Bailey Memorial Stadium will be the site of potentially more history-making for the #19/21 Presbyterian College football team, hosting Stetson for Homecoming: powered by Self Regional Healthcare. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
A hypothetical win over the Hatters would grant PC an 11-game winning streak and would give them six consecutive wins at home for the first time in 17 years. They lack one more victory to tie the 1959 team for the program’s greatest-ever start to a season.
Head coach Steve Englehart’s crew is approaching a full calendar year of no losses, hoping to continue their 12-month-long streak against the very same school who they defeated to start that streak in the first place.
The Blue Hose are one of eight FCS schools to still be unbeaten, tied with three others for the longest active winning streak in Division I football. They are sporting their highest-ever ranking of the D-I era as the ’25 regular season is halfway done.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHO: #19/21 Presbyterian (6-0, 2-0) vs. Stetson (3-4, 2-1)
WHERE: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
WHEN: Saturday, October 18 | 1:00 PM
ADMISSION: BlueHoseTix.com
GAMEDAY PROTOCOL: Stadium Policies & Map
FLIP CARDS: Sponsored by Founders Federal Credit Union
CLEAR BAG POLICY: Handbag Code
FOLLOW THE ACTION
WATCH: ESPN+ (Gabriel Schray & Tim Webb)
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
X (FORMERLY TWITTER): @BlueHoseFB
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | PFL Weekly Report
INDY OCCUPATION
• Presbyterian preserved their unbeaten record last weekend in one of their greatest challenges yet, overcoming a late deficit to beat a streaky Butler opponent 31-25.
• Their 10th consecutive victory and sixth straight in PFL competition, the Blue Hose tugged the lead back in their hands on a 75-yard touchdown heave from Collin Hurst to tight end Nathan Levicki with exactly 11 minutes left.
• PC took the hard-fought win despite three grueling Butler drives that lasted 13, 15, and 18 plays respectively. The Bulldogs had possession for over 40 minutes altogether, although two of those three clock-chewing drives ended with field goals to keep the score close.
• After re-taking the lead with Levicki's breakaway, the Blue Hose defense forced a Butler punt and would hold the ball themselves for nearly the final five minutes.
• Head coach Steve Englehart's unit needs one more W to tie the program's best-ever start to season (hoping to equal the 1959 team's 7-0 mark), approaching a full 365 days since they last took a loss.
• By escaping Indianapolis with their flawless record still intact, Presbyterian has tied Harvard for the longest road winning streak in FCS (five straight wins as the road team).
RANKED ON BOTH ACCOUNTS
• The Scotsmen are currently ranked #19 in America by the AFCA Coaches Poll and #21 by Stats Perform thanks to their scorching start.
• They have become the first PFL program since 2018 to be ranked in both polls simultaneously. PC joins San Diego, Dayton, and Jacksonville as the only four PFL schools to be included in both rankings at the same time throughout the Pioneer League's 34-year history.
• In the AFCA poll, the Blue Hose are receiving 176 points (an increase of 46 from last week). That's 27 behind Lamar and 29 ahead of Harvard.
• In the Stats Perform Top 25, Coach Englehart's club is garnering 299 points (an increase of 71 after the Butler triumph). That's 42 points better than #22 South Dakota.
OPPONENT PROFILE
• This will be the second consecutive Blue Hose opponent with a first-year head coach in tow, as Stetson comes to Bailey Memorial with former NFL offensive lineman Mike Jasper in charge.
• The Hatters have quietly realized an uptick in momentum after a rough beginning, recovering from a loss to NAIA program Webber International in the season-opener and subsequent large losses to Chattanooga and Harvard.
• Stetson achieved their first Pioneer League win versus Davidson in DeLand, coming away with a 35-32 decision. The next week, they churned out another close call with a 21-14 victory over Morehead State.
• It's the first time in six years that Stetson has accomplished consecutive conference wins, ranking fourth in the PFL with 22 total touchdowns (however, 11 behind the Blue Hose in that department).
• One of the driving factors in the Hatters' mid-season turnaround has been the decision by Jasper to make a change at starting quarterback. Chris Stephenson has passed the test since taking over, logging back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts in their two conference wins.
• Stetson is the same team that Presbyterian defeated to begin their current 10-game winning streak, going to Florida 12 months ago and leaving no doubt in a 42-14 shellacking.
• PC rushed for 329 yards on that sunny afternoon, a single-game school record against a Division I opponent. They calculated 663 yards of total offense and have not been defeated since (363 days).
