Monday, October 29, 2012

AHEAD IN WEEK 10
Saturday, Nov. 3
Jacksonville at Butler, Noon
    Location: Indianapolis, Ind. (Butler Bowl)
    Series: JAC leads, 7-0    Streak: JAC, seven wins
    Last Season: Jacksonville def. Butler, 34-24

Davidson at Morehead State, 1 p.m.
    Location: Morehead, Ky. (Jayne Stadium)
    Series: MOR leads, 7-6    Streak: DAV, three wins
    Last Season: Davidson def. Morehead State, 28-24

Drake [RV/–] at Dayton, 1 p.m.
    Location: Dayton, Ohio (Welcome Stadium)
    Series: DAY leads, 23-5    Streak: DRA, one win
    Last Season: Drake def. Dayton, 37-14

Valparaiso at Campbell, 1 p.m.
    Location: Buies Creek, N.C. (Barker-Lane Stadium)
    Series: Tied, 2-2    Streak: VAL, one win
    Last Season: Valparaiso def. Campbell, 34-31

San Diego at Marist, 4 p.m.
    Location: Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Tenney Stadium)
    Series: SAN leads, 7-0    Streak: SAN, seven wins
    Last Season: San Diego def. Marist, 13-7

All times Eastern.
FCS rankings in brackets prior to school’s name:
[Sports Network Poll/FCS Coaches Poll]

WEEK 10 PREVIEW
HIGHLIGHTS: Three weeks remain in the regular season and four teams are still in the hunt for the 2012 PFL crown. The week’s top match-up will have one-loss Jacksonville visiting unbeaten Butler to begin Saturday’s action. Drake will put its 5-0 PFL mark on the line when it visits Dayton. San Diego will seek to stay within sight of the co-leaders when it visits Marist • JACKSONVILLE, which suffered its first PFL loss in Week 8, will travel northward to meet PFL co-leader BUTLER. The Dolphins have won all seven previous meetings between the two teams. The Dolphins entered a Week 9 bye with a loss and saw quarterback Kade Bell leave the game due to injury. If Bell is unavailable Saturday, the Dolphins will turn to Trevius Folston who passed for 186 yards and touchdown in Bell’s absence. Butler running back Trae Heeter posted his second 200-yard rushing performance this season with 231 yards on 27 carries against Davidson last week. He leads the PFL and ranks 12th in the FCS with 119.8 rushing yards per game • Fans of the forward pass will certainly enjoy DAVIDSON’s visit to MOREHEAD STATE. The game will feature the two teams ranking first and second in pass completions this season – Davidson leading the league with 227 completions while Morehead State has completed 217 passes. Wildcats quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff ranks second among league passers with 289.5 yards per game. Eagles quarterback Zach Lewis leads the league’s signal callers with 19 touchdown passes and is averaging 270.6 yards per game (4th in the PFL) • DRAKE returns to action following its off week with a trip to DAYTON which will close out its home schedule, Saturday. The Bulldogs defense has been their bedrock with a league-best 11 interceptions this season and has held opponents to 19.9 points per game (2nd in the PFL). Three Drake defenders has two interceptions this season: Brad Duwe, Mike Ratelle and Drew Ormseth, while Derek Temple is the only Drake defender to return a pick for a touchdown. The Flyers, who won 12 consecutive PFL team rushing titles (1994-2005) have returned to the ground this season, leading the league with 208.1 yards per game. Running back Dan Jacob is the only Dayton runner to rank among the league’s top 10, averaging 61.0 yards per game and ranking fifth in rushing average • VALPARAISO will travel to CAMPBELL in a matchup of the league’s only winless squads. Crusaders quarterback Eric Hoffman ranks seventh among league quarterbacks with 220.7 yards per game, including his  304-yard passing performance in Week 9. Fighting Camels running back Kurt Odom tied a school record with 170 rushing yards in their Week 9 loss and set a school record with 195 all-purpose yards, scoring rushing and receiving • SAN DIEGO will make the first of two trips to the East Coast in the final three weeks when it travels to MARIST. Both teams are coming off Week 9 victories in which they both scored 40-plus points. While quarterback Mason Mills stole the headlines with a PFL record 511-yard passing performance, it is the Toreros defense that has stepped up in recent weeks. San Diego’s defense has held opponents to 16 points in the last three weeks and has allowed a league-best 13.6 points per game in PFL play. Wide receiver Mike Rios leads all PFL receivers with 106.1 yards per game (11th among FCS receivers) despite only 31 receptions (27.4 yards per catch). Those totals include his four-catch, 193-yard performance against Valparaiso in Week 9.

