Flyers use big second half to top Davidson

DAYTON — The University of Dayton football team has never had much of a problem with Davidson in a series that favors the Flyers 12- 1 all-time.

But it was ad if ff ff ff ff ff fe rent story early at Welcome Stadium on Saturday.

Undefeated Davidson bolted to a 14-0 lead before the Flyers (2-2) found their rhythm in the third quarter. They scored 21 unanswered points out of the break and cruised to a 42- 21 win.

Davidson converted twice on fourth down on the game’s opening drive, including a 48-yard scoring

strike from Tyler Phelps to Zach Hester on fourth-and-2 near midfifield.

That gambling mentality back fifi red on the Wildcats in the second quarter. Leading 14-7, Davidson was stuff ff ff ff ff ff ed on fourth down and less than a yard at its 37yard line when Dayton’ s Brandon Easterling broke through to make the stop.

It took seven plays for Dayton to tie. Jack Cook hit Matt Tunnacliffe on a 43-yard pass down to the 1. Richie Warfifield punched it in for his second touchdown of the day. The score was 14-14 at halftime.

Dayton took the lead on t he opening drive of t he third quarter when Tucker Yinger broke offff an 18- yard run that was ruled a touchdown on a pl ay du ring which t he bal l was f umbled out of the back of the end zone.

Replays showed Yinger actually lost control before he crossed the goal line, but the play was not reviewable because the Pioneer Football League does not use replay in conference games.

The Flyers got t he ball back quickly after Davids on went t hree - and- out , and Yinger f i ni shed t hat drive with an 8-yard touchdown run for a 28-14 lead.

Cook hit Adam Trautman on a 30-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes later to fifinish a furious threedrive scoring spree.

Cook fifinished the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Yinger in the fourth quarter.

Day t on hel d Davidson ( 3-1) to 24 yards of offense in the third quarter, while the Flyers racked up 196.

Dayton heads to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to play Marist on Saturday at 1 p.m. Contact this reporter at 937-259-2142 or email Mike. Hartsock@cmgohio.com.