Monday, July 25, 2016
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

ST. LOUIS – For the sixth consecutive year, the University of San Diego has been picked to win the Pioneer Football League regular-season race in a preseason vote of the league’s coaches.

The PFL will announce its preseason All-PFL teams, Tuesday morning, followed by an afternoon preseason coaches teleconference.

San Diego, which shared the 2015 regular-season title with Dayton, again received the coaches’ nod to win the 2016 PFL title, narrowly edging Dayton in polling that was dominated by the two teams. San Diego and Dayton combined to receive all available first-place votes and also claimed seven of the nine possible second-place votes (coaches could not vote for their own team).  

The Toreros received five first-place votes and five second-place votes to finish with 95 of the maximum 100 points possible. Dayton earned six first-place votes and two second-place votes, finishing with 94 points.

A group of six teams – separated by only 15 points – were bunched behind the lead duo. Drake was picked third with 68 points, followed closely by Morehead State (64 points) and Campbell (62 points). Marist (56) was picked sixth and was followed by Butler (54) and Jacksonville (53).

Stetson (27) was given a ninth-place nod with Valparaiso (21) and Davidson (11) rounding out the preseason poll.

The upcoming 2016 season marks the 24th year for the Pioneer Football League – the nation’s only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The league will feature 11 teams each playing an eight-game schedule to determine the league champion and recipient of the automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA FCS Championship.

The 2016 schedule gets underway Thursday, Sept. 1 when Campbell hosts Bluefield. Nine of the league’s 10 remaining teams kickoff the season two days later while Jacksonville will wait until Week 2 to begin its slate. The PFL regular-season race gets underway in Week 4 with five games on the Saturday, Sept. 24 slate, including a matchup of the league’s 2015 co-champions when Dayton travels to San Diego.

SAN DIEGO
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 0/3 | Second Team: 5/1 | Honorable Mention: 7/0

San Diego will look for a third consecutive PFL title after winning the 2014 crown outright and sharing the 2015 title. The Toreros will return the bulk of its offensive specialists that will led by sophomore quarterback Anthony Lawrence, the league’s most efficient passer (153.5 rating, 23 touchdowns, 6 interceptions in 295 pass attempts). Second-team All-PFL wideout Brian Riley and honorable mention pick Justin Priest combined for 119.6 receiving yards per game and 11 touchdowns last season. Defensively, USD returns six players named to one of the All-PFL teams, including four defensive backs. Seniors Jamal Agnew (four interceptions) and Devyn Bryant (five interceptions) return after earning Second-Team All-PFL honors last season while juniors Ray Clark and Colton Giorgi (team-best 64 tackles) were honorable mention picks last season.

DAYTON
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 7/1 | Second Team: 1/1 | Honorable Mention: 1/3

Dayton has posted an improving league record in each of the last three seasons -- starting with a 5-3 mark in 2013 it went 6-2 in 2014 and claimed a share of the league title with a 7-1 mark last season. The Flyers will return seven first-team All-PFL selections from last season, the bulk of those on defense and special teams. Fifth-year senior linebacker Christopher Beaschler led Dayton (third in PFL) with 112 tackles and will anchor the defensive unit after First-Team All-PFL recognition. In the secondary, fifth-year senior Cameron Stubbs (seven interceptions) and junior Christian Searles (five interceptions) both return after also earning First-Team All-PFL honors. Searles also earned First-Team All-PFL recognition as a return specialist and returns along with fifth-year senior kicker William Will and sophomore punter Sean Smith, both receiving First-Team All-PFL nods last season.

DRAKE
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 2/2 | Second Team: 1/0 | Honorable Mention: 0/6

Drake fell into a tie for fourth place last season (4-4 record) after finishing second in 2014, yet the Bulldogs claimed a win against league co-champion Dayton. Junior defensive lineman Mack Marrin and senior tight end Eric Saubert both return after First-Team All-PFL seasons in 2015. Marrin led the league with 8.5 sacks and was among the top 10 in tackles for loss (12.5) to pace the Drake defense. Saubert caught 55 passes, including seven touchdowns, and averaged 52.7 yards per game. In addition, the Bulldogs will see senior running back Conley Wilkins, a Second-Team All-PFL pick, return after rushing for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns in just nine games.

MOREHEAD STATE
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 1/3 | Second Team: 1/1 | Honorable Mention: 6/6

Senior quarterback Austin Gahafer, the 2015 PFL Offensive Player of the Year, led Morehead State to a three-game improvement (3-5 in 2014, 6-2 in 2015) and into sole possession of third place last season. He finished fourth among FCS quarterbacks in passing yardage (3,244) and third in passing yards per game (294.9 yards per game). Gahafer will lose his top target with Justin Cornwall graduating, but senior wideout Jake Raymond returns after catching 72 passes for 722 yards en route to Second-Team All-PFL Defensively, senior linebacker Ryan Bennett led the Eagles with 96 tackles and earned Second-Team All-PFL honors while junior defensive lineman Colt Briggs earned Honorable Mention All-PFL recognition after posting 10.5 tackles for loss, including five sacks.

