Presbyterian Outlasts Winless Stetson 47-43 After Eight Lead Changes
Eight lead changes, 51 points in the fourth quarter alone, and a 2-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left. Presbyterian beat Stetson 47-43, and the Hatters, still winless at 0-6, scored 43 points and lost anyway.
Presbyterian started fast. Damion Moate ran 18 yards for a score in the first quarter and a yard in the second, and it was 14-0. Then Tom von Grote woke up. He threw a 41-yard touchdown to Shawne Jones (with a successful two-point conversion) and, as the half ended, a 32-yarder to Landon Farco, and Stetson led 15-14 at the break. Presbyterian went back in front on a Kade Bailey field goal and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Landon Sharpe to Jackson Burleson, and led 27-15 with 12:27 left in the game.
That should have been it. Stetson scored on a 13-yard pass to Jones with 10:08 to go, then von Grote ran one in from five yards to take a 29-27 lead. Jalen Patrick caught a 1-yard pass to put Presbyterian up 33-29 (the two-point try failed), Troy Flowers caught a 75-yard touchdown to flip it to 36-33, Burleson scored from two yards out for 40-36, and Farco caught a 14-yarder with 51 seconds left to make it 43-40. Burleson answered with the winning 2-yard run with 19 seconds left. Stetson led three separate times in the fourth quarter and still lost.
Presbyterian had 534 total yards (242 on the ground, 292 through the air) and two interceptions. Stetson had 481 yards, 349 of them passing, with one interception and one lost fumble. Presbyterian moves to 3-3.
Von Grote threw five touchdowns and ran for another for 51.3 points, the kind of game that wins people a week. His team lost anyway.