GAME PREVIEW: Blue Hose Football is going up against the #11 team in the country & WINS!! - hear from coach

SWITZER

A major coup for Englehart's staff was the retention of First Team All-PFL running back and devastating kick returner Zach Switzer. The former Memphis Tiger calculated 1,250 all-purpose yards last season, the most by any PC player since 2017. Switzer averaged 27 yards per kick return, topping the PFL and ranking 11th in the nation.”

MACON, Ga. – The 113^th season of Presbyterian College football will commence this Saturday in a visiting capacity, headed for the Peach State where PC battles #11 Mercer. Kickoff in Georgia is slated for 6:00 PM, to be streamed live on ESPN+.

It will be the first time in 14 years that the Blue Hose have begun a fresh season with a nationally-ranked opponent as their opening challenger, last faced with that test in 2011 when they hosted then-#8 Wofford.

Head coach Steve Englehart will enact his fourth season at Presbyterian in the same location where his third campaign also got off the ground, falling to the Bears 12 months ago as Mercer went on to the FCS Quarterfinals.

The Scotsmen bring high hopes into the 2025 season thanks to their well-documented finish last year, hoping to build off the program’s highest win count in a decade.

Tomorrow’s tussle in Macon will be the first of back-to-back road trips against Southern Conference enemies for the Blue Hose, scheduled for a September 6 scrum at Furman that follows the Mercer matchup.

Coach Eglehart's post-game press conference here.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

WHO: Presbyterian (0-0) at #11 Mercer (0-0)

WHERE: Five Star Stadium (Macon, Ga.)

WHEN: Saturday, August 30 – 6:00 PM

FOLLOW THE ACTION

WATCH: ESPN+

LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast

TWITTER/X: @BlueHoseFB

GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | PFL Weekly Report

ENGLEHART ERA: YEAR FOUR

• Arguably the most dangerous team in the Pioneer Football League for the last month of the previous season, Presbyterian goes into head coach Steve Englehart's fourth year with larger expectations than the program has seen in their brief membership with the PFL.
• This is largely due to the fact that PC is returning eight offensive starters from a unit that won its final four games of 2024 by an average of 18 points, led by the quarterback and reigning PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year: Collin Hurst.
• The Blue Hose were mentioned more times than any of the other 10 PFL schools in the league's preseason all-conference rollout, flaunting six players: Hurst, wide receivers Dominic Kibby and Cincere Gill, all-purpose man Zach Switzer, defensive end Carter Szydlowski, and safety Caleb Francis.
• In 2024, Englehart and co. flipped the script after numerous close losses to win over Stetson, Dayton, Marist, and #23 Butler by a total of 68 points. That solidified PC's first six-win season since 2014 and first undefeated record in the month of November since all the way back in 2002.
• While Presbyterian must replace six defensive starters, the Scotsmen were lethal on that end of the field last year. They charted 27 sacks and 13 interceptions, topping the school's single-season record in the Division I era for both categories.

CHALLENGING THE FCS ELITE

• Saturday's season-starter in Macon will be PC's eighth game against an FCS top 15 opponent in the last 10 seasons. They last faced a member of the top 15 six years ago, hosting fourth-ranked Kennesaw State in Clinton prior to the Owls' move to the FBS level.
• 2014 was the last time that the Blue Hose were victorious over a top-15 foe, outlasting #12 Furman at Bailey Memorial Stadium in a 10-7 decision. Since the school made the jump to Division I in 2007, they have never defeated a top-15 opponent in a road setting.
• PC's last 10 efforts against teams who entered as a top-15 crew:

2019 - vs #4 Kennesaw St. (Lost, 55-10)

2018 - @ #13 Wofford (Lost, 45-21)

2018 - @ #4 Kennesaw St. (Lost, 56-0)

2016 - @ #9 Charleston So. (Lost, 38-3)

2016 - @ #6 Chattanooga (Lost, 34-0)

