DELAND, Fla. – Hatter Football will honor 31 players, six members of cheer and one manager prior to taking on Presbyterian College tomorrow at 1 p.m., from Spec Martin Stadium. The game and ceremony will be broadcast on Hattervision YouTube.
Stetson and Presbyterian have an extensive history first playing in 1938. The Blue Hose lead with nine wins to one for Stetson and two ties. In the Modern era of SU Football, each team has taken a win on the other's home field with PC winning in DeLand in April 2021 with the Hatters putting eight touchdowns on the board in the most recent meeting, last fall.
Stetson is trying to end the season on the right note. With the Tommies rolling over SU last weekend, they represent the first PFL team to really contain and control the Hats. Every other PFL game has come down to the fourth quarter. Arguably, Stetson had a chance last week in the fourth quarter but would have needed a lot of plays to go their way and it just was not the day for that.
This week marks the honoring of players that will be suiting up for the final time for the green and white. With no realistic postseason chances for either side, it will be an important game for careers coming to a close and for momentum into next year.
PC generally attacks through the air with 2,079 yards passing to 820 on the ground and 19 touchdowns scored by the offense combined. Last time out, the Blue Hose used a quarterback tandem of Nate Hayden and Tyler Wesley threw for a combined 364 yards against Dayton. Freshman Dominic Kibby blew up for 212 yards against the Flyers for three touchdowns. Falling behind, the Blue Hose had to depend on the pass and Jalen Jones as a returning threat opened Kibby for the big game. Containing that tandem of receivers will be a key, but what may be more important is creating havoc in the pocket. Presbyterian quarterbacks have been sacked 42 times in 10 games.
Alex Herriott spearheads the defensive issue pacing the Blue Hose in tackles [90], tackles-for-loss [6.0] and sacks [4.0]; knowing where number 44 lines up will be crucial for Hatter quarterback
Brady Meitz. A.J. Seay has both interceptions for Presbyterian, one returned for touchdown last week against Dayton. Four different players have recovered seven forced fumbles. The Blue Hose surrender an average of 218.5 rushing yards per game and an average of 231.3 through the air.
After a week that may be a bit a mix of anomaly weather, St. Thomas rushing attack shortening the game and St. Thomas defense slamming the door, the Hatters were held to their lowest totals of the season. Despite the limited offense, Meitz still maintains the highest passing yards in the league [2548] in one fewer game than the next closest.
Quinton Lane maintains the top receiving yards per game advantage in the PFL [73.22]. The three-headed attack of
Jalen Leary,
Kaderris Roberts and
Devon Brewer will need to make smart runs to open the pass.
Ethan Hull has solidified his spot at the top of the PFL standings for tackles made with an average of 10.67 and 96 overall in nine games.
Davion Maxwell and
Majeste' Hansberry find themselves in the top 10 for tackles-per-game.
Ja'Veon Ensley is averaging a little over a [1.06] tackle-for-loss per game.
Rassie Littlejohn and
Micah Adams both rank in the top 10 of passes defended in the PFL. Littlejohn and Ensley top the league in interceptions with five each.
If the Hatters stay focused without underestimating their opponents, they should send the home crowd home happy.
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS (PDF).
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