Stetson University Athletics

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Stetson dropped its first-ever meeting with Bethune-Cookman, falling 43-18 on Saturday at Daytona Municipal Stadium.

The Hatters finished with 315 yards of total offense, including 192 through the air and 123 on the ground. Stetson was hurt by two interceptions, four sacks allowed and an 0-for-3 mark on fourth down, while Bethune-Cookman converted all six of its trips to the red zone.

Thomas von Grote completed 15 of 31 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown while adding 36 rushing yards. Landon Farco led the receiving corps with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Troy Flowers rushed 12 times for 72 yards and a score. Wyatt Rogers added five receptions for 55 yards and caught a two-point conversion.

Defensively, Damontez McDowell led the Hatters with seven tackles, while Alex Yearwood finished with six tackles and a sack.

Stetson struck first, taking a 3-0 lead midway through the opening quarter. Cade Davis stopped Rashon Brown for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Stetson 40, and the Hatters turned the stop into points. Von Grote connected with Farco for 31 yards on the ensuing possession before Trey Hess converted a 40-yard field goal with 6:24 remaining in the first quarter, his first collegiate field goal.

Bethune-Cookman answered immediately. Tre Rigby returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to the Stetson 9, and Brown scored from a yard out three plays later to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead.

The Wildcats extended the advantage early in the second quarter when quarterback Tyler Jefferson connected with Kobe Stewart for 24 yards before Brown finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run, making it 14-3.

Stetson threatened later in the quarter after von Grote completed passes of 16 yards to Michael Dempsey and 28 yards to Farco to move the Hatters deep into Bethune-Cookman territory. A pass-interference penalty wiped away a third-down touchdown, however, and the drive ended on downs at the Wildcats' 14.

The Hatters broke through just before halftime. Flowers carried four times for 23 yards on a seven-play, 51-yard drive and capped the possession with a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:02 remaining. Hess added the extra point to pull Stetson within 14-10 at the break.

Bethune-Cookman opened the second half with another scoring drive, moving 48 yards before Brown scored his third touchdown of the afternoon on a 3-yard run to extend the Wildcats' lead to 21-10.

Stetson moved the ball on its first possession of the half, highlighted by a 22-yard run from von Grote on third-and-10, but the drive stalled before Brett Gonda pinned the Wildcats with a 51-yard punt into the end zone. The Hatter defense forced punts on Bethune-Cookman's next two possessions, with Nycere Jacobs breaking up a third-down pass during the first stop.

The Wildcats began to pull away in the fourth quarter. Jefferson opened the period with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Josh Evans, and Bethune-Cookman later added a 28-yard field goal and an 8-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Daniel to stretch the lead to 37-10.

Stetson continued to battle and answered with its best drive of the second half. Von Grote connected with Rogers for 34 yards before finding Farco for a 27-yard touchdown with 6:50 remaining. Rogers hauled in the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 37-18.

The Hatters forced another punt after the score, with Johnny DeLancy recording a tackle for loss on the possession, but Stetson's next drive ended with its second interception of the game. Bethune-Cookman added a touchdown on the final play to account for the 43-18 final.

Stetson moves to 1-2 on the season, while Bethune-Cookman improves to 1-1.

The Hatters return to the road next week, traveling to Davis, Calif., to face #6/7 UC Davis on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 10 p.m. ET.

KEY STETSON PERFORMERS

Landon Farco

• 5 receptions
• 95 receiving yards
• 1 receiving touchdown
• 27-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter

Thomas von Grote

• 15-for-31 passing
• 192 passing yards
• 1 passing touchdown
• 36 rushing yards

Troy Flowers

• 12 carries
• 72 rushing yards
• 1 rushing touchdown
• 9 receiving yards

Wyatt Rogers

• 5 receptions
• 55 receiving yards
• 1 two-point conversion reception

Damontez McDowell

• Team-high 7 tackles

Alex Yearwood

• 6 tackles
• 1 sack

GAME NOTES

• Saturday marked the first football meeting in program history between Stetson and Bethune-Cookman.
• Stetson scored first, taking a 3-0 lead on Trey Hess' 40-yard field goal in the opening quarter.
• The Hatters trailed just 14-10 at halftime after Troy Flowers' 3-yard touchdown run with 1:02 remaining in the second quarter.
• Stetson finished with 315 yards of total offense, including 192 passing yards and 123 rushing yards.
• Landon Farco recorded a career-best 95 receiving yards on five catches and scored on a 27-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
• Troy Flowers led the Stetson rushing attack with 72 yards on 12 carries and scored his second rushing touchdown of the season.
• Thomas von Grote threw for 192 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 36 yards.
• Wyatt Rogers caught five passes for 55 yards and added a two-point conversion reception.
• Damontez McDowell led the defense with seven tackles, while Alex Yearwood added six tackles and a sack.
• Stetson was held to 1-for-2 in the red zone, while Bethune-Cookman scored on all six of its red-zone opportunities.
• The Hatters finished 0-for-3 on fourth down.
• Stetson has now played consecutive games against in-state opponents after facing Webber International and Bethune-Cookman.
• The Hatters will travel to California next week for their first matchup with UC Davis.