THE STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER - Blue Hose Football's 10th win

The stakes couldn’t get much higher for the Presbyterian College football team in what will be the final game at Bailey Memorial Stadium for 34 seniors, hosting the Marist Red Foxes on Saturday for a 1:00 kickoff and a possible share of the PFL regular season title.

PC needs a Senior Day victory and some assistance from two others around the division to claim a piece of the Pioneer League championship. They’ll receive the PFL’s automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs in the event of a win and slip-ups from Drake and San Diego.

Fresh off his 90^th career win over St. Thomas last weekend, head coach Steve Englehart leads his troops as they pursue a double-digit win count for only the third time in school history.

The 1979 and 2005 teams at Presbyterian both managed to reach the 10-win summit, now aiming to hit that mark again for the first time in exactly two decades.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

WHO: (RV) Presbyterian (9-2, 5-2) vs. Marist (5-6, 3-4)

WHERE: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)

WHEN: Saturday, November 22 | 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

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GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | Marist Notes | PFL Weekly Report

SENIOR DAY 2025

• Presbyterian will recognize a special batch of 34 seniors who helped transform Blue Hose football from a woeful 1-10 season as freshmen into a potential double-digit win ending for just the third time in school history.
• A significant portion of the 34 began their college careers in the same year that head coach Steve Englehart assumed the reigns, giving PC its best season of the Division I era over the past three months.
• Thanks in large part to the contributions of their seniors, Presby soared as high as #16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, witnessed a program-record 11-game winning streak, and captivated football fans across the state of South Carolina with one of the best stories in FCS.
• The following individuals will each be honored in numerical order during a pre-game ceremony:

 (Assistant Coach) George Schodowski

LB Malik Lewis

WR Cincere Gill

DB Caleb Francis

WR Dominic Kibby

QB Ty Englehart

RB Antonio Wright

DB Dillon Towles-Kendle

DE Malek Horlback

DB Zeb Stroup

DL Carter Szydlowski

DB Keith Elmore

WR Jaden Scott

TE Garrison Curry

QB Warner Bush

LB Panos Burlos

LB Boyce Bankhead

LB Cade Lewis

DB Alex Ward

LB Lawton Cox

K Peter Lipscombe

LB Drew Monin

LB Jason Briones

DL Alejandro Tovar

OL Caleb Rentz

OL Anthony Marin

OL Noah Peterson

OL Collin Dudley

OL JT Hill

TE Nathan Levicki

DL Carson Freese

DE Dalton Epps

DL Christian Ohagwu

DL Robert Porter

RACE FOR THE PFL TITLE

• So much is at stake for the Blue Hose in the last game of the regular season, biggest of all is the opportunity to close their fifth year in the Pioneer Football League as co-conference champs.
• In a truly wacky situation with multiple different resolutions, there are two outcomes where Presbyterian can tie for the PFL regular season title.
• However, only one of those two scenarios would see PC awarded with the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.
• If the Blue Hose knock off Marist (and thus complete an undefeated home record), they would also need the following to clinch the AQ:

- A loss by Drake at Morehead State

- A loss by San Diego at Stetson

• In the event that the PFL championship is shared between Presbyterian and Drake (PC wins, Drake & San Diego both lose), then the Blue Hose are guaranteed their first-ever postseason appearance since turning D-I 18 years ago.
• On the flip side, a Drake victory or a win by San Diego would thwart those plans regardless of PC's result versus Marist and the automatic bid would instead be awarded to the Bulldogs.
• The Pioneer Football League has declared a regular-season champion every year since 1993. There have been co-champs on 10 occasions, most recently in 2021 between Davidson and San Diego.

NO BLEMISHES AT BAILEY

• A win over Marist on Saturday would give the Blue Hose a statistic that they have not acquired since 1998: go undefeated at home over an entire season with six opportunities.
• PC's first season as a Division I college (2007) also ended with a perfect record at home, but only three home games were played.
• Since Bailey Memorial Stadium was created 23 years ago, Presbyterian has not previously had a season with six home wins and zero losses.
• Coach Englehart's crew has made it over 13 months since they last lost at home, riding a seven-game Bailey winning streak:

- Def. Valparaiso, 43-14 (November 1)

- Def. Stetson, 42-7 (October 18)

- Def. Morehead State, 41-0 (Sept. 27)

- Def. Bluefield, 76-3 (September 20)

- Def. Erskine, 42-14 (September 13)

- Def. #23 Butler, 30-27 (Nov. 23, 2024)

- Def. Dayton, 28-7 (November 2, 2024)

