DeLAND, Fla. – In the 11^th and final matchup of the 2022 campaign, which simultaneously served as the eighth straight Pioneer Football League contest for the Presbyterian College football team, the Blue Hose engaged in a back-and-forth chess match with the Stetson Hatters in the Sunshine State, ultimately ending the game and the season with a 42-21 defeat Saturday afternoon.

Guided by true freshman Ty Englehart, who called the shots all game long as PC's starting quarterback, the Blue Hose's fighting spirit never wavered against a Stetson squad that received an unlikely confidence boost by the return of QB Alex Piccirilli (thought to be out for the year with an injury), staying within a 14-point gap for nearly the entire bout. However, the Hatters' abundance of experience allowed the home side to prevail when the smoke cleared.
 
FINAL SCORE: Stetson, 42 – Presbyterian, 21
RECORDS: Presbyterian (1-10, 0-8 PFL) – Stetson (4-6, 2-5 PFL)
LOCATION: Spec-Martin Memorial Stadium (DeLand, Fla.)
 
OPENING KICK
- Englehart produced the finest effort of his debut season with Presbyterian against the Hatters in his home state, accounting for 293 of the team's 388 total offensive yards. Slinging the ball for 245 yards through the air – the second-highest passing output by a Blue Hose QB this fall – the rookie added an additional 48 ground yards while frequently hooking up with favorite target and fellow classmate Dominic Kibby.

- Named the FCS National Freshman of the Week in the team's last outing versus Dayton, Kibby's follow-up performance ended with some equally impressive numbers, including his seventh touchdown snag of the year early in the 2^nd quarter. The freshman equaled a career-best by hauling in seven receptions (a mark which he set during his fantastic performance against the Flyers), reaching 104 yards with an extra 21 on kickoff return duties.

- The Blue Hose ended their '22 finale just 31 yards short of a season-high in rushing yards, gathering 127 while helping control the tempo of the contest with a +15 edge in total time of possession. Presbyterian picked up an average of nearly 14 yards on completions, holding the Hatters to 5-of-15 on third-down scenarios.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
- Forcing Stetson to three plays and a punt on the game's first series, the Blue Hose moved into field goal territory on their own first set after a 21-yard throw from Englehart to tight end Worth Warner, although the 41-yard kick attempt by Parker Maddrey sailed slightly wide right. The game's next two drives mirrored a similar result, in that Stetson was kept off the board but so too was PC after falling into a 3^rd-down sack just past midfield.

- Piccirilli and the Hatters' offense found a rhythm in drive #3, connecting on a 71-yard touchdown toss to Michael Carley that began the afternoon's scoring. The graduate student quarterback had only been available for one quarter over the entire campaign before going down with a lower-body injury, able to return to the field for his final game where he went for 334 yards in the air raid offense, throwing four TD's to four different receivers.

- Stetson was unable to take advantage of a highlight interception from cornerback Rassie Littlejohn late in the period, a play where the redshirt-junior brought down a one-handed catch in man-to-man coverage. Malek Horlback and Brooks Russ-Martin helped turn the Hatters over on downs when the ball had fallen into their side of the field, keeping the margin at 7-0.

- After giving Presbyterian 67 of their 70 yards over the first 15 minutes, Englehart continued his groove with the aforementioned 35-yard hookup to Kibby, tying things up at seven apiece with 12 minutes and change left until the break.

- The Blue Hose were then granted a golden opportunity in the form of a muffed kickoff return seconds later, but were unable to assume the lead when a 44-yard field goal try bounced off the goalpost.
- Despite an impressive two-play sequence by Horlback, which featured his second tackle for a loss and a near-pick, the Hatters were able to withstand the freshman's ferocity with a 4^th-and-8 conversion at the PC 30-yard line, cashing in on a 22-yard touchdown from Piccirilli to Mason Proch on the ensuing snap.

- Now trailing by seven for the second time, the Blue Hose averted disaster after another INT by Littlejohn (his seventh of the semester) wouldn't extend the deficit any further. Falling well short of the mark on a 52-yard look at three points, the Hatters surrendered the ball back to PC with less than a minute until the first half horn, where freshman QB Tyler Wesley nearly found an improbable Hail Mary in a crowd of jerseys as the clock hit zero.

- The Hatters collected their largest lead of the contest on their first drive of the third frame, backed by a flawless Piccirilli who completed four of six passes for 80 yards in the series. A 35-yard lob to Jalon Warthen-Carr continued the team's eventual 21-0 run, which was solidified later that same stanza.

- Originally faced with a 4^th down scenario at PC's 25, Stetson was forced to pooch punt after consecutive penalties reversed them out of field-goal range midway through the 3^rd. Said punt was perfectly downed at the 2-yard line, leaving the Blue Hose with little room to work with.

- After punting the ball back to the Hatters from their own end zone, a 39-yard return by Michael Martinez helped set up an extremely short field for the team in green. Piccirilli promptly floated a five-yard pass to Quinton Lane that ballooned the advantage to 28-7.

- Not one to go down without a high level of fight, the Blue Hose answered on a 29-yard completion to Kibby and a four-yard scamper by Englehart with 89 seconds to go in the period. As play transitioned to the final 15 minutes, the Hatters ensured the comeback try stayed within a reasonably-large distance, embarking on a 66-yard scoring drive that was finished on a goal-line jog from Jalen Leary.

- Presbyterian's penultimate drive resulted in the game's third straight set to end with seven points, as Englehart recorded his second TD sprint of the day from one yard out with 6:44 remaining. Now trailing 35-21, the Blue Hose were granted an onside kick recovery from Maddrey, who was also the one to pounce on the loose ball near midfield. However, an incomplete pass on 4^th down effectively put the game out of reach. A 33-yard burst by Leary with 1:20 to go ended the contest with the three-score final discrepancy.