INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — Junior linebacker Jordan Ridley (right), named first team all-league for the second consecutive year, was one of 14 Butler players selected to the 2011 All-Pioneer Football League Team, released by the league office on Tuesday (Nov. 22).  The 19th All-PFL team was chosen by a vote of league coaches.

Ridley, who led the PFL in tackles for a second consecutive year, was joined on the all-league first team by teammates Zach Watkins (below) and Pete Mattingly.  Watkins, a second team all-league pick a year ago,  earned first team recognition as a wide receiver, while Mattingly, an honorable mention all-league selection a year ago, was selected as an offensive lineman.  Watkins, Butler’s all-time leading pass receiver, finished second in the PFL in both receptions (80) and receiving yards (1,044).  Both marks were Butler school records.

Named second team All-PFL for the Bulldogs, who finished the year with a 5-6 record, were running back Trae Heeter, linebacker Nick Caldicott and defensive back Andy Dauch.  Heeter led the Bulldogs and ranked fourth in the PFL in rushing (79.2 ypg), while Dauch finished as Butler’s second-leading tackler with 74 stops on the year.  Caldicott, who missed Butler’s final three games with injury, was chosen to the All-PFL team for the third consecutive year.  Heeter was an honorable mention All-PFL selection as a return specialist in 2010.

Butler had eight additional players earn honorable mention on the all-league squad.  Quarterback Andrew Huck, who finished his career in second place on Butler’s all-time passing list (6,581 yards), received the honor for the second time in three years, while senior David Lang earned honorable mention for the second straight year.  Lang finished his career as Butler’s all-time leader in field goals with 35.

Also receiving honorable mention recognition were tight end Matt Jenson, offensive linemen Matt Storey and Jay Howard, defensive end Grant Hunter, defensive back Sean Grady and return specialist Jordan Koopman.  Hunter, a first team All-PFL defensive end in 2008, was named to the all-league squad for the third year.

Drake quarterback Mike Piatkowski was selected as the PFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, while San Diego defensive lineman Blake Oliaro was chosen league Defensive Player of the Year.  San Diego wide receiver Brandon White was tabbed as the PFL Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, and Drake linebacker Travis Merritt was named league Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.  Ron Caragher of San Diego was voted league Coach of the Year.

Drake and San Diego shared the 2011 PFL title.

(Photos by Brent Smith)

Butler at Morehead State
Saturday, November 19 – Jayne Stadium
1 p.m. (ET)
Live Stats | Audio

ROAD CLOSING:  Butler will have a winning season on the line when it close out the 2011 campaign at Morehead State on Saturday, Nov. 19.  The Pioneer Football League game at Morehead State’s Jayne Stadium is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (ET) kickoff.  Butler (5-5, 3-4 PFL) is looking for its third winning season in the past four years.  The Bulldogs had a chance to wrap up that winning campaign a week ago, but fell in the fourth quarter to high-powered Jacksonville, 34-24.  Butler had a 24-17 lead in the final period of that game.  Morehead State (2-8, 1-6 PFL) also suffered a fourth quarter defeat in its last outing.  The Eagles had a 24-21 lead in the final minute at Davidson, but the host Wildcats scored the go-ahead touchdown with just 0:44 left.  Morehead State’s Zach Lewis passed for 338 yards in that game and became the first quarterback in the program’s history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season.  Butler has won six or more games just three times since 1994.  The Bulldogs had a school-record 11 victories in 2009 and won six games in both 1997 and 2008.  Two of those seasons have come under head coach Jeff Voris.

Butler has matched its third-highest win total in the past 14 years.

LATE SHOW:  For the second straight year, Jacksonville used a late comeback to upend the Bulldogs.  The host Dolphins, fighting for a share of the PFL title, scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to overcome a 24-17 Butler lead and post a 10-point victory.  Quarterback Josh McGregor tossed scoring aerials to Josh Philpart and Adrian Riley early in the final period to give Jacksonville its first lead of the game, and placekicker Bladen Gudz closed the scoring with a 27-yard field goal in the final minute of the contest.  A year ago, Jacksonville scored two fourth quarter touchdowns at the Butler Bowl to post a 24-16 come-from-behind victory over the Bulldogs.  Butler had led, 13-10, in the final quarter.