NEWS & NOTES
WEEK 9 NATIONAL HONORS | San Diego’s Sam Hoekstra and Morehead State’s Donte Sawyer each earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards in Week 9. Hoekstra was the National Wide Receiver of the Week after recording 11 receptions for 246 yards against Dayton. Sawyer was the National Kick Returner of the Week courtesy his 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Campbell. In addition, five PFL players received honorable mention recognition from the CFPA.
WEEK 9 TRICK OR TREAT | It was a week of impressive performances across the league in Week 9. San Diego quarterback Mason Mills highlighted the four-game slate with a PFL record 511-yard passing performance. However, five running backs breached the 100-yard barrier, including Butler’s Trae Heeter who rushed for 231 yards. In addition, six wideouts recorded 100-yard days, San Diego’s Sam Hoekstra leading the group with a 246-yard outing. Mills was one of three quarterbacks to pass for 300 yards. PFL teams averaged 473.25 yards each – 100 yards above the league’s average entering the week.
SAN DIEGO’S MILLS FIRST TO 500 | San Diego quarterback Mason Mills became the first PFL quarterback to record 500 passing yards in a game, posting a PFL record 511 yards against Dayton, Oct. 27. Mills completed 31-of-41 passes for 511 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. The effort broke a 12-year old PFL record held by Butler’s DeWayne Ewing (497 yards vs. San Diego on Oct. 21, 2000).
PFL = PASSING FOOTBALL LEAGUE? | The PFL’s passers have enjoyed near record-breaking seasons through four weeks. The league’s teams are averaging an 245.5 yards per team game, third among FCS conferences. Drake’s Mike Piatkowski (298.4 ypg) and Davidson’s Jonathan Carkhuff (290.5 ypg) are ranked seventh and eighth among the FCS’ quarterbacks in passing yards per game. They are two of six PFL signal callers ranked among the top 25 nationally.
HOME SWEET HOME, WEST COAST | San Diego extended its home win streak to 11 games (third-best in the FCS) with a Week 9 win against Dayton. The Toreros will close out their 2012 home schedule with a Nov. 10 contest against Morehead State.
streaky once again | Butler’s six-game win streak and Drake’s five-game win streak have helped both to unbeaten PFL starts. Butler’s streak is the third longest in the FCS currently, behind Lehigh (eight games) and Northern Arizona (seven games). Drake’s streak is the sixth-longest in the FCS this season.  
BUTLER, DRAKE SURVIVE WEEK 8 SCARES | Both Butler and Drake needed massive fourth quarter comebacks to secure wins and remain unbeaten in the PFL after Week 8 action. Butler scored 22 second half points as quarterback Matt Lancaster threw three touchdowns and converted three two-point attempts to secure a 39-35 win against Morehead State. Drake scored the final 24 points in regulation to force overtime against Marist and scored the only touchdown in overtime to pick up the win.
JACKSONVILLE SEES UNBEATEN RUN END | Jacksonville saw quarterback Kade Bell leave in the first quarter due to injury and could not recover in a 24-7 loss to San Diego, in Week 8. The loss dropped the Dolphins from the ranks of the PFL’s unbeaten and also ended a 16-game home winning streak that was the best in the FCS at the time.
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT | While Jacksonville and San Diego both have one loss, the PFL regular-season race is far from over. Jacksonville, Butler and Drake will play each other in a mini round robin tournament that will begin Nov. 3 when Jacksonville visits Butler. San Diego will face three teams with a combined 4-11 record, but will make two trips to the Eastern Time Zone in that span.