DeLAND, Fla. - In search of their first Homecoming victory since the 2018 season, the Stetson Hatters were defeated by the Presbyterian Blue Hose, 42-14, at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This marked Stetson's first home loss of the season and their first game back in DeLand since a 35-0 win over Warner on September 7. The Hatters now sit at 2-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Quarterback Brady Meitz spearheaded Stetson's passing attack, amassing 287 yards while throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. On the ground, Trey Clark led the Hatters with 62 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Freshman back Malik Dryden also contributed 27 rushing yards.

Meitz's primary target was Fabian Baez, who caught five passes for 65 yards. Ronnel Johnson also made a significant impact in the passing game, recording six receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown. Brayden Miller added 56 receiving yards, while Aanjay Feliciano and Dalton Bailey each made six catches.

Defensively, Kyle Elphick was a standout, racking up 14 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack.

After falling behind 7-0, Stetson responded to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:01 left in the first quarter. QB Anthony Benzija punched in a touchdown rush from the 1-yard line, marking his second rushing touchdown of the season.

Presbyterian surged ahead to a commanding 35-7 lead by halftime. The Hatters managed to cut into the deficit with a strong opening drive in the second half, covering 75 yards on 10 plays and culminating in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Meitz to Johnson. However, they were unable to make further progress.

Stetson will hit the road next, traveling to Indianapolis for a matchup against the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday, November 2, at 1:00 PM.