Smyth has pair of Pick-6s as Presbyterian tops Stetson 23-3

Updated Apr. 3, 2021 5:15 p.m. ET

Associated Press

DELAND, Fla. (AP) — Jeffrey Smyth intercepted two passes and returned them for touchdowns, Oka Emmanwori scored on a kickoff return, and Presbyterian defeated Stetson 23-3 on Saturday.

The Hatters (0-3, 0-3 Pioneer Football League) scored first on a 33-yard Cameron Gillis field goal, but then Emmanwori took the ensuing kickoff 88 yards into the end zone. Parker Maddrey added a 33-yard field goal for Presbyterian (2-3, 2-3).

Smyth, a sophomore defensive back, returned his first interception of the game 30 yards to give the Blue Hose a 16-3 halftime lead. He picked off Stetson's Alex Piccirilli a second time, returning it 52 yards for the game's final score.

Stetson and Presbyterian were longtime football foes in the 1930s, 40s and 50s but reviving the series has proven to be almost supernaturally difficult. Games scheduled for the 2018 and 2019 seasons were wiped off the schedule due to hurricanes. The fall 2020 game was lost to the COVID pandemic.

“I thought we needed to have a 30-for-30 episode on the rivalry that never was because we haven’t been able to play them,” Hatters coach Roger Hughes said.

Presbyterian holds a 9-0-2 series lead. The last game these teams played before Saturday was Stetson's last game for 57 years.

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