DAVIDSON - In a significant move that signals a new era for Davidson College football, the Wildcats have appointed rising coaching star Saj Thakkar as their 29th head coach, bringing his innovative offensive mindset and proven track record of academic excellence to the Pioneer League.

Thakkar, who engineered remarkable success at Bentley University over the past two seasons, arrives in Davidson with an impressive 14-6 overall record that belies his relatively young age of 33. His tenure at Bentley was marked by consistent excellence, with the Falcons finishing among the Northeast-10 Conference's elite under his leadership.

The appointment represents a calculated decision by Davidson Athletic Director Chris Clunie to inject fresh energy into a program seeking to establish itself as a competitive force in FCS football. Thakkar's experience crafting high-powered offenses, coupled with his commitment to academic achievement, made him an ideal fit for Davidson's distinctive blend of athletic and academic aspirations.

During his time at Bentley, Thakkar's teams dominated the statistical categories, leading or placing second in every major offensive and defensive metric in the conference. Perhaps more impressively, his program led the NE-10 in Academic All-District selections, demonstrating his ability to foster success both on the field and in the classroom.

His coaching journey includes valuable experience at prestigious academic institutions, most notably a five-year stint as running backs coach at Harvard under legendary coach Tim Murphy. Murphy, who amassed 232 career wins over 36 years, praised Thakkar's exceptional football acumen and ability to connect with student-athletes.

"Saj is a great American success story," Murphy reflected, highlighting his protégé's remarkable work ethic and football intelligence. "His ability to recruit, coach, and motivate student-athletes sets him apart in our profession."

Thakkar's offensive expertise was particularly evident during his tenure as offensive coordinator at SUNY Maritime, where his units averaged an impressive 37 points per game in 2017, resulting in ten players earning All-ECAC recognition. This offensive prowess, combined with his recent NFL experience as a Bill Walsh Fellow with both the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, suggests exciting possibilities for the Wildcats' offensive scheme.

The new head coach's vision for Davidson football extends beyond mere tactical innovations. "We will work to become a top FCS football program while providing the best scholar-athlete experience in the country," Thakkar declared, emphasizing his commitment to holistic player development.

For Davidson, this hiring represents more than just a coaching change – it's a statement of intent. With Thakkar at the helm, the Wildcats are positioning themselves for a future that balances competitive excellence with academic achievement, a combination that has long been the hallmark of Davidson College athletics.

DAVIDSON – It was the opener of the 2021 Pioneer Football League slate for the Davidson. Opposing the Wildcats were the Toreros of San Diego, a traditional league power who desperately wanted to avenge the pandemic-forced spring 2021 season which saw Davidson knock off the four-time defending Pioneer League champs to claim the conference championship for the first time ever. It was Davidson who would take the day, as the Wildcats held off a late rally to defeat the Toreros 28-16 at Richardson Stadium.

Davidson had what seemed to be a great start to the game, forcing a three-and-out and taking over after a punt. The momentum was short-lived, however, and a bad pitch on the Wildcats' second play from scrimmage saw the ball hit the turf, recovered by the San Diego defense. Two plays later, Emilio Martinez ran in from thirteen yards out to give the visitors an early 7-0 lead.

The Wildcats went into full ball control mode later in the quarter, though, marching eighty-three yards on sixteen plays on a drive that ended the first quarter and began the second. By the time junior Dylan Sparks scored on a one-yard run, Davidson had chewed off nearly nine minutes of clock and kept a potent Torero offense on the sidelines.

It was the San Diego special teams that made the biggest play in the second quarter, though. After coming up short on a run, the Toreros chose to punt from midfield. The punt rolled down towards the goal line and was batted out of bounds inside the one-yard line. The San Diego defense stepped up on the next play, tackling the Davidson ball carrier in the end zone for a safety and 9-7 lead. After the ensuing free kick, the Toreros sought to extend their lead with a field goal, but the kick bounced off the right upright.

