DAVIDSON, N.C. – Despite touchdowns from five different players, the Stetson Hatters fell 70-48 to Davidson on Saturday afternoon at Smith Field at Richardson Stadium. The loss drops Stetson to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in PFL play.
Quarterback Brady Meitz led the Hatters' offense with 280 passing yards, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. Sophomore QB Trip Maxwell also contributed, tossing three touchdowns of his own and adding 156 yards through the air.
On the ground, Trey Clark led the rushing attack with 35 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. Almari Brown chipped in with 25 rushing yards, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt.
Ronnel Johnson was the top target for Stetson's quarterbacks, hauling in five passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Brayden Miller added three catches for 91 yards, while Fabian Baez and Aanjay Feliciano each caught two touchdown passes, with Baez totaling 74 yards and Feliciano 62.
The Hatters had three players with more than eight tackles in the ballgame led by Kyle Elphick, who had 13.
Stetson made the most of its opportunities in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all three trips inside Davidson's 20-yard line.
After falling behind 21-0 early, Stetson got on the board with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Baez, cutting the deficit to 21-7. The Hatters quickly added another score when a turnover on downs led to an Anthony Benzija rushing touchdown, making it 21-14.
Davidson extended its lead to 28-14, but Stetson responded just before halftime. Maxwell connected with Feliciano for a 28-yard touchdown, pulling the Hatters within a score at 28-21. However, Davidson scored again in the final moments of the half, heading into the break up 35-21.
The Hatters came out strong in the second half, driving 75 yards in just over three minutes. The drive ended with a 17-yard touchdown catch by Baez, his second of the game and fifth of the season.
Davidson built its lead to 56-28 before Feliciano caught his second touchdown of the game, making it 56-35 late in the third quarter. The Wildcats responded with two more touchdowns to push their lead to 70-35. Stetson added two late scores on long touchdown passes from Maxwell, a 71-yard strike to Ronnel Johnson and a 46-yard pass to Dalton Bailey, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback.
The Hatters will return to action next Saturday when they host Presbyterian for Homecoming with a kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. at Spec Martin Stadium.
