SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – The culprit to the Presbyterian College football team’s dramatic victory over Dayton less than 24 hours ago, freshman kicker Mack Mikko has been selected as the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in the past month.
Currently third nationally in made field goals per game (1.67), Mikko squared two through the uprights on Saturday in Ohio from distances of 28 and 34 yards, the latter of which came in overtime that was the game-deciding play.
A pivotal cog in PC’s first-ever win inside of league territory – snapping an 18-game losing streak in such contests – Mikko cemented the first Blue Hose overtime win since the program made the jump to the Division I ranks, drilling the 34-yarder in the midst of a downpour for his 10th connection of the year.
Presbyterian steadily built a 17-0 advantage over the Flyers after three quarters in a hostile environment, the first three points of which came by Mikko’s right foot with 5:56 left in the 1st.
The freshman from Georgia kept up his perfect point-after-touchdown rate by hitting a pair of PAT’s in the 2nd and 3rd periods (making him 16-of-16 on the season), although that double-digit edge would disappear thanks to a furious Dayton rally in the final frame.
You couldn’t tell that the pressure was on the newbie’s shoulders based on the defiance behind his game-sealer, leaving no doubt in overtime to silence the Flyers’ rally and send PC back to a .500 mark at 3-3.
Matching Luka Zurak of Butler for the most makes of any PFL specialist (10), Mikko has been rewarded by the conference with a weekly accolade following both of the team’s true road victories (collecting his first POTW after the Blue Hose downed Wofford in Spartanburg).
His 71% hit rate stands as the third-best in the division, already in possession of the school’s D-I single-season record for most makes with five meetings still in front of his squad on the calendar.
After pushing the dagger into Dayton to supply Presbyterian with a momentum-boosting W, Mikko and the Blue Hose will return to Bailey Memorial Stadium this weekend for another league encounter against Marist at 1:00 PM.
Welcoming the Red Foxes to Clinton for Homecoming 2023, the midseason clash will be broadcasted live via ESPN+.
DAYTON, Ohio – At this stage of the season, true freshman Mack Mikko has connected on 10 field goals in six contests. None were larger than the rain-drenched 34-yarder that he blasted in overtime on Saturday afternoon, lifting the Presbyterian College football team past the Dayton Flyers for the program’s first-ever Pioneer League victory, 20-17.
Bringing the Blue Hose back to .500 at 3-3, Mikko and his squad have officially shaken the stigma surrounding their recent PFL shortcomings in dramatic fashion. The school’s first W in three attempts over Dayton, Saturday’s thriller gives head coach Steve Englehart a signature win in his second year as the program’s director.
“Today was a huge win for our program considering the circumstances of the last two quarters”, commented Englehart. “We didn’t play a very strong 4th, but to get our first league win on the road and in overtime is a testament to how hard these guys work”.
“You learn a lot about yourself in a win of that nature, but I can say that everyone has unlimited confidence in Mack and there was no question that he was gonna put that field goal right down the middle”.
Plugging away towards a lead that reached as high as 17, Presbyterian nearly experienced a crippling fate of déjà vu after last week’s final-minute rally from Stetson. Although the Flyers were able to force an extra period, PC wasn’t deterred and surged ahead on the final play just as the clouds showered rain on the field.
At last getting the monkey off their back with a win-column performance in a conference setting, the Blue Hose will turn their momentum to Homecoming in seven days back at Bailey Memorial Stadium. Marist will line up against Englehart’s group on October 21 for another 1:00 PM kickoff on ESPN+.
FINAL SCORE: Presbyterian, 20 – Dayton, 17 (Overtime)
RECORDS: Presbyterian (3-3, 1-2) – Dayton (2-5, 0-4)
LOCATION: Welcome Stadium (Dayton, Ohio)
NOTABLES
- The pure definition of a team-oriented win, PC received worthwhile contributions from all sides in a hostile environment. Defensive coordinator Daniel Owen’s unit forced three Flyer turnovers (two fumbles and a deep-ball interception by Anthony Thornton) that helped sway the tide in their favor and keep it that way in the end.
