Bulldogs vs. Bulldogs In PFL Opener
DOG SHOW: Butler will kickoff its 2011
Pioneer Football League bid at home when it hosts Drake on
Saturday, Sept. 24. The game between the two PFL teams that
share the same nickname is scheduled for noon (ET) at the Butler
Bowl. Both teams will take a 2-1 record into the
league-opener. Butler’s Bulldogs closed out their
pre-league slate with a 23-6 victory at Taylor, while Drake’s
Bulldogs slipped past Missouri S & T, 27-23, at home.
Butler enters the game ranked second in the PFL in total offense,
while Drake brings the league’s third-best defense to the
contest. Drake was picked third in the preseason poll of PFL
coaches, while Butler was tabbed fifth. The home team has won
the last four meetings in the overall series. Butler will be
playing at home for the first time since Sept. 3, and the Bulldogs
won’t be home again until Oct.
15.
Butler’s last two meetings with Drake have been decided
by three points.
PFL RECOGNITION: Sophomore running back Trae
Heeter was named Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the
Week for his performance in Butler’s victory at Taylor.
Heeter rushed for a career-high 155 yards on a career-best 23
carries, and he caught three passes for a career-high 59
yards. His 155 rushing yards are the most by a PFL player
this season and the most by a Butler player since 2008, when Dionte
Wiggins rushed for 188 yards against Jacksonville. The
second-year back scored Butler’s first touchdown in the game
on a 15-yard pass reception, and then he added the team’s
second touchdown on a 45-yard run. Heeter’s 231
all-purpose yards in the game were the ninth-most in the NCAA
Division I FCS this season.
Trae Heeter ranks sixth in the NCAA Division I FCS in
all-purpose yards.
NO. 1: Senior Zach Watkins
became Butler’s all-time leader in pass receptions, while
helping the Bulldogs to the victory at Taylor. The 6-2,
200-pound wide receiver from Chicago caught seven passes for 51
yards in the game, boosting his career totals to 197 receptions and
2,217 receiving yards. Butler’s previous record for
catches was 192, set by Dan Bohrer (2006-09). Watkins also
moved into second place on Butler’s all-time list for
receiving yards, just 24 yards behind Bohrer. Only four
players in Butler football history have recorded 2,000 career
receiving yards. Watkins, who has 23 catches in
Butler’s first three games this season, led the PFL in pass
receptions with 78 in 2009 and tied for second in the league with
68 catches last year.
Zach Watkins ranks second in the PFL in both receptions (7.7)
and receiving yards (89.0).
FIRST DEFENSE: Butler’s offense put up
some impressive numbers at Taylor, but it was a solid defensive
effort that sparked the Bulldogs’ second victory of the
season. Taylor, unbeaten coming into the game, drove inside
the Butler 30-yard line on each of its first three possessions, and
Butler’s defense held each time. The Bulldogs stopped
Taylor’s first drive with an interception at the Butler
seven-yard line and the second with an interception at the 20-yard
line. The third drive stalled at the Butler 25-yard
line. But the Bulldogs’ most impressive stand came in
the third quarter, after Taylor recovered a fumble at the Butler
six-yard line. Four plays later, the Bulldogs took over at
their own five-yard
line.
EXCLUSIVE CLUB: Senior Andrew Huck became
just the third player in Butler football history to throw for 5,000
career yards, while leading the Bulldogs past Taylor. The
Butler quarterback completed 22 of 36 passes for 250 yards against
the Trojans and boosted his career passing total to 5,093
yards. DeWayne Ewing (1998-2001) is Butler’s all-time
passing leader with 8,094 yards, while Bill Lynch (1972-76) stands
second on the all-time list with 5,909 yards. Huck also
tossed his 40th career touchdown pass in Butler’s win at
Taylor. Lynch is the Bulldogs’ all-time record-holder
with 60 career TDs.
STANDING TALL: Junior Jordan Ridley led the
Bulldogs in tackles for the second time in three games and for the
13th time in Butler’s last 14 games. The talented 6-0,
220-pound linebacker finished with a season-high 14 tackles against
the Trojans, including one tackle for loss. It was the 11th
time in his Butler career that he’s had at least 10 tackles
in a game. The former Lawrence Central High School standout
also set a tone for the Bulldogs early in the game, when he
intercepted a Taylor pass at the Butler seven-yard line to stop the
Trojans’ opening drive. Ridley’s 14 tackles are
the most by a PFL player this season. He also shares the
second-highest total with 12 tackles at Indiana State.
Jordan Ridley leads the PFL and ranks 16th in the NCAA Division
I FCS in tackles per game (11.0).
BULLDOG BITS:
•Wide receiver Zach Watkins ranks tenth in the NCAA
Division I FCS in receptions per game (7.67).
•Zach Watkins has 19 receptions for 193 yards and two
touchdowns in his last two games against Drake. He had eight
catches for 84 yards and Butler’s lone touchdown in last
year’s meeting.
•Quarterback Andrew Huck is completing 71.8% of his passes,
and he ranks second in the PFL in passing efficiency (153.5).
Huck set a school record earlier this season with 19 consecutive
pass completions against Albion.
•Andrew Huck currently ranks third in the PFL in total offense
(288.0). He stands second on the league’s list of
active career leaders with 6,052 total offense yards
•Jordan Ridley led Butler’s defensive effort against
Drake last year with 15 tackles. He also had a 22-yard pass
interception return in the game.
•Senior Jordan Koopman shared Butler’s pass receiving
lead at Taylor with seven catches for 85 yards. Koopman is
tied for seventh in the PFL in receptions (6.0), and he ranks 10th
in the league in receiving yards (64.0).
•Senior Grant Hunter is the PFL’s active career leader
in quarterback sacks (25.5), but he’s still looking for his
first sack this season. As a team, Butler has not had a
quarterback sack through three games.
•Sophomore Jayme Szafranski came up with his first career pass
interception and returned it 24 yards in Butler’s win at
Taylor. His theft, early in the first quarter, stopped the
Trojans’ second drive of the contest.
•Senior placekicker David Lang boosted his career total for
field goals to 25 with a 22-yard kick at Taylor. Lang has
kicked at least one field goal in nine of Butler’s last 10
games. Butler’s career record for field goals is 34
(John Jenkins, 1985-88). Lang is the PFL’s active
career leader in field goals.
•Senior linebacker Nick Caldicott had a career-best four
tackles for loss in last year’s game at Drake. He had
six total tackles in the contest.
•Senior offensive lineman Pete Mattingly has started 31
consecutive games for the Bulldogs.
