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DeLAND, Fla. -- The University of Dayton Flyers scored touchdowns on four of their first 10 plays from scrimmage Saturday in their first game against the Stetson Hatters en route to a 49-20 win Saturday in DeLand, Fla. Dayton led 28-0 after one quarter, and 49-7 after three before the Hatters scored two fourth quarter TD's.
Every available player played for Dayton on a hot and humid day in Florida. Stetson gained over half of its yardage in the fourth quarter, gaining 165 of its 308 yards in the final period.
Running back Connor Kacsor had his second straight 100+ yard game, carrying the ball 22 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns. Robert Washington added four carries for 66 yards. Will Bardo ran eight times for 41 yards and a TD, and was seven for 13 passing for 164 yards and a 77-yard TD to Gary Hunter. All but two of Bardo's passes came in the first half. Ross Smith caught four passes for 79 yards to lead the UD receivers.
It took the Flyers 17 seconds to extend their NCAA games without being shutout string to 414 games. Dayton won the toss, deferred to the second half, and kicked off to Stetson. The Hatters' first play from scrimmage was a quarterback draw, defensive tackle Austen Alber stripped ball on the tackle and defensive end Pat Dowd fell on the fumble. On Dayton's first offensive play, Kacsor took it in from 21 yards for the score.
Long gainers factored into UD's other three scores in the first quarter. After a Stetson three-and-out, Hunter returned a punt 36 yards to the Hatter 33-yard line. A 27-yard Bardo-to-Smith pass put the ball inside the 10, and three plays later Bardo took it in from the one. On the second play of the next Flyer possession, Washington galloped 61 yards for a TD.
And then the next time Dayton had the ball, on third-and-11 from the UD 23, Bardo hit Hunter over the middle and he took it 77 yards to the house to give the Flyers a 28-0 lead after only 10 offensive plays.
Dayton scored early in the second quarter to up the lead to 35-0. Stetson got a short field after an interception to make it 35-7, and the Hatters were moving the ball late in the second when Ryan Schwenke intercepted a pass and the Flyers punched it in with 45 seconds to go to make the halftime score 42-7.
UD dominated the third quarter, keeping the ball for nearly 12 minutes, and gaining six first downs (all on the ground) to none for Stetson
Linebacker Christopher Beaschler led the Dayton defense with seven tackles. Safety Danny Leach added six hits with five solos. In addition to Schwenke's pick, Clay Krafft also had an interception.
Dayton is now 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Pioneer Football League. The Flyers are one of five teams – along with Marist, Morehead State, Mercer and Drake – with one loss. Butler and San Diego are the only teams in the PFL without a league loss. The USD Toreros come to Dayton next Saturday, October 19 to visit Welcome Stadium. Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m. ET. It will be the first time the Flyers have played a PFL foe at night since they beat Morehead State 28-0 on September 11, 2004.
