NEWS

The Wildcats have an away game against Butler this weekend.

GAME 6 | OCT. 14, 2023 | 1:00 PM (EDT) | BUD AND JACKIE SELLICK BOWL (5,647) | INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

DAVIDSON WILDCATS
2023 Record: 3-2 (2-0 PFL)
2022 Record: 8-4 (6-2 PFL)
Head Coach: Scott Abell
Davidson Record: 37-21, 6th year
Career Record: 76-45, 12th year

BUTLER BULLDOGS
2023 Record: 4-2 (2-1 PFL)
2022 Record: 7-4 (5-3 PFL)
Head Coach: Mike Uremovich
Butler Record: 11-6, 2nd year
Career Record: 44-51, 9th year

INSIDE THE SERIES
Meetings: 14
Series Record: Davidson leads, 9-6
First Meeting: Davidson Won, 45-27 (9/20/03)
Last Meeting: Davidson Won, 31-0 (10/1/22)
Streak: Won 4
In Davidson: 6-3
In Indianapolis: 3-3
Abell vs. Butler: 4-0

1ST AND 10

• Following its week six BYE, Davidson returns to action Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at conference foe Butler.
• Winners of three straight, the Wildcats enter 3-2 overall and 2-0 in Pioneer Football League play following a 55-33 win over San Diego Sept. 30 in Davidson.
• In their win over the Toreros, Davidson had three 100-yard rushers, led by Mari Adams‘ 169 yards to go along with four touchdowns.
• For his efforts, Adams was named the PFL’s Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 1.
• The ‘Cats, who have won two of the last three conference titles, are 24-7 in PFL play dating back to the 2019 season.
• Averaging 62.8 points per game over its last three games, Davidson leads the FCS in scoring offense (45.2 ppg).
• In addition, the Wildcats rank among FCS leaders in total offense (489.0 ypg / 3rd), rushing offense (313.0 ypg / 2nd), team passing efficiency (183.84 / 1st), 3rd down conversion pct. defense (0.237 / 4th) and first down defense (80 / 9th).
• With the win over San Diego, Head Coach Scott Abell moved into third all-time on Davidson’s career wins’ list with 37 victories. He is just eight wins shy of becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Saturday’s meeting in Indianapolis marks the 15th all-time between Davidson and Butler on the gridiron.
• The Wildcats have won the last four meetings and lead the all-time series, 9-6.
• Davidson’s current win streak ended a stretch of six consecutive victories for Butler in the series.
• The series of streaks started in 2002 with the ‘Cats winning the first five meetings.

LAST MEETING | DAVIDSON 31, BUTLER 0 — OCT. 1, 2022 | DAVIDSON, N.C.

• Dylan Sparks rushed for a career-high 180 yards on 16 carries and Coy Williams added another 109 on the ground as Davidson blanked Butler, 31-0, in Pioneer Football League action Oct. 1, 2022 inside Richardson Stadium.
• In all, Davidson finished with 498 yards rushing en route to 614 total yards, while controlling the time of possession 40:42 to 19:18.
• The Wildcats’ Caden Bonoffski provided the only scoring in the first half capping the game’s opening drive with a 44-yard field.
• Aaron Maione put the first touchdown on the board at the 10:40 mark of third quarter with a 9-yard scamper. The sophomore would later score on his only other carry, a 17-yard run early in the fourth to lead to a 24-0 advantage.
• Davidson quarterback Jayden Waddell, who ran for a score of his own to punctuate a 10-play, 76-yard drive late in the third, also hooked up with Bradyn Oakleyon a 24-yard throw for the game’s final score with 6:57 left.
• In addition to holding the Bulldogs to just 290 total yards, almost 100 below their season average, the Wildcat defense picked off three Brett Bushka passes, including two by John Tessmann.
• Jordan Burrell also had an interception for Davidson, which held Butler to just 1-of-8 on third-down conversions. Daniel Carter finished with a team-high five tackles.
• Mark McCurdy led the Wildcats in receiving with 52 yards on four catches.

LAST TIME OUT | DAVIDSON 55, SAN DIEGO 33 – SEPT. 30, 2023 | DAVIDSON, N.C.

• Davidson used a multi-faceted rushing attack and a second-half scoring surge to cruise past Pioneer Football League rival San Diego 55-33 Sept. 30 at Smith Field and Richardson Stadium.
• Davidson, which had three 100-yard rushers, turned a 17-16 halftime lead into a 52-19 advantage by the 9:19 mark of the fourth quarter.
• Mari Adams led the ground attack, running 14 times for 169 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Coulter Cleland ran six times for 130 yards, and running back Mason Sheron ran 10 times for 114 yards and two scores.
• In all, the Wildcats finished with 449 yards on the ground and 557 yards of total offense.
• The only difference in the first half was a missed point after attempt by the Toreros’ kicker Aiden Lehman as the ‘Cats went to the break up, 17-16.
• After Davidson took the game’s first possession 80-yards on 11 plays, capped by an Adams’ 12-yard touchdown run, San Diego answered with a 75-yard scoring drive to make it 7-6.
• Trailing 13-10, the ‘Cats went back in front 17-13 with 8:50 left in the second quarter on Mason Sheron‘s fifth rushing score of the season, before Lehman added a 32-yard field goal to close the half.
• Davidson took control of the back-and-forth contest on the first possession of the third quarter when linebacker John Tessmann forced a fumble that was recovered by Sabin McLaughlin. Shortly after, Adams took a 3rd-and-12 handoff 38 yards for his second touchdown of the day.
• Not to be outdone, his backfield mate Sheron went 78 yards untouched for his second score.
• Following a San Diego 38-yard field goal to make it 31-19, the Wildcats put the game out of reach with four-yard runs from Adams and Will Cox followed by a 66-yard scamper from Adams.
• Defensively, the Wildcats held the Toreros to just 63 yards rushing, while finishing with a season-high six sacks. Jonathan Hammond and Daniel Carter paced Davidson with six tackles each.

UP NEXT

• Davidson returns home to Richardson Stadium Oct. 21 for a 1 p.m. kickoff with Valparaiso.