RECORD KICK:  Senior David Lang kicked a 23-yard field goal with 8:20 left in the third quarter to give Butler a 24-17 lead at Jacksonville.  It was his 13th field goal this season and the 34th of his Butler career, giving him a share of Butler’s all-time record for field goals.  He tied the school mark first  set by John Jenkins, 1985-88.  The kick at Jacksonville also gave Lang sole possession of the No. 2 spot on the Pioneer Football League’s all-time field goal list.  The PFL’s all-time record is 49 field goals by Drake’s Billy Cundiff (1998-2001).  Lang currently leads the PFL in field goals (13), and he’s third in the league in field goal percentage (.867).  The two players ahead of him have attempted fewer than seven field goals.  Lang ranks second in the PFL in kick scoring (6.7 ppg) and fourth overall in scoring.

David Lang needs one field goal to tie his own Butler single season record (14), set last year.

PASSING GRADE:  Sophomore Tom Judge was given his first collegiate start at quarterback at Jacksonville, and he responded a strong initial performance.  Judge completed 17 of 25 passes for 163 yards in the game, and he led Butler to an early 14-0 lead with a pair of first quarter touchdown tosses.  The second-year signal caller hit wide receiver Jordan Koopman with a five-yard scoring pass just over five minutes into the contest for the game’s first score, and then he found senior Jeff Larsen with a six-yard touchdown pass nine minutes later.  Judge also contributed 60 rushing yards on seven carries, including a career-long, 27-yard run that helped set up Butler’s final touchdown.

QB HUNTER:  Senior defensive end Grant Hunter has spent a considerable portion of his Butler career in the opposing team’s backfield, and he has a shot at becoming the Bulldogs’ all-time leader in quarterback sacks.  He positioned himself for that shot by racking up three quarterback sacks in Butler’s game at Jacksonville.  That total tied the second-highest single game performance of his career and gave him 35.5 sacks for his career.  Hunter had four quarterback sacks against Dayton in 2008, and he recorded three quarterback sacks at Morehead State in 2009.  Butler’s all-time record for quarterback sacks is 39, set by Tony Pence, 1978-81.  Hunter finished with a team-high seven tackles at Jacksonville, including 3.5 tackles for loss (-23 yards).

Grant Hunter is the PFL’s all-time leader in quarterback sacks.

FINAL SHOT:  Butler’s senior Zach Watkins (right), will close out his career as Butler’s all-time leading pass receiver. The wide receiver from Chicago, Ill., begins his final game with 240 career pass receptions, 2,814 career receiving yards and 20 career touchdown receptions.  His career catches and career yards both are school records, while his 20 career touchdown catches are just two shy of the all-time school mark (22), set by former teammate Dan Bohrer (2006-09).

Zach Watkins owns three of Butler’s top five single season receptions totals.

BULLDOG BITS:

•Butler rushed for a season-high 236 yards on 37 attempts at Jacksonville.  Sophomore Trae Heeter led the Bulldogs with 88 rushing yards on 17 carries, while redshirt-freshman Brandon Grubbe added 79 yards on nine attempts.

•Linebacker Jordan Ridley continues to lead the PFL in tackles (12.5).  He currently ranks sixth in the NCAA Division I FCS.

•Wide receiver Zach Watkins is ranked 11th in the NCAA Division I FCS in pass receptions per game (6.60), and he stands 19th in the nation in receiving yards per game (86.40).  Watkins is second in the PFL in both receptions and receiving yards.

•Zach Watkins caught eight passes for a season-high 118 yards against Morehead State last year at the Butler Bowl.

•Running back Trae Heeter ranks third in the PFL in rushing (78.4).  Heeter missed two games this season with injury.

•Trae Heeter is ranked third in the PFL in all-purpose yards (143.5).

•Senior Jordan Koopman, who led the Bulldogs with five receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown at Jacksonville, stands fifth on Butler’s all-time list for pass receptions with 130.  He needs seven receptions to catch Mike Chrobot (1975-78) in the No. 4 spot on Butler’s all-time list.

•David Lang is tied for 19th in the NCAA Division I FCS in field goals (1.30).  Lang booted two field goals against Morehead State last year, including a career-long, 45-yard kick.

•Defensive back Sean Grady came up with his third pass interception of the season in Butler’s game at Jacksonville.  He’s tied with five other players, including teammate Andy Dauch, for fifth place in the PFL in interceptions (0.30).

•Redshirt-freshman Brandon Grubbe scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 36-yard run at Jacksonville.  His scoring run helped Butler to a 21-10 lead.

