DeLAND, Fla. – In a hard-fought contest at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, the Stetson Hatters fell to the Marist Red Foxes 40-31 on Saturday afternoon. Despite the loss, Brady Meitz made history, surpassing Colin McGovern's record of 5,628 passing yards to become the all-time passing leader in program history, adding 323 yards to his tally.
The Hatters, now 2-7, started strong, building a 21-13 lead by halftime. Meitz showcased his arm, completing 23 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. However, he faced pressure from Marist's defense, throwing four interceptions.
Jaxson Dicus led Stetson's rushing attack with 44 yards on 11 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown run that briefly gave the Hatters a 28-26 lead. Donovan Snyder added 31 yards on the ground, while quarterback Anthony Benzija broke through with a 9-yard rushing touchdown to put Stetson up 14-13 in the first quarter.
The Hatters saw a stellar performance from Dalton Bailey, who hauled in a season-high 13 receptions for 190 yards and an acrobatic touchdown grab in the back of the end zone. Aanjay Feliciano and Brayden Miller contributed four catches each with the former providing 51 yards.
On defense, Brysson Stouffer recorded three tackles and two sacks, while Nikkem Reynolds added four tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception. Kyle Elphick led the team with 11 tackles while the Hatters finished with eight tackles for loss and three sacks in the game.
Marist jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, but Stetson responded with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Meitz to Jacque Holley to narrow the gap to 13-7. A nine-yard touchdown run by Benzija then pushed Stetson ahead, 14-13. In the second quarter, Bailey's circus catch extended Stetson's lead to 21-13.
The Red Foxes came back in the second half, reclaiming the lead 26-21 before Dicus's touchdown run briefly restored Stetson's advantage at 28-26. Marist then pulled ahead 33-28, but Stetson answered with a 49-yard field goal by Daniel Holbrook early in the fourth quarter to cut it to 33-31. However, Marist scored once more to seal the 40-31 victory.
Stetson converted 43.8% of third-down attempts (7-for-16) while holding Marist to 4-of-15 on third downs. The Hatters capitalized on one turnover, resulting in three points, but ultimately couldn't close the gap as Marist maintained control in the final minutes.
Stetson will now hit the road for the final time this season, traveling to San Diego to face the Toreros on Saturday, Nov. 16, with kickoff set for 4:00 PM ET.
