Sept. 6.

4:46 p.m., Dec. 12, 2003--The 2003 University of Delaware football season has been successful on the field, in the stands and, perhaps most important, in the South End Zone.

The Fightin’ Blue Hens have compiled a 13-1 record and meet Wofford College in the NCAA Division I-AA playoff semifinals at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13, at Delaware Stadium. The 13 wins ties a school record held by the 1979 Division II national championship team, on which UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler played.

The fans have turned out in large numbers, the Hens averaging more than 21,100 fans per game throughout the regular season and drawing 11,881 despite a snowstorm for last week’s quarterfinal victory over the University of Northern Iowa.

Perhaps most gratifying, however, is the fact that the members of the football team have enjoyed tremendous support from their peers, with students consistently filling the boisterous South End Zone.

The student support was noticeable from the opening game against The Citadel on Sept. 6 when hundreds of freshmen, sporting blue T-shirts handed out during a New Student Convocation pep rally, turned out to cheer the Hens.

“The success of the football team is, in part, due to the solid fan support it receives throughout the year, but especially at home games,” UD Director of Athletics Edgar Johnson said. “A significant part of that support is drawn from the students and the Blue Hen Fever student spirit group. They have had a growing presence at every home game and have contributed to our home field advantage.

“What is impressive about our student support is that last week after snow on Friday and heavy snow on Saturday morning, 2,476 students showed up en masse, with faces painted and in some cases without shirts, to cheer on the football team,” Johnson said. “Their cheering was enthusiastic and loud. It was definitely a factor.

“Student attendance at football games has been the best it has been in the past decade and is about a 100 percent increase over last season,” Johnson said. “The students seem to have caught Blue Hen Fever and are spreading it.”

The numbers speak volumes about the growing student support. “We have had 1,000 more students per game this year compared to last,” Curt Krouse, UD athletics marketing director, said. “In 2002, the total student attendance for the season was 8,337 for six regular season home games. This year, that number has nearly doubled to 16,562 for seven regular season home games.”

Crouse noted that student support has not waned in the post-season, with about one-fifth of the total attendance for the snow game against Northern Iowa made up of students.

And, as of Friday afternoon, more than 2,600 students had purchased tickets for the playoff game against Wofford, meaning the student section likely will spill out of the South End Zone and into the East and West stands.

“Student support this year has been outstanding and it deserves to be recognized. This is something we’re really very proud of,” Crouse said. “We think this has been a very successful year.”

Marilyn Prime, UD director of student centers, said she has had strong positive feedback about the noontime Thursday pep rally at the Trabant University Center. “Many students commented that seeing Coach Keeler and the players was really exciting,” she said. “The presence of UD Marching Band members, the cheerleaders and YoUDee brought the reality of Delaware playing in the semifinals to the students.”

Dave Sammarco, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, added, "It was great to see everyone come out for the pep rally yesterday. As the stress of finals fades, students will realize how terrific the season has been and join together in what we hope will be a victory march! Go Big Blue!"

Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by Eric Crossan

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