•Senior offensive lineman Pete Mattingly has started 38 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.

•Senior linebacker Nick Caldicott, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Marist, finished his career with 171  tackles.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — Quarterback Tommy Reilly passed for 283 yards and two touchdowns to lead visiting Marist to a 28-10 victory over Butler in front of a Homecoming crowd at the Butler Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 22.  The loss left the Bulldogs at 4-4 on the year and 2-3 in the Pioneer Football League.

Reilly completed 21 of 24 passes on the afternoon, with just one interception.  He guided the Red Foxes (3-5, 2-3 PFL) on three first half scoring drives and helped the visitors to a 21-3 halftime advantage.  The two teams traded touchdowns in the second half for the final margin.

“We knew they were a good football team coming in,” said Butler head coach Jeff Voris after the game.  “They’ve had a great schedule and where they struggled was when they turned the ball over.  Today, they played outstanding.  They made every play they had to make.  I thought our guys played with great effort, but Marist played better.”

The Bulldogs, coming off a 42-14 win a home over Valparaiso, appeared primed for a quick start in front of a crowd of 4,085.  On the third play of the first half, defensive back Jack McKenna picked off a Reilly pass and gave Butler a first down at the Marist 26-yard line.

Quarterback Andrew Huck quickly hit wide receiver Zach Watkins with a 13-yard strike, but an illegal forward pass penalty on the next play sent the Bulldogs back to the Marist 17.  Two plays later, Butler had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by senior David Lang.

The rest of the first half belonged to Marist.  Reilly tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Calcagni to give the Red Foxes the lead with 5:38 left in the first quarter, and then he guided a 68-yard scoring drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Matt Gray to start the second period.

Marist finished the first half with a four-yard Reilly to Byron Gardner touchdown pass.

Butler suffered two key injuries shortly before halftime.  Linebacker Nick Caldicott was helped off the field after making a tackle on the final Marist scoring drive of the half, and Huck was injured while being sacked on the final play of the half.  Neither player returned in the second half.

The Red Foxes stretched the margin to 28-3 on a on-yard touchdown run by Atiq Lucas in the third period, before Butler closed the scoring on a 29-yard touchdown pass from redshirt-freshman Wade Markley to senior Jeff Larsen with 3:53 left in the game.

“I thought defensively we really played well in the second half,” said Voris.  “We kept lining up and playing.”

“The big thing with us is when we play well, we take advantage of the other side of the ball’s opportunistic play.  When we get a stop, we work well off each other and we force teams to have to beat us.  Today, we had too many penalties, too many turnovers, and provided opportunities for our opponent that we’re usually getting on our end when we play well” continued the Butler coach.

Marist out-gained Butler, 431-284, and the Red Foxes had a 38:58-21:02 advantage in time of possession.  Butler’s quarterbacks combined for three pass interceptions.

Markley, seeing his first Butler action, topped the Bulldogs with five of six passing for 83 yards and one touchdown, while Huck finished with eight of 13 passing for 78 yards.  Don Stewart, Jr., led the Bulldogs on the ground with 55 yards on 12 carries.

Senior Andy Dauch sparked Butler’s defense with a career-high 14 tackles, including 12 solo stops.  Junior Jordan Ridley, who leads the PFL in tackles, finished with 12 stops, while sophomore Jayme Szafranski added 10 tackles.

Butler will have a week off, before returning to action with a home game against Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 5.  That game at the Butler Bowl is slated to start at noon.

Butler improved to 18-14 at home under head coach Jeff Voris.

LAST WEEK:  Butler ran just 51 plays, but rolled up 400 yards in total offense and handed visiting Valparaiso a 28-point setback in the annual Hoosier Helmet Trophy game.  The Bulldogs broke a 7-7 tie in the second quarter on a 13-yard Andrew Huck to Zach Watkins touchdown pass and then added three more touchdowns before Valparaiso scored again in the final period.  The Crusaders actually dominated the time of possession (38:32-21:28) in the game, while running 100 plays.  The visitors had 463 yards in total offense and 28 first downs, but only managed to find the end zone twice.

