Butler Begins PFL Play Against Campbell
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LEAGUE KICKOFF: Butler will begin its
quest for the 2012 Pioneer Football League title at home when it
hosts Campbell on Saturday, Sept. 22. The league-opener for
both teams will start at noon (ET) at the Butler Bowl. Both
teams finished the pre-conference schedule with a 1-2 record.
Campbell posted a 10-0 victory over Virginia-Wise in the second
week of the season, while dropping games to Shorter, 31-20, and at
No. 6 Old Dominion, 70-14. The Camels, who have taken the
last two meetings with Butler, have not won a PFL opener in four
seasons in the league. Butler, which won its home-opener
against Franklin two weeks ago, fell at Dartmouth, 35-7, in its
last outing. The game in Hanover, N.H., was Butler's first
against a team from the Ivy League. The Bulldogs will
continue their current two-game homestand with a league game
against Dayton on Sept.
29.
Butler is looking to stop a two-game skid in PFL
openers.
ON THE AIR: Beginning this season, Butler
football webcasts for all 11 games will be available at
www.butlersports.com. Play-by-play for the broadcasts will be
handled by Butler graduates Brandon Gaudin '06 and Mark Minner '12,
while former Butler head coach Ken LaRose will serve as the
broadcast analyst.
GREEN REIGN: Dartmouth used a balanced
offensive attack and a resilient defense to spoil Butler's first
bid against a team from the Ivy League. The Big Green jumped
in front just 14 seconds into the game when Miles Gay returned the
opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. And the host squad
answered a missed Butler field goal with a nine-play, 76-yard
scoring drive on its first possession to stretch the margin to
14-0. Butler did cut the lead in half in the second quarter
when wide receiver Derek
O'Connor caught a five-yard scoring pass from quarterback Matt
Lancaster to cap a 15-play, 86-yard drive. But the
Bulldogs missed several other scoring opportunities, including two
from inside the Dartmouth 10-yard line. The Big Green led
21-7 at halftime and then added a pair of second half
touchdowns.
BALL MOVEMENT: Butler out-gained Dartmouth,
416-358, in total offense, and the Bulldogs ran nine more plays
than their Ivy League foe. It was the second consecutive game
that the Bulldogs topped 400 total yards. The Big Green
limited Butler to 69 rushing yards, but the Bulldogs countered with
347 passing yards. Butler continues to lead the PFL in total
offense with a 483.3 average after three weeks. The Bulldogs
are second in the league in rushing offense (135.3 ypg) and third
in the circuit in passing offense (303.0 ypg).
Butler leads the PFL in total first downs with 69 in three
games.
RECEIVING LINE: Sophomore Derek O'Connor
made the most of his first visit to the Ivy League. The
Butler wide receiver scored his first collegiate touchdown and
turned in a career-best day for both receptions and receiving
yards. O'Connor, who's been named to the PFL Academic Honor
Roll for two straight years, grabbed a career-high nine passes at
Dartmouth for a career-best 164 yards. He scored Butler's
lone touchdown against the Big Green on a five-yard pass from
junior Matt Lancaster in the second quarter. O'Connor's 164
receiving yards tied the 12th-highest single game total in Butler
history.
Derek O'Connor owns the highest single game receiving total in
the PFL this year.
ACCURATE ARM: Junior quarterback Matt
Lancaster matched his career-high with 35 pass attempts at
Dartmouth, and he completed a career-best 25 throws with no
interceptions for 267 yards. The Butler signal caller, who
transferred from Illinois State, has completed 60% of his passes
through three games, and he's only been intercepted once, the
lowest total among the PFL's top nine quarterbacks. He
currently has a streak of 92 consecutive passes without an
interception. Lancaster ranks third in the PFL in passing
efficiency (136.2), and he's sixth in the league in passing average
(244.7 ypg).
Matt Lancaster ranks second in the PFL in total offense (295.7
ypg).
PRESSURE POINT: Butler had a season-high
three quarterback sacks at Dartmouth, including one by defensive
end Ian
Luscombe for a 19-yard loss. Junior Jeremy
Stephens picked up his second quarterback sack of the season,
and junior Phillip
Powell recorded his first. The Bulldogs have five
quarterback sacks on the year and are tied for fifth in the
PFL. At the same time, Butler leads the PFL in fewest
quarterback sacks allowed (2).
THIRD DOWN: Butler leads the PFL in third
down conversions, despite managing just four (of 15) conversions at
Dartmouth. The Bulldogs have converted 24 of 50 (48%) third
downs on the season.
BULLDOG BITS:
•Junior Trae
Heeter, who led the Bulldogs in rushing a year ago, has taken
over the Pioneer Football League lead in rushing. Heeter
picked up 61 yards on seven carries at Dartmouth, and he's
averaging 65.3 yards on the year.
•Trae Heeter ranks third in the PFL in all-purpose yards
(95.0 ypg).
•Trae Heeter was injured in the first quarter of Butler's
game at Campbell last year, and he managed just two carries for
eight yards against the Camels.
•Quarterback Matt Lancaster ranks fourth in the PFL in
rushing (51.0 ypg). Lancaster was limited to 11 yards on 12
carries at Dartmouth.
•Matt Lancaster is tied for the lead in the PFL in touchdowns
(3).
•Junior Jay
Brummel had a career-high eight tackles at Dartmouth, including
four solo stops. He shared the team-lead against the Big
Green with teammate Jeremy Stephens.
•Senior Jordan
Ridley, who had seven tackles at Dartmouth, is tied for eighth
in tackles in the PFL (8.7). Ridley has topped the PFL in
tackles in each of the past two seasons.
•Jordan Ridley was named PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week
after recording 19 tackles at Campbell last year. Ridley had
five solo tackles and 14 assists in the game. The 19 total
tackles were the second-most in the PFL in 2011, trailing Ridley's
20-tackle performance against Valparaiso.
•Wide receiver Derek O'Connor ranks second in the PFL in
receiving yards (79.0 ypg). Teammate Brendan
Shannon stands third (68.7 ypg). Shannon is sixth in the
league in receptions (5.3), while O'Connor is tied with teammate JT Mesch
for seventh (5.0) in the circuit.
•Brendan Shannon had a career-high 10 catches for 87 yards at
Campbell last year. He also returned six punts for 87 yards
to finish with a career-best 174 all-purpose yards.
•Sophomore JT Mesch had a career-high eight receptions for 67
yards at Dartmouth.
•Senior offensive lineman Matt
Storey has started 25 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.
