DELAND, Fla. — Stetson followed up last week's record-breaking performance with another dominant effort on the ground, rushing for 242 yards and two touchdowns to defeat Morehead State 21-14 on Saturday afternoon at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
The Hatters improved to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in Pioneer Football League play, marking their first back-to-back conference victories since 2019. The Eagles fell to 2-5 and 0-3.
Just one week removed from setting a program record with 384 rushing yards in their win over Davidson, the Stetson Hatters continued to impose their will in the run game. Quarterback Chris Stephenson led the way with 106 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while also completing 9-of-17 passes for 93 yards and a score. Trey Clark added 71 rushing yards, and Cayden Betts chipped in 35 yards and a touchdown. Through the air, Michael Dempsey paced the receiving corps with three catches for 41 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter.
The Hatters' defense once again set the tone, forcing two interceptions and limiting the Eagles to just 99 rushing yards. Justin Rodriguez and Shug Bentley each came up with picks, with Rodriguez returning his for 25 yards. Bentley also recorded five tackles and two pass breakups, while Trey Lockhart led the team with eight tackles. Kyle Elphick tallied a sack and a tackle for loss in the win.
Stetson wasted no time getting on the board. After Rodriguez intercepted a pass on Morehead State's opening drive and returned it to the Eagles' 32, Stephenson finished the short series with a 10-yard touchdown rush to make it 7-0. The Hatters doubled their lead in the second quarter when Betts punched it in from three yards out, capping a 10-play, 65-yard drive.
The defense held firm through three quarters, and early in the fourth, Stetson extended its lead to 21-0 as Stephenson found Dempsey for a 27-yard touchdown strike. Morehead State scored twice late, but the Hatters' ground game and clock control closed out the victory.
Stetson outgained Morehead State 335-282, including a 242-99 edge on the ground, and held possession for nearly 36 minutes. The 14 points allowed marked the fewest given up to a conference opponent since 2021.
Next Up: Stetson travels to Clinton, S.C., to face Presbyterian in PFL action at Bailey Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
POSTGAME PRESSER
Game Notes
- First time with back-to-back PFL wins since 2019
- First time holding a conference opponent under 20 points since 2021
- Chris Stephenson with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games
- Stephenson now 2–0 as starting quarterback
- Stetson defense forced multiple interceptions for the second time this season
- Hatters followed up last week's program-record 384 rushing yards with another 200+ yard effort on the ground
