DeLand, Fla— Redshirt junior kicker
Jonny Messina connected on a 27 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Hatters to a dramatic 30-27 win over Butler University in an exciting Pioneer Football League game at Spec Martin Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Messina's kick, which simultaneously gave him the Stetson modern day record for most points in Hatter history with 165, capped off an eight play, 52 yard drive that took the final 1:38 off the clock. Freshman running back
Jalen Leary ran the ball six times and picked up 55 yards on the final drive to get the ball to the Butler 10 yard line before Messina kicked the game winner.
The Hatters' final drive started after the defense forced the Butler offense into a three and out to force a Bulldogs punt from their own 34 yard line. Leary's runs on the final drive included gains of 28, 11 and 9 to get the Hatters into close range for the game winning field goal.
Stetson trailed 27-20, midway through the four quarter, when the Hatters capitalized on their final two possessions. With the score tied at 20, the Bulldogs took a 27-20 lead with 5:53 to go after a five play 60 yard drive, which was capped by a six yard touchdown pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Brown to redshirt freshman wide receiver Johnny O'Shea.
The Hatters countered with an eight play, 63 yard drive to tie the game. Junior wide receiver
Justin Jordan caught a 21 yard pass from graduate quarterback
Gaven DeFilippo with 3:02 remaining to tie the score.
The Butler offense faltered on the ensuing drive and the Hatters forced the Bulldogs to a punt, giving Stetson one final drive, before cashing in.
The win improves the Hatters to 4-1 this season and 1-1 in PFL play, while Butler is now 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Offensively, DeFilippo completed 19 of 36 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan caught seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. His seven catches gives him 102 for his Stetson career, making him only the second Hatter in the modern era (
Donald Parham) to eclipse 100 career receptions for Stetson. Senior wide receiver
Steven Burdette caught three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
The Hatters ran for 268 yards as a team and were led by the running back duo of sophomore
Jareem Westcott and Leary, who both ran for over 100 yards, marking only the second time in Stetson's modern era that two running backs ran for over 100 yards in the same game. Westcott ran the ball 17 times for 159 yards and a touchdown, while Leary had 111 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Defensively for Stetson, senior linebacker
Colby Duncan had 10 tackles and an interception, while redshirt senior linebacker
Jamieson Craske and senior defensive back
Peter Katz had eight tackles each. Senior defensive back
Jalon Scott also added an interception for the Hatters.
Despite the win, Stetson trailed most of the contest. Butler led five different times, four of which snapped ties. Stetson's only lead other than the final was a 14-10 advantage late in the first quarter.
Butler scored the first points of the game on a seven play 95 yard drive to take a 7-0 lead with 9:45 to go in the first quarter. The Hatters tied the game with 8:06 to play on a 31 yard run by Westcott. After a Butler field goal made the score 10-7, Stetson took the lead in the late stages of the first quarter on a 17 yard touchdown pass by DeFilippo to Burdette.
In the second quarter, Butler reserve quarterback Nick Orlando scampered down the field 62 yards to put the Bulldogs back in front, and Butler led 17-14 at halftime.
Messina connected on his first of three second half field goals in the third quarter when he split the uprights from 20 yards out to make the score 17-17 with 5:30 remining.
Butler went back in front early in the fourth quarter on a 27 yard field goal, beforeMessina connected on an 18 yard field goal to tie the game again and the score was 20-20 with 7:56 to go.
Stetson has now won 10 straight home games, a streak dating back to the season opener in 2018. The win also marks the first time Stetson has ever beat Butler since the Hatters restarted the program in 2013.
The Hatters have a bye week coming up and will return to action on October 19 against Dayton University at 1 p.m.
