Davidson, NC – One week after losing to Pioneer leader Dayton, 16-14, Davidson College (5-2, 3-1) let it all hang out against Stetson (2-4, 0-2). They shot out to a 21-0 lead in the first period. The third TD was set up with an onsides kick. Wasn’t sure if HC Scott Abell was sending some kind of message to Stetson. Maybe he lacked confidence in his team holding a lead. As the game went on, maybe it was the latter. When Stetson got close, the Wildcats scored at will.
Usually not well run, but Davidson did it
Davidson College used a two QB system. Andrew Frazier completed six of six passe for 108 yards. Luke Durkin hit six out of eight for 146 yards and two TDs. On the Stetson side, HC Brian Young utilized two QBs as well. With only 54 rushing yards, the Hatters took to the air often. Brady Meitz connected on 16 of 30 passes for 280 yards, three TDs and one INT. Trip Maxwell hit on seven of fourteen for 156 yards, three TDs and one INT. The action was heavy throughout the game.
Hatters catch up, but…
Davidson put up 411 yards on the ground and scored seven rushing touchdowns. Mari Adams, the Pioneer league’s top rusher ran for 135 on 13 carries with touchdown runs of 16, 20 and 54 yards. Stetson started to challenge in the second period closing the score to 35-21. Meitz connected with Fabian Baez to cut the score to 35-28 early in the second half. However, the Wildcats responded with five consecutive scores including an interception return by LB John Tessmann for 21 yards.
Calling this one early
Up 70-35 at the end of three, with a six-hour drive home, I decided to call it a game. The final period would be more of a scrimmage between players that hadn’t played yet, and Davidson College had already proven to be the superior team. I recorded this within a crowd of among 2,366 other attendees to be the finish of my 699th game. Time to get ready and prepare for Game 700 in The Meadowlands. I’d be flying out on Thursday and had much to do. First thing needed – report on the last three games attended before going to Game 700 to show, 699 officially appears in our history books. Check it out right here for verification.
Who’d have “thunk” it?
I can’t believe I’ve done this now for 45 straight years. And I’m not finished. I may slow down a little. This year challenged me to select a 700th game of significance that could be attended by many friends I’ve attended game with over all these years. To do so, I had to cram a schedule of 18 games in eight weeks before October 26 to get make this happen. If you read my latest book, Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly, you’ll note my Bucket List at the very end. I have other goals.
Like seeing as many more FBS Stadiums (up to 94 today) as possible and attending at least one college football game in every state (nine more to go; Alaska doesn’t have a team, but I’ve been there also; also attended games in Washington, DC). This year, I’ve already added New Mexico, Wyoming, and Arkansas among my travels. Wisconsin will be added on November 16. The added bonus regarding that one is that the Badgers host the current No. 1 Oregon Ducks! Looking forward to the Jump Around and the Fifth Quarter besides! Also, as of today, the top four teams in the country are on our slate this season. We watched Georgia defeat Auburn on October 3. Ohio State visits Penn State for our game 701, and Oregon meets Wisconsin for our game on November 16!
Game of significance?
Well, no one expected Navy (6-0) to be undefeated and ranked 24th heading to the Meadowlands next weekend. The Fighting Irish come in in at No. 12. A few things of significance regarding this one. I’ve attended seven of these rivalry games already, considered the first true intersectional rivalry in the country. I saw the Mids win for only the second time since Roger Staubach played for Navy in the early 60’s. I watched them defeat ND at the Meadowlands, 35-17, in 2010. They did it against the ND Head Coach who was an assistant at my high school Boonton (NJ) a few years after I graduated – Charlie Weis. This Saturday night after Game 700, I’m driving about 10 miles away for my 50th BHS reunion.
For more than a few reasons
However, there’s a greater point of significance for me in this one. In 1974, I attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. I didn’t graduate from there. I left in 1976 as the Navy and I figured out I’m not the engineering type. But on November 2 that season, I went to see my favorite team, Notre Dame, play growing up as a kid in New Jersey.
However, wearing my Navy uniform with a lot of my good fellow plebe friends there, I cheered wholeheartedly for our fellow Mids against the Irish at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. We led the defending National Champions going into final period, 6-0. We cheered ecstatically. In the end we fell to Notre Dame, 14-6. ND’s great Head Coach Ara Parseghian admitted later that that game made him decide it was time to retire. I always admired Ara greatly since his early years at South Bend.
New pecking order since
However, from that time on, I still root for the Mids along with Penn State now, for other reasons, as my two favorite teams. The Irish are basically behind these two for me now, but I really look forward to a Navy upset this weekend. Many of the guys I attended USNA with in Second Company class of 1978, I still call friends. Many can’t make this game, but I will be attending with many more who have not only gone to other various games during the many seasons, but many of them have joined me over the last ten years for Navy games down in Annapolis. This will be fun! Go Navy!
-ed. by Steve Koreivo Member of Football Writers Association of America and author of Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly. Click on the title to get your copy today and please submit a review. Thanks!
