Monday, August 26, 2019
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

SETTING THE WEEK 1 SCENE

Three PFL teams will start 2019 with Thursday contests followed by another five opening on Saturday, leaving Dayton and Marist who will wait until Week 2 to start their 2019 seasons… New Valparaiso head coach Landon Fox will lead the Crusaders into their 100th season with a matchup at Eastern Kentucky, a team receiving votes in both preseason polls… Morehead State will open its 2019 slate at home when it hosts in-state foe Union with eyes turning to the Eagles offensive line which boasts Preseason All-PFL pick Josh Poe as well as Cam Bailey, who was selected to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-PFL team… Jacksonville will make the trek north on Interstate 95 to meet Richmond for the first time in program history. The Dolphins will look to revive their potent running attack featuring quarterback Calvin Turner Jr. and fullback Garnett Thomas, both Preseason All-PFL picks…  Speaking of potent running attacks, Davidson – FCS’ top running game in 2018 – will look to hit the ground running when it hosts Georgetown to begin Saturday’s action. Wildcats running back Wesley Dugger, who has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, will begin his march for a third against the Hoyas… A pair of matchups pairing PFL teams against North Dakota’s Division I football program’s highlight Saturday’s action as Drake travels to Grand Forks to face North Dakota while Butler treks to Minneapolis for a date against defending FCS champion North Dakota State… Drake begins the season under a new head coach, but a familiar face as Todd Stepsis his sixth season in Des Moines, but first as head coach… Butler’s defense will get an early test but safety Luke Sennett and linebacker Mason Brunner, each Preseason All-PFL picks, will provide much needed experience against the Bison…  San Diego will face in-state foe Cal Poly for the first time since the two teams met in a 2016 FCS playoff contest that the Toreros won… USD enters 2019 seeking answers at quarterback after Anthony Lawrence graduated with 12,268 career passing yards in four seasons, but wide receiver Michael Bandy returns after leading all FCS receivers with 1,628 receiving yards… The opening week concludes back on the east coast as a pair of future PFL foes square off when Presbyterian, which joins the PFL in 2021, travels to Stetson… The Hatters were another of the PFL’s surprise teams in 2018, finishing second in the league race, but the Hatters also will have a new signal caller in 2019 after Collin McGovern graduated.

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
All times Eastern. 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
Valparaiso at Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: Richmond, Kentucky
Stadium: Roy Kidd Stadium
Series: EKU leads, 3-1    Streak: EKU, three wins
Previously: Eastern Kentucky def. Valparaiso, 52-10 (2015)

Union (Ky.) at Morehead State, 6 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: Morehead, Kentucky
Stadium: Jayne Stadium
Series: Series tied, 4-4-2    Streak: MOR, one win
Previously: Morehead State def. Union, 55-7 (1946)

Jacksonville at Richmond, 7 p.m.
Broadcast: MASN
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Stadium: Robins Stadium
Series: First Meeting

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
Georgetown at Davidson, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: DavidsonWildcats.com
Location: Davidson, North Carolina
Stadium: Richardson Stadium
Series: GU leads, 9-3    Streak: GU, four wins
Previously: Georgetown def. Davidson, 38-14 (2016)

Drake at North Dakota, 4 p.m.
Broadcast: Pluto.TV
Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Stadium: Alerus Center
Series: UND leads, 2-0    Streak: UND, two wins
Previously: North Dakota def. Drake, 21-18 (2015)

Butler at [1/1] North Dakota State, 4 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stadium: Target Field
Series: First Meeting

San Diego at Cal Poly, 5 p.m.
Broadcast: Pluto.TV
Location: San Luis Obispo, California
Stadium: Spanos Stadium
Series: CPU leads, 4-1    Streak: SAN, one win
Previously: San Diego def. Cal Poly, 38-21 (2016 FCS Playoffs)

Presbyterian at Stetson, 7 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: DeLand, Florida
Stadium: Spec Martin Stadium
Series: PC leads, 8-0-2    Streak: PC, one win
Previously: Presbyterian def. Stetson, 33-12 (1956)

Off Week: Dayton, Marist

LATEST PFL NEWS AND NOTES
Complete news and notes available in PDF version

BUTLER FACES DEFENDING CHAMPION BISONS AT TARGET FIELD
Butler will travel to Target Field for its 2019 season-opening contest against FCS defending champion North Dakota State at 3 p.m. Saturday in Minneapolis, Minnesota in a contest presented by Pioneer. The matchup, which will be an NDSU home game, will be the second collegiate and first Division I football game played at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. The game will mark the first meeting between the two schools and will be the season-opener for both teams.