PERFECT TEN
• Presbyterian has reached an impressive milestone in the wake of the Butler result, hoisting their 12-month long winning streak to double digits.
• PC has won in five different states during this 10-game winning streak, averaging 39 points per game along the way while giving up just 16 on the other side.
• Tennessee Tech is the only Division I institution (FBS or FCS) to boast a longer active streak with 11 wins in a row.
• PC's 10 consecutive wins are tied with reigning national champions Ohio State and North Dakota State, as well as the Memphis Tigers, for the second-longest winning streak among the 265 schools who compete in Division I.
ELITE EIGHT
• All eight undefeated FCS programs kept the status quo last week, as Presbyterian extends their residence at the top of the college football food chain.
• Below is a list of the other seven unbeatens around the nation, and who they will face this weekend:
(Rankings reflect AFCA Coaches Poll)
- #1 North Dakota St. (@ Indiana State)
- #2 South Dakota St. (@ Murray State)
- #3 Tarleton State (vs West Georgia)
- #4 Montana (vs Sacred Heart
- #7 Lehigh (BYE)
- #8 Tennessee Tech (@ Lindenwood)
- #20 Harvard (vs Merrimack)
FOURTH-QUARTER FORTRESS
• Through six games, the vaunted Presbyterian defense has remarkably not given up a single touchdown within the fourth quarter.
• Butler managed to score two field goals in the 4th (one of which was a desperation kick with less than 60 seconds to go). Those were the first points of any kind allowed by PC in the fourth quarter all season.
• The Scotsmen's dominance in crunch time has been a major contributor to the 6-0 start, helping Presby win by an average margin of 26 points.
• PC's opponents have seen 15 fourth-quarter drives and have only made it to the red zone once. That one occasion ended up being a goal-line stand against Morehead State at the 1, cemented with Caleb Francis' ninth-career interception that helped keep a 41-0 shutout.
CREAM OF THE CROP
• Through the first six games of 2025, the Blue Hose lead the PFL and are near the top of numerous statistical categories nationwide:
(Rankings encompass all 129 FCS football teams)
- 7th in Points Per Game (41)
- 9th in Yards Per Completion (14)
- 10th in Total Yards Per Game (468)
- 21st in Total Rushing Yards (1,256)
- Opposing quarterbacks have a combined QBR of 96.6 (that's the second-lowest in the nation, behind only Harvard)
- 3rd in Interceptions (9)
- 5th in Fewest Total Yards Allowed Per Game (270)
- 6th in Fewest Points Allowed Per Game (15)
- 10th in Third-Down Defense (30%)
- 11th in Fewest Passing Yards Allowed Per Game (163)
- 13th in Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game (106)
(RB) ZACH SWITZER
- 3rd in Total Touchdowns (11)
Eight Rushing, Three Receiving
- 4th in Yards Per Carry (7)
- 16th in All-Purpose Yards (810)
(QB) COLLIN HURST
- 3rd in Quarterback Rating (185.2)
- 3rd in Passing Touchdowns (17)
- 5th in Points Responsible For (116)
The #19/21 Presbyterian College football team surpassed 40 points for the fourth consecutive home game on a picture-perfect Homecoming Saturday, improving to 7-0 with a 42-7 victory against the invading Stetson Hatters.
In front of an electric crowd that eclipsed seven thousand spectators, the Blue Hose again pounced early and rode a three-score advantage into halftime. That lead grew to its largest point at 35, pushing PC’s winning streak to 11.
When the clock strikes midnight and turns to Sunday, Presbyterian will have gone 365 days since their last loss. They’ve won six straight home games for the first time since 2008 and have now matched the 1959 squad for the greatest start to a season in program history.
The Pioneer Football League grind continues for head coach Steve Englehart’s club, targeting Dayton for their next visit on October 25. Kickoff in Ohio is scheduled for noon.
FINAL SCORE: #19/21 Presbyterian, 42 – Stetson, 7
RECORDS: #19/21 Presbyterian (7-0, 3-0) – Stetson (3-5, 2-2)
LOCATION: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
MONTGOMERY ASCENDS
- Breaking a new personal record with seemingly every outing, sophomore bruiser Justin Montgomery found the end zone three times against the Hatters.
- He scored from distances of 21, four, and two yards, becoming the first PC player since Ben Cheek in 2017 to register three rushing touchdowns in a single game (Cheek did it versus Gardner-Webb).
