Saturday, October 4
Davidson, N.C.
1:00 p.m.
Davidson College
1-5 , 0-2
48
vs
54
Dayton
3-1 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
OT
OT
OT
OT
OT
F
Dayton
0
10
3
14
7
0
6
8
6
54
Davidson
0
7
0
20
7
0
6
8
0
48
J. P. Douglas
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Dayton Prevails Over Davidson in Wild 5 OT Game
10/4/2014 7:29:00 PM | Football
| Postgame Interview | Highlights (YouTube) | Photo Gallery | Buy photos on DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. – A game that stood 13-10 with less than six minutes to go in regulation turned into perhaps the wildest game in Davidson football history.
It ultimately lasted a school-record five overtimes (the NCAA FCS record is six), with Dayton prevailing 54-48 over the Wildcats in Pioneer Football League action Saturday afternoon in Richardson Stadium.
An interception by Dayton (3-1, 1-0 PFL) cornerback Tom Fanning in the fifth overtime period ended it, as running back Connor Kacsor, who scored all four of the Flyers' overtime touchdowns and finished with 213 yards on 47 carries, had put the Flyers ahead with a 6-yard touchdown run to start the frame.
Davidson (1-5, 0-2 PFL) trailed 13-7 entering the fourth quarter, but freshman kicker Trevor Smith pulled the 'Cats within three with 9:24 remaining in regulation with a 25-yard field goal, and then wide receiver William Morris, who ultimately caught 15 passes for 158 yards and matched a school record with three receiving touchdowns, scored his first of the day with a 5-yard reception to cap a 10-play, 54-yard drive with 5:24 remaining.
That gave the Wildcats their second lead of the game, 17-13, and was the first of three lead changes before the end of regulation.
The Flyers marched right down the field with a five-play, 58-yard drive that lasted just one minute, 37 seconds, and concluded when quarterback Will Bardo connected with Ross Smith on a 23-yard touchdown pass for a 20-17 lead with 3:40 to go.
The Wildcats' response was even quicker, as Cam Cheuvront broke through tackles and twisted into the end zone on a 41-yard touchdown reception with 2:26 remaining for a 24-20 Davidson lead.
However, a directional kickoff went much shorter than planned for Davidson, and the Flyers were able to start at their own 42 on their ensuing possession with 2:26 to go. Bardo found Gabe Macis with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 56 seconds remaining to put the Flyers back on top, 27-24.
Austin Wells returned the ensuing kickoff 16 yards to the Dayton 31 to start the game-tying drive. Quarterback J.P. Douglas was sacked on the first play from scrimmage, but connected with Morris on a 20-yard pass to get Davidson to the 50. The 'Cats ran five more plays before Douglas rushed for 13 yards to the Dayton 27 with 1.4 seconds remaining, setting up a 44-yard field goal attempt for Smith.
Smith, who had not converted a field goal over 25 yards or even attempted one over 36 yards in his young career, drilled it, sending the game to overtime.
As per NCAA rules, each team received an offensive possession starting at the opponent's 25 yardline.
In the first overtime period, Kacsor completed a five-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Davidson faced fourth-and-goal from the seven on its possession, but Douglas connected with Morris for the game-tying touchdown.
The game remained tied after the second overtime, as both kickers missed long-distance field goals.
By rule, both teams had to attempt two-point conversions in the third overtime following any touchdowns. Kacsor opened the frame with another rushing touchdown, but his rush attempt for two was stuffed by cornerback William Curran. A penalty forced Davidson to start back at the 40 on its offensive possession, but a Douglas run for 19 yards keyed a successful drive that concluded with Douglas connecting with Morris on a 2-yard touchdown.
The 'Cats had an opportunity to end the game with a successful conversion, but a trick play failed.
Davidson opened the record fourth frame, and freshman Jeffrey Keil scored on a 1-yard run on a drive aided by multiple Dayton penalties. Keil caught a pass for two-points and a 48-40 Davidson lead, but Kacsor answered with a 4-yard run, and Bardo extended the game with a successful run on the conversion attempt.
The Flyers opened overtime No. 5 on offense and Kacsor rushed into the endzone from six yards out, but the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete. It did not matter though, as Manning intercepted a pass from Douglas on the second play of the ensuing Davidson drive.
Douglas finished with multiple career highs in the game, completing 38-of-58 pass attempts with four touchdowns. He totaled 313 yards in the air, and rushed for 62 yards on a career-high 17 attempts with one touchdown. Joining Morris with a strong receiving day was Tyler Hickey, who caught a career-high 10 passes for 53 yards.
The Davidson defense played one of its better games of the season, getting turnovers from Matt Casey (fumble recovery), Colin Merrill (interception) and Bryant Bednarek (interception). Casey led the team with 12 tackles, while Bednarek added 10 along with Craig Stevens II. Merill's pick in the end zone ended Dayton's first drive of the game.
However, Davidson's first drive of the game ended in a similar fashion, as the ball was fumbled away on the 2 yardline.