2015 - @ #1 Coastal Carolina (Lost 24-17)

2015 - vs #8 Chattanooga (Lost, 21-0)

2014 - vs #3 Coastal Carolina (Lost, 40-28)

2014 - vs #12 Furman (Won, 10-7)

2013 - @ #9 Coastal Carolina (Lost 46-13)

OPPONENT PROFILE

• When PC visited Mercer to begin 2024, few could have predicted the quality of season that the Bears were about to enjoy under first-year head coach Mike Jacobs.
• After winning a game in the FCS Playoffs prior to Jacobs' arrival and possibly expecting to take a step back, the Bears instead posted a record of 11-3 and won the Southern Conference Championship for the first time in the program's 51-year history.
• Mercer defeated Rhode Island in the postseason to book their ticket to the FCS Quarterfinals, falling to eventual national champion North Dakota State. Another of their three losses came to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
• The Bears' defense posted remarkable numbers last year, leading the nation in fewest rushing yards allowed per game (72), defensive touchdowns (eight), interceptions (25), and sacks (46).
• Mercer's 114 tackles-for-a-loss ranked second in FCS, as did their third-down defense which only allowed a conversion 27 percent of the time.
• However, they'll need to replace each of their top eight tacklers from that terrific campaign (and nine of their top 11).
• Mercer has won 27 games since the start of 2022, currently riding a 10-game home winning streak that dates back two seasons.
• A huge early-season matchup was set last weekend between #11 Mercer and #7 UC Davis at a neutral site in Montgomery, Alabama. The Bears trailed 23-3 midway through the 3rd quarter, but stormed their way back in the mix with two quick touchdowns.
• Now down by only six points with seven minutes remaining and in possession of the ball, the game was unfortunately called off due to inclement weather after a two-plus-hour delay. Thus, all stats from that contest were deleted.

HURSTS SO GOOD

• The main catalyst for Presbyterian's blazing conclusion to 2024, Hurst completed a phenomenal freshman season that saw him break or inch closer to numerous school records in only a single year.
• Named a Freshman All-American by Phil Steele Magazine and included on the top-ten list for the Jerry Rice Award (an honor presented to the best freshman in FCS football), Hurst topped all quarterbacks in the PFL with a pass efficiency rating of 154.
• The Floridian threw for over 2,300 yards in his first year as the Blue Hose starter, completing 73 percent of his passes during the team's season-ending four-game winning streak and accounting for 22 total touchdowns.
• Hurst completed 43 out of 54 attempts (80 percent) in consecutive wins over Dayton and Marist, exceeding 250 passing yards three times. He tossed for a season-best 358 yards in the PFL opener at Davidson.
• Hurst did not commit a single turnover throughout the last five games of the season, a stretch that included an overtime loss to eventual conference champion Drake.
• He goes into his sophomore campaign with 135 passes in a row without an interception. Out of 281 attempts for the entire season, he threw only four picks.

KIBBY’S CORONATION

• Already one of the best receivers to wear the PC colors in this century, two-time All-PFL'er Dominic Kibby closes in on yet another D-I-era record in the first game of his final college season.
• Kibby needs only 30 more receiving yards to become PC's new record-holder since the turn to D-I, trailing only Keith Pearson (2017-20) with 2,275 career yards.
• He already holds the career touchdown record, gaining his 15th TD on a 94-yard bomb at Stetson. Coincidentally, Kibby broke two Presbyterian records on that one play: most career touchdown catches AND producing the team's longest-ever passing play from scrimmage.
• The Maryland native is also second in PC's D-I record book in yards-per-reception (17).

SWITZER = SPECIAL TEAMS MAESTRO

• A major coup for Englehart's staff was the retention of First Team All-PFL running back and devastating kick returner Zach Switzer.
• The former Memphis Tiger calculated 1,250 all-purpose yards last season, the most by any PC player since 2017. Switzer averaged 27 yards per kick return, topping the PFL and ranking 11th in the nation.
• Switzer led PC in total points last fall (36), landing 673 yards in KOR duties in­cluding a 90-yard TD at Erskine. He returned seven kicks for at least 35 yards.

