GREENVILLE, SC – The Stetson Hatters suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 48-7 to Furman on the road. Sophomore quarterback Trip Maxwell connected with Aanjay Feliciano for the Hatters' lone touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Stetson, which entered the game as the only FCS program yet to allow a touchdown this season, found itself trailing 7-0 after the first quarter. The Hatters mounted a promising drive late in the quarter, but their field goal attempt was blocked after stalling at the Furman six-yard line.
Despite the deficit, Stetson remained competitive, finishing the quarter with just seven fewer yards of total offense than Furman, while both teams had nearly equal possession time.
The Hatters showed signs of life early in the second quarter when Almari Brown ripped off a 20-yard run to move the offense into Furman territory. However, the drive fizzled, and Furman capitalized, extending their lead to 24-0 by halftime.
By the fourth quarter, the Paladins had stretched their advantage to 41-0 before Maxwell lead a trip to the end zone. The sophomore from Flowood, Mississippi, capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Feliciano, putting the Hatters on the scoreboard with 8:28 remaining.
Led by starting quarterback Matt O'Connor, Stetson's offense totaled 244 yards through the air and 101 yards on the ground. Donovan Snyder paced the ground game with 42 yards on 10 carries, averaging 4.2 yards per rush, while Brown added 24 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per carry.
Fabian Baez was the top target in the passing game, hauling in five receptions for 59 yards.
Defensively, Stetson had some strong moments, holding Furman to just 3-of-10 on third-down conversions and forcing two fumbles, though neither was recovered. The Hatters racked up 82 total tackles, including seven tackles for loss and one sack. PFL Defensive Player of the Week Kyle Elphick led the way with 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, and a sack. Stetson's defense also held the Paladins to 171 rushing yards.
The Hatters will continue their road trip next Saturday when they head to New England for a noon showdown against Harvard.
