BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Since the return of the Stetson football program, the Hatters have been trying to get their running game on track.

Consider that done.

The Hatters got outstanding performances on the ground from sophomores Cole Mazza and Jerami Singleton, helping the team pile up 346 total rushing yards in a 37-19 victory over home-standing Birmingham-Southern. The Hatters improved to 2-2 on the year with the victory while the Panthers dropped to 0-3.

It took a while for the ground game to get started, but once it did, the Hatters just started pounding the ball at the middle of the BSC defense.

“We were really fired up, especially in the second half,” offensive lineman Patrick Fogarty said. “In the first half, we were disappointed in ourselves. In the second half, we picked it up and we just kept running the same play over and over again. We were just tired of seeing one yard carries, so we picked up our intensity today.”

Those one-yard carries turned into an average of 7.5 yards per carry by the end of the game. Both Mazza (131 yards) and Singleton (113), surpassed the 100-yard plateau, giving the Hatters their first two running backs to eclipse that mark.

“I thought they ran very hard, they broke tackles and the fullbacks, both Mike Yonker and Craig Carrington, blocked very well as well,” Hatters coach Roger Hughes said. “That was crucial. We played really aggressive and really physical and our receivers did a great job of blocking on the perimeter. That is the reason why we had so many of those long runs. It was very much a team effort.”

 And the Hatters needed all of the effort they received.

The game was a back-and-forth affair in the first half. Things got started when the Panthers drove 61 yards in six plays with Michael Cowan hauling in the first of his two first half scoring passes from 14 yards out from Austin Martin. The PAT failed, which led to a big turn later in the half.

The Hatters answered with a quick four play scoring drive, with freshman fullback Carrington finding the end zone from 21 yards away on a pass from Ryan Tentler. The PAT kick from James LaGamma put Stetson up 7-6.

“We had that schemed up for this week because we thought they might show us the right coverage for that play, and they did,” Hughes said.

Stetson extended its lead early in the second quarter when Singleton race in from five yards out to cap a nine-play, 70-yard drive. The PAT put the Hatters up 14-6.

That advantage lasted all of 14 seconds when Cowan struck again, this time on a 75-yard pass from Mickey Courtney. The earlier missed PAT came back to haunt the Panthers when Courtney attempted to throw for a two-point conversion, but Ryan Powers picked off the pass and returned it end zone to end zone for a two-point defensive conversion.

“We had man coverage and I just broke on the ball,” Powers said. “I got a couple of good blocks, a good block by Donald (Payne) down the field to help me go all the way.”

The game remained 16-12 until the final two minutes of the half when both teams struck for quick scores.

BSC started, converting from 39 yards out on a Joe Moultrie run after Tentler was intercepted by Ty Keenum on the previous play. The Panthers settled for a PAT kick to take a 19-16 lead.

“In the first half we played good, but we gave up those two explosive plays that led to touchdowns and that hurts,” Powers said. “Those were mental mistakes and we corrected that at halftime. In the second half, the defense just played great. Everyone was flying around and making plays.”

Tentler bounced back from his mistake on the first play after the kickoff, racing into Panthers' territory on a 42-yard run. He then connected with Kegan Moore on a 19-yard pass to the three, setting up Singleton for a short TD run. The PAT gave Stetson a 23-19 lead at the half.

“I have to stop making those mistakes, but I was thankful that those other guys picked me up,” Tentler said. “Cole and Jerm picked me up down the field and the offensive line was blocking their butts off the whole time. We just had to keep our composure and not let those turnovers get to us.”

Hughes said he was close to making a change at quarterback before Tentler led that late scoring drive.

“I think that was very important for Ryan,” Hughes said. “I was warming his backup and had told him that he didn't have it today but, to his credit, he responded. He benefitted from the fact that our run game really picked up and our offensive line decided to take the game over. It was a great next step as we head into conference play.”

After giving up those 19 points in the first half, the defense pitched a shutout in the second half. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Stetson offense was in full-out ground-and-pound mode.

“We made some adjustments at the half and just started pounding them,” Mazza said. “Eventually we started to get five yards down field. It was a blessing to be out there on the field. We knew the linebackers kept shifting, so we were working to the back side to seal it off and the line did a great job of sealing it off.”

Both Singleton and Mazza found the end zone in the fourth quarter. Singleton scored his third touchdown on an eight-yard run that capped a six-play scoring drive, and Mazza pounded it home on a three-yard plunge to cap an 11-play drive.

“We knew that 44 (Austin Hansard) was one of their best players, and we were schemed to go one way, and he was sitting on the back side waiting for us,” Tentler said. “We just changed the play at halftime and decided to attack him, wear him out and take him out of the game. We did a great job of doing that up front.”

It was up front, where the Hatters had two freshmen starting for the first time in their careers, where the game was won. Both Jared Gleason and Charles Wallace contributed to the school-record 12 penalties, but they also contributed greatly to the 479 yards of total offense.

“It was great to see our offensive line do so well,” Singleton said. “I am just happy that we were able to showcase their play. I just kept running hard and ended up near the end zone. I know most of that has everything to do with the blocking up front and the rest was me being determined.”

While the offense was pounding the ball down the field, the defense was keeping the Panthers off the board in the second half. Safety Donald Payne said they simplified some things at halftime, and it made a huge difference.

“Coach came into the locker room at halftime and just calmed us down,” Payne said. “We had to get back to fundamentals. We started playing a little more zone in the second half, and that helps us with out reads. When we went back to zone, I don't think Birmingham-Southern was ready for it.”

In addition to Mazza and Singleton, Tentler also rushed for 57 yards in the game to go with his 133 passing yards. On the defensive side, Payne led all tacklers with 13 stops, including 12 solo. He had a sack, three tackles for loss, forced a fumble, had an interceptions and was credited with three quarterback hurries.

The Hatters will now get a week off to rest and recover before starting an eight-week stretch of play in the Pioneer Football League. Stetson will open league play on October 4 when they host defending conference co-champion Butler.

“This win means everything,” Payne said. “We were 0-2 and had been blown out in the last two games. Now we are going into conference play at 2-2. We have a bye week to get our bodies right and then we go into conference. Being able to go into conference 2-2 is huge.

Notes

• Stetson won the coin toss for the third consecutive game. The Hatters took the ball to start the game.
• Freshmen Charles Wallace and Jared Gleason both made their first career starts on the offensive line for the Hatters.
• Freshman Craig Carrington recorded his first touchdown on a 21-yard pass from Ryan Tentler in the first quarter.
• Ryan Powers recorded the first defensive conversion in Stetson football history with his pick and return in the second quarter.
• The Hatters finished the game with school records for both penalties (12) and yards penalized (105).
• Stetson was the victim of a fake punt in the game. Birmingham-Southern kicker Hagen Mancuso ran for 25 yards on the fake, but the Stetson defense responded by stopping the Panthers on fourth down later in the drive with a Donald Payne sack.