CHICAGO -- The University of Delaware football team, which returns 10 starters from last year’s squad, has already received high marks for this fall as the Blue Hens were picked No. 20 in the Any Given Saturday pre-season Top 25 poll announced recently.

The AGS poll, sponsored by the website www.AnyGivenSaturday.com, is the first released national poll of the pre-season.

Defending national champion University of Richmond received 59 first place votes and was the top pick in the poll and one of eight Colonial Athletic Association teams listed among the Top 25.

Of the teams selected in the Top 25, Delaware is the only squad that did not have a winning record a year ago and only squad that did not have at least six wins.

Appalachian State earned 20 first place votes and was at No. 2 followed by 2008 national runner-up Montana (5), CAA runner-up Villanova (11), Northern Iowa (2), James Madison (1), Southern Illinois, New Hampshire, Weber State, and Elon in the Top 10.

Wofford was at No. 11 followed by Cal Poly, William & Mary, Central Arkansas, Maine, McNeese State, South Carolina State, Massachusetts, Eastern Washington, Delaware, South Dakota State, Furman, Texas State, Georgia Southern, and Montana State.

The Blue Hens, who went 4-8 a year ago, will face five pre-season Top 25 teams as they will host No. 1 Richmond Sept. 12, travel to No. 13 William & Mary Sept. 26, travel to No. 15 Maine Oct. 3, host No. 18 Massachusetts Oct. 10, host No. 6 James Madison Oct. 31, and host No. 4 Villanova in the regular season finale Nov. 21.

Delaware will be led offensively by first-year quarterback Pat Devlin, a junior transfer from Penn State, tight end Josh Baker, and wide receiver Mark Duncan. Defensively, the Hens return two All-Americans in defensive end/linebacker Matt Marcorelle (at right) and safety Charles Graves.

Season and single game tickets for the 2009 season are now on sale by visiting the UD athletics website at www.bluehens.com or by calling 302-UD1-HENS (New Castle County) or 1-800-695-HENS (Kent and Sussex counties).