For most, it seems like only yesterday that 108 fresh-faced and excited freshmen players reported to the Stetson University campus to embark on a new odyssey. They were pioneers, of sorts, in leading Hatters football from the history books back to the field.
 
On Saturday, the remaining 13 members of that initial signing class, along with 10 other seniors who came later or have been involved with the program is other ways, will take to the field at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium as Hatters for the final time. The final Hatter Walk of the year through Hatter Village is scheduled for 10:25 a.m.
 
Kickoff of the game between Stetson and the visiting Drake Bulldogs is scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be video streamed for free through Stetson's Athletics web site, GoHatters.com, and will also be broadcast on the Stetson Hatters Radio Network with Pete Blais and Brandon Kravitz on the call, and with Tracy Dent providing sideline reports.
 
In addition to being senior day for the Stetson football team, there will be a number of other events being held in conjunction with the game. At halftime there will be a recognition ceremony for more than 200 Stetson student-athletes who received academic success in the last academic year. There will also be a ring ceremony for the 2016 Stetson Beach Volleyball team in recognition of their ASUN championship.
 
Also as a part of the game, MeStrong will be awarding a total of $1,600 to student groups, including any clubs or athletics teams, who show the most spirit. The money will be awarded in increments of $400 per quarter.
 
For those seniors, as well as for the Stetson coaches, the toughest job on Saturday will be in maintaining their focus on the game against a Drake team that is one of the best in the Pioneer Football League and comes in riding a three-game win streak.
 
"It is going to be an emotional game," Hatters head coach Roger Hughes said. "Those guys were a part of our original class and those 13 fifth-year seniors chose to forego moving into the real world to pay for another opportunity to leave a great foundation here.
 
"There are always tears when the parents are there and you have pictures. We have to be able to push through that emotion to get focused on the game. We also have to make sure the emotion we have on the field comes from the game and not all of the other things they are thinking about."
 
The group of seniors who will be honored prior to the game includes: DB Glenn Adesoji, K Grant Amick, DB Chris Atkins, DT Davion Belk, WR Chase Carriere, WR Chris Crawford, OL Patrick Fogarty, P Eric Fogle, LS Gary Gotling, WR Jonathan Jerozal, LB David Lazear, TE Austin Marks, RB Cole Mazza, WR Kegan Moore, DB Donald Payne, LB Delvin Riley, LB Reeves Rogers, OL Matt Wawrzyniak, LB Dylan Wydronkowski and FB Mike Yonker along with student coach John Post, equipment assistant Hunter Davis and video assistant Jake Ohlwein.
 
"While I am disappointed in the total number of wins we have had, I am really pleased with the job they have done of helping us establish and change to a winning culture," Hughes said of those seniors. "For me, I want in the worst way to get them the win so they have a great memory going out of all the hard work they have put in.
 
"For the program, those who will remain behind, it would be a great springboard into the off-season. It would give us a lot of positivity going into spring ball and into the off-season, which would be big for us."
 
To get that much needed victory to end the season, the Hatters will have to find a way to beat a Drake team that has downed Campbell, Jacksonville and Butler in the last three weeks and has the memory of a 41-3 victory over the Hatters last year in Des Moines.
 
The Bulldogs have a veteran club of their own that includes 16 seniors, five fifth year seniors, and five juniors listed as starters on offense and defense.
 
On offense Drake is led by senior running back Conley Wilikins and sophomore quarterback Grant Kraemer. Wilkins is second in the PFL, behind only San Diego star Jonah Hodges, averaging 94.1 yards per game on the ground. Kraemer is fourth in the league in passing yards and third in TD passes.
 
"There is no one in the league who can compare to Hodges," Hughes said, " but Wilkins is a really good back. He is more of a power guy, but he is quick enough to make you miss. It is the same thing that we tried to do with Hodges, contain him and make sure we get enough people around him to gang tackle, because he will break a tackle.
 
