The Stetson football program will be looking to make another stride forward this weekend when the Hatters travel to Buies Creek, NC, to face Campbell.
Kickoff for the game against the Camels is set for 1 p.m. from Barker-Lane Stadium. The game will be Military Appreciation Day at Campbell, with all active and former military members, and their families, receiving free admission with a valid military identification.
The game will be broadcast on the Stetson Radio Network with Matt Musgrove and Steve Ostermann on the call. The game will also be video streamed, free of charge, on the Big South Network.
The Hatters (3-5, 1-3) are coming off their first Pioneer Football League victory of the year, and their first ever PFL win on the road. Campbell (4-4, 4-1) is coming off its first league loss of the season, a 27-20 setback at Marist.
Stetson's objective is to pick up consecutive victories for the first time since the 1952 season. While there were more than 50 years without football, Stetson has played 60 games since the last time the Hatters won games in consecutive weeks.
Talk of ending that streak has carried throughout practice sessions this week.
“That is the next step for this program,” Hatters coach Roger Hughes said. “Sometimes we tend to think a little bit ahead of where we are. Nick Saban tells his team that you have to be where your feet are, and that is what we have tried to do this week.”
To get that second straight win, the Hatters will face a difficult challenge in a Campbell team that plays very well at home and is very different from the one that escaped from Spec Martin Stadium with a 19-18 victory last year, in coach Mike Minter's second season.
A former All-Conference player at the University of Nebraska, and 10-year veteran of the NFL, Minter has brought in a new cast of characters for the Camels, and the group has enjoyed success, especially in PFL play.
“They are much bigger, much stronger and much more physical,” Hughes said. “They have a few new faces on the defensive side of things. Offensively, they do a great job of running the ball, including a great job with the quarterback power. That seems to be the play they have hung their hats on and it is a very difficult play to defend.”
The problem for any team when it relies on one player too much is what happens if that player gets injured. Such has been the situation the Camels have faced over the last two weeks. Senior quarterback Dakota Wolf suffered an injury two games ago and did not play in the loss to Marist. Wolf is a dual threat quarterback who has rushed and passed for six touchdowns this year.
The Camels turned to redshirt freshman backup David Salmon last week and, while he threw for 336 yards against the Red Foxes, Marist held Campbell to just 58 yards rushing in the game.
“I don't notice much difference between the two quarterbacks, but I think Wolf is a better runner,” Hughes said. As he gets healthier, you would think we would see more of him. A lot is going to come down to how well his ankle holds up.”
Hughes said the biggest difference he sees in the Camels this year is the size and athleticism on the defensive side of the ball.
“Defensively, they are huge,” Hughes said. “They are about 290 across the board, they can run and they are ferocious tacklers. They have added to their depth with some transfers, and that has helped them as well. We haven't looked at or talked about last year because this years' Campbell team is so different from what that team was.”
While the Camels are hopeful of getting their quarterback back onto the field, the Hatters will get some players back this week who have missed time with injuries. Key among the returning players are fullback Craig Carrington, lineman Matt Wawrzyniak, running back A.J. Washington and defensive back Zach Dyer. Their return to playing status should be a boost, especially on the road when there are only 58 players on the travel squad.
“Getting those guys back this provides us with some depth, if nothing else,” Hughes said. “If we get someone dinged up during the game, we won't have the drop off in talent level that you normally would. More importantly for us it is about having that experience. How much we will see those guys, we'll have to see as the game goes along. Just because they are back does not mean they are in playing shape.”
Carrington's return from a sprained ankle that has cost him two games is especially key. He gives the Hatters a big back to partner with Cole Mazza that presents problems for opposing defenses.
“Early in the week he was a little rusty, but he has gotten better as the week has gone on,” Hughes said. “A lot will be determined by what kind of game it is and whether we will be able to line up in two-back and do anything.”
One question mark for the Hatters going into the game is the health of quarterback Ryan Tentler. The sophomore has started every game over two seasons, but e took a couple of big hits last week that left him a little bruised and battered. Junior Blake Plattsmier has taken equal reps with the first offense this week, just in case there are any problems for Tentler.
“His week has been pretty uneventful and there is nothing that he can't do, but he hasn't had any contact,” Hughes said of Tentler. “We'll see how that goes. We have rotated Blake in this week as if he were going to be the starter so that, if for whatever reason Ryan can't go, or if we want to manage the amount of contact he has, depending on how the game goes, we have Blake ready to be in there.”
The keys for the Hatters going into the game will be the same as they are virtually every week. Turnovers and winning the running game on both sides of the ball take precedence, but there is one additional component.
“We have to be able to run the ball and we have to be able to stop the run,” Hughes said. “The last one was about having a mental toughness. We don't want to have stupid penalties, no jumping off sides, and everyone being assignment sound. Turnovers are always going to be a part of it. When we have talked about things more, and focused on them more, we have gotten what we have asked for.”
The turnovers have especially been big over the last two weeks. Stetson has forced 11 turnovers over those two games and has vaulted to second in the FCS in total turnovers forced this year with 23. Much of the success in forcing turnovers in the last two games has come from a subtle shift in defensive philosophy.
The Hatters have evolved on defense from a team that blitzed on almost every down to a unit that picks its spots. The change has helped to reduce the number of big plays surrendered, and has also forced opposing offenses to go on long drives – drives that give the Hatters more chances to get their hands on the ball.
“As a defensive coordinator, you'd like to be able to line up and play base and still get pressure on the quarterback, but that is not always doable,” Hughes said. “We have to mix up when we come and how we come with our pressure, with man pressure and zone pressure.
“I think there is a growing confidence that if we continue to make teams take the yards in small chunks, we don't have to force a three-and-out every time. That forces the back end of our defense to make plays and, if you mix it (pressure) up, they are not always prepared for it.”
Hughes noted that two of the interceptions the Hatters forced last week were a direct result of defensive end Davion Belk getting pressure on the quarterback.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Hatters should expect a boost from the return of Carrington as well as Wawrzyniak, who has 14 career starts, on the offensive line. His return, and the continued development of Jack Howerton, who switched from defensive line to offensive line this year, gives the Hatters nine solid linemen who can rotate around to almost any position. Howerton made his first start on the offensive line last week.
“While we are a little short on numbers on the defensive side, I think his mentality is geared more toward the offensive side,” Hughes said. “His father is a high school coach and has that offensive line mentality. We just felt that he has taken to it better.
“The nice thing is that there is competition. If you are in that group and you take some time off, you'll probably get some more time off the next week. I tell the kids that every day is a job interview and every game is a major job interview. If you want to play more, play better and work harder. I think that competition, as much as anything, has helped us get better.”
The Hatters hope that competition and improvement will result in another program first on Saturday. That would make for a second straight happy bus ride back from North Carolina.
Swinton to miss game at Campbell: Freshman Ja'Vonta Swinton, who played a key role for the Hatters last week in the kick return game and as a receiver, will miss the game at Campbell this week following the death of his grandmother last Saturday.
“I received a call from his mother right after the game that she wasn't doing very well and then got a message about an hour later that she had passed away,” Hughes said. “I believe he may have been a little distracted during the game last week, and he will be with his family this week.
Coggin makes move to tight end: Sophomore Rob Coggin, who has been a regular in the Stetson pass game as a receiver for two years has moved from wide out to tight end for the Hatters.
“We like athletic tight ends and we felt that he would be a better fit there with the way that our offense is evolving,” Hughes said. “Last week we had some scenarios where we thought he would be very good there, so we have evolved that package a little more.”
