DeLAND, Fla. — Stetson Football returns to Spec Martin Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the Hatters open Pioneer Football League play against Marist as part of Family and Friends Weekend / Hilinski's Hope presented by Insight Credit Union.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Stetson enters the weekend at 1-3 following its non-conference slate, while Marist comes to DeLand at 2-2 overall and 1-0 in PFL play.

Stetson returns to action Saturday following its first bye week of the season after opening the year with four games, three of them on the road. The matchup will also mark just the Hatters' second home game of the season, with Stetson set to play three of its next six contests at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.

Saturday begins a new portion of the schedule for the Hatters, who move exclusively into PFL competition for the remainder of the regular season after facing a non-conference slate that included two nationally ranked opponents.

After spending most of September on the road, the Hatters return home Saturday for their Pioneer Football League opener and their first game at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in nearly a month.

Stetson played three of its four non-conference games away from DeLand, traveling to No. 3 South Dakota State, Bethune-Cookman and No. 11 UC Davis. The Hatters' lone home appearance came Sept. 5, when they defeated Webber International 45-10 behind 500 yards of total offense.

The Webber victory gave Stetson its highest-scoring performance of the season and featured contributions throughout the offense, including three touchdown passes from Thomas von Grote and a pair of 57-yard touchdown runs from Chris Stephenson.

Saturday begins a more home-friendly portion of the schedule for the Hatters. Marist is the first of four PFL opponents scheduled to visit Spec Martin over the final two months of the season, with Presbyterian, Dayton and Valparaiso also making trips to DeLand.

The return home also follows Stetson's first open week of the season, giving the Hatters additional time to recover, evaluate the opening month and prepare for the start of league play following a stretch that included two nationally ranked opponents.

Saturday marks the beginning of Stetson's eight-game Pioneer Football League schedule and shifts the focus fully toward conference play.

The Hatters finished the non-conference portion of the schedule at 1-3, with the victory coming against Webber International. Stetson's three losses came against South Dakota State, Bethune-Cookman and UC Davis, with the Jackrabbits and Aggies both nationally ranked at the time of the matchup.

That opening stretch gave Stetson an early test against a variety of opponents before the Hatters turn their attention to a league schedule that runs uninterrupted through the regular-season finale at San Diego on Nov. 21.

Through four games, Stetson has totaled 1,379 yards of offense, averaging 344.8 yards per game. The Hatters have been especially productive through the air, averaging 221.5 passing yards per contest while completing 61.7 percent of their passes as a team.

Stetson has produced 10 touchdowns through the opening month, with five coming on the ground and five through the air. Seven different Hatters have already scored a touchdown this season, giving the offense several different options as conference play begins.

Stetson's offense has developed several different ways to move the football through the opening four games, with quarterback Thomas von Grote directing a group that has received production from across the skill positions.

Von Grote has completed 73 of 120 passes for 824 yards and five touchdowns through four starts, averaging 206 passing yards per game. He has thrown a touchdown pass in each of the last three games, while all five of his scoring passes this season have gone to different receivers.

His biggest performance came in Stetson's home victory over Webber International, when he completed 19 of 24 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns. He followed with 192 yards and a score at Bethune-Cookman before setting season highs with 22 completions and 39 attempts at UC Davis, finishing with 219 yards and another touchdown.

Von Grote has also provided another element with his legs, rushing for 76 yards through four games. He broke free for a season-long 32-yard run at UC Davis and finished with 42 rushing yards against the Aggies.

Behind him, Chris Stephenson leads the Hatters on the ground with 196 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 25 carries, averaging 7.8 yards per attempt. Stephenson's season has been highlighted by a 113-yard performance against Webber International that included a pair of 57-yard touchdown runs.

Troy Flowers has provided production in both phases of the offense, totaling 150 rushing yards and 134 receiving yards for 284 yards from scrimmage. The junior has scored twice and remains one of Stetson's most versatile weapons out of the backfield.

Senior captain Wyatt Rogers leads the receiving corps with 18 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown, while Landon Farco has added nine receptions for 134 yards and a score. Anthony Benzija enters conference play following his best performance of the season, catching six passes for 70 yards and Stetson's lone touchdown at UC Davis.

Flowers, Rogers, Shawne Jones, Farco and Benzija have each caught a touchdown pass this season, giving von Grote a group that has shown the ability to create explosive plays from several different spots on the field.

Junior linebacker Damontez McDowell has emerged as Stetson's leading tackler entering conference play.

McDowell has totaled 29 tackles through four games, including 11 in the Hatters' most recent matchup at UC Davis. He also recorded his first sack of the season against the Aggies and has two tackles for loss on the year.

His production has increased throughout the opening month. After recording four tackles in the season opener, McDowell finished with six against Webber International, eight at Bethune-Cookman and 11 at UC Davis.

Shug Bentley sits just behind him with 27 tackles, while Jahlani Clarke has added 20 and Nycere Jacobs has 19, giving Stetson four defenders with at least 19 stops through the opening four games.

Jacobs also recorded a sack at UC Davis and enters Saturday with 1.5 tackles for loss. Barrett Kennedy leads the defense with 2.5 tackles for loss, while Casey Bending, Alex Yearwood and McDowell have each recorded two.

