PREVIEW: Football kicks off 2024 campaign at FCS Davidson’s brand-new stadium

Davidson, N.C. —- On the heels of the best turnaround in the South Atlantic Conference a season ago, the Catawba College football team under second-year head coach Tyler Haines enters their 2024 regular season with heightened expectations, and a heightened stage to match.

The Catawba Indians begin their regular season slate with a road trip at Division I FCS Davidson College on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Wildcats host Catawba for the first-ever regular season football game at brand-new Davidson College Stadium.

THE MATCHUP

Who: Catawba (0-0, 0-0 SAC) at Davidson (0-1, 0-0 PFL (FCS))

Where: Davidson College Stadium, Davidson, N.C.

When: 7 p.m.

How to Watch/Listen: ESPN+ | 99.3 FM

Live Stats: davidsonwildcats.com

THE HISTORY

- Davidson leads all-time series 17-7

- Catawba has won the last five games in the series, dating back to 1985

- Last matchup: Sept. 12, 2015 | Catawba 35, Davidson 21

- Davidson was the opponent of Catawba's first-ever football game in 1907, a 20-7 victory for the Wildcats

LAST MEETING

- Catawba defeated Davidson on the road, 35-21, en route to their SAC championship campaign in 2015

- Carry Littlejohn racked up 192 rush yards and a touchdown

- Littlejohn opened the scoring with a 64-yard touchdown run

- After DC answered with a touchdown of their own, Catawba scored 18 unanswered points in the first half; the Wildcats added another score late in the first half to cut the Catawba halftime lead to 25-14

- Catawba scored the first 10 points of the second half to push the game out of reach

PUNDIT'S PICK

- Catawba football was picked seventh in the preseason SAC poll, up from 11th in the '23 preseason coaches' prediction

- Catawba returns their returning passer, rusher, receiver and tackler from a season ago, in addition to nine members of their coaching staff

- The Catawba Indians rostered five preseason All-Piedmont Division (SAC) selections: RB Quece Williams, WR Bo Pryor, LB/DB Evan Simons, DB Jakarri Martin and DB Deno Wardlow

SIZZLIN' SEPTEMBER

- Catawba's passing attack will look to get off to the same start it did in the 2023 season

- Preston Brown threw for 372 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in the Mayors' Cup victory over Livingstone, starting a three-game streak of 300+ passing yards

- Bo Pryor recorded over 450 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in the team's four games alone

- Deno Wardlow racked up three interceptions in the season-opening win over Elizabeth City State to earn SAC Defensive Player of the Week

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

- Davidson got their 2024 season started last week in a 46-24 loss at Georgetown

- The Wildcats rushed for 224 yards on 57 carries to just 18 pass attempts, despite trailing for all but the game's opening 90 seconds

- DC's commitment to the run game tracks from their 2023 Pioneer Football League championship in which they led FCS with over 300 rush yards per game

- Catawba struggled to stop the run in 2023, ranking 190th in Division II with 192.5 rush yards allowed per game

- As an added benefit to the run game, Davidson chews up the clock with the ball in their possession, ranking fourth in FCS in 2023 with over 33 minutes of time of possession

- The Wildcats fell to SAC foe Barton in their 2023 home opener, 33-31. Catawba defeated Barton at Shuford Stadium later in the season, 32-27.

NEW DIGS

- Saturday marks the first regular season football game played at DC's new Davidson College Stadium

- The 5,000-seat venue is the new home of Wildcat football and lacrosse and features a continuous seating concourse and a state-of-the-art Armfield Foundation Scoreboard

COME TAILGATE WITH CATAWBA

- Join Catawba College Athletics, the Chiefs Club and the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement for a pregame tailgate from 4-6 p.m. before the Catawba Indians kick off the 2024 campaign under head coach Tyler Haines.

- Catawba alumni, Chiefs Club members, Catawba football parents, families and fans are invited to the pregame tailgate at no cost. We will provide soda, water, games and music. We will be located in the Baker Sports Complex Parking Lot (200 Baker Drive, Davidson, NC 28036). Upon your arrival, join your fellow Catawba football fans under the Catawba College tents that will be set up in the parking lot. 

- The Catawba College Center for the Environment will also have their 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck on display. The electric truck will provide music and a place to keep drinks cold for our fans.

- Bring your own tailgate food. Catawba football fans are strongly encouraged to bring their favorite beverages on their own.

- To purchase tickets for the game, visit: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/63085366/davidson-college-wildcats-vscatawba-davidson-davidson-college-stadium-davidson-college-athletics

- RSVP here to let us know if you will be joining us: https://forms.office.com/r/655vw3ZSEg

UP NEXT

- Following Davidson, Catawba will move to game two of its season-opening, three-game road trip as they head east to face the Shaw Bears on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.