Bethany to host Saint Vincent on Senior Day

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

Game Notes (.pdf)

Nov. 11 – BETHANY, W.Va. – The Bethany College football team (2-7, 3-4 PAC) concludes the 2016 season when they entertain Saint Vincent (5-4, 3-4 PAC) at Bison Stadium on Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

For Head Coach Bill Garvey, now in his fourth season, this Senior Day marks the final game for his first recruiting class as head coach. Garvey had a message to his seniors following their 33-14 win over Grove City last week.

"I told them that the way they've gone about this year; coming to work and bringing energy; that they deserved to win last Sunday and I thanked them for doing it all year," he said. "This class has held it together. I can't thank them enough for what they've done this season. Forget our record. They've kept this whole team together and got us through the year."

Junior quarterback Chase Kinemond (Shadyside, Ohio/Shadyside) had arguably the best game of his career in the team's win over Grove City. He established a career-best 156.33 QB Rating by completing 19-of-25 attempts for 308 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. His previous high QB Rating came against W&J this season when he registered a 121.03 in a 37-36 loss.

The Bearcats enter the game with the second-best passing offense in the PAC at 292.0 yards per game and are led by senior quarterback Derek Stewart. He leads the league with 2,604 passing yards on 314 attempts and is tied for second with 25 TDs. Garvey hopes that his front-seven, which finished last week with three sacks, can continue to create pressure on the quarterback. The Bison rank third in the PAC and 23st nationally with 3.33 sacks per game.

"We want to get to the quarterback as much as we can," Garvey said. "We have to keep doing the things we've been doing; cause turnovers like we did last week and give our offense the field position that we need to be successful."

Bethany is 7-2 all-time against Saint Vincent and has played each year since the Bearcats brought on football in 2007. Last season the Bison scored 21-straight points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 35-27 win in Latrobe. Garvey would like to send his seniors off with a win, but also push his team into the offseason with the momentum of a two-game winning streak.

"Anytime you can finish on a high-note of a win it's always great for the program and recruiting," he added. "It helps show a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Certainly for the older guys in the program, that have dedicated themselves to the program, it sends them off on a good note"

The Bethany Broadcasting Network will provide a live stream of the game for fans unable to make the trip. The school will honor its 10 senior football student-athletes for their contributions to the program prior to kickoff.