The Hatters have recorded four sacks from four different players this season: McDowell, Jacobs, Yearwood and Eli Durden. Stetson also produced five tackles for loss and two sacks in its most recent game at UC Davis.

Stetson closed non-conference play with a 45-7 loss at No. 11 UC Davis on Sept. 19.

The Hatters finished with 299 yards of offense, including 219 through the air. Von Grote completed 22 of 39 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown while adding 42 rushing yards.

Stetson moved the ball into UC Davis territory on several possessions and produced its longest drive of the night late in the second quarter. The Hatters put together a 19-play, 69-yard possession that reached the Aggies' 1-yard line before UC Davis held on fourth down.

Benzija led the receiving corps with six catches for 70 yards and scored Stetson's fourth-quarter touchdown on a 39-yard reception. Rogers added five receptions for 46 yards, while Farco caught four passes for 43 yards.

Defensively, McDowell led the Hatters with 11 tackles and a sack. Jacobs added eight tackles and a sack, while Julian Sampson forced a fumble that Lemuel Bass recovered inside the Stetson red zone to end an Aggie scoring opportunity.

The game completed a demanding opening stretch in which Stetson played three road games and faced a pair of nationally ranked opponents before reaching its first bye week.

Saturday will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Stetson and Marist, with the programs having met annually as Pioneer Football League opponents since the Hatters returned to football.

Marist leads the series 10-2 and has won the last six meetings. Stetson's two victories both came at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, with the Hatters earning a 22-14 win in 2014 and a 19-14 victory in 2018.

The 2018 meeting remains Stetson's most recent win in the series. The Hatters enter Saturday with a 2-3 all-time home record against the Red Foxes compared with an 0-7 mark in Poughkeepsie.

The programs last met on Nov. 8, 2025, when Marist earned a 41-13 victory in Poughkeepsie. Saturday will bring the series back to DeLand for the first time since the Red Foxes earned a 40-31 victory at Spec Martin in 2024.

Despite Marist's recent run in the series, both of Stetson's victories over the Red Foxes have come on its home field, giving Saturday another chapter in one of the Hatters' longest-running PFL matchups.

Marist enters Saturday at 2-2 overall and 1-0 in Pioneer Football League play after opening its conference schedule with a 42-7 victory over Presbyterian last weekend.

The Red Foxes began the season with a 22-21 loss at New Haven before defeating Franklin Pierce 27-18. Marist then fell 13-9 at Lafayette before returning home and producing its most complete performance of the season against Presbyterian.

The Red Foxes totaled 444 yards of offense in the victory, including 238 on the ground and 206 through the air. Marist scored five offensive touchdowns and added a special teams score while holding Presbyterian to 232 total yards.

Graduate quarterback Sonny Mannino has been the engine of the Marist offense. Mannino has completed 71 of 108 passes for 762 yards and four touchdowns while also leading the Red Foxes with 210 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

His dual-threat ability has been especially important early in the season. Mannino rushed for a season-high 110 yards against Franklin Pierce and scored two rushing touchdowns against both Franklin Pierce and Presbyterian. He also threw for 291 yards at Lafayette and completed 20 of 26 passes with two touchdowns in last week's victory.

Marist has spread the ball around in the passing game. Jayden Taylor leads the team with 13 receptions for 181 yards, while Reed Shumpert has 158 yards on nine catches and Zach Garmont has 127 yards on 10 receptions. Isaiah Simmons has caught two touchdown passes and has also contributed 118 rushing yards.

As a team, the Red Foxes average 336.3 yards of total offense per game, including 143.8 rushing and 192.5 passing. Marist has scored 99 points through four games while allowing 60 and has held three of its four opponents to 22 points or fewer.

Defensively and on special teams, Marist has been particularly disruptive. The Red Foxes have recorded 19 tackles for loss, five sacks and 23 pass breakups through four games.

Marist has also blocked a kick in every game this season and enters the week among the national leaders in blocked punts and total blocked kicks. The Red Foxes have blocked four punts through four games, including two against Presbyterian, and one of those blocks was returned for a touchdown.

Marist has protected the football well, losing no fumbles through its first four games and committing only two turnovers overall. That ball security has helped the Red Foxes control games while complementing a defense that has allowed an average of 310 yards per contest.

The Red Foxes have also been especially effective early in games, outscoring opponents 30-3 in the first quarter and leading after both the first quarter and halftime in each of their first four contests.

Saturday's game will kick off at 1 p.m. from Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand.

The game will stream live and free on the Stetson Hatters YouTube channel, with Tom James handling play-by-play and Davion Belk serving as analyst.

Live statistics and a link to the broadcast will be available through the Stetson Football schedule page on GoHatters.com.

Fans can also follow updates throughout the afternoon on Stetson Football's social media channels.

Following Saturday's conference opener, Stetson will return to the road on Saturday, Oct. 10 for a matchup at St. Thomas.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. The Hatters will then return home Oct. 17 to host Presbyterian at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.

The Marist game begins a stretch of eight consecutive Pioneer Football League contests to close the regular season, with Stetson alternating between home and road games through the end of October.

For information on tickets for the 2026 season, please contact the Stetson Athletics Ticket Office at tickets@stetson.edu or call (386) 738-HATS (4287). For updates on promotional activities and team information, visit GoHatters.com or follow @StetsonFootball on social media.

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.