Thursday, October 1, 2015
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

Ten Pioneer Football League teams will be in action during Week 5 of the college football season. Fans will be able to catch a glimpse of all five games involving PFL squads on their computer or digital device through live video offerings.

For the fourth straight week PFL action can be see on ESPN3 with two contests on the digital platform – unbeaten Dayton at Stetson (1 p.m. ET) while Morehead State is at Jacksonville (1 p.m. ET). 

The remaining three games are available on various school and league live video platforms, as noted in the table below.

Week 5 Game Capsules

Dayton at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Dayton opens PFL play when it heads to the Sunshine State for a meeting against Stetson. Dayton has posted come-from-behind efforts in all three of its wins this season and will look to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2007. Stetson returns home after opening PFL play with a loss at Drake for its first home game since a season-opening victory against Webber, Sept. 5. Members of each team’s secondary highlighted Week 4 action. Dayton senior cornerback Cameron Stubbs intercepted two passes for the second consecutive game in a Week 4 win against Kennesaw State – he leads all FCS players with 1.3 interceptions per game. Meanwhile, Stetson sophomore defensive back Eric Martin tied a PFL record with three interceptions in the loss at Drake and ranks second in interceptions per game (1.0) behind Stubbs.

Morehead State at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Morehead State and Jacksonville will square off in the lone meeting between PFL unbeatens in Week 5. Morehead State enters the game after posting back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1979. Jacksonville is out to a 3-0 start and looks for its first 4-0 start since 1991. Offensively, it will be a level meeting on paper with Morehead State ranking second in total offense (391.5 ypg) while Jacksonville is fifth (385.7 ypg). The difference lies on defense where the Dolphins are third in total yards allowed (293.7 ypg) while the Eagles are eighth (421.5 ypg) in the category. Individually, the focus will be on the two team’s quarterbacks with Jacksonville senior Kade Bell leading the league in yards per game (304.3 ypg) while Morehead State junior Austin Gahafer is second in yardage (268.8 ypg) but leads all league hurlers with 11 touchdown throws. 

Valparaiso at Davidson, 1 p.m.
Valparaiso and Davidson meet with each team seeking its first victory in 2015. Valparaiso scored first in its Week 4 loss to San Diego, but surrendered 38 straight points after that score. Davidson suffered its second shutout this season in a loss at Morehead State. The Wildcats enter the contest seeking an end to their 14-game losing streak while the Crusaders have lost five straight road contests. Valparaiso senior linebacker Alex Green enters the weekend tied for second among league tacklers with 9.7 tackles per game, including two tackles for loss. Davidson senior wide receiver WIlliam Morris – a preseason All-America pick – has been held to 12 receptions for 128 yards, but that is more than one-third of the team’s 32 completions this season.

Marist at San Diego, 4 p.m.
Marist makes the cross-country trek – a five-hour flight and 2,443 miles – to face San Diego. The Red Foxes return to action after surrendering a fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Jacksonville while committing four turnovers and allowing five sacks. San Diego rattled off 38 straight points in a win at Valparaiso and has scored 83 points in its last two outings.  Marist redshirt senior free safety Zach Adler kept helped keep Marist ahead in the early going, breaking up three passes as part of a six-tackle outing. He will square off against San Diego junior defensive back Jamal Agnew who leads all FCS defenders with 2.3 passes defended (5 PBUs, 2 INT) this season. Meanwhile, San Diego redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Lawrence threw interceptions on two of the Toreros first three possessions, but rebounded to complete 21-of-28 passes and threw four touchdowns for the second consecutive game. Marist saw White go the entire game against Jacksonville but was sacked five times in a 17-for-36, 214-yard outing – the Red Foxes have permitted a league-high 18 sacks this season.

Drake at Campbell, 6 p.m.
Drake will take one of the league’s top rushing defenses into a meeting with Campbell which boasts one of the league’s most efficient rushing attacks. The Bulldogs pitched a shutout of the Stetson run game in a Week 4 win, allowing no net yards on the ground. That effort pushed Drake’s yards allowed to a league best 3.0 yards per rush. Campbell returns to Barker-Lane Stadium after suffering a one-point loss in the closing moments at Butler. The Fighting Camels own a league best 5.2 yards per carry this season and lead the league with 807 rushing yards in four games. Led by junior defensive end Mack Marrin – the PFL Defensive Player of the Week – Drake’s defense racked up 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the Stetson contest. Campbell junior running back De’Shawn Jones owns three runs of 50-plus yards this season and had a 133-yard performance at Butler that included a 72-yard touchdown burst.

Off Week: Butler
Butler’s high-powered offense will get the week off before a Week 6 contest at Morehead State. Bulldogs senior quarterback Matt Shiltz leads an offense that leads the PFL in scoring (31.0 ppg) and yardage (401.0 ypg) after four games. Shiltz has amassed 1,150 total offensive yards in those four outings, passing for 830 yards while leading all PFL signal-callers (and eighth among all FCS quarterbacks at 80.0 ypg) with 320 rushing yards. Defensively, Butler leads all teams with eight interceptions this season, with six players recording an interception this season.