On offense for Dayton, Bardo finished with 298 yards passing, completing 26-of-42 attempts for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Ross Smith was his top target with eight receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, while Macis hauled in two touchdowns amongst his six catches for 91 yards.
The majority of the contest was very calm. Dayton scored first on a William Will field goal early in the second quarter. Douglas put Davidson ahead on its ensuing drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, but the Flyers answered with a 15-play, 93-yard drive that finished with a Macis touchdown reception and a 10-7 halftime lead. A 39-yard field goal from William Will with 5:30 left in the third quarter made it a 13-7 game before the madness began.
The previous longest overtime game for Davidson was a three-overtime game against Campbell in 2011 (L, 20-26).
Davidson will return to action at Drake next Saturday for the first time since 2010. The game will kickoff at 2 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Central.
NOTES: William Morris now ranks 10th all-time at Davidson in career receiving yards with 1,873 … Dayton converted 3-of-3 fourth downs while Davidson converted 5-of-5 … It was Davidson's first overtime game since defeating Valparaiso in 2012 … The 'Cats are now 4-6 in overtime games all-time … It was the most points Davidson had scored in a PFL game since a 52-49 loss to San Diego in 2007.
DAVIDSON, N.C. – A game that stood 13-10 with less than six minutes to go in regulation turned into perhaps the wildest game in Davidson football history.
It ultimately lasted a school-record five overtimes (the NCAA FCS record is six), with Dayton prevailing 54-48 over the Wildcats in Pioneer Football League action Saturday afternoon in Richardson Stadium.
An interception by Dayton (3-1, 1-0 PFL) cornerback Tom Fanning in the fifth overtime period ended it, as running back Connor Kacsor, who scored all four of the Flyers' overtime touchdowns and finished with 213 yards on 47 carries, had put the Flyers ahead with a 6-yard touchdown run to start the frame.
Davidson (1-5, 0-2 PFL) trailed 13-7 entering the fourth quarter, but freshman kicker Trevor Smith pulled the 'Cats within three with 9:24 remaining in regulation with a 25-yard field goal, and then wide receiver William Morris, who ultimately caught 15 passes for 158 yards and matched a school record with three receiving touchdowns, scored his first of the day with a 5-yard reception to cap a 10-play, 54-yard drive with 5:24 remaining.
That gave the Wildcats their second lead of the game, 17-13, and was the first of three lead changes before the end of regulation.
The Flyers marched right down the field with a five-play, 58-yard drive that lasted just one minute, 37 seconds, and concluded when quarterback Will Bardo connected with Ross Smith on a 23-yard touchdown pass for a 20-17 lead with 3:40 to go.
The Wildcats' response was even quicker, as Cam Cheuvront broke through tackles and twisted into the end zone on a 41-yard touchdown reception with 2:26 remaining for a 24-20 Davidson lead.
However, a directional kickoff went much shorter than planned for Davidson, and the Flyers were able to start at their own 42 on their ensuing possession with 2:26 to go. Bardo found Gabe Macis with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 56 seconds remaining to put the Flyers back on top, 27-24.
Austin Wells returned the ensuing kickoff 16 yards to the Dayton 31 to start the game-tying drive. Quarterback J.P. Douglas was sacked on the first play from scrimmage, but connected with Morris on a 20-yard pass to get Davidson to the 50. The 'Cats ran five more plays before Douglas rushed for 13 yards to the Dayton 27 with 1.4 seconds remaining, setting up a 44-yard field goal attempt for Smith.
Smith, who had not converted a field goal over 25 yards or even attempted one over 36 yards in his young career, drilled it, sending the game to overtime.
As per NCAA rules, each team received an offensive possession starting at the opponent's 25 yardline.
In the first overtime period, Kacsor completed a five-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Davidson faced fourth-and-goal from the seven on its possession, but Douglas connected with Morris for the game-tying touchdown.
The game remained tied after the second overtime, as both kickers missed long-distance field goals.
By rule, both teams had to attempt two-point conversions in the third overtime following any touchdowns. Kacsor opened the frame with another rushing touchdown, but his rush attempt for two was stuffed by cornerback William Curran. A penalty forced Davidson to start back at the 40 on its offensive possession, but a Douglas run for 19 yards keyed a successful drive that concluded with Douglas connecting with Morris on a 2-yard touchdown.
The 'Cats had an opportunity to end the game with a successful conversion, but a trick play failed.
Davidson opened the record fourth frame, and freshman Jeffrey Keil scored on a 1-yard run on a drive aided by multiple Dayton penalties. Keil caught a pass for two-points and a 48-40 Davidson lead, but Kacsor answered with a 4-yard run, and Bardo extended the game with a successful run on the conversion attempt.
The Flyers opened overtime No. 5 on offense and Kacsor rushed into the endzone from six yards out, but the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete. It did not matter though, as Manning intercepted a pass from Douglas on the second play of the ensuing Davidson drive.
