The first half of the 2014 season was all about making improvements as a team for the Stetson Hatters. While those improvements have not resulted in as many victories as the Hatters would like, they are evident in the way the team has played.
All of those first half strides into play on Saturday evening when the Hatters host league-leading Jacksonville at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on WSBB AM 1230 in New Smyrna Beach and 1490 in DeLand as well as on WYGM AM 740 “The Game” in Orlando. Video streaming of the game will also be available on Hatter Vision through the official Stetson Athletics web site, www.GoHatters.com.
Tickets for the game are also available through the Stetson Athletics Ticket Office. Single game tickets start at just $15 for general admission.
Stetson head coach Roger Hughes said the game against Jacksonville (5-1, 4-0) is big for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is that the game gives the Hatters (2-4, 0-2) a chance to get a program defining victory in the Pioneer Football League.
“It would be huge,” Hughes said. “You have to get that big win. When I was a GA at Nebraska we played Florida State, and they beat us in Lincoln. Coach Bowden talked about that was the win that put their program over the top, giving them credibility but, more importantly, giving his team belief. We need that kind of win.”
While the Hatters have seen the fruits of their labor produce more competitive games each of the last two weeks in PFL play, the results have not resulted in a victory. Going into this this three-game stretch against Butler, San Diego and Jacksonville, Hughes called the trio “Murders' Row”. The Dolphins represent the biggest challenge of the three.
“We aren't good enough, physically, to match up with them, toe-to-toe,” Hughes said. “We are going to have great special teams play, we are going to have to get some breaks and we are going to have to play error-free from the standpoint of penalties and turnovers. We have shown spurts of that.
“Being able to play well, and winning the game in the fourth quarter, would be huge. It would give the kids confidence and it would give us credibility in the recruiting wars in the state. Most importantly for us is to make sure that we are a better team when we step off the field.”
The challenge for Stetson this week is complicated by the fact that the Hatters have been hit by the injury bug over the last couple of weeks. Stetson will be without the services of several players, some for the rest of the season, but Hughes said the remaining players have a positive attitude about the rash of injuries.
“Interestingly enough, even with guys out, guys who have been instrumental in the success we have had, our team really doesn't seem to be phased by the injuries,” Hughes said. “It is more of a next guy up and let's go attitude. That is a good thing.”
That “next guy up” attitude was on display last week when punter James LaGamma went down with a season-ending injury early in the game at San Diego, when Grant Amick stepped in. Others – like Bobby Jakubek and John Post – have also stepped in to fill voids opened by injuries.
“I thought Grant Amick punted admirably last week after having not punting for a couple of years,” Hughes said. “Then, we have Eric Fogle, who would probably start as a punter on most other teams. He has been waiting for this challenge. He has punted in games this year, and has done very well. The combination, and competition, should make them better.”
Jakubek stepped in at the Dawg safety position last week when Zach Dyer – who has been plagued by injuries all year – went down again. All he did was tie for the team lead with nine tackles, including a sack.
Like some of the others on the offensive line, Post had to make a move to right tackle after both Jared Gleason and Matt Wawrzyniak went down. Even with the losses of those two players, Hughes said the line has gotten better as it has faced injury adversity, which has included the captain of that group, Fletcher Eldemire.
“On the offensive line, we are about where we were last week,” Hughes said. “We will get Wawrzyniak back, but it looks like it is going to be a little while on Gleason. I think Fletcher is healthier than he has been in a long time, but we have done a good job of grooming some other guys who can play there.”
Hughes said the play of the offensive line against JU will be a key to the Hatters' success in the game. Because the Dolphins have such a dynamic and prolific offensive attack, the Hatters will need to keep them off the field by controlling the ball on offense.
“They have some very quick defensive linemen; in fact they are using linebackers to put their hands on the ground and go,” Hughes said. “Part of the game is going to be how our guys react to their speed. We have tried to simulate that in practice by using our linebackers to give them the pass rush they are going to see, but until you see it at game speed, you just don't know. Part of the play will be based on how we handle that speed.”
Offensively, JU has two of the best weapons in the PFL in quarterback Kade Bell – the son of Dolphins head coach Kerwin Bell – and running back Ulysses Bryant. Bell is coming off a career performance last week against Morehead State. In that game, the junior threw for 441 yards and six touchdowns. He leads the PFL in passing yards per game and total offense per game while Bryant is third in the league, averaging 102.7 yards per game on the ground.
“The thing that is great about Kade is that he does a great job of buying time in the pocket and he just never seems to get rattled,” Hughes said. “He will move around, dance around, but he always has his eyes downfield looking for the throw. You have to be disciplined in your coverage, and not come out of coverage, because he will find the open spot in the zone.”
Bell's top targets are senior Andrew Robustelli and junior Andy Jones. Both are among league leaders in average yards per catch and TD receptions. The downfield threat, coupled with the running of Bryant and fullback Frantz Caudio – who rushed for 195 yards against the Hatters last year – mean the Stetson secondary will be under the gun all day.
The play of cornerbacks Chris Atkins and Glenn Adesoji, along with safety Ryan Powers, will determine how well the Hatters control a Jacksonville offensive unit that is averaging a league-leading 441.8 yards per game.
That trio for Stetson is coming off a mixed performance last week at San Diego. Atkins had four tackles, an interception and three pass breakups, but also dropped an almost sure pick six and was flagged for a holding penalty that nullified a Powers interception. Adesoji and Powers both had six tackles in the game but, like Atkins, Adesoji got flagged for a key penalty.
Hughes said Atkins, who is from Jacksonville, is especially looking forward to the challenge the Dolphins present.
“They are going to be throwing to some pretty good people and I think Chris is looking forward to the challenge,” Hughes said. “The thing that Chris does in practice every day is try to find our best receiver to go up against one-on-one. So, he gets better every time. I think he is looking forward to the opportunity to face their receivers, knowing that they are really good.
“He also knows that if he is going to be as good as he wants to be, he has to face those kinds of receivers. To his credit, he has continued to improve. He has really done a good job of improving his man-to-man skills. He is not big in stature, but he tries to play bigger than he is.”
Because of the multiple weapons Jacksonville has at its disposal, the Hatters may be forced away from their regular philosophy of playing man coverage in the secondary and blitzing frequently. The plan is to blanket coverage to give a four, or five, man rush time to get to Bell.
“The thing we can't do is just lock them down because of the talent they have on the perimeter,” Hughes said. “They will win the one-on-one battles. You have to try to make them take in small chucks and make them be patient so that, hopefully, he'll lose his patience one time and throw it to where we are and they aren't.”
In addition to this game being against the best team in the PFL, it is also a rivalry game against a state foe. There are plenty of players on both teams who know each other from playing with, or against, then in high school. For the game to be a true rivalry, the Hatters have to make the game competitive.
“It is Florida kids versus Florida kids,” Hughes said. “They all know each other and they all talk. With that being said, everyone says this should be a rivalry and, geographically, it should be. But, to me it is not a rivalry until we compete with them in the game. We competed with them for three quarters last year, but then didn't compete so well in the fourth.”
Hughes said he expects there to be a big crowd of vocal supporters at the game for the Dolphins, especially for local players like defensive linemen Maroa White and Tyler Havenner from DeLand High School.
“I am sure they are hyped up to be back in their home stadium, Spec Martin, and back in front of the home fans,” Hughes said. “The electricity and excitement for the game should be great. It should be a great college game. We have to make sure that we don't make mistakes early so that we can hang around and get the crowd in the game and, hopefully, win it in the fourth quarter.”
