Wednesday, October 26, 2022
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

AHEAD IN WEEK 9
Saturday, October 29

Morehead State at Butler, Noon
Broadcast: FloSports
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana    Stadium: Sellick Bowl
Series: Morehead State leads, 18-8    Streak: Morehead State, 4 wins
Last Meeting: Morehead State 31, Butler 8 (2021)

Presbyterian at Marist, Noon
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: Poughkeepsie, New York    Stadium: Tenney Stadium
Series: Marist leads, 1-0    Streak: Marist, 1 win
Last Meeting: Marist 57, Presbyterian 32 (2021)

Drake at Stetson, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+
Location: DeLand, Florida    Stadium: Spec Martin Stadium
Series: Stetson leads, 3-2    Streak: Stetson, 2 wins
Last Meeting: Stetson 2, Drake 0 (2021, Forfeit)

Valparaiso at Dayton, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: Facebook.com/DaytonFlyers
Location: Dayton, Ohio    Stadium: Welcome Stadium
Series: Dayton leads, 26-4    Streak: Valparaiso, 1 win
Last Meeting: Valparaiso 45, Dayton 28 (2021)

San Diego at St. Thomas, 2 p.m.
Broadcast: WCCSports.com
Location: San Diego, California    Stadium: Torero Stadium
Series: San Diego leads, 1-0    Streak: San Diego, 1 win
Last Meeting: San Diego 27, St. Thomas 24 (2021)

Off Week: Davidson

NOTES FROM AROUND THE PFL

WEEK 8 IN REVIEW
St. Thomas and the PFL’s one-loss teams all held serve in Week 8 providing no further clarity on the league race… Butler held Marist scoreless in the second half and scored 21 unanswered points to secure a 31-10 PFL victory… Sam Webster’s 22-yard field goal with 6:06 remaining in the game proved to be the difference as Dayton rallied for a 23-20 PFL victory against Stetson… St. Thomas overcame a scoreless first quarter to down Presbyterian, 46-17… Aaron Dawson’s 28-yard touchdown run with 5:37 remaining led Valparaiso to a 40-35 PFL victory against Morehead State… Davidson never trailed in a 48-14 PFL victory against Drake… Dawson’s 241-yard rushing performance was the league’s lone 100-yard rushing effort during the week… Five receivers posted 100-yard receiving outings: Valparaiso teammates Braden Contreras (116 yards) and Solomon Davis (109) as well as Stetson’s Quinton Lane (142), Presbyterian’s Dominic Kibby (129) and Morehead State’s Christian Graves (100)… Stetson’s Brady Meitz led all passers with his 353-yard passing performance while Morehead State’s Grady Cramer recorded a 326-yard passing day… St. Thomas’s Ryan Sever and Morehead State’s Cooper Krezek each had a punt return for a touchdown… Krezek also had one of the PFL’s two pick-sixes in Week 8, Dayton’s Logan Dalton had the other… Davidson’s Jonathan Hammond notched the league’s first five tackle for loss outing and he had three sacks.

THE RACE IS ON
Four weeks remain in the 2022 season and the PFL race still has six teams in contention for the league title and five in the hunt for the league’s automatic bid to the 2022 FCS Playoffs. There will be plenty of action between the league’s leaders in the closing weeks:

• Week 9: San Diego at St. Thomas | Valparaiso at Dayton
• Week 10: St. Thomas at Valparaiso | Butler at San Diego
• Week 11: Davidson at San Diego
• Week 12: St. Thomas at Butler | Dayton at Davidson

BUTLER, DAYTON, AND STETSON NEAR WINNING MILESTONES
As the 2022 season comes to a close three PFL members near significant program victory milestones. Dayton enters the week two wins away from recording its 700th all-time victory. Butler, which has won three-straight games for the first time since 2017, is one win away from its 600th all-time win. Stetson also needs three wins to reach the 200-win mark in program history.

WILDCATS DO RUN RUN
Davidson’s offense owns four of the FCS’ 400-yard rushing days in 2022, including the top two spots thanks to a 498-yard rushing performance against Butler and a 467-yard day against Morehead State. The Wildcats are averaging an FCS-best 375.5 rushing yards per game – 86.1 yards per game more than second-ranked Montana State (289.4 yards per game).

HATTERS THROUGH THE AIR
Meanwhile, Stetson enters the week ranked No. 7 among FCS teams with 312.8 passing yards per game. The Hatters 444-yard performance against Louisiana Christian is the ninth-best passing performance in 2022 while its 384 yards against Concordia ranks 23rd. Stetson quarterback Brady Meitz is No. 4 among FCS passers with 307.2 passing yards per game.

EAGLES ARE BIRDS OF PREY
Morehead State leads the FCS with eight blocked kicks in 2022, with an FCS-best six blocked punts and two blocked field goals. Jihad McCall leads the nation with four blocked kicks while teammate Cooper Krezek had three blocked kicks.

DAYTON’S CHISHOLM NAMED AN NFF CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame named Dayton running back Jake Chisholm as one of 15 finalists for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy, Oct. 26. The trophy, sometimes referred to as “the Academic Heisman,” recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. The 15 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments®. Chisholm is the eighth Flyers football student-athlete to earn an NFF Post-Graduate Scholarship.

THREE PFL ATHLETES ADDED TO STATS FCS AWARD WATCH LISTS
Valparaiso freshman defensive lineman Kevin Spelman, Butler quarterback Bret Bushka, and San Diego defensive lineman Muhindo Kapapa were added to the Stats Perform FCS Awards Watch Lists, Oct. 19. Spelman is one 25 freshman named to the initial Jerry Rice Award Watch List, presented to the FCS Freshman of the Year. Bushka joined a group of 20 additions to the Walter Payton Award Watch List which recognizes the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Kapapa was among a list of 21 athletes added to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, presented annually to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year.