HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Sophomore running back Terry Hicks (Clayton, NC) rushed for a game-high and career-high 107 yards and one touchdown, but Hampden-Sydney College dropped a 41-21 season-opening and non-conference football decision at home to visiting Delaware Valley (PA) University on Saturday afternoon on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. The host Tigers (0-1) took an early 7-0 advantage when Hicks scored on a nine-yard run just 3:58 into the contest, but the Aggies (1-0) responded with five unanswered touchdowns—the first three on scoring passes from Louis Barrios IV to Nahsir Morgan—toward their road win. The outcome spoiled the head coaching debut of Tigers' first-year mentor Vince Luvara.
H-SC wasted no time in putting the first points of the season on the board, taking its opening possession and driving 71 yards on nine plays. Hicks, making his first collegiate start, featured prominently with five rushes for 46 yards, including a 17-yard run and the final nine yards to the end zone at 11:02 of the first quarter. Senior placekicker Elijah Swett (Matthews, NC) converted the first of his three PAT kicks for the early 7-0 advantage.
DelVal, with six-straight NCAA Playoff appearances and receiving votes in the both the AFCA Division III Preseason Coaches Poll and the D3football.com Preseason Top 25, answered back quickly after a miscue on the kickoff put the ball at its own one-yard line. Barrios found Morgan for a 99-yard touchdown pass on the first offensive play by the Aggies, and the PAT kick by Brendan Hazell tied at 7-7 with 10:47 on the clock.
DelVal would add two more touchdowns in the second quarter via the same connection, Barrios to Morgan—the first a 45-yard pass play at 8:59, and the second a two-yard pass with just 19-seconds remaining in the opening half. Hazell added the first PAT kick, but missed the second, and the visitors led 20-7 at halftime.
DelVal added two more touchdowns to begin the third quarter, both defensive scores as Jacquez Mabin scored on a 13-yard fumble recovery at 7:52, and Barry Turner scored on a 45-yard fumble recovery at 6:18. Hazell made both PAT kicks for the 34-7 advantage.
H-SC got back on the scoreboard late in the quarter when junior quarterback and team captain Carter Sido (Dallas, TX) found sophomore wide receiver Ethan Dowdy (Powhatan) for a 13-yard touchdown pass at 3:17—Dowdy's first collegiate TD. Swett's PAT kick made it a 34-14 contest, following the eight-play, 51-yard drive. The possession included an 11-yard run by freshman running back Fain Barton (Atlanta, GA) and a 17-yard pass from Sido to senior tight end Sutton Lasso (Raleigh, NC).
The Aggies pushed the margin to 41-14 with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Barrios to Jasiah Davis at 6:49, along with the PAT kick by Hazell.
The Tigers closed the scoring when Barton scored his first collegiate touchdown on a two-yard run with 4:55 left to play. Swett added the PAT kick after the seven-play, 69-yard drive that featured a 27-yard pass from Sido to Dowdy, and a 20-yard pass from Sido to Lasso to set-up the late TD.
Hicks rushed for his game-high and career-high 107 yards on a career-high 19 attempts and one touchdown, adding one reception for two yards receiving for H-SC. Barton added 53 yards rushing on 14 attempts and one touchdown, as well. Sido passed for 144 yards (15-28-1) and one touchdown with one interception. Lasso had a career-high 77 yards receiving on a career-high six receptions, while Dowdy had a career-high 63 yards receiving on a career-high seven receptions and one touchdown.
Junior linebacker and team captain Robert Clarke (Atlanta, Ga) finished with a team-high and career-high seven tackles, including one for loss, while making his first collegiate start for the Tigers. Junior nose tackle Andrew Arthur-Humphrey (Woodbridge) added a career-high six tackles, including one for loss, as well, in his first collegiate game in the Garnet & Grey. Freshman defensive end Jordan Williams (Washington, DC) also had six tackles, including a half-sack, in his first collegiate game, as well.
Barrios passed for a game-high 263 yards (11-19-0) and four touchdowns with no interceptions for DelVal, adding 21 yards rushing on seven attempts. Jack Fallon finished with 64 yards rushing on 15 attempts. Morgan had a game-high 159 yards receiving on four receptions and three touchdowns. Mabin, a D3football.com Preseason All-American, finished with a game-high 13 tackles, including 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and the fumble recovery returned for a touchdown for the Aggies.
The first game of the season took three hours and 22 minutes to complete with a combined 29 penalties whistled on the two teams (19 on DelVal, 10 on H-SC).
H-SC plays on the road at non-conference opponent Brevard (NC) College next Saturday, September 14, at 1 p.m. in Brevard, North Carolina.
Hampden-Sydney Falls In Season-Opener To Visiting Delaware Valley (PA) 41-21
/seasons/2024/boxscores/20240907_dfma.xml
2024
Delaware Valley
41
Hampden-Sydney
21
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware Valley (1-0) | 7 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 41 |
| Hampden-Sydney (0-1) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Sep 07, 2024