CATCHING UP:  Wide receiver Zach Watkins caught three touchdown passes for the second time in his Butler career to lead the Bulldogs to their victory over Valparaiso.  Watkins gave Butler a 14-7 halftime lead with his first touchdown reception in the second quarter, and then he added touchdown receptions of four yards and 22 yards in the third period.  The three catches boosted his career total for touchdowns to 20, two shy of the Butler all-time record held by former teammate Dan Bohrer (2006-09).  Watkins, who had seven catches for 98 yards against Valparaiso, also had three TD receptions in Butler’s victory over Albion in 2009.

Zach Watkins leads the PFL in receptions (7.7/game).   

RECORD RETURN:  Sophomore Sean Grady made sure his second career pass interception was memorable.  The Butler cornerback picked off a Valparaiso pass at the Butler 10-yard line in the fourth quarter, reversed his field and raced 90 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown!  The 90-yard return, the longest in the PFL this season, broke Butler’s previous school mark of 89 yards, set by Derek Bradford against Valparaiso in 2008.

POWER HITTER:  One week after recording a career-high 19 tackles at Campbell, linebacker Jordan Ridley topped himself with 20 tackles against Valparaiso.  The Butler junior had four solo tackles and 16 assists against the Crusaders.  The 16 assists tied Butler’s single game record, shared by John Doctor (vs. Ashland, 1982) and Joe Miles (vs. Dayton, 1997).  His 20 total tackles are the most in the Pioneer Football League this season, and the most by a Butler players since 2004, when Chris Haynes racked up 20 stops against St. Francis (Ind.).  Ridley has had 10 or more tackles in five of seven games this season and in 14 games during his Butler career.

Jordan Ridley leads the PFL and ranks third in the NCAA Division I FCS in tackles (13.14/game).

SCORING TOSS:  Quarterback Andrew Huck matched the second-highest single game total of his career with four touchdown passes in Butler’s victory over Valparaiso.  The senior signal caller also threw four TD passes against Franklin and Morehead State in 2009, while he had a career-high and Butler record five scoring passes against Albion in his sophomore season.  The four touchdown aerials boosted his career total to 50.  The Butler all-time record is 60 touchdown passes by Bill Lynch, 1972-76.

Andrew Huck ranks third in the PFL in touchdown passes (17).

CAREER DAY:  Junior Jordan Ridley wasn’t the only Butler player to rack up a single game high for tackles in the Bulldogs’ win over Valparaiso.  Linebacker Zach Sedivy, defensive tackle Jeremy Stephens, and defensive backs Kevin Cook and Greg Egan also had career-best performances.  Sedivy recorded 12 tackles against the Crusaders, the most by a Butler player not named Ridley on this year.   Stephens finished with a career-best nine stops, including one-and-a-half tackles for loss, while Cook, who entered the game with 10 career tackles, racked up nine stops, including his first career quarterback sack.  Egan, seeing his most extensive action of the season, finished with five tackles.

BULLDOG BITS:

•Quarterback Andrew Huck leads the PFL and ranks eighth in the NCAA Division I FCS in total offense (298.3).  He stands second on the league’s list of active career leaders with 7,276 total offense yards.

•Andrew Huck completed 14 of 26 passes for 189 yards against Valparaiso, boosting his career passing total to 6,209 yards.  He’s just the second quarterback in Butler football history to pass for more than 6,000 career yards.

•Andrew Huck ranks fourth in the PFL in passing average (270.0) and passing efficiency (141.1).

•Running back Don Stewart Jr., getting his first collegiate start, rushed for a career-high 64 yards against Valparaiso.  He shared team rushing honors with quarterback Andrew Huck.

•Senior Jordan Koopman, who missed the Campbell game with injury, had four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown against Valparaiso.  He moved into sixth place on Butler’s all-time list for pass receptions with 121, three shy of current Valparaiso assistant coach Kyle Conner (1997-2000) in the No. 5 spot.

•Senior placekicker David Lang matched his career-high by hitting six of six PAT kicks against Valparaiso.  It was the fourth time in his career that he was perfect on six PAT kicks.

•David Lang is the PFL’s active leader in career field goals (31).

•David Lang leads the PFL and ranks 14th in the NCAA FCS in field goals/game (1.43).  He stands second in the league in kick scoring (7.4) and third in the circuit in overall scoring.

•Senior offensive lineman Pete Mattingly has started 35 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.

•Running back Trae Heeter, who ranks third in the PFL in rushing (82.7), sat out the Valparaiso game with injury.  He remains questionable for the Marist game.

