MOREHEAD, Ky. – The drama was cranked up to eleven on Saturday afternoon as the Presbyterian College football team continued PFL action against a scrappy Morehead State opponent on the road, nearly overcoming an 18-point halftime deficit but ultimately coming up short by a 28-25 margin.
PC's defense was ferocious in the last 30 minutes, preventing the Eagles from scoring any points after intermission. Following a 312-yard outburst in the first two quarters, Morehead mustered just 108 offensive yards the rest of the way.
Freshman quarterback
Jayden Torres delivered two deep touchdown passes to
Jalen Patrick and the Blue Hose turned Morehead over twice in the final five minutes. However, MSU survived potential disaster thanks to an interception with 35 seconds remaining.
Head coach
Matt Rahl's group will now prepare for the 2026 finale back at Bailey Memorial Stadium next weekend, facing a Dayton opponent who will enter with a 9-1 record and a chance to clinch the PFL title. Kickoff in Clinton is scheduled for 1:00 on ESPN+.
FINAL SCORE: Morehead State, 28 – Presbyterian, 25
RECORDS: Presbyterian (4-6, 3-4)…Morehead State (3-8, 2-5)
LOCATION: Jayne Stadium (Morehead, Ky.)
THE TREND CONTINUES…
- Whenever Presbyterian and Morehead State get together, the result is typically decided in the final moments. Counting the 2026 edition, five of the seven PC/MSU matchups have been won by fewer than 10 points.
- The Eagles have managed to squeeze by PC in each of their last three hookups at Jayne Stadium, winning those games by a combined 14 points (28-25, 14-7, and 14-10).
- Neither team turned the ball over until the last five minutes, but then the floodgates opened for three combined fumbles and a pick.
- A 25-yard touchdown from Torres to Patrick pulled the Blue Hose to within a field goal with barely two minutes left. Morehead recovered the onside kick attempt, but then fumbled at the PC 45 while trying to bleed out the remaining seconds.
- The Blue Hose outgained MSU by 99 yards in the final frame (134-35). Presby advanced as far as the Morehead 37 as they attempted to creep closer into field goal range, but the aforementioned INT was then taken at the 9-yard line.
PATRICK PUTS UP HIS BEST
- In Patrick's second-to-last collegiate football game, he passed his personal-high with 94 yards on just six receptions. He also had his first multi-touchdown performance, matching the mark that
Brice Johnson also hit versus St. Thomas.
- Four of his catches occurred in the 4
th quarter for a whopping 80 yards, all from the hands of Torres. He caught a 40-yard bomb on just the fourth snap of the period after Morehead failed a 4
th-down gamble, and grabbed his second score on 3
rd-and-13 from 25 yards out.
- Patrick was the intended target on the game-clinching interception, just inches away from becoming the first PC player since 2022 to have three receiving touchdowns in a single game.
- Torres was terrific after entering the contest late in the 3
rd, completing 12 of 18 throws for 169 yards and the two TD's to Patrick. He was unfortunately injured on Presbyterian's second-to-last offensive play.
DURANT THE DISRUPTOR
- Now with at least one tackle-for-a-loss in seven of the last eight games, freshman
Tymaries Durant bothered the Eagles all day with a new career-high eight tackles and two forced fumbles.
- He also recovered the first loose ball that he caused with one hand, becoming the first Presbyterian player since 2021 to force two fumbles on the same day.
- Durant's first takeaway allowed the Scotsmen to get within three points, and his second intrusion gave the ball back to his offense with just over a minute left.
- The Sumter native now has the second-most tackles on PC's roster (54), scattering 37 stops in Pioneer League play alone. He already has the most tackles in a season by a PC rookie since Alex Herriott five years ago.
- Additionally, Durant is now tied with Jayden Martin (2021) and Antwan Thomas (2007) for the most forced fumbles in a full season since the school's turn to Division I nearly two decades ago.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
- Morehead quarterback David Parsons feasted in the first half with 258 passing yards and four touchdowns, helping his club reach an early double-digit lead.
- The Eagles landed six completions of 20+ yards in the opening half, scoring back-to-back touchdowns after punting on their first series.
- Presbyterian marched 75 yards on 10 plays to chart their first TD of the contest, getting into the end zone with 12 seconds left in the first stanza.
-
Brice Johnson caught two passes for 31 yards during that drive, leading
Max Holtzclaw to vault past the end zone marker on 3
rd-and-goal.
- MSU quickly boosted the lead back up to 14 points with a 35-yard touchdown in the first 90 seconds of the next period. Freshman kicker
Kade Bailey connected on a close-range field goal with 7:22 on the board, cutting the advantage down to 21-10.
- Before the first-half horn, Morehead crafted their longest touchdown of the afternoon from 56 yards away, giving PC their second-biggest halftime hole of the campaign.
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
- The Blue Hose kept the status quo in the first 15 minutes after the break, allowing just three first-downs in the entire 3
rd quarter.
- Torres was inserted into the QB spot with nine minutes remaining in that quarter, steadily brining his squad back in the picture. After a risky 4
th-and-7 call was broken up by
Braylon Carstarphen, PC returned to the end zone thanks to Patrick's vertical route.
- Rahl decided to go for a two-point conversion in the aftermath, and
Jackson Burleson was able to push through to suddenly make it a 10-point game again.
- The Eagles went three-and-out in their next drive, but Presbyterian suffered a turnover on downs with 10:39 to go after a Torres keeper fell one yard short of moving the chains.
- PC's defense still would not crack, making Morehead boot it away once more. Starting at their own 11, the Scotsmen hurried up the field for 64 yards in just five plays before an untimely fumble gave possession back to the home side.
- Just two plays later, Durant poked the ball free to hand it right back in Presby's grip. Torres capitalized on the turnover with his second touchdown toss to Patrick.
- It appeared that PC would begin their final drive with under 60 seconds to work with, using their last timeout at 1:47 and awaiting a Morehead 3
rd-and-14 near midfield.
- Durant enabled his team to have the ball back even sooner and with much greater field position, forcing another fumble. Presbyterian now had the chance to either send the game to overtime or win outright with a touchdown.
- Torres converted a 3
rd-and-long with an 11-yard pickup to Patrick, but the game would come to a close three plays later on the game-saving pick by Tazion McQueen.
