DeLAND, Fla. — Stetson Football gave one of the Pioneer Football League's top teams a challenge Saturday afternoon, carrying a seven-point lead into halftime and pulling within three points midway through the fourth quarter before falling 44-34 to Dayton at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
The Hatters (1-8, 0-5 PFL) produced a season-high 570 yards of total offense, including 346 through the air and 224 on the ground, while recording 27 first downs against a Dayton defense that entered the afternoon allowing just 20.0 points per game. Stetson led 16-9 at halftime and remained within striking distance throughout the second half, but the Flyers (7-1, 4-1 PFL) used three fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure their fourth consecutive victory.
Junior quarterback Thomas von Grote completed 28 of 46 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns, extending his streak of 300-yard passing performances to five consecutive games. Shawne Jones led the receiving corps with seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Landon Farco added 77 yards and a score on two receptions.
Stetson also received a strong performance from its rushing attack, as Chris Stephenson broke free for 83 yards on just four carries, including a 61-yard run, while Troy Flowers added 76 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. Freshman Kingston McCullough caught his first collegiate touchdown pass, finishing with three receptions for 41 yards.
Defensively, Jahyden Clark recorded six tackles and an interception, returning the takeaway 16 yards to help preserve Stetson's halftime advantage.
Dayton opened the afternoon with a 10-play, 60-yard drive that reached the Stetson 2-yard line before the Hatter defense stiffened near the goal line. Cooper Aurilia helped stall the possession with a tackle for a 4-yard loss, forcing the Flyers to settle for David Maurer's 23-yard field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
Stetson answered with one of its longest possessions of the season, putting together a 16-play, 73-yard drive that consumed nearly six minutes. Von Grote kept the possession alive with a 12-yard run on third down, while Stephenson added a 19-yard rush to help move the Hatters into Dayton territory.
The drive also featured a third-down completion to Flowers and a 10-yard connection with Isaiah Baker that advanced the ball to the Dayton 14-yard line. Although the Flyers prevented Stetson from reaching the end zone, Trey Hess converted a 33-yard field goal with 3:18 remaining to tie the game at 3-3.
Dayton moved back across midfield on its ensuing possession, but the opening quarter ended with the teams even.
Stetson's defense delivered another important stop early in the second quarter after the Flyers advanced into scoring position. Alex Yearwood dropped Gavin Lochow for a loss, and Michael Webb broke up a pass to help force a 46-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide.
The Hatters capitalized on the opportunity, taking over at their own 29-yard line and moving 71 yards in six plays for the game's first touchdown. Von Grote completed passes to Baker, Anthony Benzija and Gunner Chenier before finding McCullough for a 28-yard touchdown reception with 11:39 remaining.
The score marked McCullough's first collegiate touchdown and gave Stetson a 10-3 advantage following Hess' extra point.
Dayton responded with a sustained possession of its own, covering 64 yards in eight plays before Bryce Schondelmyer connected with Donovan Weatherly for a 13-yard touchdown. The Flyers were unable to convert the extra point, allowing Stetson to maintain a 10-9 lead with 4:40 remaining in the half.
The Hatters answered immediately, using their rushing attack to produce an 88-yard scoring drive in just four plays. Starting at their own 12-yard line, Stephenson broke free for a 61-yard gain that quickly flipped the field, while Flowers followed with a 24-yard run that brought Stetson to the Dayton 1-yard line.
Flowers eventually finished the possession with a 6-yard touchdown run at the 2:21 mark. Although the ensuing conversion attempt was unsuccessful, Stetson extended its lead to 16-9.
Dayton attempted to respond before halftime, but Clark intercepted Schondelmyer at the Stetson 14-yard line and returned the ball 16 yards, giving the Hatters another opportunity to add to their lead.
Von Grote moved the offense into Flyers territory, but a 42-yard field goal attempt by Hess missed as time expired, sending Stetson into the locker room with a seven-point advantage.
The Flyers regained momentum following halftime, taking advantage of a pair of Stetson possessions that ended without points.
The Hatters began the second half backed up at their own 4-yard line and initially moved the chains behind a 17-yard run by Flowers. However, the drive eventually stalled on fourth down, giving Dayton possession at the Stetson 36.
The Flyers used the favorable field position to complete a six-play, 35-yard scoring drive, with Schondelmyer finding Michael Mussari for a 26-yard touchdown to even the score at 16-16 with 8:33 remaining in the quarter.
Following a Stetson punt, Dayton needed just three plays to cover 54 yards and take its first lead since the opening quarter. Schondelmyer connected with Lochow for a 23-yard touchdown, putting the Flyers ahead 23-16 with 5:22 remaining.
Stetson responded with a 10-play, 68-yard drive that featured two significant completions from von Grote to Jones. The first covered 33 yards, while a second connection gained 23 yards and helped position the Hatters inside the Dayton red zone.
The Flyers prevented another touchdown, but Hess converted a 25-yard field goal with 1:51 remaining to bring Stetson within four points at 23-19.
Dayton moved into Stetson territory on the final possession of the period, setting up a fourth quarter in which both offenses continued to generate explosive plays.
Dayton extended its advantage early in the final period when Mason Hackett scored on a 17-yard rushing touchdown, completing a six-play, 72-yard drive that gave the Flyers a 30-19 lead with 13:27 remaining.
Stetson refused to let the deficit grow, answering with a six-play, 75-yard drive directed by von Grote. A third-down completion to McCullough kept the possession alive before the quarterback connected with Farco for a 59-yard touchdown, the longest passing play of the afternoon.
Hess added the extra point to make it 30-26 with 11:19 remaining, bringing the Hatters back within four points and keeping the pressure on the PFL contender.
