Morehead, KY – On the final day of their collegiate careers, graduates Gaven DeFilippo and Max Draper combined to lead Stetson to a 31-16 victory over Morehead State to give the Hatters a 7-4 final record for the 2019 season.
 
DeFilippo completed 19-of-38 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, with two of those scoring passes going to Draper, who had 101 yards on four receptions. DeFilippo also connected with senior Tony Gilotti for a career-high nine receptions in the game and also ran for 91 yards and a score.
 
Morehead State, with the loss, fell to 5-7 overall on the year and 3-4 in Pioneer Football League Play. Stetson finished 4-4 in league play.
 
Despite forcing four first half turnovers, the Hatters found themselves in a 6-0 hole when Morehead State safety Aaron Turk scooped up a DeFilippo fumble and returned it 77 yards for the first points of the day. The Eagles tried for a two-point conversion, but failed, leaving the lead at 6-0 with 10:28 left in the half.
 
That offensive miscue, and a short pause in the steady rain that fell throughout, seemed to light a fire under the Hatters.
 
Jalen Leary got things going for Stetson with a 49-yard run to the MSU 19. He picked up another seven on the next play, setting up the first touchdown pass from DeFilippo to Draper from 12-yards away. Jonny Messina added the PAT for a 7-6 Stetson lead with 8:16 left in the half.
 
After forcing another Morehead State punt, one of four in the first half to go with the four turnovers, the Hatters hit a big play on a pass from DeFilippo to Draper that deflected off the shoulder pad of an Eagles defender and into Draper's hands. The Chicago native took the lucky bounce 74 yards for a Stetson touchdown. Messina added the PAT for a 14-6 Hatters lead at the break.
 
Stetson pushed its lead to 21-6 early in the third quarter with a seven-play scoring drive. The big play was a 58-yard pass to Austin Perlman to get into the red zone. DeFilippo then hooked up with Jeremiah Nails for a 9-yard TD pass that went through the hands of an MSU defender.
 
The Eagles answered that scoring drive with one of their own, their first offensive production of the game. Running back Issac Aguero was the workhorse on the drive, carrying the ball five times for 28 yards, including the 1-yard TD run to cut the Stetson lead to 21-13.
 
MSU got back to within five on a 40-yard field goal by Andrew Foster after Stetson punter Matias Gasc tried to run for a first down and came up just inches short, giving the Eagles the ball at the Stetson 29.
 
Stetson got a nice punt return from Jaylon Johnson of 25 yards that got a boost from and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Morehead State. The Hatters moved inside the 10, but settled for a 24-yard field goal from Messina to push the lead back to eight points, 24-16, with 7:15 to play.
 
DeFilippo effectively put the game away on his own with 3:48 to play when he ran for a 31-yard touchdown to cap the scoring. He finished his career with more than 500 rushing yards and more than 3,500 passing yards.
 
In addition to the production of the seniors on offense, Leary became the first Stetson player in the modern era to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. Leary had 97 yards on 15 carries in the game and finished the year with 1,013 yards.
 
Senior linebacker Colby Duncan closed out his career on a high note, finishing with 20 total tackles to join a club that previously only counted Donald Payne as a member. The 20 tackles are the fourth most in a game in modern Stetson history.
 
Collintino Andrews also finished with a career-best 10 tackles in the game for Stetson.
 
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.