DELAND, Fla. – For the first time since the program's revival, the Stetson Hatters held an opponent scoreless, defeating the Warner Royals 35-0 at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. The defense recorded six sacks, with linebacker Kyle Elphick accounting for three, all in the first quarter. His three sacks tied a program single-game record, shared with Davion Belk and Fermon Reid, last achieved in 2021.
The offense found its rhythm much earlier than in the season-opener, as wide receiver Fabian Baez caught two of his three touchdowns in the first half. The junior from Schaumburg, Illinois, finished with nine receptions for 164 yards, tying a program record for touchdown receptions in a single game, a feat last achieved in 2018.
With the victory, Stetson improved to 2-0 for the fourth straight season. Head Coach Brian Young picked up his 13th career win, and the Hatters moved to 5-0 all-time against Warner while extending their winning streak over Sun Conference opponents to 11 consecutive games.
Quarterback Brady Meitz led the offensive charge, throwing for 392 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. Meitz has now thrown for over 330 yards and three or more touchdowns in both of his starts this season.
On the ground, Malik Dryden paced the Hatters with 57 yards on eight carries, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. Graduate back Donovan Snyder added 29 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Dalton Bailey once again added to Stetson's air attack, hauling in four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, while Ronnel Johnson chipped in with 62 receiving yards.
Elphick led the defense with 14 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Braden Turner contributed seven tackles and a crucial red zone interception, while Andrew Thompson added three tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, and a sack.
Stetson's defense locked down the Royals, holding them to 0-for-4 in red zone opportunities and just 4-of-15 on third-down conversions. The Hatters forced one turnover, which the offense promptly turned into seven points.
New Offensive Coordinator Sheldon Cross continues to impress as Stetson's offense racked up 508 total yards—392 through the air and 116 on the ground—while averaging 6.8 yards per play. The Hatters outgained Warner 508-248, with a dominant 392-89 advantage in passing yards. Stetson converted on 53.3% of their third-down opportunities and was a perfect 4-for-4 in red zone chances, with all four resulting in touchdowns.
Stetson's offensive line provided stellar protection, not allowing a single sack. The Hatters also pieced together two touchdown-scoring drives of 90 or more yards, including a game-long 94-yard drive.
After a scoreless first quarter, Stetson broke through in the second, with Meitz connecting twice with Baez for touchdowns. In the third quarter, Meitz found Bailey in the back of the end zone to make it 21-0. Redshirt freshman Almari Brown extended the lead with a back-shoulder fade to the front pylon, pushing the advantage to 28-0. Baez capped off his stellar night with a third touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, sealing the 35-0 victory.
Stetson will now head on the road for the first time this season, kicking off an extended road trip against Furman on Sept. 14 at 2:00 PM.
