HOMETOWN HEROES GAME: 'Cats Look to Bounce Back Saturday Against Hatters

GAME 7 | OCT. 19, 2024 | 1:00 PM | DAVIDSON COLLEGE STADIUM (5,000) | DAVIDSON, N.C.

DAVIDSON WILDCATS
2024 Record: 4-2 (2-1 PFL)
2023 Record: 7-4 (6-2 PFL)
Head Coach: Scott Abell
Davidson Record (Yrs): 45-25 (7)
Career Record (Yrs): 84-49 (13)

STETSON HATTERS
2024 Record: 2-3 (0-1 PFL)
2023 Record: 3-8 (1-7 PFL)
Head Coach: Brian Young
Stetson Record: 13-24 (4)
Career Record: Same

INSIDE THE SERIES
Meetings: 15
Series Record: Davidson leads, 9-6
First Meeting: Stetson Won (1912 Season)
Last Meeting: Davidson Won, 61-41 (11/4/2023)
Streak: Won 5
In Davidson: 3-4
In DeLand: 6-2
Abell vs. Stetson: 5-1

1ST AND 10

At the halfway point, Davidson is 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Pioneer Football League action.
The Wildcats return to Davidson College Stadium after a 16-14 setback at Dayton last weekend.
Despite the loss, junior Mason Sheron led the Wildcats with 152 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Defensively, Davidson limited the Flyers to just 110 yards passing and forced three turnovers, while Dominic Njoku also had an impressive day with a career-high 15 tackles.
The 'Cats are 33-15 in PFL play under Head Coach Scott Abell, while capturing two regular season crowns and making three FCS Playoff appearances.
Dating back to 2020, the Wildcats are 15-1 in PFL home games.
Mari Adams leads the PFL in rushing yards (749), rushing yards per game (124.8) and yards per carry (7.3), while Sheron leads all backs in touchdowns with nine and is second in rushing yards (527).
Davidson, which has possessed the nation's top rushing offense five of the last six seasons, leads all of FCS in 2024 averaging 350.5 yards per game.
The Wildcats also rank among FCS national leaders in total offense (456.5 / 9th), scoring offense (36.5 / 14th), and time of possession (34:16 / 3rd).

INSIDE THE SERIES

Davidson and Stetson have met 15 times on the gridiron with the 'Cats leading the all-time series, 9-6.
The Wildcats have won the last five meetings, including last season in Deland, 61-41.
Davidson is 5-1 against the Hatters under Abell's leadership.
Stetson is 4-3 all-time against the 'Cats in Davidson.

LAST TIME OUT | DAYTON 16, DAVIDSON 14 -- OCT. 12, 2024 |DAVIDSON, N.C.

Dayton blocked three field goals and a punt as the Flyers held off Davidson, 16-14, in Pioneer Football League action last Saturday inside Welcome Stadium.
Davidson had a chance to take the lead with 22 seconds left, but Adam Zouagui's 51-yard field goal attempt came up short.
Mason Sheron led the Wildcats with a career-high 152 yards on the ground and two scores.
Both of Dayton's touchdowns came on short fields, as Davidson's defense held one of the league's top-passing offenses to just 110 yards, highlighted by interceptions from Amare Hill and Daniel Carter.
In all, the Wildcats forced three turnovers on the day.
Dominic Njoku also had an impressive game for the 'Cats with a career-high 15 tackles.
Davidson's lone score in the first half came off a 39-yard run from Sheron. His eighth touchdown of the season was set up by the conference's leading rusher, Mari Adams, who had 41 of the 80 yards on the four-play drive.
Despite having three kicks (2 – FG | 1 – Punt) blocked in the opening 30 minutes, the Wildcats forced a pair of turnovers to trail just 13-7 at the break.
Sheron later gave Davidson its first lead (14-13) of the afternoon, bouncing for a 44-yard run midway through the third quarter.
The Flyers, who blocked another field goal attempt with just under four minutes left, took the lead for good on a 25-yard field goal by Danny Baker with 10:03 to go.

LAST MEETING | DAVIDSON 61, STETSON 41 -- NOV. 4, 2023 |DELAND, FLA.

Along with safety Daniel Carter picking off two passes and recording a team-high 11 tackles, Davidson's offense put up 638 total yards, including 483 on the ground to defeat Stetson 61-41 inside Spec Martin Stadium.
Mason Sheron (11 carries, 147 yards) and Mari Adams (13-107) both went over the 100-yard mark, while joining backfield mate Sam Valor with two touchdowns each.
Davidson wasted little time putting points on the board as Adams took the Wildcats' second play from scrimmage 42 yards for a touchdown.
After Stetson answered to make it 7-7, the Wildcats got 1-yard runs from Sheron and Valor to push the margin to 21-7.
The Hatters got to within 21-17 with a 13-yard catch from Gabe Atkins and a 24-yard field goal, but that's as close they would get the rest of the way.
Davidson capitalized on a pair of Stetson first-half turnovers. With 4:03 left in the second quarter, Carter picked Stetson's Matt O'Connor, setting up a Sheron 94-yard touchdown run on the very next play. Sheron's 12th score of 2023 was the second longest run in program history.
Just seconds after Adam Zouagui added a 22-yard field goal to make it 30-20 with 19 ticks remaining in the half, defensive tackle Grant Reeder dropped in coverage, intercepted O'Connor at the 50 and returned it 48 yards it to the Hatters' two. Coulter Cleland then found Aaron Maione in the end zone, giving the 'Cats a 37-20 lead at the half.
Davidson scored on its first two drives of the second half, highlighted by a 22-yard pass from backup quarterback Luke Durkin to Maxwell Weaver to all but put the game out of reach.

UP NEXT

The Wildcats will wrap up their two-game homestand next Saturday when Butler visits Davidson College Stadium for a 1 p.m. contest.

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