College morning report: Delaware flips the script; Albany State keeps rolling
By Staff Writer · Published 10/28/2026, 7:20:35 AM ET
Delaware erased a halftime deficit with a second-half shutout, Albany State extended its winning streak, Amherst secured a conference tournament seed, and Brown closed nonconference play with a scoreless draw.
Data as of 10/28/2026, 7:00:00 AM ET · Updated 10/28/2026, 7:20:35 AM ET
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Tuesday’s clearest turn came in Bowling Green
Delaware turned a 21-14 second-quarter deficit into a 35-21 Conference USA road win at Western Kentucky on Tuesday night. Nick Minicucci completed his first 18 passes and finished 32 of 38 for 414 yards and four touchdowns. The Blue Hens led 28-21 at halftime, added a third-quarter touchdown and held Western Kentucky scoreless after the break.
The result moved Delaware to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play while Western Kentucky fell to 3-5 and 2-2. State & Nation’s assessment is that the defensive finish matters as much as the passing total: Delaware allowed three first-half touchdowns, then closed every route back into the game.
Albany State’s streak reaches 12
Albany State swept Clark Atlanta 25-21, 25-17 and 27-25 for its 12th consecutive victory. The Golden Rams improved to 21-8 and 15-1 in the SIAC, producing 46 kills with a .304 hitting percentage while holding Clark Atlanta to .183.
Aleiah Carr led Albany State with 12 kills and hit .611. Jarianis Perez added 11 kills and 11 digs. The third set, with 10 ties and seven lead changes, supplied the strongest resistance before Albany State finished the sweep.
Amherst earns the No. 7 seed
Amherst beat Trinity 4-1 on the road and secured the seventh seed in the NESCAC field hockey tournament. Devon Watson, Caroline Busler, Genevieve Caruso and Cate LaFreniere scored, while Emma Zhang supplied two assists. Amherst held a 19-8 advantage in shots and a 14-6 edge in shots on goal.
The reward is a quarterfinal at second-seeded Middlebury on Saturday. The seed gives Amherst a defined postseason path, but the next test is substantially harder than Tuesday’s three-goal margin.
Brown’s defense closes the door
Brown and Holy Cross played to a 0-0 men’s soccer draw in Worcester. Brown goalkeeper Max Pfaffman made three saves, and the Bears limited Holy Cross to three shots on goal. Brown produced four shots, put one on target and earned six corner kicks.
The draw closed Brown’s nonconference schedule. The Bears return to Ivy League play at Dartmouth on Saturday, when the scoreless finish will matter more as evidence of defensive control than as a missed chance to pad the win column.
Game to watch in the next 48 hours
Central Washington visits No. 25 Seattle Pacific at 7 p.m. Pacific on Thursday in a direct GNAC women’s volleyball race. Central Washington enters 15-4 overall and 11-2 in the conference with a one-match lead over Seattle Pacific, which is 15-5 and 10-2. Central won the first meeting in straight sets on October 3, but Seattle Pacific has won five straight since then.
The cutoff for this report is Wednesday, October 28 at 7 a.m. Eastern. Results published later than that cutoff belong in the next edition.
Sources
Delaware Athletics — Delaware 35, Western Kentucky 21
Albany State Athletics — Albany State 3, Clark Atlanta 0
Amherst Athletics — Amherst 4, Trinity 1