- Junior linebacker Alex Herriott personified a magnet to the opposing offense, registering 14 tackles (his second-most in a single game across an already fantastic career) with a pair of stops for a loss. Over the past 17 games dating back to 2022, the Hanahan native has tallied a double-digit number of tackles on seven occasions and thrice already this fall.
- Second-year lineman Carter Szydlowski possessed a similar nose for the football on Saturday, recovering two Dayton fumbles in the 2nd and 3rd quarters (the first time a PC player achieved that feat since 2018 versus Campbell).
- Sending it through the uprights from distances of 28 and 34 yards to propel his club to the road triumph, Mikko’s 10 made field goals on the season is currently tied for the most among all PFL kickers alongside Butler’s Luka Zurak.
- Quarterback Tyler Wesley made his way back into the starting role after sitting out last weekend’s Stetson encounter due to injury, reaching 165 passing yards on 16 completions. Four different PC wideouts amassed at least 20 yards in the heart-racing result, led by 47 from Jordan Irizarry.
- Joining Wesley in the category of “banged up the week prior but now back in the mix”, tailback JB Seay earned a career-best 61 yards on the ground along with his second touchdown of the campaign in the waning moments of the 3rd. That play allowed the Blue Hose its largest advantage in a PFL contest at 17-0.
- Only the third time that a game involving Presbyterian has entered overtime territory since the school made the D-I jump in 2007, PC found themselves in OT for the first time since the abbreviated ’20 season. On this occasion, however, the final score tilted in the direction of the blue and garnet.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
- Presby’s defense held the Flyers to zero on the board for a full 46 minutes, going ahead by three after the opening frame and by 10 with two chapters gone. Their intensity led to a turnover on downs to close the game’s second series, setting the stage for Mikko to scratch with 5:56 on the clock in the 1st.
- The 28-yard boot was helped in part by a 3rd-and-15 laser from Wesley to Irizarry that landed for 17 yards. Despite a 24-yard carry by Seay near the quarter’s close, it was Dayton’s turn to hold the Blue Hose on 4th down as the chess match raged on.
- That 4th-and-5 mishap was atoned in short order with 11:14 till’ halftime, as sophomore linebacker Nathan Hajduk steamrolled Dayton QB Drew VanVleet for a seven-yard sack where the ball popped free for good measure.
- Szydlowski pounced on the opportunity and resumed PC’s previous drive, where Wesley and Worth Warner synced up from 10 yards out to bring the lead to that same number. Warner twisted in midair to plant one foot down in bounds at the 7:47 stamp, deepening the cushion to a two-possession ballgame.
- Thornton snared his first INT in a Blue Hose uniform with just over five minutes to go in the 2nd, representing the second time that an Englehart-coached team created a takeaway in back-to-back drives in a PFL setting (doing the same at Morehead State 12 months ago).
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
- A crucial mistake at the 7:42 mark of the 3rd nearly haunted Presbyterian in the long run, coughing up the ball at the goal line after each side produced a three-and-out post-break. Staying true to the theme of the day, the Blue Hose didn’t waver and turned over the Flyers just three minutes later, with Malik Lewis being the one to jar the ball loose.
- Six plays and 47 yards later, Seay plunged in his second score of the season and the lead sat at a seemingly-insurmountable 17 points.
- Channeling Stetson from last week, Dayton then began a furious rally all the way to a tie. A 42-yard rush on a 4th-and-2 scenario would finally hand the Flyers their first chance at a profitable drive, hitting a 30-yard FG early in the last stanza.
- Suddenly, things got much more interesting after two PC series that tapped out at three plays. A 50-yard touchdown march from the home side whittled the lead to seven with over six minutes on the clock, finding the end zone on a 13-yard handoff.
- In what became Dayton’s last turn before the final horn, the Flyers orchestrated a 12-play sequence that totaled 77 yards, eating up nearly five minutes of action that left only 13 seconds of regulation to work with.
