- FCS FOOTBALL -

Davidson survives at Butler, collects fourth win in a row

Wildcats prevail 35-33 when 58-yard FG falls short

Published

October 14, 2023

Once 0-2, Davidson has now won four games in a row. Photo courtesy Davidson athletics.

BY DAVIDSON ATHLETICS | DavidsonWildcats.com

Mari Adams rushed for a career-high 171 yards and three more scores, and Coulter Cleland finished 19-of-20 for 224 yards and two touchdown passes, as Davidson held on for a 35-33 win at Butler Saturday afternoon inside the Sellick Bowl.

The victory was the fourth straight for the Wildcats, as they improved to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in Pioneer Football League play. The Bulldogs fell to 4-3 and 2-2.

Luka Zurak had a chance to win it for Butler with three seconds remaining, but his 58-yard game-winning field-goal attempt missed short.

In addition to its 224 yards in the air, Davidson ran for 282 to finish with 506 total yards.

Mark McCurdy, who had a diving catch to extend Davidson’s final possession, led all receivers with 81 yards, while Aaron Maione had eight receptions for 80 yards to go along 40 on the ground.

Davidson wasted little time grabbing the early lead as the ‘Cats scored less than three minutes into the contest on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Cleland to Brody Reina, capping a six-play, 87-yard drive.

A Daniel Carter interception set up Adams’ first score of the day, but Butler responded again to even the score midway through the second quarter, 14-14.

Carter led the Davidson defense with eight tackles, finishing just ahead of Jonathan Hammond, who ended with seven, a break-up and a quarterback hurry.

The Wildcats started to take control late in the opening half with a pair of scores in the closing 4:11. Adams scampered 36 yards, followed by Cleland’s second touchdown pass, a 25-yard toss to a wide-open Maione, giving Davidson a 28-14 advantage at intermission.

After the Bulldogs got back into the game with a blocked punt for a score and a 40-yard field goal from Zurak, the ‘Cats extended their lead back to 11, 35-24, with an Adams 8-yard yard to conclude the third quarter.

Over his last two games, Adams has rushed for 340 yards and seven touchdowns.

Butler provided the only scoring in the final quarter, including a short touchdown from Jyran Mitchell with 6:24 to play, but Davidson’s Sabin McGlaughlin came up with a huge stop on the two-point try to keep it 35-33.