Monday, November 10, 2014
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

AHEAD IN WEEK 12

Saturday, Nov. 15

Dayton at Butler, 11 a.m.
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana (Butler Bowl)
Series: DAY leads, 26-12-1    Streak: BUT, three wins
Last Meeting: Butler defeated Dayton, 33-30 (2013)
Notably: Dayton and Butler meet bright and early in the 40th meeting all-time between the two teams. Dayton posted its fourth-straight 300-yard outing, but lost for the second time in that stretch as its defense allowed more than 30 points for the fourth time (1-3 in those games). Butler was held to 3 points in a Week 11 loss, its lowest point total in a PFL game since a PFL opening suffering shutout at San Diego in 2010. The Bulldogs 263 offensive yards was its second-lowest output this season.

Davidson at Marist, Noon
Location: Poughkeepsie, New York (Tenney Stadium)
Series: MAR leads, 5-1    Streak: MAR, three wins
Last Meeting: Marist defeated Davidson, 47-14
Notably: Davidson travels north to face Marist in a game that will feature senior wideouts moving up their respective team’s receiving Top 10 lists. Senior wide receiver William Morris is second all-time with 2,239 receiving yards at Davidson and sixth all-time in total receptions (153). On the other side of the field, redshirt senior Armani Martin recorded his 18th receiving touchdown, breaking the Marist career mark set in 2012 by Michael Rios, and his 1,862 yards are fourth-most in program history.
Saturday, Nov. 15

Campbell at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Florida (D.B. Milne Field)
Series: JAC leads, 6-0
Last Meeting: Jacksonville defeated Campbell, 52-45
Notably: Jacksonville will seek to clinch a share of its first PFL title since 2010 and its first-ever Division I Football Championship berth when it hosts Campbell. The Dolphins bounced back from their first PFL loss in Week 10 by  posting its first PFL shutout since 2010. Jacksonville’s 56 points were its second most this season and it is the third time it has held an opponent to a touchdown or less. Campbell halted a two-game losing streak with a 66-point outing in a nonconference tilt against Missouri Baptist, its 788 yards in that game were the second most in the FCS this season.

Stetson at Morehead State, 1 p.m.
Location: Morehead, Kentucky (Jayne Stadium)
Series: STE leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Stetson defeated Morehead State, 41-0 (1953)
Notably: Stetson travels to Morehead State in the first meeting between the teams in 61 years. Stetson improved to 5-5 with a Week 11 victory – its first five-win season since 1951 – and its current three-game win streak is the longest since that 1951 campaign. Morehead State was held to 366 offensive yards in its Week 11 loss at San Diego and fell to 0-5 in games it has been held below 300 yards this season. The Eagles rank second in total offense, averaging 442.4 yards per game this season.

Valparaiso at San Diego, 4 p.m.
Location: San Diego, California (Torero Stadium)
Series: SAN leads, 16-5    Streak: SAN, 10 wins
Last Meeting: San Diego defeated Valparaiso, 58-14
Notably: San Diego looks to clinch a share of its third PFL title in the last four years when it hosts Valparaiso. The Toreros are the hottest team in the league currently, winning their last seven outings. San Diego also owns a 17-game home PFL win streak that dates back to a Oct. 9, 2010 loss to Dayton. Valparaiso’s Week 11 win was its third victory of 2014, its first three-win campaign since 2008. The Crusaders defense worked its magic in the win, allowing just three points, the fewest points an opponent has scored since a 2006 shutout against Wisconsin Lutheran.

Off Week: Drake

NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE PFL

REGULAR-SEASON STARTS WIND DOWN IN WEEK 12 | The penultimate week of the regular season will see 10 PFL teams in action with the regular-season title still up for grabs. Jacksonville and San Diego – the PFL co-leaders – each play their final PFL tilt at home this week. Meanwhile, Campbell and Dayton – two of the three two-loss teams – are in action on the road. Drake, the other two-loss team, will sit idle in Week 12 and see how the action unfolds.

BELL EARNS NATIONAL WEEKLY HONOR | Jacksonville junior quarterback Kade Bell was named National Co-Offensive Player of the Week by The Sports Network after his Week 11 performance. He threw six touchdown passes in a PFL win at Davidson, completing 20-of-24 passes with no interceptions for 417 yards, giving him a 313.38 pass efficiency rating on the day – third best in the FCS this season. It is the second consecutive week the PFL has had an athlete named to The Sports Network honors.

DAYTON’S KACSOR NAMED TO PAYTON AWARD WATCH LIST | Dayton senior running back Connor Kacsor has been named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, for the FCS’ top offensive player. Kacsor currently leads the PFL and is second in FCS football in rushing yards per game (148.0)  His 301 yards against Georgetown in the season opener is the best in Division I this season, and he is the only FCS player with three rushing performances of 200 yards or more this season.

BUTLER’S SCHRADER NAMED TO RICE AWARD WATCH LIST | Butler freshman running back Sam Schrader has been named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, for the FCS’ top freshman player. Schrader, of Mishawaka, Indiana, is the PFL’s top freshman running back, with 526 yards (75.1 ypg) and eight touchdowns in seven conference games. He ranks sixth among FCS freshmen in rushing (60.4 ypg) and seventh in scoring (6.6 ppg). Schrader rushed for 193 yards against Stetson, Oct. 4, and had a four touchdown performance against Morehead State, Nov. 1.

THIRTEEN NAMED TO CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS | Thirteen Pioneer Football League student-athletes were named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-District® teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors Association, Thursday. Seven of the league’s 11 members had one student-athlete recognized on the teams. A complete list of the PFL student-athletes selected is available on the PFL website.

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.

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.