Davidson started the second half with eight straight rushing plays before Louis Calosimo was able to find Eli Turner, Jr. lurking behind the defense, and the two connected on a thirty-one-yard pass to get the Wildcats inside the five-yard line. Two plays later, Mark McCurdy went around the left side for the Davidson touchdown and the Wildcats had the lead for the first time on the afternoon. Davidson had a chance to extend the lead later in the quarter, but a bad snap on a field goal attempt gave the ball back to the Toreros and saw the score stay at 14-9 going into the final quarter.

San Diego refused to give up and came within five points after an eleven-yard touchdown pass from Mason Randall to Michael Carner. The Toreros had another chance late in the quarter but was stopped on fourth down by the tenacious Davidson defense. Looking to put the game on ice, Louis Colosimo found Eli Turner, Jr. on a twenty-five-yard slant route for a touchdown to cap the scoring, and Jordan Burrell picked off a late pass to seal the deal for Davidson.

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Both teams are staying in Pioneer League play as Davidson (2-1, 1-0) travels to Florida to take on the Hatters of Stetson University while San Diego (0-4, 0-1) hosts league newcomer St. Thomas.

DELAND, FL. – Davidson rattled off 20 consecutive second-half points and held off a late Stetson rally to pick up a Pioneer Football League opening win Saturday at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, 26-20.

With the win, Davidson improves to 1-1 and opens the conference slate at 1-0, while with the loss Stetson begins the season 0-1.

“There’s too really tough things in sports and in football, one is winning on the road, and two is winning your first game of the year … especially after a heartbreaking loss at Elon. Really proud of this win. Really proud of our guys,” said head coach Scott Abell after the victory formation sealed it.  

Trailing 7-6 at the break, the Wildcats got in their groove in the third, scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives to open the half. 

The ‘Cats first found the end zone when senior quarterback Tyler Phelps hit junior wide receiver Jalen Staples with a fade to the back corner of the end zone just 1:34 into the third. After a defensive stop on Stetson’s ensuing possession, the ‘Cats leaned on Phelps legs for four carries with the final taking him across the goal line, extending the lead, 20-7.

With the game seemingly in hand, Davidson’s defense stepped up big. Freshman Jonathan Hammond sacked Hatter quarterback Alex Piccirilli on fourth down to give the ball back to the offense. Hammond has been a force as a freshman for the ‘Cats, making his first career interception earlier in the game and previously forcing a fumble at Elon back in February.

Back on offense, Davidson needed just two plays to add six to the scoreboard. Junior running back Coy Williams darted off on a 43-yard scamper and classmate Eli Turner Jr. turned on the jets to finish off the final 25 yards with a catch and scamper to put his squad up, 26-7.

Stetson did make things interesting late, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back fourth-quarter possessions, helped along by an onside kick recovery, but the Davidson damage was too great to overcome.

The first half was full of special team highlights. Stetson marched down the field on their opening drive and was in position for a chip shot field goal, but senior Jaylon Bolden had other plans, blocking the kick to keep the Hatters from getting on the board early.

Wildcat sophomore kicker Caden Bonoffski showed off his leg, connecting on a 48-yard field goal try, one yard shy of his career-long. The local product added a 26-yard kick to keep the ‘Cats momentum rolling in the second quarter.

Davidson finished with 297 yards rushing out of 389 yards of total offense. Phelps led the ground game with 120 yards, while Williams chipped in 83. Phelps completed 7-of-10 passes for 92 yards, connecting with Staples four times for 55 yards and the score.

Defensively, junior’s Jalen Jefferson and Jake Alexander led the way with 10 tackles apiece. Alexander forced a fumble in the second quarter, recovered by classmate Cade Vela. 

Davidson makes their home debut Saturday, Mar. 20 against Presbyterian in PFL action at Richardson Stadium. Kick off from Stephen B. Smith Field is slated for 1 p.m.