"We recruited Kraemer very hard, so we know him. He moves around very well and manages the game well. The place they have been hurting is turnovers. They are minus four in turnovers and, hopefully, we can continue that trend and end up on the positive side of the turnover battle."
 
Early in the season, the Hatters thrived on turnovers by opponents but, over the last three games, Stetson has not recorded an interception and has forced just two turnovers on fumbles.
 
"We've got to get some pressure on and make him unsure of where he is throwing it and make him throw it up a little bit," Hughes said. "Hopefully, when he does that, we can be there to make a play on the ball. Last week we had a couple go through our hands, so when we do have those opportunities, we have to be able to finish the play."
 
The key to getting pressure on the quarterback comes from the front line, but building a pass rush against an offensive line that averages better than 280 pounds could prove to be a challenge. Against a similar sized offensive line last week at San Diego, the Hatters, who have led the nation in tackles for loss most of the year, had just one sack and three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
 
"They run a couple of different gap schemes, they run a counter and they are a physical, down hill, football team," Hughes said. "For us to match up, we have to get an extra safety in the box and confuse their quarterback by disguising our coverages. There have been times this year where he has tried to throw the ball where he shouldn't throw it. If we can fool him with our disguises and make him hold it longer, then maybe our pressure can get there."
 
Defensively, the Bulldogs are smaller across the board, but they do have a pair of mammoth tackles in senior Ximi Asani (5-11, 283) and junior Nathan Clayberg (6-3, 292). Handling those big guys inside will be key in both the running game and in pass protection.
 
"They play a four-man front on defense with linemen who run very well," Hughes said. "Their linebackers run very well and are never out of place. They have been a little inconsistent in that in some games they have been susceptible to giving up the run. Overall, they are very sound and will be a tough challenge for our offense."
 
Hughes said that while the matchups up front for the Stetson offense are better than they were at San Diego last week, the key will be having the offensive line functioning at a high level.
 
"I like the matchups better than last week, but we have to come to play," Hughes said. "Last week, it wasn't a great matchup for us, but we also didn't compete very well. We have to play hard. Some of these guys will be playing in their last game, ever, so I think the emotion will be there and the adrenalin will be there for us to play extremely hard."
 
As is always the case in season-finale games, there will be players on both teams within striking distance of milestones. For Stetson, the focus will be on Payne. A two-time All-American, Payne is 26 tackles shy of the all-time Division I record (for both FBS and FCS) record for career tackles.
 
"That is a pretty big number, especially considering the record is 30," Hughes said. "He would have to have a record-setting day. The type of production he has had is remarkable and he will end up being one of the most decorated athletes to ever play here at Stetson.
 
"We had to play one game without him this year, and that wasn't much fun. After this game, we are going to have to learn to play without him going forward. He has been such a great producer on the field and, most important, he has been a great citizen off the field and a great producer in the class room."
 
In addition to the career tackles record, Payne has a chance to lead the PFL in tackles for a fourth consecutive season. Despite missing one game, he currently stands second in the league with 100 tackles on the year, four behind teammate Jeb Boudreaux.
 
"I think, for Donald, the thing that makes him a special player is the fact that he could care less about the tackles," Hughes said. "All he cares about is the win. Hopefully we can produce that for these seniors."
 
Hughes said the keys to getting that win are no different than in any other game – winning the turnover battle, making the Drake offense one-dimensional, creating short fields on special teams and taking advantage of every scoring opportunity on offense.
 
The offensive key, a week after producing just 79 yards of total offense at San Diego, will be generating some production in the run game and giving sophomore quarterback Nick Andreas time to make his reads and throws.
 
"We have to mix the run and the pass, but it is crucial that Nick, and everyone on the team, communicates very well and understands what they are doing," Hughes said. He has to get his alignments right, make sure when he is checking a protection he is doing it for a reason, make sure he is throwing the ball on time.
 
"Clearly, our line and running backs have to pass protect much better than they did last week for us to have a chance."
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.