Davidson football celebrated the opening of its new stadium, Field 76, with a commanding 49-14 victory over Catawba on Saturday night.
In front of a lively crowd of 4,477, the Wildcats rushed for 399 yards and scored on seven of their 10 possessions, setting the tone for an exciting new era of Davidson football with a familiar brand of offense.
Head coach Scott Abell couldn’t have asked for a better start. “What an unbelievable night for our athletic department, our campus, and our community,” Abell told DavidsonWildcats.com. “I don’t think anyone could have imagined this type of atmosphere for Davidson football. I’m extremely happy with how we played.”
Davidson (1-1) wasted no time settling into its new digs, capping its first drive at Field 76 with an 8-yard touchdown run by Mason Sheron. Sheron, who led the Wildcats with 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns, later broke free for a 79-yard score in the first quarter.
The Wildcats built a 21-7 halftime lead, balancing a powerful ground game with timely passing. Quarterback Luke Durkin’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Brody Reina gave Davidson control before halftime. Sheron and running back Mari Adams, who rushed for 128 yards and two scores, led the Wildcats in the second half.
Davidson’s defense corralled Catawba (0-1), a Division II team, sacking quarterback Preston Brown five times and forcing two turnovers. Safety Dominic Njoku led the way with nine tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception. “We flew around on defense like I haven’t seen us fly around in a while,” said Abell.
Catawba briefly tied the game in the first quarter on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Bo Pryor, but struggled offensively thereafter, going scoreless for seven straight possessions. Brown did finished with two touchdown throws on the night.
Davidson will next host Point University this coming Saturday, while Catawba travels to face Shaw.
NOTE: “Field 76” is a reference to a former Davidson player and coach, David Fagg, who wore the No. 76 during his time with the Wildcats. Fagg graduated from Davidson in 1958. He was a captain of both the football and wrestling teams.
Top Performers:
- Davidson:
- Mason Sheron: 10 carries, 108 yards, 3 TD
- Mari Adams: 15 carries, 128 yards, 2 TD
- Dominic Njoku: 9 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception
- Catawba:
- Preston Brown: 22-33 passing, 181 yards, 2 TD
- Evan Simons: 12 tackles
- LJ Turner: 4 carries, 76 yards
We used ChatGPT to help compile and organize information for this game recap. All stories at NC Football News are edited by real humans. Have feedback? Visit us on Twitter/X or send an email to eric@ncfootballnews.com.