- Since the start of league action (three appearances), Montgomery has totaled 257 yards on the ground. He has scored at least one TD in four of the last five matchups, good for six scores on the season.
SACRED GROUND
- Presbyterian’s defense was sensational once more against a visitor looking to play spoiler, making Stetson punt or turning them over on downs in eight straight drives.
- The Hatters were shut out completely until 10:35 remaining in the fourth, the first touchdown allowed by PC in the final quarter all season long.
- Prior to Saturday, the Scotsmen had given up just six points (two field goals) within the final 15 minutes of every game combined. Stetson was a brutal 5-for-18 on third-down snaps, held to only 125 passing yards.
- Stetson’s late-game TD was the first points of any kind allowed by the Blue Hose in a home game since the second quarter against Erskine. They had pitched a shutout in 13 straight quarters at Bailey Stadium prior to that moment.
ELEVEN CONSECUTIVE
- Coach Englehart’s camp ensured that the 12-month-long winning streak wouldn’t end against the same team who it started against, going for 440 total yards of offense and spreading out at least one touchdown in each quarter.
- PC entered Week 8 with the second-longest active winning streak in all of Division I football, tying reigning national champions Ohio State (FBS) and North Dakota State (FCS), as well as the Memphis Tigers.
- The Blue Hose are averaging 39 points per game during this 11-game winning streak, giving up just 15 per game on the defensive end.
- In 2025, Presby ranks 10th in the country for total yards per contest. Even better on the defensive end, they’re giving up the fifth-fewest yards of the 129 FCS teams.
NOTABLES
- Quarterback Collin Hurst dished out another excellent stat-line with 236 passing yards and one touchdown. He shook off his first interception in five games to complete 19-of-27 attempts, while second-stringer Ty Englehart was perfect in the fourth frame on four throws and added a rushing touchdown.
- Senior linebacker Boyce Bankhead continued his climb to the top of the PFL tackling list, going for 11 tackles against the Hatters after a career-high 14 at Butler last week.
- Stetson’s final drive ended with a fourth-down interception by Malachi Gordon, the 10th pick of the season by Presbyterian which is now the second-most at the FCS level.
- PC’s leading receiver on the year – Cincere Gill – produced his third career 100-yard game on six receptions. Hauling in a 29-yard touchdown with 11 seconds until halftime, the Massachusetts native has now had at least one score in five of the seven games across his senior stint.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
- The Hatters were held without a first down until their third drive of the day, and by that point they already faced a 7-0 deficit thanks to Montgomery’s 21-yard spurt at the 6:42 stamp of the opening period.
- Presbyterian punished Stetson’s offense early, allowing a mere 23 total yards over the entire first quarter. The visitors didn’t progress beyond the 50-yard line until their fifth series.
- PC went 55 yards on eight plays to go up by 14 points with nine-and-a-half minutes until the break, as Montgomery again did the honors from short range.
- Stetson’s next series lasted 14 plays and chewed up over five minutes, but ended in zero points due to a failed fourth-down gamble. They decided to go for it inside the red zone needing six yards to keep the drive going, but Malek Horlback rushed the QB to force an incomplete pass.
- Although Stetson snared a rare Hurst interception with just 1:12 left in the 2nd, they were only able to make it two yards before punting again. It was Hurst’s first INT since the overtime victory at Furman, throwing 98 consecutive passes without a turnover.
- True freshman Darriel Harper put PC in a fantastic spot to score one more time before intermission, charting a 27-yard punt return plus a Stetson personal foul which added 15 more yards. This situated the Blue Hose at the 31 with 37 seconds to work with.
- Gill was left uncovered in the final moments of the first half, putting Presbyterian ahead 21-0 at the midway point.
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
- PC reached an insurmountable lead in their opening set of the third stanza, marching 74 yards on nine plays and finishing that sequence with the Montgomery hat trick.
- The Hatters again trudged down inside the 20 in their next effort, but turned it over on downs for the second time on a 4th-and-7 with another incomplete toss.
- Antonio Wright put the finishing touches on the W with a one-yard dash in the final seconds of the 3rd, making it a 35-0 lead. Englehart then scampered to paydirt with 5:40 to go in the 4th, confirming a 40-point day for PC yet again.
UP NEXT
- A tough test awaits the Blue Hose in Dayton next week, meeting an opponent who was felled for only the second time this year against Butler by six.
- Coach Englehart’s troops won in overtime against the Flyers two years ago and dominated this matchup in Clinton last November with a 28-7 result.
- The action at Dayton will be streamed live on YouTube.
