Bulldogs Set For First 2005 Home Game

Sept. 29, 2005

COMING HOME: After four straight weeks of traveling to play football games, Butler (0-4) finally will have its first shot to compete on campus when it hosts Pioneer Football League South Division foe Morehead State (3-1) on Saturday, Oct. 1. The 1 p.m. (EST) contest is slated to be played in the Butler Bowl, barring any last minute construction delays. The Butler Bowl has been undergoing a massive make-over as part of a project to add new student housing on the east side of the stadium. More than 15,000 seats were removed from the stadium to make room for new apartment-style dorms, and the field was raised eight feet and moved slightly to the north. A new field turf playing surface being placed in the Butler Bowl is scheduled to be completed this week. The Bulldogs played their first home game this season at the University of Indianapolis, before leaving for three consecutive road contests. Butler traveled more than 1,400 miles to successive games at Tiffin, Robert Morris and Jacksonville.

*The Bulldogs will play five of their final seven games at the newly-renovated Butler Bowl.

FLORIDA HEAT: Butler's hot start at Jacksonville was cooled by an offensive storm unleashed by the host Dolphins, resulting in a 55-21 final decision. The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and held a 13-7 advantage heading into the second period. The game was tied at 21-21 with less than a minute to go in the first half, before the Dolphins reeled off five consecutive touchdowns! Jacksonville grabbed the lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Anthony Salgado to wide receiver Eldin Ferguson with 0:44 left in the first half, and the Dolphins then put things out of reach with two touchdowns each in the third and fourth quarters! Jacksonville rolled up a school-record 585 yards in total offense, while coming in with three points of a school single game scoring record.

*Butler rushed for a season-high 199 yards against Jacksonville.

RUNNING MATES: Butler tailbacks Billy Nardini and Brian Holthaus combined for 197 of Butler's 199 rushing yards at Jacksonville. Nardini rushed for a career-high 140 yards in the contest, including a career-long 61-yard gain. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry on 18 attempts. It was his third career 100-yard rushing performance. Holthaus averaged 6.3 yards on nine rushing attempts. His 57 rushing yards were one yard shy of his career-high, set earlier this season against Albion. Holthaus doubled his career total for rushing touchdowns in the span of 15 minutes in the first half. He scored Butler's second touchdown on a 15-yard run with 2:43 left in the first quarter and then added a 14-yard touchdown run with 2:22 remaining in the second period.

*Billy Nardini ranks third in the Pioneer Football League in rushing (83.8 ypg), and he stands 8th in the league in all-purpose yards (105.8 ypg).

BROTHER ACT: Sophomores Mike and Chris Marzotto combined for 17 tackles to lead Butler's defense against Jacksonville. Mike, who transferred to Butler from Eastern Kentucky last spring, led both teams in the game with 12 total tackles. He had a career-high 10 solo tackles in the contest, and his total stops were two shy of his career-high, set a week earlier at Robert Morris. Chris, who earned a varsity letter with the Bulldogs as a freshman a year ago, matched his career-high for stops with five total tackles, all solo, against the Dolphins. He had two tackles for loss in the contest, including a quarterback sack for a loss of seven yards. Chris also set his career-high for tackles a week earlier at Robert Morris. The two Marzotto brothers have combined for 36 tackles in Butler's last two outings! Mike Marzotto leads the Bulldogs in solo tackles (21), assisted tackles (19) and total tackles (40). Chris is tied for seventh on the team with 15 total tackles.

*Mike Marzotto leads all linebackers in the PFL in tackles, and he ranks second overall in the league in stops.

BLOCK PARTY: Butler went 17 games without recording a blocked kick of any kind, before notching two blocked kicks against Jacksonville. Senior Eric Cunningham was credited with the first, blocking a field goal attempt by Jacksonville's Ryan Feely early in the first quarter. Junior Tyler Keller picked up the second with a blocked PAT attempt by Feely in the third quarter. Butler's last previous blocked kick came in the 2003 season, when defensive back Ryan Cole blocked a field goal attempt against Dayton.

RETURN ADDRESS: Sophomore wide receiver Nate Miller had a season-high four kickoff returns for a career-best 86 yards against the Dolphins. His 36-yard return in the third quarter was the second-longest of his Butler career, trailing only the 49-yard return he had one week earlier at Robert Morris. Miller has averaged 22.7 yards per return in Butler's last two contests. He finished third on the team in kick returns last year.

*Nate Miller ranks fourth in the PFL in kickoff return average (21.7 ypr) after four games.

BULLDOG BITS:

•Butler is the least penalized team in the Pioneer Football League. The Bulldogs have been flagged just nine times for 81 yards (20.2 ypg) in four games.

•Sophomore running back Greg Pachacz tallied his first collegiate touchdown to give Butler a 7-0 lead a Jacksonville. Pachacz caught an 11-yard scoring aerial from quarterback Bob Farmer for the TD.

•Butler punter Phil Buchanan uncorked a career-long, 65-yard punt at Jacksonville. It was his second 60+ yard punt in Butler's last three games. Buchanan ranks third in the PFL in punting (40.3 ypg).

•Junior defensive back Tyler Keller had a career-high nine tackles at Jacksonville, including eight solo stops.

•Senior wide receiver Phil Vorndran, who had three receptions for 52 yards at Jacksonville, ranks fifth in the PFL in receiving yards (43.5 ypg). He's eight in receptions (3.75 pg).

•Junior linebacker Dave Inman is tied for 12th in the PFL in tackles (7.5 pg). He's tied for fifth in the league among linebackers.

•Senior Dave McMahon suffered a hamstring injury for the second time this season at Robert Morris, and he's doubtful for Butler's game against Morehead State. The Butler defensive end missed Butler's season-opener against Albion with a hamstring injury, before returning to play against Tiffin. McMahon was Butler's sixth-leading tackler a year ago.

•Senior offensive lineman Frank O'Connor and senior defensive lineman Chris Durig each own 26 consecutive starts at Butler.

•Freshman tight end Eric Notestine, who started Butler's opener against Albion, has missed three straight games because of a shoulder injury. He may be available for Butler's game against Morehead State.

•Butler's coaches selected four players to receive "Player of the Game" awards following Butler's road contest at Jacksonville. Named on offense was junior running back Brian Holthaus, while sophomore defensive end Chris Marzotto was picked as both Defensive and Special Forces (Special Teams) Player of the Week. Junior quarterback Ryan Diggins and freshman linebacker Colin Brodmerkel were honored from the Scout Team.