CHANGING PFL LANDSCAPE

• The 2025 offseason was a big one for the Pioneer Football League, turning over five new head coaches at Butler, Davidson, Drake, Stetson, and Valparaiso.
• That turnover makes St. Thomas head coach Glenn Caruso the longest serving head coach in the conference as he starts his fifth year.
• Steve Englehart now has the second-most all-time wins among the 11 active head coaches in the PFL (81).
• For the first time since 2019, the University of San Diego has been tapped as the Pioneer Football League’s preseason favorite. The Toreros picked up five first-place votes and were not ranked lower than third by any of the league’s head coaches to earn the poll’s top spot with 94 points.
• Following a vote by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in June, the University of St. Thomas has officially completed the reclassification process, making it an active member of NCAA Division I and eligible to compete in NCAA championships.
• The Tommies, who became the first institution to reclassify from Division III directly to Division I, won the 2022 Pioneer Football League title and finished among the league's top three teams in each of their first four seasons.

THE WIN:

MACON, Ga. – The Presbyterian College football team achieved its highest-ranked victory in program history on Saturday night to begin the 2025 season in stunning fashion, upsetting #11 Mercer in a drama-filled 15-10 decision.

PC surged ahead for good on a 16-yard touchdown burst by senior Zach Switzer with 56 seconds on the clock. The Blue Hose defense batted down a desperation heave to the end zone as time expired, confirming Presbyterian’s first-ever win over a top-15 team in a road game.

It had been 11 years since the Scotsmen last defeated a top-15 opponent in general, playing the entire game within a seven-point window and taking their first lead of the night in the final seconds.

Against the same school that beat them 63-10 in last season’s opener, head coach Steve Englehart’s crew racked up 416 total yards versus a defense that led FCS in several categories a year ago.

A landmark moment for both the Blue Hose and the Pioneer Football League, Presby’s win was aided by reigning PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year Collin Hurst (25 completions, 303 passing yards) and top target Dominic Kibby (nine receptions, 114 yards).

FINAL SCORE: Presbyterian, 15 – No. 11 Mercer, 10

RECORDS: Presbyterian (1-0) – No. 11 Mercer (0-1)

LOCATION: Five Star Stadium (Macon, Georgia)

MAKING PFL HISTORY

- A member of the Pioneer League since 2020, PC’s upset over the Bears officially puts to rest a 35-game PFL losing streak against FCS top-25 teams (including postseason games).

- PFL members have played 72 contests against FCS top-25 opponents since 2010, with Saturday’s stunner being the fourth occasion where the PFL has won that encounter.

- Prior to Saturday, the Butler Bulldogs were the last ones to earn a victory over a nationally-ranked foe, downing Youngstown State in the 2018 season-opener.

- Since 2010, none of the 11 programs in the Pioneer League had beaten a top-15 adversary. Presbyterian flipped the script against the Bears, unseating a club that has qualified for the FCS Playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

SOCON SABOTAGE

- Entering the 2023 campaign, no school in PFL history had ever defeated a member of the Southern Conference. Coach Englehart now boasts two victories of that nature after also pulling out a 23-20 triumph at Wofford that year.

- Among the many streaks that PC laid to bed over the weekend, they also silenced Mercer’s 10-game home winning streak that dated back to 2023.

- Just seven days after Mercer had battled #7 UC Davis on a neutral field to a “no contest” that was deemed so because of the weather, Presbyterian outgained the Bears by 175 total yards and held possession for nearly 36 minutes.

STATEMENT FROM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR – DEE NICHOLS

“What our team accomplished tonight was more than an upset; it was proof of what happens when preparation, belief, and relentless effort meet opportunity. We didn’t just beat Mercer. We showed what it means to be Blue Hose – driven by purpose, grounded in service, committed to excellence. Bound by Blue.”

