HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College welcomes Ferrum College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football action on Saturday afternoon, October 7, at 1 p.m. on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. The host Tigers are 2-2 overall, 0-1 in the ODAC, while the visiting Panthers are also 2-2 overall, 0-1 in the ODAC. It's Family Weekend on the Hill as the Garnet & Grey play at home for the fourth time in the first five games this season. The game can be heard locally on WVHL Radio, Kickin' Country 92.9 FM, and will also be available worldwide on the Internet at wvhl.net or via the TuneIn Radio App, while available to watch as well on the Tiger Sports Network live video stream at hscathletics.com, pregame airing at 12:30 p.m.

Hampden-Sydney vs. Ferrum | Stats | Audio | Video | Game Notes (PDF)
Location: Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium | Hampden-Sydney, VA
Date: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023
Time: 1 p.m.
Radio: Frank Shanaberger (play-by-play), Richard LeSueur (analyst)

Last Week
H-SC dropped a heartbreaking 39-38 ODAC decision at home to Bridgewater College on September 30 at Everett Stadium. The Tigers led 21-14 after one quarter and were ahead 21-17 at halftime, but the Eagles tied it at 31-31 after three quarters, before BC's Kennedy Fauntleroy scored on a one-yard touchdown run—his fourth touchdown of the contest—with just 23-seconds remaining and Malcolm Anderson converted a two-point rush attempt for the last-minute road win. FC dropped a 38-3 ODAC decision at home to Shenandoah University.

Favret Coaching Final Season
H-SC head coach Marty Favret, the all-time winningest coach in program history, announced on August 20 that 2023 will be his final season of coaching. In 23-plus seasons at the College, he has attained 147 victories (147-88) and led the Tigers to 15 winning seasons with five ODAC Championships (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014) and six NCAA Division III Football Championship appearances (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014). Favret is currently the longest-tenured collegiate football head coach in Virginia.

The Series
H-SC leads the overall series against FC 5-3, including three-straight wins, the most recent a 35-16 road win last season (10/8/22). The Tigers and Panthers first met on the gridiron in 2011, resulting in a 38-14 home win for H-SC. The Garnet & Grey are 3-1 at home against FC.

Scouting The Tigers
Senior quarterback Andrew Puccinelli (Glen Allen) has passed for 771 yards (59-85-0) and eight touchdowns with no interceptions this season, adding one rushing touchdown. Puccinelli made his first start of the season at Greensboro (9/16) and passed for a career-high 368 yards (30-42) and three touchdowns, adding the rushing touchdown, as well. He passed for a game-high 333 yards (24-37-0) and four touchdowns, tying is career-high, last week vs. Bridgewater (9/30).

Senior running back Melik Frost (Hardeeville, SC) has rushed for 260 yards on 75 attempts and three touchdowns.

Sophomore wide receiver Mason Cunningham (Arlington) has 27 receptions for 257 yards and one touchdown. Junior wide receiver Austin Fernandez (Warrenton) has 18 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Jamahdia Whitby (Williamsburg) has 17 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Braeden Bowling (Cary, NC) has 11 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior All-American safety and team captain Will Pickren (Mount Pleasant, SC) has 39 total tackles, including 11 solo, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery/return for a touchdown and one blocked punt. Senior linebacker Dorian Green (Martinsville) has 34 total tackles, including 12 solo, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry. Senior safety James-Ryan Salvi (Troutville) has 33 total tackles, including 10 solo, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Junior linebacker Jackson Lott (Norfolk) and freshman linebacker Harrison Wood (Richmond) each have 24 total tackles ... including seven solo, 0.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks by Lott ... and eight solo, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack by Wood. Senior cornerback Tobias Lafayette (Charleston, SC) has 21 total tackles, including 14 solo, one tackle for loss and four pass breakups.

Sophomore placekicker Elijah Swett (Matthews, NC) is 17-20 (85%) on PAT kicks and 4-6 (67%) on field goals, including a season-long of 41 yards. Swett has averaged 57.8 yards on 27 kickoffs (seven-yard line) with three touchbacks. Senior punter George Langhammer (Roanoke) has averaged 32.2 yards on just six punts, including a long of 47 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Joseph Gonzalez (Spotsylvania) has averaged 20.6 yards on seven kick returns, including a long of 30 yards. Mason Cunningham has averaged 4.3 yards on three punt returns, including a long of seven yards.

Scouting The Panthers
Graduate quarterback Braxton Hughes has passed for 547 yards (49-81-1) and four touchdowns with one interception—adding one rushing touchdown. Freshman running back Jahylen Lee has rushed for 202 yards on 55 attempts and one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Ryan Downer has 17 receptions for 128 yards, while junior wide receiver Marquise Woodruff has 16 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore linebacker Cameron Ross has 32 total tackles, including 14 solo, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Hunter Cannaday has 27 total tackles, including 16 solo, and three tackles for loss. Sophomore safety Ian Ashworth has 20 total tackles, including 11 solo, and one pass breakup. Junior placekicker Seth Deaton is 7-7 on PAT kicks (100%) and 7-8 (88%) on field goals, including a season-long of 40 yards. He has averaged 55.5 yards on 16 kickoffs (10-yard line) with two touchbacks. Deaton has averaged 34.0 yards on 21 punts, including a long of 50 yards, with five fair-caught and six inside the 20. Freshman cornerback TreVonte McGahee has averaged 18.2 yards on five kick returns, including a long of 26 yards, and has averaged 15.0 yards on six punt returns, including a long of 45 yards.