VALPARAISO’S 100TH SEASON
Valparaiso is set to celebrate its 100-year history over the course of the campaign by recognizing and celebrating individuals and teams from select eras at four games this season. The Crusaders have won 11 conference championships, including six in the Indiana Collegiate Conference and two in the Pioneer Football League. Valparaiso will retire the numbers of two University legends at the Homecoming game on Sept. 28 at Brown Field. Garry Puetz ’73 and Fuzzy Thurston ’56 (posthumous) will become the first players in program history to have their numbers retired.

THREE PFL PUNTERS NAMED TO FCS PUNTER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
A trio of Pioneer Football League Punters were named to the inaugural FCS Punter of the Year Award Watch List presented by The Augusta Sports Council. Drake’s Ross Kennedy, Morehead State’s Andrew Foster and San Diego’s Tanner Kuljian were each named to the 28-player list released in July. Each of the three finished 2018 ranked among the NCAA’s Top 100 punters in punting average. Kuljian was ranked No. 14 nationally, averaging 42.8 yards per punt on 59 kicks. Foster was No. 26 among FCS kickers with 41.9 yards per punt. Kennedy finished the season No. 93 among FCS punters (37.1 yards per punt).

BANDY, TRAUTMAN, WANRER EARN FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA NODS
San Diego wide receiver Michael Bandy, Dayton tight end Adam Trautman and Drake defensive back Will Waner made the rounds as the Preseason All-America squads were announced. Bandy was named to all four Preseason All-America teams (STATS, Athlon, Phill Steele and HERO), Warner was named to three (STATS, Phill Steele and HERO) and Trautman earned recognition on two (STATS and Phill Steele).

FOUR NOMINATED FOR ALLSTATE AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
Three Pioneer Football League student-athletes were among 137 nominees from across the country for the 28th edition of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. George Hatalowich (Davidson), Luke Butera (Marist) and Ryan Culhane (Dayton) were nominated for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and the AFCA, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.

PARADY DEAN OF PFL, FCS COACHES
As 2019 gets underway, the longest-tenured coaches in Division I FCS are Marist’s Jim Parady and Monmouth’s Kevin Callahan, who have been head coaches at their respective schools since 1992. On the other end of the spectrum, the PFL welcomes two new head coaches in 2019: Valparaiso’s Landon Fox and Drake’s Jeff Stepsis, who were part of 24 new head coaches in the FCS this season.

LANDON FOX TAKES OVER AT VALPARAISO
In March Valparaiso Director of Athletics Mark LaBarbera introduced Landon Fox as the 18th head coach of the Crusaders foottball program. Fox is no stranger to success in the Pioneer Football League, as he spent the 11  previous season as Dayton’s defensive coordinator and secondary coach. During that time, the Flyers compiled an 86-38 record, won three PFL championships and participated in the 2015 FCS playoffs while making defense a hallmark of the program.

STETSON’S HUGHES EARNS CONTRACT EXTENSION
Coming off the best season in more than 65 years, Stetson football coach Roger Hughes was rewarded with a contract extension that will keep him on the Hatters sideline through at least the 2021 season. Hughes, who has guided the Stetson football program since 2011 when he was charged with leading the program onto the field after more than 50 years without a team, was named Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year in 2018.

DRAKE NAMES STEPSIS HEAD COACH
Todd Stepsis, the architect of the Drake football team’s nationally-ranked defense, was named the head coach of the Drake football team in December. He takes the reins of the Bulldogs’ program after serving as the program’s defensive coordinator for the past five seasons under previous head coach Rick Fox, who resigned his position. As the defensive coordinator, Stepsis built the Drake defense into one of the nation’s top units and coached a total of 42 all-conference selections including the program’s all-time leading tackler and the 2018 PFL Defensive Player of the Year, Nathan Clayberg.