Devils battle FCS Davidson in 28-14 road defeat

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - The Dickinson football team took a step up in competition on Saturday afternoon, traveling to North Carolina to face Division I Football Championship Subdivision member Davidson College. The Division III Red Devils twice erased seven-point deficits and entered the fourth quarter tied with the Wildcats, but two late Davidson touchdowns handed the Red and White a 28-14 non-conference setback at Davidson College Stadium.

Dickinson's defense accounted for the first Red Devil touchdown on a 42-yard interception return by Jimmy Mulholland, while Dane Sorensen's 83-yard scoring run brought the visitors level early in the second half. Juan Pablo Garcia led the defensive effort with 11 tackles as DC forced two turnovers and stopped the Wildcats on downs three times.

First quarter

• The Red Devil defense set the tone on Davidson's first possession. After the Wildcats gained five yards on their first two plays, Sean Couvertiere broke up a third-down pass to force a punt. Davidson went for it on fourth-and-six from its own 39 on its next series, but another incompletion gave Dickinson the ball in Wildcat territory with 11 minutes remaining.
• Dickinson started at the DAV39 and got a three-yard Sorensen carry on first down. The Devils were unable to move the chains, however, with three consecutive passes falling incomplete. Davidson took over at its own 36 and used a 13-yard Casey Bullock run and a 33-yard completion to AJ Adams to get to the Dickinson one. Brodey Berg carried the ball across the goal line on the next snap, giving the home side a 7-0 lead with 7:56 left.
• A short Dickinson punt later gave the Wildcats another good starting spot at the DC45. Davidson picked up a first down on fourth-and-one and worked its way to the Red Devil 12, but the Dickinson defense again held on fourth down as Bullock's pass fell incomplete.
• Taking over at its own 12 with less than two minutes left, the Red and White began their longest possession of the half. A five-yard Keesean Campbell run and a short Klassen completion to Campbell set up third-and-two. Klassen kept it himself, racing 20 yards to the DC40 to keep the drive alive as the first quarter came to a close.

Second quarter

• The Devils continued moving downfield after the break. Facing third-and-10 at their own 40, Klassen found Kevin Schmidt for a 20-yard gain to the Davidson 40. Later, with Dickinson staring at fourth-and-three from the DAV33, Klassen picked up six yards on the ground. A five-yard carry by Sorensen advanced the ball to the Wildcats' 15, but the 16-play, 73-yard march ended when Hudson Reese's 32-yard field-goal attempt missed.
• Davidson took over at its own 20 and moved to the 32 before the Dickinson defense delivered the game's first major swing. Mulholland intercepted Bullock's first-down pass at the DAV42 and raced the rest of the way for a touchdown. Reese added the extra point to tie the contest at 7-7 with 7:11 to play in the half.
• The Wildcats responded by putting together an 11-play, 68-yard drive. Will Jones picked up a first down on third-and-four, and Bullock later connected with Alani Ajigbotosho for 12 yards on third-and-three. A 14-yard Jones rush put Davidson at the Dickinson 14 before Andrew Frazier finished the possession with an eight-yard touchdown run. The extra point restored a 14-7 Wildcat advantage with 1:54 remaining.
• Dickinson's defense came up with another takeaway before halftime. With Davidson operating from its own 35, Ellington Roane intercepted Bullock and returned the ball 13 yards to the DAV47. Klassen connected with Frederik Fjeldseth for seven yards on the ensuing possession, but back-to-back sacks stalled the drive. The Red and White entered the locker room trailing by a touchdown.

Third quarter

• The Devils received the second-half kickoff and immediately found themselves facing third-and-19 from their own 17 after a sack and an incompletion. Sorensen took the handoff, found room to the right and broke loose for an 83-yard touchdown. Reese's kick brought Dickinson even at 14-14 with 13:56 on the clock.
• Davidson threatened to answer on its next possession. A 34-yard Bullock pass to Adams moved the Wildcats to the DC23, but multiple Davidson penalties helped put them behind schedule. After a short gain on third-and-10, the home side tried a pass on fourth-and-six from the Dickinson 19. Will Ryan stopped Jacary Lightsey behind the line, turning the ball over to the Devils at the 21.
• Dickinson's next possession lasted three plays, but Michael Furlong flipped the field with a 64-yard punt that pinned Davidson at its own 11. The Wildcats began working their way out, with Bullock finding Lightsey for gains of seven, 10 and 16 yards on consecutive completions. Davidson also converted a fourth-and-two at the DC23 before reaching the Dickinson seven. Jones gained two yards on the final play of the frame, sending the teams into the fourth quarter tied at 14.

Fourth quarter

• Davidson completed its 16-play, 89-yard drive just six seconds into the quarter when Jones ran five yards for the touchdown. The extra point made it 21-14, leaving Dickinson a full quarter to try to answer.
• The Devils moved the ball on their ensuing series. Klassen started with an eight-yard run, and Jake Williams converted third-and-one to reach the DC42. A Davidson personal-foul penalty moved the ball to the Wildcats' 43, and another Williams carry later picked up seven yards to the DAV32. Dickinson reached the 26, but Klassen's pass on fourth-and-four fell incomplete.
• The Wildcats took over with 12:24 left and used an eight-play, 74-yard drive to extend their lead. Jones opened the possession with a 14-yard rush, while Bullock later found Lightsey for 23 yards down to the Dickinson 27. Bullock finished the series with a six-yard scoring run, putting Davidson ahead 28-14 at the 6:19 mark.
• Dickinson was not finished moving the ball. On the next possession, Klassen connected with Fjeldseth for 12 and 23 yards on back-to-back plays before finding him again for 14 yards on third-and-10. A fourth completion to Fjeldseth brought the Red and White to the DAV23. A sack on third down pushed Dickinson back, and a fourth-down pass intended for Braden White was broken up.
• The defense got the ball back once more when Marco Kaufman stopped Jones behind the line and Michael Martillotti sacked Bullock to force a punt. Starting from its own 21 with 2:15 left, Dickinson picked up a first down, but its final drive ended on fourth down at the DC38.

Dickinson leaders

• Passing - Klassen (18-for-35, 140 yds)
• Rushing - Sorensen (94 yds, 1 td, 23.5 ypc), Williams (31 yds, 2.8 ypc)
• Receiving - Fjeldseth (75 yds), Schmidt (25 yds)
• Tackles - Garcia (11), Kaufman, Moses and Mulholland (9), Roane (7), Couvertiere and Ryan (5)

Opponent top performers

• Passing - Bullock (29-41, 293 yds, 0 tds, 2 ints)
• Rushing - Jones (77 yds, 1 td, 5.5 ypc), Bullock (44 yds, 1 td, 5.5 ypc), Berg (32 yds, 1 td, 2.9 ypc)
• Receiving - Adams (109 yds), Lightsey (96 yds)