Monday, September 2, 2013
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

PFL WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS

It's another 11-game week across the Pioneer Football League in Week 2. Two games against Top 25 squads highlight the schedule – Drake taking on No. 9 Northern Iowa while Morehead State visits No. 25 Youngstown State. In addition Dayton (at Duquesne) and Jacksonville (at Jacksonville State) face teams seeking to move into the Top 25. After taking Week 1 off, Davidson opens its 2013 campaign with a Saturday contest at Georgetown. Valparaiso, Marist and Stetson face road tests while Campbell, Butler and San Diego open the home portioni of their schedules.

AHEAD IN WEEK 2
Saturday, Sept. 7
Duquesne [RV/RV] at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Location: Dayton, Ohio (Welcome Stadium)
Series: DUQ leads 6-4    Streak: DUQ, four wins
Notably: Dukes 10-point win last season was their largest victory during its 4-game win streak while the Flyers are protecting a 3-game home win streak.

Valparaiso at St. Joseph’s (Ind.), 1 p.m.
Location: Rensselaer, Ind. (Alumni Stadium)
Series: SJC leads 34-28-2    Streak: SJC, six wins
Notably: Crusaders have not defeated the Pumas since 2001, but lost a 36-34 decision at home last season.

Morehead State at Youngstown State [RV/25], 4 p.m.
Location: Youngstown, Ohio (Stambaugh Stadium)
Series: YSU leads, 8-6    Streak: MOR, one win
Notably: Eagles and Penguins meet for the first time since 1987 when both were members of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Drake at Northern Iowa [9/9], 5 p.m.
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)
Series: DRA leads 25-20-1    Streak: UNI, three wins
Notably: Bulldogs and Panthers resume their in-state rivalry after a five-year hiatus. Drake’s last defeated UNI in 1985.

Davidson at Georgetown, 6 p.m.
Location:  Washington D.C. (Multi-Sport Field)
Series: GU leads, 7-3    Streak: GU, three wins
Notably: Hoyas have won the last three meetings, but Wildcats last win came in Washington D.C. – a 10-3 decision in 2005.

Virginia-Wise at Campbell, 6 p.m.
Location: Buies Creek, N.C. (Barker-Lane Stadium)
Series: CAM leads, 2-0    Streak: CAM, two wins
Notably:  One of the Fighting Camels’ two shutouts all time came in last season’s 10-0 victory against the Cavaliers.

Wittenberg at Butler, 6 p.m.
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. (Butler Bowl)
Series: WIT leads 7-3    Streak: BUT, three wins
Notably:  Bulldogs host Tigers in first meeting since 1985, Butler has won three of the last five meetings.

Marist at Bucknell, 6 p.m.
Location: Lewisburg, Pa. (Mathewson-Memorial Stadium)
Series: BUCK leads 7-1    Streak: BUCK, two wins
Notably: The Red Foxes begin a three-game road trip as they help the Bison open their 2013 campaign in the 9th straight meeting between the teams.

Jacksonville [–/RV] at Jacksonville State [RV/RV], 7 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. (Burgess-Snow Field)
Series: First Meeting
Notably: It is the 2nd straight year teams from the PFL and OVC will square off, Morehead State falling at Eastern Kentucky, 24-17, last season.

Stetson at Florida Tech, 7 p.m.
Location: Melbourne, Fla. (Pirate Stadium)
Series: First Meeting
Notably: A battle of first-time programs as the Hatters serve as the Division II Panthers season opener.

Western New Mexico at San Diego, 9 p.m.
Location: San Diego, Calif. (Torero Stadium)
Series: SAN leads 2-0    Streak: SAN, two wins
Notably: Third straight season the Toreros and Mustangs will meet at Torero Stadium, San Diego winning the previous two meetings.
Off Week: Mercer (Week 3 vs. Warner)

All times Eastern.
FCS rankings in brackets following school’s name: [Sports Network Poll/FCS Coaches Poll]

PFL NEWS AND NOTES

MORE TESTS ABOUND IN WEEK 2 | Week 2 will find PFL members playing two games against teams ranked among the Top 25 in either the Sports Network or FCS Coaches polls.  Morehead State at No. 25 Youngstown State and Drake visiting No. 9 Northern Iowa. That after PFL members opened the 2013 campaign with three games against nationally-ranked FCS opponents.

