Presbyterian College Athletics
Tomorrow afternoon at Bailey Memorial Stadium has all the makings of a classic, as the Presbyterian College football team takes on 23rd-ranked Butler at 1:00 PM.
The Blue Hose look to achieve a feat that hasn’t been seen by the program in 17 years, targeting a season-ending four-game winning streak and a win over a top-25 opponent for the first time in their Division I history (2007 onwards).
One couldn’t ask for a more exciting opportunity for 18 seniors that will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on Saturday, just the second-ever meeting between PC and Butler and the first to happen in Clinton.
ESPN+ will be broadcasting the 2024 finale on a day where Presbyterian looks to solidify an undefeated record in the month of November for the first time since 2002.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHO: Presbyterian (5-6, 3-4) vs. #23 Butler (9-2, 5-2)
WHERE: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
WHEN: Saturday, November 23 | 1:00 PM
ADMISSION: Football Tickets
GAMEDAY PROTOCOL: Bailey Memorial 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: StatBroadcast
TWITTER / X: @BlueHoseFB
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | Butler Notes | PFL Weekly Report
OPPONENT PROFILE
- Although just barely out of the mix in the race for the PFL regular season championship due to an earlier defeat against top dog Drake, Butler will be in search of their second-ever double-digit win count when facing Presby (attempting the school's first season with at least 10 wins since 2009).
- Head coach Mike Uremovich has morphed the Bulldogs into a top-25 squad thanks to a win percentage of .696 since he took over three years ago. Butler is pursuing their first undefeated November since 2013.
- After spiraling a bit with back-to-back L's against Drake and Dayton, the Bulldogs have regained their composure and will ride into Clinton as winners of their last four.
- Butler was last seen in a 36-20 triumph over the Tommies of St. Thomas, a game where they never trailed and scored 23 points in the second half.
- Butler held St. Thomas to a 1-for-12 rate on third down situations, winning the turnover battle to a high degree thanks to four interceptions.
- From a statistical point of view, the Bulldogs are number one in the Pioneer Football League in the following categories: first downs, completion percentage, fewest sacks allowed, red zone offense and defense, and fewest penalties.
- Butler has battled Presbyterian only once all-time, and it happened 14 months ago in Indianapolis. Despite a strong start and an eventual 323 passing yards, PC was bested 27-17 after being shut out in the last 30 minutes. Therefore, Saturday is Butler's first-ever visit to Bailey Memorial.
WHAT’S AT STAKE…
- Presbyterian and head coach Steve Englehart have a monster opportunity staring at them this Saturday when a nationally-ranked opponent visits Bailey Memorial Stadium for the first time in the school's Division I era.
- A win over the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs would give the Blue Hose their first six-win season in a full decade (2014), while simultaneously hitting the program's first four-game winning streak since 2007.
- PC is no stranger to making history in another season filled with improvement, currently riding their first three-game winning streak since 2021 (and first time beating three conference opponents in a row since their final season as a D-II program in 2006).
- The Blue Hose have turned the page by playing solidly on both ends of the field, winning their last three by a combined clip of 68 points and holding the other side to less than 25 points in five straight outings for the first time in 18 years.
- Presbyterian's victims when they last published four consecutive wins: N.C. Central (34-27), North Greenville (66-52), VMI (45-21), and Coastal Carolina (41-34).
- A victory against Butler would denote the fourth time in Englehart's career as a head coach that his team achieved a four-game winning streak. The other occasions: five straight at Rose-Hulman (2008), six straight at Florida Tech (2015), and four straight at Florida Tech (2016).
SENIOR DAY ‘24
- PC will be recognizing a large batch of 18 seniors in a pregame ceremony this afternoon. Each of the following players will be suiting up in a Blue Hose uniform for the final time:
- Brooks Russ-Martin, Zach Switzer, Bradley Russ-Martin, Wyatt Hodges, Ezra King, Max Monroe, Anthony Thornton, Warner Bush, Tyleek Sealey, Quante Jennings, Sebastian Conwell, Nigel Brown, Alex Herriott, Patch Bennett, Malachi Bingham, Will Averbuck, Worth Warner, & Robert Porter.
REACHING RECORDS
- Numerous PC players have inserted their names in the conversation for both career and single-season program records as the 2024 campaign winds down:
- Already the school's career receiving touchdown leader (15), which he accomplished on a school-record 94-yarder at Stetson, junior Dominic Kibby needs just 95 yards to become PC's new record-holder for a career. He approaches this milestone with one season still left in his college tenure, setting his sights on Keith Pearson's mark (2,304 yards from 2017-20).
- Alex Herriott will finish his PC career in second-place across the D-I era with 359 tackles and counting. He leads the Presby defense into his final game ranking 2nd in school history with 30 tackles-for-a-loss and placing 3rd in school history with 11 sacks.
- Redshirt-freshman quarterback Collin Hurst's single-season numbers of 171 completions and 2,210 passing yards are both second in PC's Division I record book. He trails only Ren Hefley (2021) in both categories, ranking 3rd in completion percentage (66%) among all Blue Hose QB's since 2007.
- Senior do-everything tailback Zach Switzer is just 55 yards shy of becoming Presbyterian's new single-season record-holder for all-purpose yards. He currently has 1,235 AP yards this fall (combined rushing, receiving, and kick returns), good enough for 2nd in the Pioneer Football League.
HURST LANDS PFL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- Presbyterian has been firm in the spotlight as the 2024 season enters its final stages, receiving a weekly honor from the Pioneer Football League for the second time in 14 days. On Sunday, redshirt-freshman QB Collin Hurst was selected as the conference's Offensive Player of the Week.
- Completing an entire game without turning the ball over for the fourth straight weekend, Hurst picked apart the Marist Red Foxes in a 42-23 pounding. He found his target nearly 80 percent of the time in the team's third consecutive win, responsible for four touchdowns overall.
- The Florida native conjured up 280 yards from scrimmage while zipping a pass to eight different receivers, throwing 11 straight completions in the first half as the Blue Hose gained their third consecutive double-digit victory.
- A benchmark of efficiency at his young age, Hurst has now surpassed a full month without an interception (five out of the last six PFL games). He has not thrown a pick in his last 111 passes dating all the way back to October 12.
- Hurst's Offensive Player of the Week selection is PC's sixth weekly award from the PFL over the past two years, and the first for an offensive player. Kicker Peter Lipscombe was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week on November 3 after thwarting Dayton with four field goals.
- Hurst completed 21 of 27 attempts in the Marist blowout and tallied two of his three touchdown tosses from distances of 51 and 36 yards.
MAD DASH FOR PFL TITLE
- With a win, Drake clinches the 2024 PFL Championship outright and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The Bulldogs look to clinch their second-straight NCAA FCS Playoffs bid at Stetson.
- Should Drake fall at Stetson, they would still claim the PFL automatic bid in a tie with Butler and/or San Diego. However, should Drake lose and Morehead State defeat San Diego, Morehead State would have the inside track on the automatic bid.
- Drake saw the second-longest PFL win streak in league history end against Morehead State in Week 12. The Bulldogs' 17-game PFL win streak was the longest in the PFL since San Diego's 39-game win streak (2015-21).
- The league's passing title will go down to the final pass this season with four quarterbacks bunched up. San Diego's Grant Sergent leads the pack with 2,219 passing yards followed closely by Presbyterian's Collin Hurst at 2,210 yards. Drake's Luke Bailey (2,145) and Stetson's Brady Meitz (2,023) are also in the hunt.
