Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Football team returns to action this Saturday, November 7 when they travel to the 23rd-ranked Blue Hens of Delaware for a CAA showdown at Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium. Game time is noon.

The Pride, who are coming off a bye week following their 18-10 loss to then-#9 New Hampshire at Shuart Stadium on October 24, are 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in the CAA. Saturday's game is the 19th meeting between Hofstra and Delaware in a series that started in 1960. The Blue Hens hold a 12-5-1 series lead and have won four of the last five and seven of the last nine encounters against the Pride dating back to 1995. The Pride is 2-7-1 in Newark. The two teams last met on October 25, 2008 in Hempstead with the Blue Hens posting a 17-0 victory over the Pride. 

While both the Hofstra offense (347.6 ypg) and defense (303.9 ypga) stand in the middle of the pack in the CAA, it has been the defense that has stood out and kept the Pride in games in recent weeks. Hofstra has held opponents to 116.4 yards per game on the ground this season led by the linebacker trio of senior, co-captain Luke Bonus (58 tackles), and sophomore Basim Hudeen (56 tackles) and Greg Melendez (55 tackles). The trio rank 13th, 15th and 16th, respectively, in tackles in the CAA.

The Pride offense has been able to move the ball this year but has struggled at times, due to turnovers, to get into the end zone as Hofstra's 10th-best, 17.9 ppg average in the CAA will attest. Senior co-captain Cory Christopher, who has completed 56% or better of his passes in all eight games this season, has completed 136 of 212 passes for 1,438 yards and six touchdowns. His favorite target is junior Aaron Weaver, who has posted 40 receptions for 491 yards and two touchdowns. The Pride rushing game is averaging just 139.4 ypg but five Hofstra players have each picked up more than 195 yards this season. Freshman Miguel Maysonet leads the group with 293 yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries while back-up quarterback, sophomore Steve Probst has added 217 yards and a touchdown on 35 rushes.

The Blue Hens of Delaware are 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the CAA this season. They are coming off a 20-8 loss at home to James Madison-a team the Pride defeated 24-17 on October 3-last Saturday. Like Hofstra, Delaware ranks in the middle of the pack in offense (347.3 ypg) and defense (334.3 ypga) in the CAA. But the Blue Hen passing attack, behind Penn State-transfer, junior Pat Devlin, who has completed 147 of 238 passes for 1,878 yards and 13 touchdowns, ranks second in the CAA. Devlin also spreads out his passes with senior Mark Duncan leading the receiving corps with 28 catches for 471 yards and five touchdowns.Red-shirt freshman David Hayes leads the Blue Hens in rushing with 319 yards and two touchdowns on 80 carries while true-freshman Leon Jackson has rushed for six touchdowns and 300 yards on 91 carries.

-30-