- With the score now at a 17-all stalemate, Englehart was content to allow overtime and another Dayton possession at the 25. However, the PC defense locked in and only conceded four yards of movement which led to a missed 38-yard attempt by Flyers’ specialist Sam Webster.
- That’s when an eight-yard Wesley scramble opened the door for Mikko’s heroics, granting the Blue Hose their second true road win of 2023.
UP NEXT
- Successfully avenging last year’s defeat at Dayton’s hands, Presbyterian will look to do the same to Marist on Homecoming weekend in Clinton. The Red Foxes have already built an impressive conference resume at 3-1 following a 30-16 victory against San Diego in Poughkeepsie.
- Each of Marist’s three wins have occurred with a league adversary standing in their way, passing the 30-point threshold in three out of their last four matchups.
Student-Athlete of the Week:
One of the most polished defensive players in all of FCS, junior linebacker Alex Herriott of the Presbyterian College football team has been selected as the Adidas / Game One PC Student-Athlete of the Week. Herriott takes the award after climbing to 14 tackles across a 20-17 overtime victory against Dayton on Saturday.
The team-leader in overall tackles for the third consecutive year, the Hanahan native continues to carve a sensational career donning the blue and garnet. Displaying 60 stops through six games, Herriott's quest for a potential all-PFL ticket remains as strong as ever.
More than any other defender in the Pioneer Football League, Alex has garnered 40 solo tackles (ranking fifth in the country) beside three double-digit tallies already this fall. Six of his stops have occurred behind the line of scrimmage, while he's also acquired 1.5 sacks, a quarterback hurry, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble.
In a career full of magnetic performances, Herriott has established seven efforts with 10 tackles or better. The latest of those came on Saturday in the dramatic win over the Flyers, just two shy of a personal-best 16 that was recorded versus Valparaiso in 2022.
Nine of his stops in the PFL triumph came during the second half, helping keep Dayton off the board for the first 46 minutes of action as his squad withstood a late comeback try from their northern foes.
As the Flyers were able to stretch the contest to an OT period, Herriott ensured that they'd be put in a difficult spot by wrestling down the ball-carrier on 2nd and 3rd down to only combine for four yards. That placed Dayton with a 38-yard field goal attempt in shoddy weather, which was promptly hooked off-target.
Presbyterian wouldn't come up empty-handed on their FG try however, winning the game on a 34-yarder to cement the program's first-ever conference W since joining the division in 2021.
In 28 games suiting up for the Blue Hose, Herriott has become the seventh player in the school's Division I history (since 2007) to compile at least 200 tackles. He has landed 21 tackles for a loss since his freshman campaign, along with 8.5 sacks that have backed up the opposing offense for 51 total yards.
Now at 3-3 overall next to their momentum-boosting road victory, PC will anticipate Homecoming this Saturday as they welcome Marist to Bailey Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM and will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
The Presbyterian College athletic department partnered with Game One on a multi-year apparel agreement last November as an official team dealer for Adidas. The partnership extended the university's alliance with Adidas that began in 2015 to outfit the Blue Hose athletic programs.
Game One is among the largest and fastest-growing sports equipment and apparel suppliers in the country, serving a loyal customer base of 13,000 schools and organizations in 38 states.
Presbyterian's Adidas / Game One Student-Athlete of the Week
September 11, 2023 – Tyler Wesley, Football
September 18, 2023 – Kasey Battle, Volleyball
September 27, 2023 – Damorney Hutchinson, Men's Soccer
October 3, 2023 - Sophia Del Valle, Volleyball
October 10, 2023 - Lina-Marie Müller, Women's Soccer
First-year kicker Mack Mikko of the Presbyterian College football team has been summoned to the 2023 FCS Jerry Rice Award Watch List, presented by Stats Perform and FedEx Ground. The annual honor, awaiting its 13th recipient, is presented to the most outstanding freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Making the cut of 22 individuals nationwide – while being the only special teams player on the entire list – Mikko gets the invite after pouring in 10 field goals in just six appearances this season (the second-highest among any kicker at the FCS level regardless of class).
Debuting in 2011 and named after legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice (who attended Mississippi Valley State University), the award is voted on by a national panel of more than 40 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers, and other various dignitaries.
Final voting is conducted prior to the start of the FCS Playoffs, with the winner revealed at the conclusion of the regular season. 2022 recipient Gevani McCoy (Quarterback, Idaho) was announced on December 7 of last year.
Other notable past honorees include eventual NFL stars Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington, 2013), Chase Edmonds (Fordham, 2014), Trey Lance (North Dakota State, 2019), and current QB of the Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders (then at Jackson State in 2021).
Already a two-time Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week, Mikko was the hero of PC’s 20-17 overtime victory at Dayton last weekend, a game that saw the Blue Hose surrender a 17-point fourth-quarter lead but respond with the OT dagger from the freshman’s right foot.
The first-ever PFL win in the school’s brief history with the conference, Presbyterian has earned a strong special teams reputation partly thanks to Mikko’s 46 points scored (10 FG’s, 16 PAT’s).
His 71% hit rate (10-of-14 on field goal tries) ranks third among all PFL kickers, already holding PC’s Division I single-season record for most makes with five matchups still to go until the season’s end.
Logging 1.67 field goals per outing – a number that places him third in the country – Mikko and the Blue Hose will return to Bailey Memorial Stadium this Saturday for Homecoming ’23 against the Marist Red Foxes. Kickoff between two 3-3 clubs will take place at 1:00 PM on ESPN+.
JERRY RICE AWARD BACKGROUND
The freshman player of the year’s namesake, Jerry Rice was a National Football League phenomenon with the San Francisco 49ers and three other franchises, often regarded as the greatest wide receiver in the sport’s history.
Rice earned 13 NFL Pro Bowl trips, 10 first-team All-Pros, three Super Bowl championships, and a Super Bowl MVP trophy amongst other accolades. The 1985 first-round pick began his journey at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84.
At the collegiate stage, he earned All-America plaudits twice while setting records for receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Rice is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
Stats Perform releases four other national awards at the end of each calendar:
The five national award-winners are celebrated at the Stats Perform FCS Banquet and Presentation, held at the end of the 2023 season.
FCS Jerry Rice Award Watch List – As of October 18, 2023
Marqui Adams (QB, Delaware State)
Camden Coleman (QB, Richmond)
Quincy Craig (RB, Portland State)
Champ Dozier (RB, Houston Christian)
M.J. Flowers (RB, Eastern Illinois)
Syeed Gibbs (DB, Rhode Island)
Eli Gillman (RB, Montana)
Carter Glassmyer (LB, Saint Francis)
Malachi Hosley (RB, Penn)
Brendan Jenkins (WR, Samford)
Jaylon Joseph (DE, Lafayette)
Alex McLaughlin (DB, Northern Arizona)
Mack Mikko (PK, Presbyterian)
Zach Mitchell (WR, Southern Utah)
Connor Moore (LT, Montana State)
Tye Niekamp (LB, Illinois State)
Marco Patierno (LB, Elon)
Aaron Spears (CB, Stephen F. Austin)
Beau Sparks (WR, Utah Tech)
Tak Tateoka (QB, St. Thomas)
V.J. Wilkins (WR, Campbell)
Ty’Jarian Williams (QB, Mississippi Valley State)
FCS Jerry Rice Award winners (2011-2022)
2022 – Gevani McCoy (QB, Idaho)
2021 – Shedeur Sanders (QB, Jackson State)
2020 – Cameron Ward (QB, Incarnate Word)
2019 – Trey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)
2018 – Josh Davis (RB, Weber State)
2017 – Bryson Armstrong (LB, Kennesaw State)
2016 – A.J. Hines (RB, Duquesne)
2015 – Case Cookus (QB, Northern Arizona)
2014 – Chase Edmonds (RB, Fordham)
2013 – Cooper Kupp (WR, Eastern Washington)
2012 – John Robertson (QB, Villanova)
2011 – Terrance West (RB, Towson)
