Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Valparaiso at Butler, Noon
Broadcast: YouTube.com/ButlerAthletics
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Stadium: Sellick Bowl
Series: Butler leads, 51-29 Streak: Valparaiso, 2 wins
Last Meeting: Valparaiso def. Butler, 28-25 (3/27/21)
Davidson at Dayton, Noon
Broadcast: YouTube.com/DaytonFlyersFootball
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Stadium: Welcome Stadium
Series: Dayton leads, 14-1 Streak: Dayton, 9 wins
Last Meeting: Dayton def. Davidson, 42-21 (9/22/18)
St. Thomas at Drake, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Stadium: Drake Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Stetson at Morehead State, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN3
Location: Morehead, Kentucky
Stadium: Jayne Stadium
Series: Series is tied, 3-3 Streak: Morehead State, 1 win
Last Meeting: Morehead State def. Stetson, 31-14 (3/20/21)
Marist at Presbyterian, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: Clinton, South Carolina
Stadium: Bailey Memorial Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Off Week: San Diego
WEEK 11 PREVIEW
WEEK 10 LEADS AND LEADERS
Davidson tightened its grip on first place with a 42-15 PFL victory against second-place St. Thomas. Davidson ran the ball 65 times for 392 yards and four touchdowns, including Aris Hilliard’s eight-carry, 89-yard, two-touchdown effort. Hope Adebayo carried the ball 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown as St. Thomas was held to 236 offensive yards… Hunter Cobb caught a 10-yard pass from Austin Day with 50 seconds in the third quarter, and Marist held on for a 7-0 PFL victory against Drake. Day completed 21-of-28 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. His counterpart, Ian Corwin, completed 13-of-27 passes for 144 yards to pace Drake’s offense… Dayton scored the game’s first 14 points, fended off a Stetson second-quarter rally, and closed with the final 20 points in a 41-13 PFL victory. Dayton’s Jake Chisholm ran for four touchdowns and 119 yards, including the game’s first two touchdowns. Stetson’s Alex Piccirilli passed for 193 yards and ran for 114 yards and a touchdown… Nick Orekoya ran for four touchdowns, and Robert Washington ran for three more as Valparaiso held on for a 65-55 PFL victory against Presbyterian. Ren Hefley completed 44-of-68 passes for 544 yards and seven touchdowns to lead Presbyterian, with Jalen Jones catching five touchdowns as part of his 6-reception, 239-yard outing. Washington ran for three touchdowns on his 26-carry, 234-yard day, while Orekoya needed just 15 carries and 54 yards to post four touchdowns… Terrence Smith capped an 85-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 4:20 left in the third quarter to lead San Diego past Morehead State, 10-3. San Diego’s Mason Randall completed 19-of-32 passes for 247 yards, with Emilio Martinez rushing for 104 yards and Vance Jefferson posting 120 receiving yards. Morehead State’s Mark Pappas completed 22-of-44 passes for 243 yards, finding BJ Byrd six times for 100 receiving yards.
HEFLEY, TAYLOR JR. JOIN STATS FCS AWARD WATCH LISTS
Presbyterian quarterback Ren Hefley and Morehead State defensive lineman Vaughn Taylor Jr. were named to the STATS Perform Watch Lists, Nov. 10. One of the nation’s top passes (see below), Hefley is now one of 46 individuals on the Walter Payton Award Watch List for the FCS National Offensive Player of the Year. Taylor Jr. leads all FCS defenders with 2.2 tackles for loss per game and is 27th in sacks per game (0.78), and now is one of 46 players named on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List for the FCS National Defensive Player of the Year.
MARIST’S PARADY, SAN DIEGO’S LINDSEY JOIN PFL’S 50-WIN GROUP
Marist head coach Jim Parady became the fifth head coach to record 50 career PFL victories with the Red Foxes’ Nov. 6 victory against Drake. He is the second PFL head coach to reach the milestone this season, joining San Diego’s Dale Lindsey, who picked up win No. 50 with the Torero’s win at Butler, Oct. 9. The duo joins Dayton’s Rich Chamberlin (74), Dayton’s Mike Kelley (55), and Jacksonville’s Kerwin Bell (51) as coaches with 50-plus wins. That group still could grow this season with Butler’s Jeff Voris (48) two wins away from joining the exclusive group.
1,000-YARD WATCH
Two weeks remain in the 2021 season and four PFL athletes are nearing the 1,000-yard mark in either receiving yards or rushing yards.
WITCHER ON RICE AWARD WATCH LIST
Presbyterian wide receiver Jalyn Witcher, one of the nation’s top receivers as a freshman, was one of 22 freshmen named to the Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award Watch List, Oct. 27. Witcher is ranked among the FCS Top six in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns entering the season’s final two weeks. A freshman can’t have surpassed four games played in one previous academic year to be eligible for the Rice Award – similar to the NCAA’s regular redshirt rule. More players can join the watch list before a 50-member national media panel selects the winner following the regular season.
WHEW! PFL OFFENSES CHURNING
With Valparaiso’s 65-point performance in a league victory against Presbyterian, eight of the FCS’s games with 60-plus points have been put forth by PFL teams. The FCS’ top two are Presbyterian with 84 points against St. Andrews, Butler with 77 points against Taylor University. Davidson’s 70 points against Presbyterian is fifth, followed by San Diego in sixth with its 69-point outing, Presbyterian is eighth with a 68-point effort, Valparaiso is slotted 12th with last week’s 65-point effort, Dayton is 14th with 63 points, and Morehead State is 21st with a 62-point affair.
MORE ON THOSE OFFENSES
Furthering the league’s offensive credentials, four of the league’s 11 members are ranked in the FCS’ Top 50 in scoring offense. Presbyterian (6th, 39.4 ppg) moved back ahead of Davidson (9th, 38.1 ppg). Meanwhile, Dayton and Morehead State are tied for 34th with 30.3 points per game each.
HEFLEY, PAPPAS AMONG FCS’ TOP 10 PASSERS
Presbyterian’s Ren Hefley and Morehead State’s Mark Pappas are ranked among the FCS Top 10 in passing entering this week’s action. Hefley is third in the FCS with 3,470 passing yards in nine games (385.6 ypg, 3rd), including 35 touchdown tosses. Pappas is eighth nationally with 2,665 yards in nine games (296.1 ypg, 10th) and has thrown 21 touchdown passes.
WITCHER, BYRD AMONG FCS’ TOP 5 RECEIVERS
Morehead State senior receiver BJ Byrd and Presbyterian freshman wideout Jalyn Witcher are second and fifth, respectively, in FCS receiving yardage. Byrd has 73 receptions (2nd in FCS) for 991 yards (3rd in FCS) and nine touchdowns (7th in FCS) for the Eagles. Witcher has caught 65 passes (4th in FCS) for 938 yards (6th in FCS) and an FCS-best 11 touchdowns for the Blue Hose.
VALPARAISO A BEACON FOR BLOCKING KICKS
Valparaiso blocked a PFL record-tying three kicks – two punts and a field goal – in its Oct. 30 loss to San Diego. This season, the Beacons have blocked an FCS best eight kicks, with Brett Bittner blocking an FCS-leading three kicks, including a blocked punt at San Diego.
DEFENSIVE SCORING THREATS
Nine PFL teams have scored a defensive touchdown this season, and six have scored two or more touchdowns defensively. San Diego leads the league and is sixth among FCS teams with three defensive scores in 2021. Butler, Dayton, Morehead State, Presbyterian, and Valparaiso each have two defensive touchdowns.