Among the ODAC Leaders
Andrew Puccinelli leads the ODAC in passing yards (771), passing yards per game (257.0), passing efficiency (176.7), completion percentage (69.4) and total offense per game (253.0), and is tied for first in passing touchdowns (8).

Will Pickren has one of only two fumble returns for a touchdown in the ODAC, is tied for second in interceptions (2) and passes defended (4), fourth in total tackles (39) and tackles per game (9.8), and tied for fourth in fumbles recovered.

Mason Cunningham leads the ODAC in receptions (27), and is third in receiving yards (257) and receiving yards per game (64.3).

Austin Fernandez is second in the ODAC in receiving yards (258) and receiving yards per game (64-5), is tied for second in receptions (18), and is tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (2).

Elijah Swett is second in the ODAC in kick scoring points per game (7.3), tied for second in field goals (4) and ninth in points per game (7.3).

Tobias Lafayette is tied for second in the ODAC in pass breakups (4) and passes defended (4).

Sophomore safety Jaylan Long (Martinsville) is tied for second in the ODAC in interceptions (2).

Braeden Bowling is fourth in the ODAC in receiving yards (219) and receiving yards per game (54.8), fifth in yards per reception (19.9), tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (2) and tied for 10th in receptions (11).

Jamahdia Whitby is tied for fourth in the ODAC in receptions (17) and receiving touchdowns (3), and seventh in receiving yards (198) and receiving yards per game (49.5).

Dorian Green is tied for fourth in the ODAC in fumbles forced (1), and is tied for fifth in total tackles (34) and tackles per game (8.5).

Sophomore cornerback James Townsend (Hardeeville, SC) is tied for fourth in the ODAC in fumbles forced (1) and fumbles recovered (1).

Junior defensive end Brendan Wallace (Virginia Beach) is tied for fourth in the ODAC in fumbles forced (1) and tied for 10th in sacks (1.5).

Senior defensive tackle Braxton Mergenthal (Efland, NC) is tied for fourth in the ODAC in fumbles recovered (1).

Joseph Gonzalez is fifth in the ODAC in kick return average (20.6).

Melik Frost is eighth in the ODAC in rushing yards (260) and rushing yards per game (65.0), and tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (3).

James-Ryan Salvi is eighth in the ODAC in total tackles (33) and tackles per game (8.3).

Oh So Close ...
H-SC opponents have converted two game-winning, two-point PAT attempts following touchdowns in the final minutes of the Tigers' two one-point setbacks this season. Wabash (IN) scored with 2:02 on the clock and converted a pass for its 29-28 road win on Sept. 2, while Bridgewater scored with just 23-seconds remaining and converted a run for its 39-38 road win on Sept. 30.

Career Watch: Will Pickren
The 2022 First Team AP Division III All-American and three-time First Team All-ODAC safety currently totals 306 career tackles, and now needs just 39 to equal and 40 to surpass and become the school's all-time leader in tackles. Brendan Weinberg '22 is the current career leader in tackles with 345.

300-Yard Passing Games
Andrew Puccinelli has three career 300-yard passing games, including 305 yards (28-33-2) and a career-high four touchdowns vs. Greensboro (9/17/22) in his first collegiate start ... a career-high 368 yards (30-42-0) and three touchdowns at Greensboro (9/16) in his first start of this season, and second of his career ... and 333 yards (24-37-0) and four touchdowns, tying his career-high, vs. Bridgewater (9/30).

100-Yard Receiving Games
Braeden Bowling has three career games with 100-plus yards receiving, including one this season — a career-high 181 yards on five receptions and two touchdowns to tie his career-high vs. Bridgewater (9/30). He had two 100-yard receiving games in 2021, including 169 yards on a career-high seven receptions and one touchdown at Guilford (9/25/21) and 133 yards on two receptions and a career-high two touchdowns vs. Ferrum (10/23/21).

100-Yard Receiving Game
Jamahdia Whitby had the first 100-yard receiving game of his collegiate career with a game-high and career-high 123 yards on a game-high and career-high eight receptions and one touchdown at Greensboro (9/16). His size, speed and athleticism has drawn interest from several National Football League (NFL) teams this fall with their respective visits to practice.

William V. Campbell Trophy®
George Langhammer was named a semifinalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award, as announced on Sept. 27 by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). He was among a record number of 201 semifinalists from all divisions, while one of only two from the ODAC and 48 selected from Division III. Langhammer is the College's fourth consecutive semifinalist, following Tyler Howerton '21, Kaleb Smith '22 and Michael Harris '23—Howerton went on to become one of 12 finalists for the prestigious award in 2020. George is a six-time Dean's List student majoring in foreign affairs with a minor in Spanish and has attained a 3.91 GPA.

Team Captains
Leading the Tigers are senior offensive tackle TJ Minter (Chester), Will Pickren, James-Ryan Salvi and senior defensive end Tramell Thompson (Queens, NY). Minter becomes a two-time team captain after serving in the leadership role last season, as well, while Pickren, Salvi and Thompson are each first-time team captains. TJ is the son of the late Tony Minter and Catherine Minter. Will is the son of Wilson and Renee Pickren. James-Ryan is the son of Ryan and Denise Salvi. Tramell is the son of Chelsea Thompson.

Hampden-Sydney Football
H-SC has a 128-year history of football, amassing 574 wins since beginning in 1892. The Tigers have experienced great success over the years, including nine ODAC Championships, nine Mason-Dixon Conference Championships, seven NCAA Division III Championship appearances, 86 All-Americans, 16 Academic All-America selections and 214 First Team All-ODAC honorees. H-SC also played in the 1970 and 1971 Knute Rockne Bowls (NCAA College Division East Regional Championship).

Complete game notes are available via the linked PDF above.