Monday, November 3, 2014
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

AHEAD IN WEEK 11

Saturday, Nov. 8

Missouri Baptist at Campbell, 1 p.m.
Location: Buies Creek, N.C. (Barker-Lane Stadium)
Series: First Meeting
Notably: Campbell will seek to end a two-game losing streak when it meets first-year program Missouri Baptist in a nonconference tilt. The Camels two losses during their current streak were each by a touchdown or less as the offense recorded more than 350 yards in both contests.

Jacksonville at Davidson, 1 p.m.
Location: Davidson, N.C. (Richardson Stadium)
Series: JAC leads, 9-6    Streak: JAC, four wins
Last Meeting: Jacksonville defeated Davidson, 56-13 (2013)
Notably: Jacksonville ends a five-game road trek and will look to bounce back from its first PFL loss when it travels to Davidson. The Dolphins were held to 16 points in the loss at Marist last week, its lowest point total since scoring just three points at Southeastern Louisiana in Week 1. Davidson returns to action after an off week and will seek to end an eight-game losing streak, but has scored at least three touchdowns in its last two outings prior to the break.

Drake at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Location: Dayton, Ohio (Welcome Stadium)
Series: DAY leads, 24-6    Streak: DRA, one win
Last Meeting: Drake defeated Dayton, 36-10 (2013)
Notably: Dayton will wrap up its two-game homestand when it hosts Drake in a key PFL matchup. Dayton is 5-0 when scoring more than 30 points this season, but 1-2 when held below that mark. Meanwhile, Drake has not allowed a PFL opponent to score more than 29 points this season. The Flyers have been ground based in 2014, leading the PFL in rushing yards (228.8 ypg) and rushing touchdowns (16). The Bulldogs boast the league’s best rushing defense in both rushing yards allowed (84.5 ypg) and rushing touchdowns allowed (five).

Butler at Valparaiso, 2 p.m.
Location: Valparaiso, Ind. (Brown Field)
Series: BUT leads, 38-24    Streak: BUT, six wins
Last Meeting: Butler defeated Valparaiso, 72-12 (2013)
Notably: The annual battle for the Hoosier Helmet will take place at Brown Field when Butler visits Valparaiso. The Bulldogs rolled up 62 points (they entered the game with just 105 in PFL play) in a win against Morehead State, scoring touchdowns by pass (1), rush (6), kick return (1) and interception return (1). Valparaiso returns home after a winless two-game road trip that saw it allow two of its highest point totals this season. Still, the Crusaders held a lead in both of those losses and has held a lead in each of its PFL outings this season.

Marist at Stetson, 3 p.m.
Location: DeLand, Fla. (Spec Martin Stadium)
Series: MAR leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Marist defeated Stetson, 27-0 (2013)
Notably: Marist travels to Stetson in a matchup of teams with two-game win streaks. The Red Foxes have won three of their last four after opening the season with five straight losses and are looking to move above .500 in PFL play. The Hatters are hoping Homecoming will change their luck at Spec Martin Stadium, where they are winless in four tries. Both teams defeated Campbell during their two-game win streaks, Marist winning a 27-20 decision at home while Stetson claimed a 28-24 victory on the road.

Morehead State at San Diego, 4 p.m.
Location: San Diego, Calif. (Torero Stadium)
Series: SAN leads, 9-0
Last Meeting: San Diego defeated Morehead State, 56-3 (2013)
Notably: Morehead State heads to the west coast to face San Diego in the PFL’s Week 11 finale. The Eagle’s offense has found a different gear in its last two games, scoring 100 total points, but is 1-1 in those two games. The outburst has doubled Morehead State’s PFL point total and they now rank second in the league at 32.8 points per PFL game. San Diego is the hottest team in the PFL, owning a six-game win streak after a Week 3 loss to Jacksonville. In addition, the Toreros ended Drake’s 19-game home PFL win streak last week and now have the league’s longest such streak with a 16-game home PFL win streak.

NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE PFL

A QUICK GLANCE AT WEEK 11 AROUND THE LEAGUE | Every game in the remaining three weekends now carries weight as three teams enter Week 11 with a loss and two more squads have two losses each. Jacksonville (4-1) is the lone one-loss team on the road this weekend, traveling to Davidson (0-5), while San Diego (4-1) and Dayton (3-1) host home contests against Drake (4-2) and Morehead State (2-4), respectively. The league’s other two contests include Butler traveling to Valparaiso in the Hoosier Helmet contest while Marist heads south to face Stetson. Campbell steps out of conference play to host Missouri Baptist.

WEEK 10 TIGHTENS PFL RACE | The PFL race tightened considerably after Week 10s action as Marist handed Jacksonville its first PFL loss this season. That dropped the Dolphins into a tie with San Diego and a virtual tie with Dayton, with all three teams saddled with one loss. Jacksonville and San Diego each have two PFL games remaining while Dayton has three league tests left. And should that trio falter down the stretch, Drake and Campbell await with two losses each.