TOMMIES = TERMINATED

• Ranking near the top of several categories nationwide on the defensive side of the ball, Presbyterian swarmed St. Thomas on a cold afternoon in Minnesota and carried that gnarly D to a 23-9 win.
• PC and St. Thomas were seemingly headed in different directions going into that game, with the Tommies riding a five-game winning streak and the Blue Hose just seven days removed from a gut-wrenching one-point loss to arch-rival Davidson that put a sizable dent in their conference-title aspirations.
• The Scotsmen faced an opposing offense that was averaging 46 points per game over their previous five efforts, and held that same offense to a season-low 35 rushing yards and 179 total yards.
• St. Thomas never crossed the end zone all afternoon against PC's defense, their only touchdown of the game being a 3rd-quarter pick six.
• It took the Tommies seven rushing attempts before they gained any positive yardage, falling victim to nine tackles-for-a-loss and four sacks over the course of the game.
• Presbyterian picked off St. Thomas quarterback Andy Peters twice last weekend after he'd thrown only three INT's the entire season. As a unit, their 13 interceptions is the sixth-most in all of FCS.
• Against defensive coordinator Dan Owen's blockade, opponents have only managed to successfully convert 30 percent of third-down snaps (48-for-158). That also ranks sixth in America.

SWITZER SIZES UP THE RECORD

• Another individual who will be suiting up at Bailey Stadium for the final time, do-everything weapon Zach Switzer figures to set a new PC record in the first quarter of Saturday's affair.
• Switzer has amassed 1,278 all-purpose yards this year (career-high 751 rushing, 301 receiving, and 226 in kick-return duties). He needs just 12 more yards to break the team's single-season all-purpose record in the Division I era.
• The PC single-season all-purpose record has stood since 2007 (Terrance Butler), as Switzer fell just 39 yards shy of surpassing that mark last year.
• He is currently fifth in Presby's record book for career all-purpose yards (2,882), scoring 13 total touchdowns in 2025 alone.

OPPONENT PROFILE

• A sixteen-year veteran of the Pioneer Football League after converting from the MAAC, Marist has taken a positive step in year two under head coach Mike Willis.
• The Red Foxes saw just a single win last year – a season that concluded with a 42-23 loss against the Blue Hose in New York – but they've rebounded quite well and have the opportunity to post an even .500 record in Willis' sophomore effort.
• Marist's 5-6 ledger could look even nicer if they'd been able to pull out a three-point decision at Butler or a two-point result at Morehead State, although they offered a glimpse of their capabilities back on October 4 when knocking off San Diego 19-14.
• A late-season four-game losing streak threatened to derail the Red Foxes entirely, although they've reached back-to-back W's over Stetson (41-13) and, more recently, Davidson (37-10).
• Marist's last visit to Clinton was a very peculiar game back in 2023, as the Red Foxes did not produce an offensive touchdown at any point but were able to take a 19-10 win thanks to a 43-yard scoop-and-score as well as a 48-yard pick six.

Win over Marist is PC Football's 10th of the season

For the third time in 113 seasons of Presbyterian College football, the Blue Hose have accomplished 10 wins in a single campaign. PC squandered a late lead against Marist in the 2025 regular-season finale, but won the game with 46 seconds left to overcome the Red Foxes 29-25.

In the last-ever home meeting for 34 special seniors, the Blue Hose punctuated arguably their most successful season this century and realized win number 10 for the first time since 2005.

While PC’s quest for a Pioneer Football League championship was denied due to a Drake win at Morehead State, head coach Steve Englehart’s gang still managed to go undefeated at home over an entire season and finish the slate with a 6-2 mark against conference opponents.

The Scotsmen outlasted a feisty Marist visitor in a game that did not entail a single punt after the first quarter, using an eight-play 65-yard touchdown drive in only 85 seconds to snare the W dramatically.

It was a happy ending for the Blue Hose, who climbed as high as #16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll earlier this year, triumphant on Senior Day for the third time in a row and going into next year with an eight-game home winning streak.

FINAL SCORE: Presbyterian, 29 – Marist, 25

RECORDS: Presbyterian (10-2, 6-2) – Marist (5-7, 3-5)

LOCATION: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)

ZERO BAILEY BLEMISHES

- This is the first time since 1998 that Presbyterian has gone an entire season without any home losses on six attempts. They also managed a perfect home record in 2007, but only three games were played in Clinton that particular year.

- Coach Englehart’s club has won their last eight home affairs dating back 13 months by an average of 29 points, but were tested mightily by an upset-minded Marist foe who was searching for their third straight win.

