SPORTS

 

CLINTON, S.C. – Davidson hits the road for the final regular season game of the season when they visit Presbyterian. Kickoff from Clinton has been moved up from 1 p.m. to 11 a.m.

THE SERIES
Davidson snapped a four-game losing streak to the Blue Hose earlier this season, downing PC on Mar. 20 at Richardson Stadium, 41-24. The Wildcats hold the all-time series lead 15-13-2 dating back to the series inception in 1919. The road team has the edge in the series, Davidson is 10-7 all-time in Clinton, while Presby is 6-5-2 at Davidson.

LAST TIME OUT
Davidson (4-1, 3-0 PFL) went up big in the first half, taking a 28-10 lead into halftime and held on for a 31-25 win over then nationally ranked #25 San Diego. The ‘Cats snapped San Diego’s 39-game PFL win streak that dated back to 2015. Senior Tyler Phelps threw a career-best three touchdowns, finding three different receivers, sophomore Bradyn Oakley, senior Satchel Moore and junior Jalen Staples. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 189 yards and added 26 on the ground. Sophomore running back Dylan Sparks got things going with an 83-yard scoring scamper on the Wildcats second play from scrimmage.

Davidson turned over the Toreros three times. Jaylon Bolden picked off a Mason Randall first half pass and sophomore Brian Jacobs forced a fumble on a punt return that classmate Jaden Pask recovered to set up a pair of first half TDs. Junior linebacker Jalen Jefferson forced the final San Diego blunder, picking off Randall in the final minutes to seal the victory.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Wildcats received a lot of attention following their win over San Diego. Davidson was named the STATS Perform FCS National Team of the Week. Tyler Phelps earned PFL Offensive Player of the Week honors for helping orchestrate the road victory. The ‘Cats are currently ranked 27th in the STATS Perform FCS Poll, receiving 20 votes, and also received votes in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

DEFENSIVE DUAL
Be on the lookout for a pair of defensive standouts on both sidelines this weekend. Presbyterian’s Jeffrey Smyth was named the STATS Perform National Defensive Player of the Week, while Davidson senior cornerback Jaylon Bolden was an honorable mention. Smyth returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 26-3 road win at Stetson and added seven tackles. Bolden disrupted San Diego quarterback Mason Randall, intercepting the Torero signal caller and broke up four other passes in coverage in the winning effort.

SCOUTING THE BLUE HOSE
Presbyterian (2-3) snapped a two-game skid last Saturday, handling Stetson on the road, 26-3. Offensive scoring was at a premium, but the Blue Hose made up for it with Smyth’s two pick-sixes and an 88-yard kick return touchdown by Oka Emmanwori. Parker Maddrey added a pair of field goals, but was blocked on a 37-yard attempt. Tyler Huff has completed 79 of 132 passes for 902 yards and seven touchdowns, rushing for two more, but has thrown five interceptions. Delvechhio Powell II leads thr ground attack with 251 yards on 67 carries, while Keith Pearson has 39 catches for 544 yards and three touchdowns.

OH THE FAMILIAR PLACES
Davidson sits atop the FCS in rushing yards per games (296.7), just ahead of the 2019 statistical champions Kennesaw State (294.8). The ‘Cats feature a balanced attack of sophomore Dylan Sparks, 86 carries for 457 yards, and junior Coy Williams, 75 rushes for 424 yards. Four different ‘Cats have rushed for over 100 yards in a game this season, both Sparks and Williams, along with Tyler Phelps and freshman Mark McCurdy have reached the century mark at least once this season.

SETTING A P.A.C.E. FOR CHANGE
In response to the racial tension, social unrest and the prevalence of systematic racism in our country, Davidson football created P.A.C.E. (Progress, Advocate, Cooperate, Educate). The mission of P.A.C.E. is to lead the team, campus, community and country in promoting equality, unity and opportunity. In late August, the team hosted a gathering on the front lawn of Chambers to speak out against racism and actively fight for change.

LEADING THE PACK
Senior quarterback Tyler Phelps returns for his fourth season to lead the offense, while Jalen Jefferson, Chibuike Odo and Cade Vela captain a Davidson defense that soared to the top of the FCS in 2019. Junior Eli Turner Jr. also will don captain duties throughout the season.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can connect directly with the Davidson Football staff on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Davidson-Football), Twitter (@DavidsonFB) and Instagram (@DavidsonFootball). Head coach Scott Abell is on Twitter and can be found at @Scott_AbellFB.

THE COACH’S CORNER
Be sure to check out The Coach’s Corner with Scott Abell every Monday powered by Atrium Health. Coach Abell will discuss the previous week and look ahead to the upcoming opponent, giving fans an inside look into the Wildcat football program.