After falling behind visiting Davidson 26-7 with just under nine minutes left to play Saturday at Spec Martin Stadium, the Stetson Hatters put on a furious rally that ended just short in a 26-20 loss in the first of six games scheduled for this spring.
 
It was the first Stetson football game since November 23, 2019 – a span of 476 days. An announced crowd of 771 fans were in attendance.
 
Davidson's ball control offense limited opportunities for the Hatters, who has just one possession in the opening quarter. Davidson held a 29:01 – 14:59 advantage in time of possession through the first three quarters to control the tempo.
 
Despite Davidson's control of the clock, Stetson led 7-6 at halftime thanks to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Alex Piccirilli to Jalen Mason with just 13 second left before intermission. Davidson scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to take a 26-7 lead with 8:51 to go in the game.
 
The Hatters started their comeback effort there. rallied in the latter stages of the fourth quarter to make it a close game. Piccirilli capped an 11-play, 87-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 3:50 to play. A try for two failed, leaving Stetson with a 26-13 deficit.
 
The Hatters recovered an onside kick and quickly drove 46 yards in seven plays to score again. Piccirilli connected with redshirt freshman tight end Mason Proch for an 11-yard touchdown, with the PAT cutting the deficit to six with 2:12 left to play.
 
A second onside kick attempt was recovered by Davidson, allowing the Wildcats to milk the final time off the game clock.
 
Piccirilli, a redshirt junior making his first start, completed 22-of-31 pass attempts for 192 yards and two scores while also rushing for 74 yards on 12 attempts with a touchdown. Sophomore Jordan Younge-Humphrey, a transfer from Jacksonville, carried most of the load in the ground game, rushing for 115 yards on 21 carries in his first start. Sophomore receiver Michael Carley hauled in seven passes for 80 yards to lead the Hatters.
 
Davidson's offense operated as expected, with senior quarterback Tyler Phelps, a Pensacola native, guiding the Wildcats' triple-option attack to perfection. Phelps ran for 120 yards on 21 carries to lead Davidson, as the Wildcats piled up 297 rush yards in the game.
 
Phelps also completed seven of his 10 pass attempts for 92 yards, including touchdown passes of 15 and 25 yards, both in the second half.
 
While the Wildcats did not commit a turnover in the game, Davidson scored 23 of its 26 points off Stetson turnovers -  two on downs plus a fumble and an interception.
 
On the defensive side, Stetson was led by another Jacksonville transfer, sophomore linebacker Ethan Hull, with 12 tackles. Sophomore safety Rassie Littlejohn, making his first start, had 11 stops while redshirt freshman linebacker Tallin Coates had nine tackles. Junior Dwight Lawrence, who moved from free safety to dawg safety, had eight tackles in the game.
 
The Davidson defense was led by junior linebackers Jalen Jefferson and Jake Alexander with 10 tackles each.
 
Stetson is scheduled to make its first road trip of the spring next Saturday when the Hatters travel to Morehead, Ky., for a game against Morehead State. Kickoff is scheduled for noon and the game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
 
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.