The Stevenson University football team pushes forward taking over the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) one game at a time.
The Mustangs enter week eight confident in gaining another win. They continue to climb the D3football.com poll, checking in at No. 14 after their 19-0 win over Delaware Valley University. The Mustangs also moved up in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll going from No. 14 to No. 12.
The Mustangs are one of 17 undefeated Division III teams, with the offense scoring an average of 37.6 points per game. The defense remains strong giving up only 14.7 points per game and forcing a total of 26 turnovers through seven games.
The homecoming victory over Delaware Valley was a first-ever win against the Aggies as the victory put the Mustangs at 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the MAC. It also put the Mustangs in control of first place in the conference. The 19-0 win was the second shutout of the season and the fourth in program history. It was also the first time that the Aggies have been shutout since 2002, a span of 165 games.
On a day where the windy conditions limited both offenses, the Mustangs managed to rush for 80 yards and pass for 112. The Mustangs’ defense was also stout as they limited an Aggie offense that entered the match-up averaging 39 points per game.
Leading the defense for the Mustangs was junior linebacker Mike Datu, who totaled nine tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. Datu’s efforts earned him MAC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this season. It is also the fourth time this season that a Mustang has earned defensive player of the week honors.
So far, junior quarterback Dan Williams has had a strong season, passing for 1,492 yards with 18 touchdown passes while adding on one receiving touchdown. He continues to motivate the team with a strong performance and positive leadership.
“We are happy to be 7-0 but we know this isn’t the end goal. Gotta take it one week at a time to be where we want to be in 3 weeks,” said Williams.
“The offense has done a good job building off of last year’s foundation, but our main focus is to improve both individually and as an entire unit each day. We have really placed a lot of emphasis this year on competition in practice and focusing on ourselves. So far we have had good results but we also know we have a lot more to improve on to reach our biggest goals,” said offensive coordinator Ryan Larsen.
The Mustangs head to Pennsylvania on Saturday Oct. 29 to take on King’s College as they hope to stay undefeated overall and in the MAC.