The 22nd season at Bailey Memorial Stadium will get underway in just over 24 hours, as the Presbyterian College football team takes on Virginia University of Lynchburg at 1:00 PM. Kickoff will be streamed live on ESPN+ (as is the case for each of PC's home meetings).
Representing the first victory for head coach Steve Englehart with the program 12 months ago, Presbyterian's 21-13 win against the Dragons registered as the 54th W at the venue since its inaugural fall in 2002.
Looking to repeat that result from a year prior and bring PC to a 1-1 record, the Blue Hose will enact First Responders' Appreciation Day, sponsored by Self-Regional Healthcare, wherein all first responders will receive free admission.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Presbyterian (0-1) at Virginia-Lynchburg (0-1)
WHERE: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
WHEN: Saturday, September 9 – 1:00 PM
ADMISSION: Football Tickets
GAMEDAY PROTOCOL: Bailey Memorial Stadium Policies & Map
GAMEDAY PROGRAM: Blue Hose Game Guide
CLEAR BAG POLICY: Handbag Code
FOLLOW THE ACTION
WATCH: ESPN+ (Alex Smith & Tim Webb)
TWITTER: @BlueHoseFtball
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | PFL Weekly Report
Opponent Profile
• Twelve months after the two programs' first-ever meeting, Virginia-Lynchburg returns to Bailey Memorial where they ate a 21-13 defeat at Englehart's hands in 2022.
• Head coach Tim Newman's club has had a rough go of it in recent times, a winless crew last season despite some flashes of positivity.
• The Dragons were bested in their opening bout of the fall against Division II foe Carson-Newman by a 35-3 clip. VUL was stymied by the Eagles in what was a Thursday night contest, finishing the game with less than 100 yards of total offense (settling for 75). Only six yards came from the team's rushers.
• In the 2022 meeting at Bailey Memorial, Dominic Kibby and Worth Warner helped the Blue Hose dispose of the Dragons by combining for 10 catches, 144 yards, and all three of PC's touchdowns.
• Virginia-Lynchburg has garnered a road-heavy mentality, featuring away from home in every single game but one over the past two full campaigns.
Year 2 of Englehart Era
• The 17th head coach in the history of Presbyterian College football, Steve Englehart guides a more experienced and deeper roster into the '23 campaign.
• In year two, the former Florida Tech director returns 58 letterwinners and 15 starters. Additionally, the Blue Hose brought in 19 transfers from around the United States (including a pair from FBS programs in Florida State's Zane Smith and Memphis' Zach Switzer).
• A grand total of 39 upperclassmen can be seen throughout Presbyterian's club, eight of which are listed as seniors and will be going through their final season donning the blue and
garnet.
Kibby on Preseason All-PFL Roster
• Incoming sophomore wide receiver Dominic Kibby was chosen to the 2023 All-Pioneer Football League team, one of just three at his position to earn the all-conference spotlight.
• A 6'1" rising star from Catonsville, Maryland, Kibby was the most prolific offensive weapon during Englehart's debut season after posting a 796-yard campaign, the highest number among all Pioneer Football League players.
• The only receiver in the 11-team division to grasp four separate 100-yard outings – completing that feat as a rookie, nonetheless – Kibby's 72.4 yards per game and 19.4 yards per catch were both conference-leading numbers.
• Due to this and much more, the newbie was given a postseason second-team nod from the PFL and a spot on the Hero Sports FCS Freshman All-America team.
Two Decades of Bailey Memorial
• September 10th, 2022 commemorated the 20th season of Presbyterian football at Bailey Memorial Stadium, officially opened on Sept. 14, 2002 in a 26-6 victory over Charleston Southern.
• Over the last two decades, Presbyterian has amassed 54 wins inside Bailey Memorial since its dedication, emerging victorious four times or more in the same season at home with seven different teams.
• PC has reached the 30-point threshold in 30 different games at Bailey Memorial, with three of those occasions coming in 2021.
Around the PFL
• The 2023 season marks the 31st year for the Pioneer Football League – the nation's only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference.
• St. Thomas, the defending Pioneer Football League champion, was the choice to win the league's 2023 title as selected in the league's Preseason Coaches' poll. STU head coach Glenn Caruso secured his 150th career victory last Saturday against Black Hills State.
• The Tommies received 98 of the maximum 100 points available, with coaches unable to vote for their teams. Davidson followed closely with 92 points – putting the Tommies and Wildcats as the league's clear frontrunners entering the 2023 season.
• Eighty-six student-athletes recognized on the 2022 All-PFL Teams and honorable mention lists return for the 2023 season, including 12 returning First Team All-PFL selections and 15 returning Second Team All-PFL honorees.
• The PFL's Presidents Council named Greg Walter the league's second commissioner, effective August 1. Walter, who served as the PFL's associate commissioner since 2013, brings two decades of collegiate athletics experience, including an extensive background in leadership roles within the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), into his new role with the league.
