Monday, November 17, 2014
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

AHEAD IN WEEK 13

Saturday, Nov. 15

Morehead State at Charlotte, Noon
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina (Jerry Richardson Stadium)
Series: CHA leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Charlotte def. Morehead State, 61-17 (2013)
Notably:  Morehead State heads across the Appalachians to meet FBS foe Charlotte. The Eagles defense stiffened in a Week 12 win, holding Stetson to 18 points – the fewest points it has permitted this season. Meanwhile, the MSU offense topped 40 points for the fifth time this season, improving to 4-1 in those contests.

Campbell at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Location: Dayton, Ohio (Welcome Stadium)
Series: DAY leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: Dayton def. Campbell, 41-23 (2013)
Notably: Campbell will seek to end a three-game PFL losing streak when it travels to Dayton. After scoring 28 or more points in its first four PFL games, the Camels have been held to 24 or fewer points in their last three PFL outings. Dayton boasts the PFL’s second-best scoring offense (35.4 ppg), with its 21 points in a winning effort against Butler the fewest points its scored in a PFL game this season.

Drake at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Location: DeLand, Florida (Spec Martin Stadium)
Series: First Meeting
Notably:  Stetson seeks its first .500 mark since 1951 when it hosts Drake in the first meeting between the two teams. Stetson sophomore defensive back Donald Payne has 111 tackles in his last five games, an average of 22 tackles per game, and leads the PFL with 17.1 tackles per game. On the other side of the field, Drake boasts the PFL’s top team defense, limiting opponents to a league-best 280 yards per game thanks to a PFL best pass defense holding teams to 176 yards per game.

Davidson at Valparaiso, 2 p.m.
Location: Valparaiso, Indiana (Brown Field)
Series: DAV leads, 7-1    Streak: DAV, two wins
Last Meeting: Davidson def. Valparaiso, 28-27 in OT (2012)
Notably: Davidson will trek to Valparaiso for the final PFL contest of 2014. Davidson will seek to end the season on a high note after tough outings in its last two weeks. The Wildcats have recorded an interception in four consecutive games, doubling its total of the first seven games. Valparaiso returns home after seeing a win at San Diego denied on a last-second score. The Crusaders offense has rolled up more than 320 yards in each of its last four games and scored 110 points.

Cal Poly at San Diego, 7 p.m.
Location: San Diego, California (Torero Stadium)
Series: CP leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: Cal Poly def. San Diego, 38-16 (2013)
Notably: San Diego meets Cal Poly in a tune up for the Division I Football Championship. The Toreros have won eight straight overall and 10 straight at Torero Stadium. The latter streak is the sixth-longest streak in the FCS. San Diego has scored 81 points in its last two games, but surrendered 55. They will face a Cal Poly side that has scored 28 or more points in every game this season.  
Off Week: Butler, Jacksonville, Marist

NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE PFL

SAN DIEGO CLAIMS 2014 PFL TITLE | San Diego scored a touchdown on the final play of the game to defeat Valparaiso, 32-27, Saturday and win the 2014 Pioneer Football League Championship and the league’s automatic qualifying spot in the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship. It is San Diego’s third PFL title in four years and sixth title all-time.

JACKSONVILLE WITHDRAWS FROM 2014 PFL RACE | The Pioneer Football League and Jacksonville University jointly announced the Jacksonville football team will not be eligible for the 2014 conference championship, Nov. 14. Jacksonville voluntarily withdrew from championship contention and postseason play for 2014 as a result of its internal review of compliance matters regarding the PFL’s financial aid rules. The process is ongoing and final resolution of the matter is not expected before Spring 2015.

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 430| Dayton continues one of the more remarkable streaks in college football – a NCAA record 430 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.