Dayton responded just 17 seconds later, however, as Luke Hansen broke through the Stetson defense for a 41-yard touchdown run that pushed the Flyers' lead to 37-26.
The Hatters once again answered with an extended drive, covering 75 yards in eight plays while getting contributions from Baker, Chenier and Farco. Von Grote eventually found Jones for an 8-yard touchdown reception with 7:40 remaining, trimming the deficit to five.
Stetson then converted the two-point attempt, with Benzija completing a pass to von Grote, bringing the Hatters within a field goal at 37-34.
Dayton followed with another decisive possession, covering 60 yards in six plays before Hansen scored his second touchdown of the quarter on a 33-yard rush with 3:57 remaining. The extra point extended the Flyers' advantage to 44-34.
Stetson mounted one final scoring opportunity, highlighted by a 35-yard run from Marvin Duffey Jr. that helped advance the Hatters to the Dayton 25-yard line. The drive ended with an interception by Tallen Hulvey with 2:53 remaining, denying Stetson an opportunity to cut further into the deficit.
The Hatters used their remaining timeouts and forced a third-down incompletion on Dayton's ensuing possession, but a running-into-the-kicker penalty on the punt extended the Flyers' drive and allowed the visitors to run out the remaining time.
Dayton finished with 458 yards of total offense, including 252 rushing yards, while Hansen led the Flyers with 158 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Schondelmyer completed 19 of 27 passes for 206 yards and three scores.
Stetson finished with 570 yards, its highest output of the season, while converting eight of 13 third-down opportunities and reaching the end zone four times.
The Hatters will return to the road next Saturday, Nov. 7, traveling to Davidson, North Carolina, for a 1 p.m. PFL matchup against Davidson.
Hatters Top Performers
Thomas von Grote — Quarterback
- Completed 28 of 46 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns
- Fifth consecutive game with at least 300 passing yards
- Touchdown passes of 28, 59 and 8 yards
- Completed a two-point conversion pass to Anthony Benzija
Shawne Jones — Wide Receiver
- Seven receptions for a team-high 95 yards
- 8-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter
- Added receptions of 33 and 23 yards during Stetson's third-quarter scoring drive
Landon Farco — Wide Receiver
- Two receptions for 77 yards
- 59-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter
- Scored his sixth receiving touchdown of the season
Troy Flowers — Running Back
- 11 carries for 76 rushing yards
- 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter
- Averaged 6.9 yards per carry
Chris Stephenson — Quarterback
- Four rushing attempts for 83 yards
- Averaged 20.8 yards per carry
- Season-long 61-yard run set up Stetson's second touchdown
Kingston McCullough — Wide Receiver
- Three receptions for 41 yards
- Scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 28-yard reception
Isaiah Baker — Wide Receiver
- Five receptions for 71 yards
- Longest reception of 32 yards
Jahyden Clark — Defensive Back
- Six total tackles
- One interception with a 16-yard return
- Takeaway helped preserve Stetson's halftime lead
Damontez McDowell — Linebacker
- Team-high seven tackles
- Three solo stops and four assisted tackles
Trey Hess — Kicker
- Connected on field goals of 33 and 25 yards
- Finished 2-for-3 on field goal attempts and 2-for-2 on extra points
Game Notes
- Stetson moved to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in Pioneer Football League play, while Dayton improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference.
- The Hatters recorded a season-high 570 yards of total offense, surpassing their previous high of 500 against Webber International.
- Stetson totaled 346 passing yards and a season-high 224 rushing yards.
- The Hatters recorded a season-high 27 first downs, including 17 through the air.
- Stetson converted eight of 13 third-down opportunities, a season-best 61.5 percent conversion rate.
- The Hatters reached the red zone four times and scored on all four possessions.
- Stetson's 34 points were the most Dayton had allowed in a game this season entering the contest.
- Stetson led 16-9 at halftime, marking its second consecutive game holding a seven-point halftime advantage.
- Thomas von Grote threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns, extending his streak of 300-yard passing games to five.
- The Hatters have passed for at least 300 yards in five consecutive games, totaling 1,714 yards during that stretch.
- Von Grote has thrown 15 touchdown passes over his last five games.
- Shawne Jones recorded his eighth receiving touchdown of the season, strengthening his position among the FCS leaders.
- Landon Farco scored his sixth receiving touchdown of the season, giving him five over the last three contests.
- Jones and Farco have combined for 14 receiving touchdowns this season.
- Freshman Kingston McCullough recorded his first collegiate touchdown on a 28-yard reception in the second quarter.
- Chris Stephenson rushed for 83 yards on four attempts, including a 61-yard gain, averaging 20.8 yards per carry.
- Troy Flowers rushed for a season-high 76 yards and scored his third rushing touchdown of the season.
- Stetson recorded three rushing plays of at least 20 yards, highlighted by Stephenson's 61-yard run, Duffey's 35-yard gain and Flowers' 24-yard rush.
- Jahyden Clark recorded his second interception of the season, returning the ball 16 yards.
- Trey Hess converted field goals of 33 and 25 yards, giving him multiple made field goals in a game for the first time this season.
- Stetson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including touchdown receptions by Farco and Jones.
- The Hatters produced touchdown drives of 71, 88, 75 and 75 yards.
- Stetson committed five penalties for 35 yards, compared with Dayton's three penalties for 25 yards.
- Dayton entered Saturday allowing 20.0 points and 93.7 rushing yards per game. Stetson exceeded both figures with 34 points and 224 rushing yards.
- The Hatters will visit Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m.
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters
