One week after making history with the school's first-ever win while affiliated with the PFL, the Presbyterian College football team is in search of two straight conference victories tomorrow afternoon at Bailey Memorial Stadium. Standing in their way is the Red Foxes of Marist, traveling south to Clinton from Poughkeepsie, New York.
Kickoff in the third home bout of year for PC is penciled for 1:00 PM, with a live stream produced by ESPN+ alongside play-by-play broadcaster Alex Smith and color analyst Tim Webb.
Defeating Dayton six days ago for the first time and hoping to complete a similar achievement against Marist in the third matchup between the two programs, the Blue Hose and head coach Steve Englehart will joust with a divisional foe that holds their same record (3-3) as both sides juggle for midseason momentum.
Saturday's feature is Homecoming at Presbyterian College, completing a week's worth of on-campus activities with a crucial duel on the gridiron.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHO: Presbyterian (3-3, 1-2) vs. Marist (3-3, 3-1)
WHERE: Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
WHEN: Saturday, October 21 – 1:00 PM
ADMISSION: Football Tickets
GAMEDAY PROTOCOL: Bailey Memorial Stadium Policies & Map
GAMEDAY PROGRAM: Blue Hose Game Guide
CLEAR BAG POLICY: Handbag Code
FOLLOW THE ACTION
WATCH: ESPN+ (Alex Smith & Tim Webb)
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
TWITTER: @BlueHoseFtball
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | Marist Notes | PFL Weekly Report
Opponent Profile
• One of four squads in the PFL with three divisional wins to their credit, Marist has flipped the script after a lackluster beginning. They've battled their way back to .500 thanks to three 30-point showings in their last four appearances.
• Last weekend, the Red Foxes broke a 16-game losing streak in their all-time series against San Diego, handling the Toreros by a 30-16 margin in a contest where they generated a whopping six turnovers.
• Jim Parady continues his long-standing relationship with Marist College, in the midst of his 32nd season roaming the sidelines. He has assembled 154 victories since taking the job in 1992, the longest-tenured head coach in Division I football.
• Sophomore linebacker Angelos Vokolos was christened the PFL Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday, lining up 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the dominant performance at
San Diego.
Last Time Out
• Coach Englehart's unit has officially shaken the stigma surrounding their recent PFL shortcomings, denying Dayton an eleventh-hour comeback with rain-drenched dramatics last weekend (simultaneously PC's first-ever win over the Flyers and first Pioneer League victory since formally joining the division in 2021).
• Personifying a true team-oriented performance, Presby received worthwhile contributions from all sides as they built a 17-0 lead after three quarters. Defensive lineman Carter Szydlowski recovered two Flyer fumbles in the 2nd and 3rd, the first time a Blue Hose player has achieved that feat since 2018.
• No stranger to anxiety-filled finishes in 2023, Presbyterian has seen all three of its PFL contests decided by 10 points or fewer and has grabbed its past two wins by a combined six points.
• The Blue Hose have posted conference-best numbers in both yards per completion (14.6) and fewest passing yards allowed per game (172.6).
Mikko Makes Jerry Rice Award Watch List
• First-year kicker Mack Mikko 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.
• 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).
Herriott Climbing Up the Ranks
• One of the most polished defensive players in all of FCS, junior linebacker Alex Herriott continues to carve a sensational career donning the blue and garnet. Displaying 60 stops through six games this fall, Herriott's quest for a potential all-PFL ticket remains as strong as ever following a 14-tackle effort in Saturday's W at Dayton.
• 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 year. 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.
Around the PFL
• With its defense picking up six turnovers against San Diego, Marist moved to the top of the league with 14 turnovers gained this season, moving up to fifth among FCS teams. San Diego is No. 2 in the PFL and No. 14 in the FCS with 13 turnovers gained in 2023.
• Five of the league's running backs enter Week 8 ranked among the FCS Top 35 in rushing yards per game, led by Butler's Jyran Mitchell whose 116.0 yards per game ranks seventh among FCS
rushers. Davidson's Mari Adams (104.3 ypg) moved into eighth among FCS rushers this week. They are joined by San Diego's Isaiah Williams (85.4 ypg), Dayton's Michael Neel (78.3 ypg) and Marist's Amin Woods (65.8 ypg) who are ranked 22nd, 31st, and 36th respectively.
• PFL members have been involved in five of the FCS' 18 overtime games in 2023. Presbyterian and Dayton became the latest to need extra time to determine a victor in Week 7. Drake, San Diego, Stetson, Marist, and Valparaiso also have played overtime outings in 2023. Road teams are 4-1 in the PFL's five overtime games this season, including Presbyterian's win at Dayton in the most recent outing.
A video about The Blue Zone here.