STETSON’s PAYNE LANDS NATIONAL HONOR | Stetson freshman linebacker Donald Payne was named The Sports Network FCS National Freshman of the Week, Sept. 2. He recovered a fumble for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage after Saturday’s game was resumed in the second quarter on Sunday. Payne, the nephew of former 15-year NFL defensive end Ezra Johnson, finished the game with eight tackles, including five solos, and three tackles for loss, including a sack.

MERCER, STETSON RETURN WITH WINS | Both Mercer and Stetson marked their return to football with victories during the opening weekend of the 2013 season. Mercer, playing on the gridiron for the first time since 1941, won a back-and-forth affair against  Reinhardt, 40-37, thanks to John Shutter’s game-winning field goal with three seconds left. Stetson saw its first football game since 1956 span two days thanks to rain and lightning suspending play Saturday. The Hatters scored 21 unanswered points during Sunday’s resumption to post a 31-3 victory against Warner.

NO SHUTTING OUT DAYTON | Dayton continues one of the more remarkable streaks in college football, entering Week 2 action with a streak of 409 games without suffering a shutout. It is the longest such streak and an NCAA record. The last team to blank Dayton was Marshall by a 9-0 score on Oct. 16, 1976. San Diego owns the PFL’s second longest such streak at 145 games.

PFL’s 21ST CAMPAIGN | The upcoming 2013 season marks the 21st year for the Pioneer Football League – the nation’s only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The league expands to 12 members for the upcoming campaign, Mercer and Stetson restarting their football programs and joining the league.

THE ROAD TO FRISCO | For the first time, the PFL regular-season champion will receive an automatic bid into the Division I Football Championship. The championship will expand to 24 teams this season with 11 automatic bids and 13 at-large berths. The football selection committee will select eight national seeds, which will receive a first-round bye. The remaining 16 teams will be placed into the bracket’s first round spots with an emphasis on geographical proximity.

NEW FACES ABOUND | One half of the league’s teams will have a first-year head coach at the helm in 2013. Obviously, first-year programs Mercer (Bobby Lamb) and Stetson (Roger Hughes) will be under the guidance of first-year head coaches. In addition, Campbell (Mike Minter), Davidson (Paul Nichols), Morehead State (Rob Tenyer) and San Diego (Dale Lindsey) will start the campaign under new leadership.

FIVE PFL ATHLETES NOMINATED FOR 2013 ALLSTATE AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM | Five PFL student-athletes – Butler’s Matt Lancaster, Campbell’s Michael Rudisill, Davidson’s Weston Hawkins, Marist’s Max Jacques and San Diego’s Thomas Cobb – were among a record 150 nominees for the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which recognizes the selfless contributions to volunteerism and community service made by college football student-athletes across the nation. Two 11-member teams will be selected, one composed players competing in the NCAA® Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the other is a combined team representing the NCAA® Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA.

2012 PFL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR RETURN | Three of the PFL’s Players of the Year will return for the 2013 campaign. Butler quarterback Matt Lancaster returns after earning PFL Offensive Player of the Year honors after finishing 2012 responsible for an average of 16.18 points per game – ranking ninth among FCS quarterbacks. Valparaiso running back Jake Hutson posted 1,102 all-purpose yards en route to PFL Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors. Butler defensive lineman Kyle Annis was named the league’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year after a 42-tackle campaign last season.

PRESEASON ALL-PFL TEAM | The Pioneer Football League’s coaches preseason All-PFL team named 28 student-athletes for 29 positions. Butler and Jacksonville each had six players earn preseason accolades.

ALL-PFL HONOREES RETURN | Twenty-six members of the 2012 All-PFL squads return to their teams in 2012, including 13 first-team selections and 13 second-team honorees. Marist defensive lineman Terrence Fede returns after earning first-team All-PFL honors in both 2011 and 2012. In addition, Butler returns a league-leading four first-team All-PFL selections from last season.

SAN DIEGO PICKED TO WIN PFL | San Diego received five of a possible 12 first-place votes and 111 points narrowly earning the nod as the PFL’s preseason favorite. Butler was ranked second by one point after receiving four first-place votes. Drake and Jacksonville were picked to finish tied for third with 99 points, receiving one and two first-place votes, respectively. Dayton (85 points) was picked to finish fifth followed by Marist (67) which rounded out the poll’s top half. Morehead State (7th, 65 points), Campbell (8th, 49), Davidson (9th, 42) and Valparaiso (10th, 32) occupy the poll’s next four spots followed by newcomers Mercer (11th, 20) and Stetson (12th, 13).