CAMPBELL
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 1/2 | Second Team: 1/2 | Honorable Mention: 8/2

Campbell posted a seventh-place finish in 2015 but was left wondering what might have been as its five conference losses were by less than a touchdown each. Senior running back De’Shawn Jones led all PFL rushers with 1,079 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns last season but is the Camels lone returning First-Team All-PFL pick. Campbell’s defensive unit will have the most to replace with two First-Team All-PFL picks (linemen Greg Milhouse and Ugonna Awuruonye) as well as a Second-Team All-PFL selection (linebacker Jake Barr) graduated. That trio will be difficult to replace as Barr was CU’s leading tackler (69 tackles), Milhouse was the team’s leader with 11.5 tackles for loss while Awuruonye owned a team-leading 6.5 sacks. Sophomore linebacker Jack Ryan will return to pace the defense after a 66-tackle, 11.5-tackle for loss, two interception campaign that led to Honorable Mention All-PFL honors.

MARIST
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 0/1 | Second Team: 2/3 | Honorable Mention: 5/6

Marist enters 2016 after back-to-back 4-4 campaigns but will have plenty of questions to answer as the team reports to camp. The Red Foxes saw significant losses on both lines with six All-PFL selections graduating. Four of those graduates came from Marist’s defensive line, including First-Team All-PFL choice Demetrius Williams (14.5 tackles for loss, five sacks). The offensive line lost a pair of Second-Team All-PFL performers in Mike Manginio and Sean Foley. Yet, there is promise in Poughkeepsie with sophomore wide receiver Juston Christian returning after leading the PFL with 91.8 receiving yards per game last season en route to Second-Team All-PFL honors as a freshman. Junior quarterback Mike White also will return after an Honorable Mention All-PFL campaign that saw him pass for 256.4 yards per game (third in the PFL).

BUTLER
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 0/0 | Second Team: 1/4 | Honorable Mention: 4/4

Butler leaned heavily on quarterback Matt Shiltz last season, finishing tied for fourth with a 4-4 record. However, Shiltz graduated and took with him a team-best 639 yards and 10 touchdowns in the running game while passing for 19 touchdowns and 2,713 yards, finishing with a PFL best 3,352 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs will get back two key offensive pieces for the 2016 campaign as running back Sam Schrader and offensive lineman Michael Demos return after missing parts of 2015. Demos, who missed the entire 2015 season, was a First-Team All-PFL selection in 2014. Schrader was lost to injury after three games last season following a freshman season that saw him touted as a Jerry Rice Award Finalist while rushing for a team-best 609 yards in 2014. Defensively, senior linebacker Sean Horan will anchor the unit after posting a team-best 72 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks to earn Second-Team All-PFL recognition.

JACKSONVILLE
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 2/1 | Second Team: 1/3 | Honorable Mention: 0/12

First-year head coach Ian Shields took over at Jacksonville during the offseason and was charged will marshalling a team beset by the loss of 16 players that earned All-PFL recognition of some level last season. However, two key pieces return in First-Team All-PFL honorees Ulysses Bryant and Grady Redding. Bryant, a senior running back, amassed 1,141 all-purpose yards (763 rushing, 378 receiving) and seven touchdowns last season. Redding, a senior linebacker, will lead the defensive unit after a 100-tackle campaign last season. The only other returning All-PFL pick is senior punter Ryan Giaratano, who also returns after a Second-Team All-PFL campaign that saw him average 40.7 yards per punt (second in PFL).

STETSON
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 1/0 | Second Team: 0/0 | Honorable Mention: 4/0

The lead story at Stetson for three seasons has been senior defensive back Donald Payne, who enters his final campaign with back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors on his shelf. After an incredible 175 tackle campaign in 2014, Payne eased back to a league-leading 126 tackles last season, including 15.0 tackles for loss. The defensive unit also sees three other Honorable Mention All-PFL picks return: senior defensive lineman Davion Belk (14.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks), senior linebacker Dylan Wydronkowski (74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss) and junior defensive back Eric Martin (five interceptions). Meanwhile, the offensive unit will look to senior running back Cole Mazza (277 yards, nine touchdowns) and junior wideout Ja’Vonta Swinton (38 receptions, 484 yards). 

VALPARAISO
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 0/1 | Second Team: 0/0 | Honorable Mention: 2/2

Quarterback questions will rule Valparaiso’s team camp when it convenes next month. The Crusaders ended 2015 with its signal-caller situation in limbo as junior Ryan Clarke missed the final seven quarters of the season. Third-year head coach Dave Cecchini will have six quarterbacks on the roster to begin the season. Despite that question mark, there is no question that sophomore wide out Frank Catrine will be one of the top targets after catching 41 passes in eight games last season, amassing 435 yards. Senior defensive back J.J. Nunes will lead the Valparaiso defense a year after earning Honorable Mention All-PFL honors following a 76-tackle campaign in 2015.

DAVIDSON
All-PFL Returnees/Lost | First Team: 0/1 | Second Team: 1/0 | Honorable Mention: 2/3

Davidson ended 2015 with a victory against Stetson and will look to use that as a springboard into 2016. The Wildcats will turn again to junior quarterback Taylor Mitchell to lead the offense after passing for 1,506 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games last season. However, Mitchell will have plenty of new faces around him as top target and First-Team All-PFL wideout William Morris (774 receiving yards, eight touchdowns) and running backs Jeffrey Keil and David Rogers (the team’s top two rushers) graduated. Davidson’s special teams will again be paced by junior return specialist Ben Rowell (608 kick/punt return yards), a Second-Team All-PFL choice, while placekicker Trevor Smith (seven field goals, 15 PATs) returns after earning a Honorable Mention All-PFL nod.

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