The last time Dayton won a non-conference road game was also at Robert Morris, 22-20 in 2022.
“Anytime you go on the road, the cards are stacked against you from the beginning,” Andrews said. “It’s kind of a Flyers against the world mentality. Our guys played hard the whole game and just kept competing. They dominated the time of possession in the first three quarters, and we flipped it in the fourth quarter. We finished. In close games like that, in the past, we weren’t able to get over the hump and secure a win. This time, it was good to see this group do that.”
Dayton (2-1) starts Pioneer Football League play at noon Saturday against Stetson (1-3) at Welcome Stadium.
Dayton leads the series against Stetson 5-1. The Flyers won the last matchup 23-20 at Welcome Stadium in 2022.
Stetson opened the season with a 31-21 loss to Webber International, an NAIA program, and then beat another NAIA program, Warner University, 59-13.
In its last two games, Stetson lost 63-0 at Chattanooga and 59-7 at home to Harvard.
Stetson finished 0-7 in the PFL last season and has lost 12 straight PFL games over the last two seasons. It was picked to finish last out of 11 teams in the PFL preseason poll.
Stetson has a new head coach, Mike Jasper, who was hired when Brian Young resigned in December after four seasons.
“We’ve seen them on film the last two seasons,” Andrews said, “but they’ve totally changed their identity as to what they do offensively and defensively. They were throwing the ball all over the field the last two years, but now they’re getting in multiple offensive sets and they’re not shying away from the running game.”
Award news: Senior offensive lineman Ryan Iiams, a Springboro High School graduate, was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy this week. He’s one of 44 players nominated at the Football Championship Subdivision level.
According to a UD press release, “candidates for the awards must be a senior who will complete his final year of eligibility in the 2025 season or a graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and is participating in the 2025 season; have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor; and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.”
Dayton has had a player nominated for 20 straight years. Finalists will be named on Oct. 22.
• Dayton placekicker Robby Smart, a redshirt junior, was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. He kicked a 21-yard field goal with 3:28 to play in the fourth quarter to give Dayton its first lead against Robert Morris. It proved to be the game-winning score.
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