“This is the standard now. We will carry this confidence forward, because the Hose are here!”

KIBBY THE CONQUEROR

- With a 23-yard completion late in the first quarter, Kibby (who is already PC’s career touchdown leader in the 18-year Division I era) broke another school record when he surpassed Keith Pearson’s 2,304 all-time yards.

- He found a personal-best nine receptions en route to the win, including a monster fourth-down conversion of 14 yards that would eventually set up Switzer’s game-winning touchdown.

HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF

- Presbyterian finished the evening with a 3-of-5 ratio when deciding to gamble on fourth-down, although their first effort in the opening quarter was unsuccessful at the Mercer 43.

- However, the Blue Hose defense forced a Mercer three-and-out immediately after the turnover and marched down inside the 10 on account of a 31-yard completion to Switzer.

- PC’s attempt at drawing first blood was thwarted when Hurst committed a turnover for the first time in six games on an interception in the back corner of the end zone. It was his first INT in 145 throws, spanning all the way back to October 12 of last year.

- The Bears capitalized on that mistake with a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown series that ended on an 11-yard pass with just four seconds left on the first-quarter clock.

- A fake punt and run from tight end Nathan Levicki allowed PC’s first drive of the 2^nd to endure until they were faced with another 4^th-down at the Mercer 29 later in that same set.

- Offensive coordinator Jayson Martin dialed up a flea flicker to Levicki that was unchecked by the Bears, putting Presby on the board with their first TD of the semester.

- The ensuing PAT was wide right, narrowly keeping Mercer ahead at 7-6.

- Senior corner-turned-safety Caleb Francis snared a diving interception on the Bears’ next sequence with 8:23 until intermission, moving him one pick closer to tying the school record in the D-I era.

- What happened next was a big momentum-shifter: after holding the ball for six-plus minutes, the Scotsmen were dealt a 4^th-and-goal at the 1-yard line. PC opted for more trickery as Hurst threw a short pass to fellow QB Ty Englehart, but Mercer wasn’t fooled and kept the ball from crossing the white stripe.

- The Blue Hose trotted to the locker room trailing only 7-6, hoping that past miscues wouldn’t come back to bite them as the game wore on.

HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF

- After trading quick punts in quarter number three, the Bears extended their slim lead to four points on a 22-yard field goal. Presbyterian answered with a 29-yard boot of their own, as Jett Jackson’s kick made it a 10-9 ballgame at the 3:54 stamp.

- PC caused another three-and-out dud that would ensure them possession as they went into the last stanza. However, a 3^rd-and-1 handoff was stymied at the line of scrimmage and the Blue Hose decided to punt with just over 12 minutes left.

- Redshirt-junior defensive end Dalton Epps came up with a mammoth sack on 3^rd-and-7 that put the ball back in Presby’s hands with 6:35 to go. Englehart and co. played those final minutes beautifully, converting two 4^th-downs and running 13 plays on that drive to chip away at the clock.

- Looking like they were content with a possible walk-off field goal while trailing by just one, Switzer instead gave the Blue Hose six points on the aforementioned touchdown. A two-point conversion try was no good, putting added pressure on PC’s defense in the waning moments.

- A 29-yard gain put Mercer in business at the Blue Hose 30, but they’d only get two yards closer as the PC secondary deflected the game’s last two passes.

UP NEXT

- Presbyterian will aim for yet another SoCon trophy when they visit Furman next weekend. Kickoff at nearby Greenville is slated for 2:00 PM, streamed live on ESPN+.

- The Palmetto opponents haven’t gone head-to-head since PC outlasted the then-12^th-ranked Paladins 10-7 at Bailey Memorial Stadium back in 2014.

- Furman was also a winner in their opening matchup of 2025, edging out William & Mary 23-21 thanks in large part to preseason All-American placekicker Ian Williams who drained three field goals in the second half and two in the fourth frame.