- PC put up a very impressive 45 points per game in their six home contests this fall, building a 13-point halftime lead and outscoring the Red Foxes 13-8 in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

TWO-MINUTE DRILL EXPERTISE

- A key component of Presby’s close win was their successful execution in putting up late touchdowns in the 2^nd and 4^th quarters. Without those 14 points, the outcome of Saturday’s duel would have been vastly different.

- Ahead by a slim 6-0 margin with 2:19 to go in the opening half, quarterback Collin Hurst spearheaded a 69-yard touchdown drive on 11 plays, ending that sequence with a toe-tap score from senior Dominic Kibby.

- With the game hanging in the balance, Hurst delivered more heroics after his team had fallen behind 25-22 with just 2:11 on the board.

- A reigning Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-American, Hurst found BJ Atkins for separate gains of 18 and 24 yards, then leaving it up to sophomore power-back Justin Montgomery who dragged defenders with him into the end zone with 46 seconds left.

NOTABLES

- PC’s win wouldn’t have been possible without an exceptional effort by kicker Jett Jackson, hitting three field goals on as many attempts from distances of 39, 41, and 34 yards.

- Those nine points were pivotal considering the final margin, as Jackson becomes the third different Blue Hose kicker in the Englehart administration to make three FG’s in a single game (along with Mack Mikko and Peter Lipscombe).

- Linebackers Michael Torres and Boyce Bankhead were a fierce duo as Presby pitched a first-half shutout, combining for 19 tackles, three TFL’s, and two forced fumbles. Malik Lewis also added nine stops.

- Montgomery and Zach Switzer tag-teamed for 103 yards on the ground, while both teams passed for the exact same yardage (211). Hurst finished 18-of-32 and has now tossed 26 touchdowns this year.

- Switzer entered the 2025 curtain call hoping to break a Blue Hose single-season record that has stood since 2007. He reached that goal just nine seconds into the game with a 45-yard kick return, finishing the season with a school D-I record 1,458 all-purpose yards.

- Wideout Cincere Gill maintained his miraculous recovery from a torn ACL just one month ago, catching four passes for a team-best 75 yards. Fellow senior tight end Nathan Levicki grabbed his sixth receiving TD of the year and finished with 53 yards on five targets.

HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF

- PC’s first series of the afternoon had a promising start with Switzer’s aforementioned return, but the drive ended abruptly on a deep-ball interception at the eight-yard line.

- Marist picked up just one first down in the aftermath, however, giving possession back to Englehart’s unit where they advanced deep enough for Jackson to hit his first field goal.

- The 3-0 lead would persist for the remainder of the first quarter and eventually doubled to 6-0 on another Jackson boot at the 7:01 stamp of the 2^nd stanza.

- Presbyterian turned the Red Foxes over on downs at the 31-yard line to keep them scoreless, as Bankhead hurried the QB into an errant throw.

- That’s when PC embarked on their first prosperous two-minute drill, moving down to the 1 on a pass interference penalty and cashing in with a fade route in the corner of the end zone to Kibby (his 21^st career touchdown).

- The Blue Hose rode a 13-0 advantage into the locker room, the eighth time this season that they’ve held the opponent to seven first-half points or fewer. PC also blanked St. Thomas last weekend over the first two quarters.

HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF

- The mood certainly shifted after the break, as Marist managed to reverse their fortunes and score 17 points in the third period. They organized an 11-play drive that covered 69 yards, ending with a touchdown that trimmed the deficit to six.

- Two snaps later, the Blue Hose were the victims of a fumble after a five-yard pickup. Although, PC’s always-reliable defense buckled up with a short field and held the Red Foxes to just three points.

- The Scotsmen responded with a kick of their own to take a 16-10 lead, this one from 34 yards with 2:50 remaining in the quarter.

- Marist would not go down quietly as they tried to play spoiler, connecting on a 60-yard pass and taking their first lead of the day on a three-yard touchdown rush with 34 seconds left in the 3^rd.

- Now trailing by one, Presbyterian answered with their third drive of the contest that lasted at least 11 plays. Hurst lofted a 23-yarder to Levicki on a post pattern with 10 minutes on the clock, although the ensuing two-point conversion attempt was no good.

- Regardless, PC had still taken a five-point lead. It wouldn’t last though, as the Red Foxes answered with a near-eight-minute drive and their third touchdown of the second half (a two-yard run).

- Marist’s two-point try was a success, meaning that Presby would need a field goal at minimum to extend the game and 2:11 of time to work with.

- Hurst confidently led the Scotsmen to the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go, capped by Montgomery. Then, fittingly, Bankhead prevented Marist from converting a 4^th and 10 with 14 ticks on the clock.