ST. PAUL, Minn. - ST. PAUL, Minn. – Wrapping up their road trip, the Stetson Hatters traveled north to the Land of 10,000 Lakes for their conference opener against the St. Thomas Tommies on Saturday afternoon. Despite a strong second-half effort, where they put up 21 points, the Hatters came up short, falling 34-24 and dropping to 2-3 on the season.

Making his return to action, quarterback Brady Meitz led Stetson's passing attack with 193 yards, tossing two touchdowns along with three interceptions.

Freshman running back Malik Dryden provided a spark on the ground, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Quarterback Anthony Benzija also contributed with a 51-yard run, the longest by a Hatter since 2021.

Sophomore wide out Ronnel Johnson reeled in seven catches for 75 yards and one score. Fabian Baez got in on the action in the passing game as well, hauling in five balls for 53 yards.

On the defensive side, Carter Gaskins recorded seven tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack, while Chachi Perez led the Hatters with eight tackles. Gavin Peacock and Abram Fofana each registered a sack as Stetson held St. Thomas to just 216 total yards.

Defensively, Stetson held up fairly well against the St. Thomas (MN) offensive attack, holding the Tommies to 216 total yards.

After falling behind 28-0, the Hatters got on the board with 7:48 left in the second quarter, thanks to a 52-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Daniel Holbrook.

In the third quarter, Stetson began to chip away at the deficit. Meitz found Aanjay Feliciano for a 16-yard touchdown, Feliciano's third of the season, narrowing the score to 31-10. The Hatters continued their comeback later in the quarter when Meitz connected with Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown, capping off an 80-yard drive in just six plays, making it 31-17.

St. Thomas responded with a field goal to push their lead to 34-17, but Stetson answered once again. Dryden found the end zone from 13 yards out for his first collegiate touchdown, cutting the gap to 34-24.

Despite outgaining the Tommies 304-216, including a 193-66 edge through the air, the Hatters couldn't complete the comeback. Stetson converted 4-of-19 third downs, while St. Thomas went 5-of-16. The Hatters found more success on fourth down, converting 4-of-5 attempts.

Stetson will return home for the first time since Week 2 to host Valparaiso at Spec Martin Stadium on Saturday, October 12, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m.