Friday, November 4, 2016
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

All 11 PFL teams will be in action during Week 10 with five league outings on the slate. Dayton and Marist, the PFL's two second-place teams, will highlight the week's action. Dayton hosts Valparaiso in its home finale while Marist is Florida-bound to face Stetson. Jacksonville, the PFL's other one loss team, will host Drake while Morehead State heads to Butler. The league's week wraps up with its version of the Tar Heel Battle when Davidson travels east to meet Campbell. In exhibition action San Diego will host Mexico-bases Universidad De Las Americas Puebla.

Morehead State at Butler, 1 p.m.
Video: ButlerSports.com

Setting the Scene: Butler wraps up the home portion of its 2016 schedule when it hosts a Morehead State squad returning to action after its off week. The Bulldogs return home with the Hoosier Helmet in hand after winning at Valparaiso last week as kicker Drew Bevelhimer kicked three field goals and poured in 11 points. The Eagles return from their break not only seeking an end to a three-game losing streak but also their first road win this season.

Morehead State Storyline to Watch: All about the pass. The Eagles own the PFL’s top passing offense, averaging 331.8 yards per game with 13 touchdowns in five PFL contests. Quarterback Austin Gahafer enters the game needing just 437 yards to break the PFL’s career passing yardage record. He will matchup against a Butler defensive unit that is ranked 11th in the PFL, allowing 272.2 yards per game and 10 passing touchdowns this season.

Butler Storyline to Watch: All about the run. Meanwhile, Butler has seen its run game return to form over the last three weeks, averaging 228.7 yards per game in that span. Running back Duvante Lane ran for 156 yards in last week’s win at Valparaiso and has 280 rushing yards in the last three games. Morehead State ranks 11th among league defenses against the run, permitting 263.6 yards per game and 11 touchdowns in five PFL outings. 

Valparaiso at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Video: DaytonFlyers.com

Setting the Scene: Dayton also closes shop on its 2016 home schedule when it hosts Valparaiso in a series that has tilted the Flyers direction. The Flyers notched their fifth-straight win and stayed unbeaten at Welcome Stadium with last week’s victory against Stetson. The Crusaders dropped their second consecutive contest with last week’s home loss to Butler and own just one road win this season, an Oct. 15 victory at Stetson.

Valparaiso Storyline to Watch: Protect the quarterback. Valparaiso has permitted just eight sacks this season on 217 drop backs in PFL play. That has allowed quarterback Jimmy Seewald time to pass for 11 touchdowns and 144.9 yards per game in 2016, ranking second and first in those respective categories among freshmen. However, Dayton’s defense leads the league with 15 sacks in six PFL outings this season, including four in last week’s victory.

Dayton Storyline to Watch: Keep scoring in the red zone. Dayton owns the PFL’s most efficient red zone offense, converting on 22-of-23 of its opportunities (95.7 percent) in PFL play (34-of-36, 94.4 percent in 2016), including 18 touchdowns scored in red zone chances. The Crusaders have had their difficulties stopping teams inside the red zone, opponents converting on 92 percent of their chances, including 17 touchdowns allowed.

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

Setting the Scene: The PFL’s two three-win squads will square off in Florida when Drake heads south to meet Jacksonville. Drake takes to the road after downing Campbell at home last week and will look for a second straight road win (won at Valparaiso, Oct. 8). Jacksonville returns from a two-game road trip with a pair of wins in hand after scoring 96 combined points in wins at Morehead State and Davidson.

Drake Storyline to Watch: It takes 400. Drake’s three PFL wins this season have required it to post more than 400 yards of offense, including 420 yards in last week’s victory against Campbell.  For the first time this season, the Bulldogs had a 100-yard runner (Conley Wilkins) and receiver (Eric Saubert) in that win at Campbell.  Jacksonville’s defense has been a solid middle of the pack squad, ranking fifth in total yardage allowed (368.8 ypg) but are ninth in rushing defense (164.6 ypg).

Jacksonville Storyline to Watch: They Do Run Run. In their two road wins, Jacksonville unleashed its run game, posting 773 yards on 126 caries (6.13 yards per carry). The Dolphins have 18 rushing touchdowns this season against just nine passing touchdowns, very different from the JU teams of the past. Drake’s defense may rank ninth in PFL play, allowing 408.8 yards per game, but is seventh in rushing defense as it has limited teams to 164.6 yards per game.  

Marist at Stetson, 2 p.m.
Video: ESPN3

Setting the Scene: After suffering its first PFL loss, Marist will jump right back into action when it heads to sunny Florida for a contest at Stetson. The Red Foxes return to the road where they are 2-1 this season with wins in their last two round outings. Stetson suffered its first road setback this season at Dayton, but returns to Spec Martin Stadium where it is just 1-3 this season.

Marist Storyline to Watch: Rediscover the offensive magic. The Red Foxes were held to season lows in yardage and points by a red hot San Diego defense. Prior to last week, Marist had three straight games with 30-plus points and 400-plus yards (473.3 ypg), a form it looks to return to with its trip south. Stetson owns the league’s second-ranked defense, allowing just 304.6 yards per game in PFL play this season and is the league’s top-rated pass defense, limiting PFL teams to just 174 passing yards per game.

Stetson Storyline to Watch: Find the Red Zone. Stetson has run its offense in the red zone just 14 times in five PFL games this season, fewest among PFL teams this season. In addition, the Hatters have converted just 10 times (six for touchdowns) and scored 53 points in those chances. Marist has allowed 17 red-zone opportunities in five PFL games this season with 15 conversions for 90 points.

Davidson at Campbell, 4 p.m.
Video: GoCamels.com

Setting the Scene: The PFL version of the Tar Heel Battle will take place when Davidson heads cross-state to face Campbell. The Wildcats make the trip seeking their first PFL win this season while also looking to end a six-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Camels are amidst a three-game losing streak that lasted the entire month of October and are hoping a new month brings a change. 

Davidson Storyline to Watch: Freshmen Keep Growing. Davidson has relied on the freshman backfield duo of quarterback Stockton McGuire and running back Keylan Brown for the bulk of the PFL campaign. McGuire leads all PFL freshmen with 148.6 passing yards per game while Brown leads all freshman runners with 104 carries (382 yards) this season. Will they be able to find their groove against a Campbell defense that ranks third in PFL play, limiting teams to 350.2 yards per game?

Campbell Storyline to Watch: Mind the turnovers. Campbell saw two early turnovers at Drake prove costly as they led to the game’s first 14 points and a deficit the Camels could not recover from. While Campbell negated the turnovers by forcing two of their own, they remain tied for ninth in the league with a minus-1.00 turnover margin per game in PFL play. Davidson is ranked fourth in turnover margin, but with a razor-thin +0.17 per game turnover margin. However, the Wildcats have recovered five fumbles in six PFL games while the Camels have lost four fumbles in four PFL outings.

UDLAP at San Diego, 7 p.m.
Video: TheW.tv

Setting the Scene: San Diego steps out of conference play with an exhibition contest against Mexico-based Universidad De Las Americas Puebla, located near Puebla, Mexico. The game is not a countable contest based on NCAA policies.