Friday, November 18, 2016
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

Four games – two each in Florida and North Carolina – will wrap up the 2016 regular season slate across the Pioneer Football League. San Diego seeks to wrap up the first perfect run through PFL play by any team since 2010 when it meets Campbell. Drake and Marist will each look to wrap up third-place finishes in their road outings. Meanwhile, Morehead State quarterback Austin Gahafer aims for the 12,000 career passing yard mark at Davidson.

San Diego at Campbell, Noon
Video: GoCamels.com

Setting the Scene: San Diego will look to complete a unbeaten run through its PFL slate when it travels cross country for a meeting with Campbell. The Toreros clinched at least a share of the 2016 PFL title with last week’s wins against Stetson. Now they set their sights on posting the first unbeaten mark in PFL play since 2010 (Dayton). The Camels will look to play spoiler and bring a two-game win streak into the regular season finale.

San Diego Story to Watch: Make a Statement Against the Run. San Diego’s pass defense garners a great deal of attention, but its run defense has been just as stout. The Toreros have allowed just 86.1 yards per game and only five touchdowns this season on the ground. Campbell has thrived through its ground game in 2016, leading the PFL with 5.02 yards per rush, ranking second in the lead with 226.6 yards per game and fourth with 20 rushing touchdowns this season.

Campbell Story to Watch: Match the Toreros Pass Defense. In a matchup of the PFL’s top two passing defenses, can a second-ranked Campbell unit hold the PFL’s most efficient passing game in check? San Diego, led by quarterback Anthony Lawrence, has 21 touchdown passes against just six interceptions while completing an astounding 67.8 percent of its passes this season. Meanwhile, the Camels pass defense has forced more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (10) while holding opponents to a 47.6 pass completion rate this season. That held true in the face of facing PFL career passing leader Austin Gahafer to one touchdown pass last week at Morehead State.

Marist at Jacksonville, Noon
Video: ESPN3

Setting the Scene: Marist makes its second trip to Florida in three weeks when it meets Jacksonville, Saturday. The Red Foxes last trip to the Sunshine State came after its first PFL loss to San Diego and saw them pull out a late win against Stetson. Their return follows a second PFL loss but will they fare better in a return to Florida? Jacksonville returns home seeking to squelch a two-game PFL losing streak that has seen it lose narrow decision to Drake in Week 10 and Valparaiso in Week 11.

Marist Story to Watch: The Mike White Show. In Marist’s last three games quarterback Mike White has been called on to shoulder a heavy load, not only passing but running the ball. He has been the Red Foxes leading rusher in these last three games, including back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances entering the finale. All told, he has compiled 992 total offense yards in the last three games, pushing his season average above 300 yards per game.

Jacksonville Story to Watch: When Quarterbacks Run Free. Jacksonville quarterback Rylan Wells has rushed for more than 100 yards in three consecutive games entering this week’s outing. That includes last week’s 135 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Valparaiso. Can he replicate the feat of Dayton quarterback Alex Jeske, who single-handedly defeated Marist after rushing for 179 yards and four touchdowns last week?

Drake at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Video: ESPN3

Setting the Scene: Drake is another team headed to the Sunshine State for its season finale as it heads south to meet Stetson. The Bulldogs have rallied in the season’s closing weeks, bringing a three-game win streak into the season’s final contest. Drake’s two touchdown win against Butler last week was its most convincing of the set. The Hatters are on the other side of the coin, entering Week 12 looking to end a three-game losing streak that is their longest of the season.

Drake Story to Watch: Kraemer Keeping On. Bulldogs quarterback Grant Kraemer has found a different mode during the three-game win streak. He entered the bye week with just 10 touchdowns and a 54.1 pass completion rate in the season’s first seven games. Since the break, he has completed 62.4 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns in three games. Stetson ranks fourth against the pass this season, allowing just 200 yards per game, but has permitted 20 touchdown passes this season.

Stetson Story to Watch: Release the Hatters. After leading the FCS in tackles for loss for 10 weeks, Stetson slid to fourth in the subdivision after a season-low three tackles for loss against a stout San Diego offensive line. Can defensive back Jeb Boudreaux return to form against Drake? The Bulldogs rank 10th against the pass rush this season, allowing 3.0 sacks per game. However, they are fifth in the league in permitting just 5.60 tackles for loss per game. 

Morehead State at Davidson, 1 p.m.
Video: DavidsonWildcats.com

Setting the Scene: Two teams looking to end 2016 on a positive note collide when Morehead State travels across the Blue Ridge Mountains to face Davidson. Morehead State returns to the road after a narrow home loss to Campbell last week despite outgaining its foe. Davidson returns to action after its off week and looks to bounce back from its Week 10 shutout at Campbell.

Morehead State Story to Watch: All Eyes on Gahafer. Quarterback Austin Gahafer has been the focus of attention during his four years at Morehead State. It will be no different in his final game as an Eagle as he looks to reach the 12,000-career passing yard mark. Gahafer enters the 2016 finale needing 377 yards to reach the mark, but will face an opponent that has not been a willing partner. Davidson has held Gahafer to less than 280 yards in each of their three previous meetings . In addition, the Wildcats have allowed just 251 passing yards per game this season and a 377-yard outing would be a season-high against Davidson.

Davidson Story to Watch: Get Back On Track. In its first five games this season, Davidson showed steady improvement. That effort peaked in back-to-back four point losses in Weeks 4 and 5. However, since that Week 5 outing, the Wildcats have not posted more than 17 points in a game, and were held to single-digit outings by the league’s top two defenses. Will a week off be the tonic the offense was seeking as Davidson prepares to face a Morehead State defense ranked 10th in the league, allowing 429.1 yards and 4.3 touchdowns per game?

Season Complete: Butler, Dayton, Valparaiso