Douglas finished with multiple career highs in the game, completing 38-of-58 pass attempts with four touchdowns. He totaled 313 yards in the air, and rushed for 62 yards on a career-high 17 attempts with one touchdown. Joining Morris with a strong receiving day was Tyler Hickey, who caught a career-high 10 passes for 53 yards.
The Davidson defense played one of its better games of the season, getting turnovers from Matt Casey (fumble recovery), Colin Merrill (interception) and Bryant Bednarek (interception). Casey led the team with 12 tackles, while Bednarek added 10 along with Craig Stevens II. Merill's pick in the end zone ended Dayton's first drive of the game.
However, Davidson's first drive of the game ended in a similar fashion, as the ball was fumbled away on the 2 yardline.
On offense for Dayton, Bardo finished with 298 yards passing, completing 26-of-42 attempts for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Ross Smith was his top target with eight receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, while Macis hauled in two touchdowns amongst his six catches for 91 yards.
The majority of the contest was very calm. Dayton scored first on a William Will field goal early in the second quarter. Douglas put Davidson ahead on its ensuing drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, but the Flyers answered with a 15-play, 93-yard drive that finished with a Macis touchdown reception and a 10-7 halftime lead. A 39-yard field goal from William Will with 5:30 left in the third quarter made it a 13-7 game before the madness began.
The previous longest overtime game for Davidson was a three-overtime game against Campbell in 2011 (L, 20-26).
Davidson will return to action at Drake next Saturday for the first time since 2010. The game will kickoff at 2 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Central.
NOTES: William Morris now ranks 10th all-time at Davidson in career receiving yards with 1,873 … Dayton converted 3-of-3 fourth downs while Davidson converted 5-of-5 … It was Davidson's first overtime game since defeating Valparaiso in 2012 … The 'Cats are now 4-6 in overtime games all-time … It was the most points Davidson had scored in a PFL game since a 52-49 loss to San Diego in 2007.
Team Stats
UD
DAV
Total Yards
525
448
Pass Yards
298
313
Rushing Yards
227
135
Penalty Yards
131
95
1st Downs
31
29
3rd Downs
11
5
4th Downs
3
5
TOP
31:22
28:38
2nd Quarter
UD 3, DAV 0
UD - WILL, William 19 yd field goal 7 plays, 40 yards, TOP 3:05
UD 3, DAV 7
DAV - J.P. Douglas 7 yd run (Trevor Smith kick), 7 plays, 64 yards, TOP 2:33
UD 10, DAV 7
UD - MACIS, Gabe 7 yd pass from BARDO, Will (WILL, William kick) 15 plays, 93 yards, TOP 5:19
3rd Quarter
UD 13, DAV 7
UD - WILL, William 39 yd field goal 12 plays, 57 yards, TOP 3:29
4th Quarter
UD 13, DAV 10
DAV - Trevor Smith 25 yd field goal 14 plays, 78 yards, TOP 6:17
UD 13, DAV 17
DAV - William Morris 5 yd pass from J.P. Douglas (Trevor Smith kick) 10 plays, 54 yards, TOP 3:19
UD 20, DAV 17
UD - SMITH, Ross 23 yd pass from BARDO, Will (WILL, William kick) 5 plays, 58 yards, TOP 1:37
UD 20, DAV 24
DAV - Cam Cheuvront 41 yd pass from J.P. Douglas (Trevor Smith kick) 3 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:08
UD 27, DAV 24
UD - MACIS, Gabe 12 yd pass from BARDO, Will (WILL, William kick) 7 plays, 58 yards, TOP 1:30
UD 27, DAV 27
DAV - Trevor Smith 44 yd field goal 9 plays, 42 yards, TOP 0:51
OT Quarter
UD 34, DAV 27
UD - KACSOR, Connor 2 yd run (WILL, William kick), 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UD 34, DAV 34
DAV - William Morris 7 yd pass from J.P. Douglas (Trevor Smith kick) 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UD 40, DAV 34
UD - KACSOR, Connor 4 yd run (KACSOR, Connor rushfailed), 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UD 40, DAV 40
DAV - William Morris 2 yd pass from J.P. Douglas (Nick Wheeler passintercepted) 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UD 40, DAV 48
DAV - Jeffrey Keil 1 yd run (Jeffrey Keil pass), 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UD 48, DAV 48
UD - KACSOR, Connor 4 yd run (BARDO, Will rush), 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UD 54, DAV 48
UD - KACSOR, Connor 6 yd run (BARDO, Will passfailed), 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
38
TD
4
YDS
313
INT
1
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballWEEK 4: Coaches Corner with Head Coach Saj Thakkar presented by Atrium Health.
Tuesday, September 16
WEEK3: Coaches Corner with Head Coach Saj Thakkar presented by Atrium Health.
Tuesday, September 09
WEEK 2: Coaches Corner with Head Coach Saj Thakkar presented by Atrium Health.
Tuesday, September 02
Davidson coach Saj Thakkar's inspiration
Friday, August 29