•Sophomore quarterback Tom Judge completed two of three passes for 66 yards and his first collegiate touchdown in Butler’s win over Valparaiso. His first collegiate completion was a 44-yard pass to tight end Ryan Webb, and his second was a 22-yard scoring strike to tight end Matt Jenson.

Grady entered his name in the Butler record book with his pass interception to start the fourth period.  He picked off a throw from Valparaiso quarterback Eric Hoffman at the Butler 10-yard line, reversed his field and raced down the right sideline to the end zone to boost Butlers advantage to 35-7.  His 90-yard return erased the previous Butler record of 89 yards, set by Derek Bradford against Valparaiso in 2008.

The 42 points were the most scored by the Bulldogs this season, but that was about the only statistic Butler won.  Valparaiso (0-6, 0-4 PFL) ran 100 plays in the game to just 51 for the Bulldogs, and the Crusaders rolled up 463 yards in total offense to 400 for the home squad.

The Crusaders started strongly, driving inside the Butler 20-yard line on each of their first two possession and then scoring a touchdown on their third.  But the Bulldogs responded with 28 unanswered points through the second and fourth quarters.

“This is one of those ‘throw the records and stats out’ games.  A trophy game and an in-state rivalry, you’re going to get their best shot, and we had to weather the storm there,” said Butler head coach Jeff Voris.

“The biggest thing is you have to have the mental toughness to handle the start and you’ve got to have the mental toughness to play the full 60 minutes.  That’s where I think we won out in the end.  We just kept lining up an playing and kept them out of the end zone early, which was huge.”

“The big part of the game was the third quarter.  The fast start offensively and a couple quick stops there helped us,” continued the Butler coach.

Huck, who completed 14 of 26 passes for 189 yards, broke a 7-7 deadlock in the second quarter with a 13-yard strike to Watkins.  That pass gave Butler a 14-7 halftime lead.  Huck and Watkins hooked up again from four-yard out less than five minutes into the third quarter, and the two finished the third period with a 22-yard scoring pass.

Butler scored its final touchdown in the final period on a two-play, 66-yard drive engineered by quarterback Tom Judge.  The sophomore signal caller his tight end Ryan Webb for a 44-yard gain to the Valparaiso 22-yard line, and then he found tight end Matt Jenson with a 22-yard scoring strike.
Watkins, Butler’s all-time leading pass catcher, finished with seven receptions for 98 yards, while Koopman had four catches for 68 yards.  Huck and freshman Don Stewart, Jr., led Butler’s ground attack with 64 yards each.  The Bulldogs passed for 255 yards and rushed for 145.

Linebacker Jordan Ridley , who leads the PFL in tackles, had a career day with 20 tackles in the game.  That total topped his previous high of 19 tackles, set one week earlier.  Freshman Zack Sedivy added a career-high 12 tackles.

Butler will continue its current homestand with its Homecoming contest against Marist next Saturday, Oct. 22.  That game at the Butler Bowl will start at 1 p.m.

GIFFIN’S 100th: Big Play Radio Sports founder Brian Giffin will call his 100th Butler University football game Saturday as the Bulldogs host Valparaiso in the annual Hoosier Helmet Trophy Game at Butler Bowl. Giffin, who is the Executive Producer of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network these days, began calling Butler Football back in 2002.

HOME STRETCH:  Butler will begin a three-game homestand when it hosts Valparaiso in the annual “Hoosier Helmet Trophy” game on Saturday, Oct. 15.  The 1 p.m. (ET) contest at the Butler Bowl also will be Butler’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness game.  Both teams are looking to rebound from a Pioneer Football League setback.  The Bulldogs, playing on the road for the fourth time in five weeks, fell at Campbell, 38-23, while Valparaiso (0-5, 0-2 PFL) lost a home contest against San Diego, 55-14.  The loss at Campbell dropped the Bulldogs to 3-3 on the year and 1-2 in PFL play.  For this weekend’s game, Butler’s players will wear pink tape or gloves to bring attention to the battle against breast cancer.  Pink and blue pom-poms and buttons with the slogan “Real Dawgs Wear Pink” will be distributed at the game, and the student group Bulldogs Against Breast Cancer will be on hand with information and a pink hair feather station.  Butler will spend the next month at home, with upcoming games against Marist (Oct. 22) and Davidson (Nov. 5) and a bye week (Oct. 29).

Butler is 29-10 against Valparaiso in the Butler Bowl.