BUTLER’S SCHRADER NAMED NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK | Butler running back Sam Schrader was named The Sports Network’s Freshman of the Week, Nov. 3, for his Week 10 performance against Morehead State. He finished the day with 13 carries for 162 yards and four touchdowns, but it was his second-quarter performance that stood out. Schrader had four carries for 82 yards but it was his three touchdowns that helped catapult Butler to a 35-23 lead en route to the 62-52 PFL win.

PAYNE SETS PFL TACKLE RECORD | Stetson safety Donald Payne broke a 12-year old PFL record with 27 tackles at Campbell in Week 10. He broke the record previously held by San Diego’s Andy Guzenski, who recorded 26 tackles against Dayton during the 2002 season. Payne’s outing came just two weeks after he recorded 21 tackles in a Week 8 contest against Jacksonville, which was the first 20-tackle outing in over two years. He is the only PFL tackler with two 20-tackle performances since 2002.

PAYNE NAMED NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK | Stetson safety Donald Payne also was named The Sports Network’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Nov. 3. Payne ‘s PFL record 27 tackles meant he had a hand in stopping more than one-third of Campbell’s 79 offensive plays in the contest.

PFL AMONG FCS LEADERS | After 10 weeks three PFL student-athletes lead the FCS in three different categories. San Diego’s David Last leads the FCS in field goal percentage (1.000) and San Diego’s Jamal Agnew leads the FCS in passes defended (2.3 pg). Marist’s Zach Adler’s two interception performance in Week 10 moved him into a tie for the FCS lead in picks (0.70 pg). In addition, PFL student-athletes are listed 35 times among the FCS Top 10 in 38 categories.

KACSOR NOTCHES 3RD 200-YARD OUTING | For the third time in 2014, Dayton running back Connor Kacsor ran for more than 200 yards, recording 232 yards against Morehead State in Week 8 action. There have been 15 200-yard performances in the FCS this season and Kacsor is the only back with three such performances and the only runner with a 300-yard effort this season.

PAYNE TOPS 20-TACKLE MARK | Stetson safety Donald Payne recorded 21 tackles in a Week 8 contest against Jacksonville, becoming the first PFL defender with more than 20 tackles in over two years. He also became only the fifth FCS tackler to top the 20-tackle mark in 2014. It was the best performance by a PFL defender since Davidson’s Patrick Moynahan recorded 22 tackles against Marist on Sept. 22, 2012.

DOLPHINS’ BELL RECORDS LEAGUE’S FIRST 6 TD OUTING | Jacksonville quarterback Kade Bell became the first PFL quarterback to throw six touchdowns in a game, turning the trick at Morehead State in Week 7. He also had a five touchdown performance in Week 5 at Butler, He joins Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams as the only quarterbacks to compose a pair of four-plus touchdown performances this season.

SAN DIEGO’S HODGES JOINS 200-YARD CLUB | San Diego running back Jonah Hodges joined the PFL’s 200-yard rushing club with a 273-yard effort against Stetson in Week 7.  He posted 17 carries and had two touchdowns in the Toreros win. It was the third 200-yard rushing performance by a PFL running back this season and second best in the FCS this season, behind Dayton running back Connor Kacsor’s 301-yard performance in Week 2.

FIVE OT THRILLER BETWEEN DAVIDSON-DAYTON | Dayton and Davidson got off to a slow start but raced headlong into and through overtime before Dayton escaped with a 54-48 victory in five overtimes, Oct. 4. The Flyers led 13-7 after three full quarters but both offenses exploded in the fourth quarter, combining for 34 points en route to a 27-27 tie. The Flyers and Wildcats scored 48 points in extra time, before Dayton’s Connor Kascor scored in the fifth overtime and UD’s Tom Fanning intercepted a pass on Davidson’s ensuing drive. It was the longest game in the FCS since Sept. 10, 2011 when Towson and Coastal Carolina went five overtimes. It also broke the PFL record of three overtimes set by Campbell and Davidson, Oct. 29, 2011.

KACSOR STRIKES AGAIN | Earlier this season, Dayton running back Connor Kacsor posted what remains a FCS best 301 yards in a Week 2 contest against Georgetown. He backed that up in Week 6 with a 213-yard performance against Davidson – the ninth best rushing performance this season. He joins St. Francis (Pa.)’s Khairi Dickson as the only runners to post two Top 10 totals this season. Kacsor also ran the ball 47 times in the win against Davidson, the only rusher to post more than 40 runs in the FCS this season.

DAVIDSON’S CASEY NAMED TO ALLSTATE AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM | Davidson linebacker Dan Casey was one of four FCS student-athletes and 22 across all levels of college football named to the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Sept. 23. One of the most prestigious off-the-field-honors in college football, the award pays tribute to a select group of student-athletes who have worked to positively impact the lives of others.

DAYTON SCORING STREAK HITS 428 | Dayton continues one of the more remarkable streaks in college football – a NCAA record 428 consecutive games without suffering a shutout. 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 163 games. 

