Thursday, September 17, 2015
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

Seven Pioneer Football League teams will be in action during Week 3 of the college football season. Fans will be able to catch a glimpse of all seven games on television or via their computer or digital device through live video offerings.

Marist's home opener against Sacred Heart will get regional television exposure on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel. In addition, two PFL teams will have their games available on ESPN3 for the third straight week. Drake's contest at South Dakota (3 p.m. ET) and Valparaiso's home opener against College of Faith (2 p.m. ET) will be available at ESPN3.com and on the WatchESPN app.

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

Week 3 Kickoff Capsules

Duquesne at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Following a week off, Dayton returns to action when it hosts Duquesne at Welcome Stadium. The Flyers opened with a Week 1 victory against Robert Morris as redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Jeske took over late in the first half and amassed 203 offensive yards in just 33 minutes to spark off the comeback win. Also helping the cause was linebacker Christopher Beaschler’s career-high 18 tackles. Duquesne is off to a 2-0 start after wining at Bucknell for the first time in program history, 26-7, last week. Quarterback Dillon Buechel threw touchdowns to three different receivers while defensive back Abner Roberts had an interception, forced fumble and six tackles.

College Of Faith (Ark.) at Valparaiso, 2 p.m.
Valparaiso continues its three-game homestand when it hosts College of Faith (Ark.), Saturday. The Crusaders are seeking answers at quarterback as Scott Stall and Dalton Stokes have shared the duty in the season’s first two weeks. Kicker Jacob Newman has been a bright spot, connecting on two field goals in the early going, including a 39-yarder against Sacred Heart in Week 2.  College of Faith returns to action after an off week. The Warriors opened their campaign with a 68-0 loss to McKendree, Sept. 5. Due to NCAA Statistics Policy, Saturday’s contest is not a countable opponent for Valparaiso and will not be reflected in the NCAA or PFL’s standings or statistics.

Drake at South Dakota, 3 p.m.
After nearly pulling off a Week 2 upset, Drake returns to the Dakotas for a Saturday matchup with South Dakota. The Bulldogs defense had a stellar Week 2 performance at North Dakota, allowing just 25 rushing yards to an opponent that had 275 rushing yards in a win at Wyoming. PFL Defensive Player of the Week John Huginun forced two fumbles and his quarterback sack resulted in a safety. Quarterback Andy Rice passed for 237 yards and had a touchdown pass in the loss. South Dakota bounced back from a Week 1 loss at Kansas State with a 27-17 win at UC Davis. Running back Trevor Bouma had a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns in the win while the Coyotes defense forced four turnovers and had four sacks.

Sacred Heart at Marist, 6 p.m.
Marist left its Week 2 loss at Georgetown with questions at quarterback that it will seek to answer when Sacred Heart visits, Saturday. Sophomore quarterback Michael White made his collegiate debut off the bench at Georgetown and led the team with 201 offensive yards – 177 passing and 24 rushing – while also completing a touchdown pass for the Red Foxes only points. Defensive end John Brennan had seven tackles, including three for loss. Sacred Heart will play its second PFL opponent in as many weeks after posting a 56-3 win at Valparaiso last week. Running back Ose Imeokparia ran for 119 yards and three touchdowns in that win while the defense forced five turnovers, defensive lineman Connor Caeney nabbing a pair of interceptions.

Butler at Taylor, 7 p.m.
A quick strike Butler offense will look to take another step forward when it travels to NAIA foe Taylor, Saturday. The Bulldogs broke out to a 31-0 hafltime lead against Franklin in Week 2 as its first four scoring drives consumed less than 2:30 combined. Quarterback Matt Shiltz passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as part of a 272 yard offensive performance. Defensive end Josh Willis led the BU defense with his second consecutive outing with 1½ sacks, finishing with five tackles and a fumble forced.  Taylor continues its homestand after posting a come-from-behind 48-42 victory against St. Francis (Ind.) last weekend. The Trojans scored the game’s final 35 points as quarterback Everett Pollard tossed six touchdown passes, including all five in the game-ending outburst.

Campbell at Presbyterian, 7 p.m.
Campbell has opened a season 2-0 for the first time since relaunching its program in 2008 and will seek a third-straight win when it visits Presbyterian, Saturday. The Fighting Camels defense held Chowan to eight rushing yards and posted six sacks in last week’s 35-3 victory. Safety Carlos Merritt led that defensive effort with six tackles and an over-the-shoulder first quarter interception. Campbell quarterbacks Kameron Bryant and David Salmon each threw two touchdowns in the win. Presbyterian opens its home schedule after dropping back-to-back road contests at FBS foes to start the year. The Blue Hose’s offense was held to 112 yards in a 34-10 Week 2 loss at Charlotte with running back Darrell Bridges 69-yard rushing effort leading the way.

Kentucky Christian at Morehead State, 7 p.m.
Morehead State opens its home schedule when it hosts NAIA foe Kentucky Christian, Saturday. Quarterback Austin Gahafer was the PFL and STATS National FCS Offensive Player of the Week after a 447-yard passing performance in a narrow 43-40 loss at VMI, Saturday. His 620 passing yards in the opening two weeks leads the PFL. Cornerback Eric Pugh had a busy weekend against the Keydets, making a career-high 18 tackles (14 solo). Kentucky Christian ends a season-opening three-game road trip with Saturday contest. The Knights lost a Duquesne to being the year and dropped a 52-3 decision to Reinhardt last weekend. Kentucky Christian has 481 offensive yards in its first two weeks and has allowed 1203 yards.

Off Weeks
Davidson
Davidson’s offense made headway in a Week 2 35-21 loss to Division II Catawba with a balanced attack that amassed 362 yards. Running back Jeffrey Keil carried the ball 19 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Defensive back Myles Atkins led the Wildcats defense with 10 tackles and an interception. Davidson returns to action when it travels to Morehead State next week.

Jacksonville
Jacksonville held on for a narrow 17-14 escape against Division II Newberry in Week 2. The Dolphins defense captured three second half interceptions to help nurse a 17-7 third quarter lead. Linebacker Grady Redding had 11 tackles and a sack to pace that defensive effort. On the offensive side, wide receiver Andy Jones posted his second straight 100-yard receiving outing with seven catches for 135 yards and a touchdown at Newberry. Jacksonville concludes its three-game road trip when it travels to Marist in Week 4.

San Diego
San Diego scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to down Division II Western New Mexico, 45-21, in its home opener. Redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Lawrence, who made his first collegiate start, completed 20 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, to spur the Torero offense. Cornerback Devyn Bryant had two interceptions in the win along with three tackles and a pass breakup. San Diego travels to Valparaiso to open PFL play in Week 4.

Stetson
Stetson fell victim to penalties, turnovers and big plays in a 57-14 loss at Mercer last weekend. The Hatters threw three first half interceptions that it saw turned into 21 points as Mercer needed just 13 offensive players to score five second quarter touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Tentler completed eight passes for 163 yards and a touchdown while backup signal caller Blake Blattsmier completed 11 passes for 88 yards and ran for the Hatters other touchdown. Stetson returns to action when it visits Drake in a Week 4 PFL opener.