SPORTS
Wildcat Football to Face San Diego in Conference Opener
The Wildcats defeated Shaw University 28-26 at their home opener. This Saturday they start conference play with a home game vs. San Diego.
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Davidson kicks off its conference season against San Diego with a noon slate on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Smith Field inside Richardson Stadium.
Following a bye week, Davidson sits fourth in the conference standings at 1-1 while San Diego is tied at the bottom two after falling to 0-3 in nonconference play.
Saturday’s game marks the first Red Out Richardson of the season. Fans, family and friends are encouraged to wear red in support of the ‘Cats.
| WEEK 3 – DAVIDSON vs. SAN DIEGO |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 | |
| Kickoff | 7:00 P.M. | |
| Location | Davidson, N.C. | |
| Stadium | Smith Field at Richardson Stadium | |
| Capacity | 4,741 | |
| Game Notes | Davidson | PFL | San Diego | |
| #HashTag | #WE #TAC #CatsAreWild | |
| Live Stats | DavidsonWildcats.com | |
| Live Audio | DavidsonWildcats.com | |
| Live Video | Davidson All-Access | |
| The Coach’s Corner | Week 4 | |
| Social Media | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
THE SERIES
San Diego holds a 13-3 advantage over Davidson in the series history that dates back to 2000. Davidson won the first-ever matchup, 27-13, and is now seeking their second win in a row over the Toreros.
Last season’s victory was monumental for Davidson, earning one of the program’s biggest victories in its 123-year history by snapping San Diego’s NCAA-tying 39 consecutive conference win streak, defeating the Toreros on the road, 31-25. San Diego had not lost a PFL game since 2015.
LAST TIME OUT – see our News of Davidson game day photo album
Davidson opened its 2021 home slate with a 28-26 victory over in-state foe Shaw. The Wildcats recorded a total 310 rushing yards with senior running back Coy Williams leading the way with 74 yards and two touchdowns.
Williams put the ‘Cats up 14-0 in the first quarter with his two rushing touchdowns. The Lumberton, Texas native and running back Dylan Sparks ran for a combined 143 yards and three touchdowns.
Sparks found the end zone in the third quarter to give the ‘Cats a 21-13 lead off an 11-play, 83-yard drive featuring a 31-yard rush from sophomore slot Mark McCurdy and two 10-yard gains from junior slot receivers Bradyn Oakley and Aris Hilliard. Later in the quarter, sophomore quarterback Elijah Burrell connected with senior tight end Jackson Sherrard for a 28-yard touchdown pass that extended Davidson’s lead to 15.
The Bears fought back within two points with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns with just under a minute and a half left in the fourth quarter, but their 2-point conversion attempt to tie the game was unsuccessful and Davidson claimed the win.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Through two games, senior running back Coy Williams leads the team in rushing with 154 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Elijah Burrell has recorded 125 passing yards and has completed 11 of 13 pass attempts. Senior linebackers Jake Alexander and Jalen Jefferson lead the defense with 12 tackles apiece.
The Wildcats lead the PFL thus far with 572 rushing yards in hopes of staying atop the league again this season. Davidson is averaging 285 yards per game, the second highest in the PFL. Only Butler (2-1) has a higher yardage. The ‘Cats also currently have the highest kick return average after averaging 30.4 yards against Shaw.
Davidson Football is fresh off its first-ever PFL Championship from the non-conventional 2021 spring football season. The title marked the first conference championship for Davidson in 52 years and first under Abell, the 2021 PFL Coach of the Year. The fourth-year head coach sits ninth in program history in all-time wins and was also named a finalist for the prestigious 34th Eddie Robinson Award. His .624 career winning percentage ranks first all-time among coaches with two or more seasons at Davidson.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can connect directly with Davidson Football 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.
ON DECK
The Wildcats will be back on the road at Stetson for a 1 pm EST slate on Saturday, Oct. 2 in Deland, Fla.