CLINTON, S.C. – In front of a frenzied Homecoming audience at Bailey Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Presbyterian College football team fell just shy of breaking a 14-game PFL winning streak from their opponents but were defeated in overtime by Drake, 19-16.

Taking a six-point lead with 5:02 left in the second quarter and remaining ahead until the very last play, PC was uplifted by an exceptional defensive performance which entailed four Drake turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions).

For the third consecutive contest, the Blue Hose limited the other side to less than 100 rushing yards (Drake posted 60 over the course of the game).

After a would-be game-winning field goal was blocked by the Bulldogs with 22 seconds left, PC was forced into OT for the second time in three games and the third occasion since October 2023.

Although a 42-yard boot by Jett Jackson sailed through the uprights to put Presby in position for a streak-stopping victory, Drake countered with an 11-yard TD rush that won the game then and there.

Head coach Steve Englehart's crew will head back on the road next week, traveling south to Florida where they'll meet Stetson on October 26. Kickoff in DeLand is slated for 1:00 PM.


 
FINAL SCORE – Drake, 19 – Presbyterian, 16 (OT)
RECORDS – Presbyterian (2-6, 0-4 PFL) – Drake (5-1, 4-0 PFL)
LOCATION – Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
 

 
NOTABLES
 
- The Blue Hose have been locked in a vice grip with close games for the last season-and-a-half, saddled with a 10-points-or-fewer final result 11 times since September '23.

- In the last two seasons, the Scotsmen have seen eight games decided by a number smaller than one touchdown. Each of PC's three games against Drake have gone down to the wire (four points in 2021, two points last fall, and three points this afternoon).

- By earning the dramatic win, the Bulldogs have now tied San Diego (2005-07) for the second-longest Pioneer Football League winning streak in history (15).

- Defensive coordinator Dan Owens' group kept Drake out of the end zone for the entirety of the second half, denying them a single TD for seven consecutive drives.

- The only issue for Presbyterian was that their own offensive output was silent in the 3^rd and 4^th periods, conceding the overtime-forcing FG with 4:17 to go.

- Junior corner Caleb Francis submitted an elite effort despite the loss, having a hand in three of Drake's turnovers. He clutched an INT early in the 3^rd (his second pick of the year), going on to punch the ball loose for a fumble on the first play of the 4^th.

- He'd put an even harder stamp on the game in what turned out to be Drake's final drive of regulation, breaking up a deep pass that stayed in the air long enough for Anthony Thornton to tally the interception.

- Quarterback Collin Hurst completed 26 of 35 passes while Presbyterian played turnover-free ball, throwing for 201 yards and a second-quarter TD at the goal line.

- His target was none other than senior defensive lineman Nigel Brown, grabbing his second career score on a trick play which gave the garnet and blue a 13-7 edge.

- The Russ-Martin twins (Brooks and Bradley) combined for 17 tackles on Saturday, with the latter falling on the aforementioned fumble that Francis created. Elsewhere, Carter Szydlowski pieced together a pair of tackles-for-a-loss, while he and Sebastian Conwell gathered one sack each.


 
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
 
- The third drive was the charm for coach Englehart's club, striking first at the 2:22 mark of the opening stanza on a two-yard dive by Justin Montgomery. The ensuing PAT drifted offline, making it 6-0 Blue Hose at the end of the 1^st.

- Three-and-a-half minutes into the next frame, Drake answered and claimed a rare lead on a 25-yard scamper. Presby surged back in front on Brown's surprise touchdown reception, bringing the score to 13-7.

- With two seconds to go until the break, the Bulldogs managed a 36-yard field goal that trimmed the six-point deficit in half. Following that moment, neither team scored again for 26 minutes of game time.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
 
- The game's next nine series did not churn out any points, maintaining the score at 13-10 for the entirety of the 3^rd. Drake ended that lengthy drought with a 71-yard drive that started at their own eight, burning nearly five minutes of clock and hitting a game-tying 37-yard field goal.

- Coach E's squadron did an efficient job of keeping the ball out of the Bulldogs' hands for the rest of the 4^th, slowly but surely advancing downfield where they ultimately parked at the four-yard line.

- Opting for a field goal from the distance of 22, Presby's hopes of a game-winner were blockaded by Tyler Radocha who made his way into the path of PC's kicker to whack the ball backwards.

- Incidentally, holder Wyatt Hodges was able to retrieve the loose ball and head forward, although he was unable to get back to the original line of scrimmage and the result was overtime.

- Although the Blue Hose couldn't gain any yardage in OT, Jackson turned the situation into an uproar by hitting his first-career field goal that springboarded PC back in front, 16-13.

- Drake's last two snaps added up for 21 yards to steal the win, as Davion Cherwin was the culprit to the overtime touchdown.


COACH ENGLEHART'S COMMENTS




UP NEXT
 
- Both parties will be in search of their first Pioneer League win as Presbyterian ventures to Stetson in seven days. ESPN+ will have coverage of the event, with four matchups left on the Blue Hose docket.

- After dropping a 10-point decision to St. Thomas earlier this month, Stetson was made to postpone their intended home duel with Valparaiso due to Hurricane Milton. They found themselves in an absolute shootout on Saturday, falling to Davidson by the jittery final score of 70-48.

- It will be Homecoming weekend for the Hatters, who have picked up three straight wins over Presby dating back to 2021.