Monday, September 17, 2018
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

The Pioneer Football League's 26th regular-season race gets underway in Week 4 with a pair of league contests on the slate. Davidson's three wins to start 2018 are its most in a season since 2011 and it will seek a fourth straight win when it travels to Dayton, which has not lost a game in the series since 2006, the first year the PFL returned to a single division. The league's other opener in Week 4 pits two teams at opposite ends of the win-loss spectrum as a 2-0 Stetson club will host a 0-2 Marist team. The Red Foxes will venture outside the Northeast for the first time this season (hosted Georgetown, traveled to Bryant) while Stetson will host its third home game this season. In nonconference action, Valparaiso hosts Division II Truman State with both teams seeking their season's first victory.

WEEK 4 SCHEDULE
All times Eastern.

Davidson at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Stadium:  Welcome Stadium
Series: DAY leads 12-1    Streak: DAY, nine wins
Last Meeting: Dayton def. Davidson, 48-22 (2017)
Video: Facebook.com

Marist at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Location: DeLand, Florida
Stadium:  Spec Martin Municipal Stadium
Series: MAR leads, 4-1    Streak: MAR, three wins
Last Meeting: Marist def. Stetson, 38-17 (2017)
Video: ESPN3

Truman State at Valparaiso, 2 p.m.
Location: Valparaiso, Indiana
Stadium:  Brown Field
Series: First Meeting
Video: ESPN3

Off Week: Butler, Drake, Jacksonville, Morehead State, San Diego

LATEST PFL NEWS AND NOTES
Complete news and notes available in PDF version

RAISE THE CURTAIN | The PFL regular-season race begins with a pair of contests in Week 4 before a full five-game slate in Week 5. Unbeaten Davidson travels to Dayton while Marist heads south the Stetson, both games are expected to kickoff at 1 p.m. (ET) to open PFL play.

OPENER STREAKS | Here’s a quick look at each team’s current streak in PFL openers, records are since the return to single division play in 2006. San Diego has won 11 of its 12 PFL openers since the return to one division with Drake and Jacksonville close behind at 10 wins.

SAN DIEGO SEEKS TO EXTEND PFL RECORD WIN STREAK | San Diego brings a PFL record 21-game win streak in conference-only games into the 2018 season. The Toreros have posted unblemished 8-0 marks in PFL play in both 2016 and 2017. San Diego’s last PFL loss was a 13-12 loss to Dayton on Oct. 10, 2015 in Dayton, Ohio. It is the second-longest active FCS conference winning streak behind Jacksonville State’s 32-game win streak in Ohio Valley Conference play.

FOUR PFL ALUMNI DOT NFL ACTIVE ROSTERS ON OPENING DAY | As the National Football League season began, four Pioneer Football League alumni were on active rosters across the league. In addition, two other league alumni were on their team’s reserved roster or PUP list. The complete list of PFL alumni in the NFL can be found in the PDF version of the PFL Weekly Notes.

LEISRING LONE FCS REP ON LOTT IMPACT TROPHY WATCH LIST | Dayton’s David Leisring is the lone FCS representative named to the 2018 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. Established by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the Lott IMPACT Trophy honors college football’s best in character and performance. The IMPACT award is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

FIVE PFL ATHLETES EARNING SECOND DEGREE WHILE ON FIELD IN 2018 | Five Pioneer Football League student-athletes are among nearly 1,200 football student-athletes who have already earned their undergraduate degrees and are playing football this fall while pursuing their second degree, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame has determined. Alex Jeske and Nick Surges of Dayton, Marshal Davis of Jacksonville, Skyler Lane of Morehead State and Gaven DeFilippo of Stetson are the PFL student-athletes playing for their respective teams after previously earning their undergraduate degree.

TEMPLE TAKES NATIONAL OFFENSIVE HONOR IN WEEK 1 | Butler wideout Pace Temple led all FCS receivers with 14 catches and recorded 167 receiving yards and a touchdown to lead the Bulldogs past nationally-ranked Youngstown State in Week 1. In addition to his offensive duties, Temple recovered a pivotal on-side kick late in the fourth quarter to set up Butler’s game-winning drive.

BEVELHIMER & DONLEY NAMED TO MITCHELL AWARD WATCH LIST | Butler’s Drew Bevelhimer and Drake’s Danny Donnley were each named to the 2018 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List just prior to the season starting. The kickers were two of  34 placekickers from the FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA ranks to earn a spot on the award’s preseason list which recognizes placekickers for their excellence on the field and their continued community service.

BUTLER WIN ENDS PFL’S LONG DROUGHT AGAINST MVFC | Butler’s Week 1 win at Youngstown State was the first win by a PFL member against a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference since 2007 when Drake defeated Illinois State.

DAYTON’S SCORING STREAK HITS 467 GAMES | The nation’s longest streak of games without being shutout belongs to Dayton, which extended its streak to 467 games at Southeast Missouri. That streak includes 272 games as an FCS member that is second among active FCS-only streaks. Montana holds the FCS-only longest streak without being shutout at 382 games which dates back to 1989. On the FBS side, Florida holds that subdivision’s longest streak of games without being shutout at 373, dating back to the 1988 season. Meanwhile, the Flyers streak dates back to 1976 when it suffered a 9-0 loss to Marshall.