SENIOR NIGHT: 'Cats Host Dayton in Final Game at Richardson

Saturday, November 18

Davidson, N.C.

7:00 PM

Davidson College Athletics

Dayton

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Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

SENIOR NIGHT: 'Cats Host Dayton in Final Game at Richardson

11/15/2023 10:51:00 AM | Football

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GAME 11 | NOV. 18, 2023 | 7:00 PM | RICHARDSON STADIUM (5,000) | DAVIDSON, N.C.

DAVIDSON WILDCATS
2023 Record: 7-3 (6-1 PFL)
2022 Record: 8-4 (6-2 PFL)
Head Coach: Scott Abell
Davidson Record: 41-22, 6th year
Career Record: 80-46, 12th year

DAYTON FLYERS
2023 Record: 3-7 (1-6 PFL)
2022 Record: 8-3 (6-2 PFL)
Head Coach: Trevor Andrews
Dayton Record: 3-7, 1st year
Career Record: Same

INSIDE THE SERIES
Meetings: 17
Series Record: Dayton leads, 15-2
First Meeting: Dayton Won, 49-7 (9/16/89)
Last Meeting: Davidson Won, 24-23 (11/19/2022)
Streak: Won 1
In Davidson: 2-7
In Dayton: 0-8
Abell vs. Morehead State: 1-2

1ST AND 10

For the second straight year, Davidson will conclude its regular season with a home contest against Dayton.
The Wildcats enter their final game inside Richardson Stadium 7-3 overall and 6-1 in Pioneer Football League action.
Davidson can clinch a share of the conference title and its fourth straight FCS Playoff appearance with a win over the Flyers and Drake loss to Butler.
The 'Cats, who have won two of the last three conference titles, are 28-8 in PFL play dating back to the 2019 season.
With its victory over PC on Oct. 28, Davidson has secured its sixth straight winning season, the longest stretch in program history.
The Wildcats, who lead the nation in rushing (313.9) for the fourth straight season, also rank among FCS leaders in scoring offense (2nd / 42.6), total offense (475.1 ypg / 4th), team passing efficiency (3rd / 165.30), time of possession (4th / 33:48), red zone offense (8th / 0.913), first-down offense (6th / 234), completion percentage (5th / .697), sacks (12th / 2.8) and third-down conversion defense (4th / .296).
Davidson leads the conference in 27 statistical categories.
Mari Adams (15) and Mason Sheron (12) rank 1-2 among PFL leaders in rushing touchdowns, while Coulter Cleland leads the conference in touchdown passes (16), completion percentage (71.1%) and pass efficiency (172.89).
Davidson's backfield duo, which has combined for nine (Adams - 5, Sheron - 4) 100-yard games, also ranks among the conference's best in rushing yards, yards per game and yards per carry.
Adams, who has 13 touchdowns in his last six games, is just 61 yards shy of becoming just the program's ninth 1,000-yard rusher.
Head Coach Scott Abell ranks third on Davidson's career wins' list with 41 victories. He is just four wins shy of becoming the program's all-time winningest coach.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Saturday's meeting will be the 18th all-time between Davidson and Dayton.
Prior to the Wildcats' 24-23 victory a year ago in Richardson Stadium, the Flyers had won 10 straight in the series.
Perhaps, one of the more memorable contests between the two came in 2014 when they played a five-overtime thriller, with the Flyers eventually coming out on top, 54-48.
Davidson's only other win came Oct. 21, 2006, also a one-point victory at home, 37-36.

LAST MEETING | DAVIDSON 24, DAYTON 23 -- NOV. 19, 2022 |DAVIDSON, N.C.

In the final regular season contest of 2022, Davidson held off Dayton, 24-23, to punch its ticket to the FCS Playoffs for the third consecutive season.
It as the Wildcats' 13th straight hme win and ended a 10-game losing skid to the Flyers.
To get past the Flyers, Davidson quickly erased a third-quarter deficit, took the lead shortly after and preserved it late with a blocked field goal attempt and multiple defensive stops.
Coy Williams' 75-yard touchdown run up the middle with 7:19 to play in the third quarter came on the first play of a drive and tied it at 17-all. Just more than four minutes later, the Wildcats pulled ahead 24-17 on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Waddell to Maxwell Weaver.
The Flyers got in position to tie it on a 17-yard score by quarterback Shane Hamm with 14:18 to play, pulling within 24-23, but missed the extra point. Tyreece White blocked the Flyers' potential go-ahead 40-yard field goal with 5:03 left, and their final drive stalled at their own 32 with 24 seconds left.
Dayton struck first Saturday on a 15-yard run by Jake Chisholm, but the Wildcats quickly answered with a 3-yard Williams touchdown, set up by a 72-yard Dylan Sparks run. Caden Bonoffski's 35-yard field goal to start the second quarter gave the Wildcats a 10-7 lead before Dayton evened it with a 28-yard field goal with 1:28 left in the half.
Williams and Sparks finished with 99 yards on 12 and 11 carries, respectively, while Waddell completed five of his eight passes for 113 yards. Jaden Pask led the Wildcats defense with 11 tackles.

LAST TIME OUT | MOREHEAD STATE 47, DAVIDSON 17 - NOV. 11, 2023 | MOREHEAD, KY

Davidson suffered a 47-17 setback at Morehead State Saturday afternoon in Pioneer Football League action at Jayne Stadium.
After Adam Zouagui put Davidson up 3-0 with a 41-yard field goal late in the opening quarter, Morehead State responded with 26 second-quarter points to take a 26-3 lead with 2:48 left in the first half. During their game-changing stretch, the Eagles picked off two passes.
In all, Morehead State forced six interceptions on the day, turning them into 27 points.
Davidson cut the deficit to 26-10 just before the half when Kellyn West scored his first career touchdown off a six-yard grab from Coulter Cleland.
The Wildcats would add another score midway through the third on a Mari Adams' one-yard run to get within nine, 26-17.
Not long after Davidson got back into the contest, the Eagles closed the quarter with a pair of 25-yard touchdown passes to Ryan Upp, all but putting the game out of reach.
Despite the loss, Adams finished with 122 rushing yards on 15 carries for the 'Cats, who totaled 263 yards on the ground.
Julian Rawlins led Davidson's defense with six tackles, while Darryn Kindles finished with a sack, three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.