Stevenson Beats Alvernia 24-23 in MAC Conference Football

Alvernia football dropped a 24-23 conference brawl to the Stevenson Mustangs on Saturday in Owings Mills, Maryland, falling just short in the fight for the final spot in the MAC/Centennial Conference Bowl.

The Golden Wolves finished at 5-5 overall and 5-4 in MAC play, while the Mustangs improved to 7-3 overall and 6-3 in conference action.

After trailing 24-10 with just three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Alvernia mounted a furious charge. Adonis Dixon punched in a touchdown with under two minutes left in regulation to pull the Golden Wolves within a single point.

The visiting side aggressively went for a two-point conversion to take the lead, but Sawyer Esbenshade failed on a rollout attempt. Stevenson then marched deep into Alvernia territory before turning the ball back over with only 12 seconds remaining, leaving the visitors out of time.

The Mustangs opened the scoring in the first quarter with a nine-play, 60-yard march down to the six-yard line. Kashantis Anderson and the Alvernia defense stiffened on a third-and-12 play to force a field goal.

Alvernia vs. Stevenson – 2026 DIII Football – Week 11 — SportCollege

Esbenshade and the offense responded immediately. Dixon carried four times for 24 yards, setting up completions to Parrish McFarland and Yon Anderson.

Esbenshade then launched a 36-yard scoring pass to Yon Anderson, who stretched out to secure the reception and put the Golden Wolves ahead 7-3.

Stevenson answered with 14 unanswered points across the first and second quarters. Following an exchange of interceptions where Kashantis Anderson picked off the hosts, Alvernia entered halftime trailing 17-7.

Alvernia vs Stevenson College Football – November 14, 2026 — CollegeFootballLive

Out of the break, the visitors engineered a 62-yard, 15-play drive spanning 79 passing yards from Esbenshade to cut the deficit to seven points. The Mustangs countered with a nine-play touchdown drive capped by a one-yard plunge from Nicolas Blagmon.

Desperation mounted as Alvernia drove 75 yards on 14 plays, only to turn the ball over on downs inside the two-yard line. The defense responded when the Alvernia defense and Kashantis Anderson dialed up a third-down blitz, resulting in a sack and a forced fumble against quarterback Kirby Matson.

Taking over at the 49-yard line, Esbenshade rolled right and fired a cross-field pass to Zakai Smullen, who ran a post route against the movement to score a 49-yard touchdown, narrowing the gap to 24-17.

With the season hanging in the balance on the ensuing drive, Darrius Whetstone punched the ball away from Blagmon, allowing LJ Aldas to recover the fumble.

That turnover sparked a 10-play, 67-yard scoring march featuring a 20-yard reception by Trevor Kimaiga and multiple rushes by Dixon. Dixon eventually crossed the goal line from one yard out, setting up the failed two-point conversion.

In the box score, Esbenshade finished with 293 passing yards on 18 completions and two touchdowns, breaking the single-season passing yards record with 2,259 yards. Colin Payne previously held the title with 2,177 in 2023.

Esbenshade also completed his single-season touchdown record-breaking season with 15 touchdowns on the year. Dixon carried 22 times for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Yon Anderson caught four passes for 97 yards and a score, while Smullen hauled in three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Kashantis Anderson recorded an interception and a forced fumble. With his interception, Kashantis Anderson broke the record for interceptions in a career with eight.

The Golden Wolves will await a potential ECAC bid on Monday afternoon to determine if their season will extend into the postseason.