After an unexpected week off, the Stetson football team will be back on the field at Spec Martin Stadium this Saturday when the Hatters host Marist in the Pioneer Football League opener for both teams.
 
The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on National Ice Cream Cone day. All Stetson University students will receive free admission just by presenting their Stetson identification cards, thanks to the Stetson Alumni Association.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Evan Weston and Stetson student Robert Goldberg on the call of the action.
 
The Hatters (2-0) will be looking for just their second victory in the series against the Red Foxes (0-2), with that win having come during the 2014 season. The teams were tied at 17 in the fourth quarter of the game last year in Poughkeepsie, NY, before Marist put together a pair of late touchdown drives and then took advantage of a late interception for another score in a 38-17 win.
 
After struggling offensively early this season in losses to Georgetown and Bryant, Marist will turn to redshirt freshman Mike Husni at quarterback this week. The Tom's River, NJ, native took over as the starter last week against Bryant and threw for 244 yards despite completing just 12 pass attempts.
 
Much of the credit for that production goes to senior All-PFL receiver Juston Christian, who had four receptions for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the game last week. Christian enters play this week as the all-time Marist leader in receiving yards (3,066) and TD receptions (21).
 
Christian has 14 career 100-yard receiving games, including one against the Hatters. He had 11 receptions in the game last year for 143 yards, giving him 15 catches in his career against Stetson for 214 yards. He has not, however, been able to find the end zone in his three games against Stetson.
 
For the Hatters, the key to making sure that streak continues, and to getting a third straight victory to start a season for the first time since 1951, is keeping the Marist offense on the sideline.
 
With senior quarterback Colin McGovern, an Emerson, NJ, native, and senior running back Matt Taft, a Ballston Lake, NY, product keying what has been a record-setting offense in the first two games this year, the Hatters will have a chance to do that.
 
So far this season, Stetson is averaging 514.5 yards of total offense per game, with 256 yards per game on the ground and 258.5 yards per game through the air. McGovern is averaging better than 11.5 yards per pass attempt so far this year while Taft is averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
 
The rushing game has been so good, in fact, that the Hatters enter play this week needing just 38 rushing yards to surpass the season total from 2017.
 
Of course, McGovern and backup quarterback Gaven DeFilippo, who both have made starts against Marist, will continue to look for their favorite target, senior tight end Donald Parham. After recording 10 receptions for 239 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games, the 6-foot-9 Parham is already Stetson's career receptions leader. He enters play this week needing 120 yards and two touchdowns to take over as the career leader in those categories, surpassing Kegan Moore in the process.
 
Much of the credit for the offensive production lies at the feet of a much-improved offensive line that, as a group, has graded at 79 percent for the first two games while running 11 different linemen into action.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, the Hatters have forced five turnovers and have generated 18 points off those take-aways. Despite playing with as many as seven first-time starters, the defense has been extremely tough early in games, holding the first two opponents to just 14 first half points.
 
If the Hatters can keep up that kind of production, good things will likely be in store.
 
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.