THREE PFL ALUMNI ON NFL ROSTERS | Marist alumnus Terrence Fede, the 2013 PFL Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the Miami Dolphins’ active 53-man roster. Fede, a 7th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, recorded his first tackle as a professional against Oakland, Sept. 29. Drake alumnus and 12-year NFL veteran Billy Cundiff is in his second year as a member of the Cleveland Browns. San Diego alumnus Josh Johnson is in his seventh NFL campaign, joining the San Francisco 49ers and former San Diego head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2014.

THREE PFL STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO CAMPBELL LIST | Jacksonville quarterback Kade Bell became the second PFL quarterback to throw five Three Pioneer Football League student-athletes were named among 167 candidates for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments®.  Campbell’s Adam Lutz, Dayton’s Will Bardo and San Diego Troy McClelland were each named to the semifinalist list, Sept. 25.

DOLPHINS’ BELL RECORDS LEAGUE’S SECOND 5 TD OUTING | Jacksonville quarterback Kade Bell became the second PFL quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game, turning the trick against Butler in Week 5. The redshirt junior is one of 10 FCS quarterbacks to throw five or more touchdowns in a game this season.

DAVIDSON’S MORRIS RUNS FOR 208 | Davidson wide receiver William Morris posted a 16-reception, 208-yard performance at VMI, Sept. 13. The 16 receptions are the most in the FCS this season while his 208 receiving yards were third most. It is the 21st 200-yard receiving performance in the PFL since 2002 and first this season.

DAYTON’S KACSOR SECOND TO TOP 300 YARDS | Dayton running back Connor Kacsor became the second PFL runner to record 300 rushing yards in a game, piling up 301 yards against Georgetown, Sept. 6, in Welcome Stadium. It was the 55th 300-yard performance in FCS history and was a Dayton program record. The senior from Leo, Indiana, had just 14 yards in the first quarter but ran for 287 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown, in the game’s final 45 minutes.

EAGLES’ GAHAFER THROWS FIRST 5 TD OUTING | Morehead State quarterback Austin Gahafer put together the PFL’s first five-touchdown performance of 2014, in a 49-36 win against NAIA foe Pikeville. The PFL saw five five-touchdown efforts in 2013, but none occurred prior to Week 7 (Oct. 12).

MARIST’S FEDE MAKES DOLPHINS ROSTER | Marist alumnus Terrence Fede, the 2013 PFL Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the Miami Dolphins’ active 53-man roster. Fede, a 7th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, is listed on the Dolphins depth chard at right defensive end entering the NFL season’s opening week.

NEW SIGNAL CALLERS ABOUND | New quarterbacks will be at the helm of six of the PFL’s 11 programs in 2014. Butler, Campbell, Davidson, Marist, San Diego and Valparaiso will each be under new leadership on the field. Dayton and Drake each return a senior under center with Will Bardo and Andy Rice, respectively. Morehead State (Austin Gahafer) and Stetson (Ryan Tentler) each used a freshman quarterback in 2013 that returns for their sophomore campaigns in 2014. Jacksonville junior Kade Bell rounds out the list of returning quarterbacks.

WELCOME NEW HEAD COACHES | Two new faces will join the PFL’s head coaching fraternity in 2014 with Rick Fox taking over duties at Drake while Dave Cecchini grabs the reins at Valparaiso. Fox was as an assistant coach for six seasons under former head coach Chris Creighton, who took the head coaching position at Eastern Michigan. Cecchini became Valparaiso’s 17th head coach after four seasons as the offensive coordinator at Lehigh.

PFL TIEBREAKER MODIFIED | The PFL automatic qualifier tiebreaker was modified during the league’s August president’s council meeting. In 2014, the league will no longer use computer rankings to determine its automatic qualifier. Instead, the league will use a “Strength of Victory” and “Strength of Schedule” – both based on conference games only – to help determine its representative in the FCS Championship. The complete PFL tiebreaker is available online at pioneer-football.org/tiebreaker.

PFL ADDS SIXTH MAJOR AWARD | In addition to the change in the league’s tiebreaker procedure, the league’s presidents voted to add a Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award to its postseason accolades. The Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be selected as part of the league’s Academic All-PFL squad voting in November.

THREE PFL ATHLETES NOMINATED FOR 2014 ALLSTATE AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM | Three PFL student-athletes – Davidson’s Dan Casey, Drake’s John Hugunin and Marist’s James Holodnak – were among a 182 nominees for the 2014 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.

NO ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS IN SAN DIEGO REVIEW | The PFL concluded its review of a matter involving the San Diego Football program. The league has ruled no additional sanctions will be imposed on the San Diego football team beyond its voluntary removal from the 2013 conference championship.

PFL’S 22ND CAMPAIGN | The 2014 season marks the 22nd year for the Pioneer Football League – the nation’s only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The league boasts 11 members in 2014 with the departure of Mercer after its first season.