Saturday, October 17, 2015
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

Nine Pioneer Football League teams will be in action during Week 7 of the college football season. Fans will be able to catch a glimpse of all five games involving PFL squads on their computer or digital device through live video offerings.

For the sixth straight week PFL action can be see on ESPN3 with three games broadcast on the digital channel: Stetson hosting Campbell (1 p.m., Sat.); Valparaiso hosting league-leading Dayton (2 p.m., Sat.) and Jacksonville hosting nonconference foe Edward Waters (1 p.m., Sat.).

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

Week 7 Game Capsules

Campbell at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Campbell travels to Stetson in a contest where both teams seek to bounce back from losses. Campbell dropped a 13-10 decision to Marist at home in Week 6 in a contest it allowed 347 yards – both its PFL losses have come when allowing 300-plus yards. Stetson remained winless in PFL play with a 41-14 loss at Jacksonville, its second straight 14-point offensive outing. Camels running back De’Shawn Jones notched his third 100-yard rushing outing this season – with 101 yards on 16 carries against Marist – and leads the PFL with 639 rushing yards (ranks second with 106.5 yards per game). Linebacker Jake Barr had a team best 12 tackles in the contest and is the only Campbell defender ranked among the league’s top 20 in tackles (6.5 per game). The Hatters were done in by turnovers in their loss, seeing five giveaways turned into 20 points. Stetson defensive back Donald Payne leads all PFL tacklers with 11.8 tackles per game and has 5.5 tackles for loss (1.1 per game) this season. Meanwhile, quarterback Ryan Tentler has averaged 159.0 passing yards per game, but has four touchdowns against seven interceptions this season.

Davidson at Butler, 1 p.m.
Davidson travels to Butler for the first meeting between the two teams since 2012. Davidson ended a 15-game losing streak with a 14-7 overtime victory against Kentucky Wesleyan last week. The Wildcats finished with just 220 offensive yards, quarterback Taylor Mitchell accounting for 138 yards (20 rushing, 118 passing). Defensive lineman Thomas Sykes was a PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week after his game-saving end-zone interception in overtime. Butler dropped a 34-21 decision at Morehead State, but returns to the Butler Bowl where it is unbeaten this season in two tries. Bulldogs quarterback Matt Shiltz rushed for 120 yards (as part of a 401-yard offensive yard outing) at Morehead State for the team’s first 100-yard rushing performance this season. Butler’s defense has pulled in 13 turnovers this season, including nine interceptions. Cornerback Taylor Wilson nabbed the most recent pickoff and tacked on a 43-yard return against Morehead State.

Edward Waters at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville steps out of conference play and puts its unblemished record on the line in the Jacksonville Football Classic – an intracity matchup against NAIA foe Edward Waters. The Dolphins improved to 5-0 for the first time in program history thanks to quarterback Kade Bell’s five-touchdown performance which earned him PFL Offensive Player of the Week honors. Strong safety Dallas Jackson helped the cause with two interceptions – his first two this season – giving Jacksonville a league-best 11 pickoffs this season. Edward Waters enters the game seeking its season’s first win (0-5 this season). Running back Ray Dukes leads the Panthers with 347 yards (69.4 ypg) and three touchdowns. 

Dayton at Valparaiso, 2 p.m.
PFL front-runner Dayton seeks its best start since 2005 when it travels to Valparaiso. Dayton stands 5-0 for the first time since 2007 after a narrow 13-12 victory against San Diego last week. The Flyers won without the services of FCS-leading rusher Connor Kacsor as backup Tucker Yinger stepped in an caught two passes for 82 yards, including the Flyers’ only touchdown. Linebacker Jack Crain was named the PFL’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week after a massive 16-tackle outing that moved him into the No. 2 spot among league tacklers (10.6 per game) behind only Stetson’s Donald Payne. Valparaiso returns home after dropping a 34-7 decision at Drake to split its two-game road trip. Quarterback Ryan Clarke completed 21-of-47 passes for 165 yards and the team’s only touchdown in the loss. The Crusaders did record two interceptions in the contest with defensive back J.J. Nunes and defensive end Cody Cotton joining a list of five Valparaiso players with an interception this season.  

Drake at San Diego, 5 p.m.
The PFL’s lone matchup of one-loss teams features Drake traveling to San Diego. Drake bounced back with a 34-7 home win against Valparaiso, but is winless on the road this season. Running back Conley Wilkins ran for two touchdowns and caught another in the win and leads the PFL in scoring (48 points) and scoring average (9.6 ppg) this season. Linebacker John Hugunin recorded his first career interception in the contest but it is just the fourth interception recorded by the Bulldogs defense, only Campbell (1 interception) has fewer this season. San Diego returns home after suffering a narrow 13-12 loss at Dayton to fall from the unbeaten ranks. It returns to Torero Stadium where it is 23-2 since 2011, including a 2-0 mark this season. Freshman quarterback Anthony Lawrence owns a 132.5 pass efficiency rating entering the contest, completing 61.3 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and 906 yards. Defensive back Devyn Bryant has four interceptions – with a pick off in three of his five games this season.

Off Week: Marist
Marist will take Week 7 off after posting the only road win by a PFL team in Week 6, edging Campbell by a 13-10 margin. The Red Foxes break comes amid a three-game road trip which started at San Diego in Week 5, then to Campbell and ends in Week 8 at Davidson. Wide receiver Matt Tralli moved to within three receptions of the Marist all-time record, entering the break with 173 career catches. Meanwhile, free safety Zach Adler is nearing the Marist interceptions record, picking off his 17th career pass to move within one of the record. 

Off Week: Morehead State
Morehead State enters its off week with a 2-1 record after a 34-21 homecoming victory against Butler. The Eagles will use the week to prepare for a Week 8 meeting at Campbell. Quarterback Austin Gahafer had a three-touchdown day for the fifth consecutive game and enters the break with 17 touchdowns passes this season and his 135.7 pass efficiency rating is best in the PFL. Linebacker Luke Keller, the Eagles leading tackler last season, returned after missing the season’s first five games and recorded nine tackles. He missed the season’s start due to a medical issue that threatened to end his career. Cornerback Justin Grier intercepted two passes in the game – one in the end zone and the second to end Butler’s final drive.