HOOSIER HELMET:  The Hoosier Helmet Trophy was added to the long-standing Butler-Valparaiso football series in 2006.  The white helmet on a wooden base features a Valparaiso logo on one side and a Butler logo on the other side.  It is presented to the winner of the annual contest after the game.  The Bulldogs have captured the helmet in four of the previous five trophy games, including the last three.

LAST WEEK:  Host Campbell rushed for 247 yards and three touchdowns and handed the Bulldogs a 15-point setback at Barker-Lane Stadium in North Carolina.  The Camels, behind a punishing ground attack, scored four touchdowns in the second half and stretched a 10-9 halftime lead to 38-16 in the final period.  Campbell had a 21:56-8:04 advantage in possession time over the final 30 minutes of the contest.  Butler drove inside the Campbell five-yard line on two of its first three possessions in the game, but only managed six points on the two drives.

PFL HONOR:  Linebacker Jordan Ridley was named Pioneer Football League Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Campbell.  The Butler junior recorded a career-high 19 tackles in the game, including a career-best 14 assists.  He had one quarterback sack, one-and-a-half tackles for loss and one forced fumble against the Camels.  The 19 total tackles were the most by a PFL player this season and the fifth-highest total in the NCAA Division I FCS in 2011.  Ridley’s 14 assists were the most by a Butler player since 1997, when defensive back Joe Miles recorded 16 assists against Dayton.

Jordan Ridley leads the PFL in tackles (12.0/game).

PASSING ZONE:  Senior Andrew Huck moved into second place on Butler’s all-time passing list after a career day at Campbell.  The Butler quarterback completed a career-high 34 passes for a career-best 381 yards and two touchdowns against the Camels.  The 381 yards were the fourth-most in Butler football history and topped his previous career-high of 327 yards, set against Albion in his first collegiate start in 2009.  Huck, who boosted his career passing total to 6,020 yards, became just the second quarterback in Butler history to pass for more than 6,000 career yards.  He moved ahead of Bill Lynch (1972-76) in second place on Butler’s list for career passing yards.  Butler’s all-time passing record is 8,094 yards, set by DeWayne Ewing (1998-2001).

Andrew Huck has thrown 46 career touchdown passes.

FOOT WORK:  Senior David Lang kicked three field goals for the second straight game and scored 11 of Butler’s 23 points against Campbell.  He hit field goals of 19 yards and 22 yards, to give the Bulldogs an early 6-0 lead, and then closed the first half with a 35-yard field goal to cut Campbell’s halftime margin to 10-9.  It was the fourth time in his career that the placekicker from Lowell converted three field goals in a game.  Lang boosted his career total for field goals to 31, just three shy of the Butler career record set by John Jenkins (1985-88).

David Lang scored 12 points in Butler’s victory over Valparaiso last year.

LEAD ‘DOG:  Senior Zach Watkins added to his Butler record receiving totals with eight catches for a season-high 155 yards and a touchdown at Campbell.  He raised his career totals to 221 receptions for 2,518 yards.  The wide receiver from Chicago currently leads the PFL and ranks seventh in the NCAA FCS in receptions per game (7.83), and he stands second in the league and 12th in the nation in receiving yards per game (94.67).  The 155 yards against Campbell were the second-highest single game total of his career (he had 183 yards against Albion in 2009), and his sixth 100-yard receiving performance.

BULLDOG BITS:

•Quarterback Andrew Huck ranks second in the PFL in total offense (305.8).  He stands second on the league’s list of active career leaders with 7,023 total offense yards.  Huck ranks eighth in the NCAA FCS in total offense.

•Senior Jordan Koopman missed the Campbell game with injury.  Koopman ranks third in the PFL in receptions (6.4) and fifth in the league in receiving yards (71.4).  He’s expected to be available for this weekend’s game against Valparaiso.

•Jordan Koopman ranks second in the PFL and tenth in the NCAA Division I FCS in punt return average (15.57).

•Running back Trae Heeter, who ranks third in the PFL in rushing (82.7), was injured in the first quarter of the game at Campbell, and he sat out the rest of the contest.  He’s questionable for this weekend’s game.  Heeter scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 64-yard run at Valparaiso last year.

•Linebacker Jordan Ridley ranks fifth in the NCAA FCS in tackles per game.

•Jordan Ridley has had 10 or more tackles in four of six games this season and in 13 games during his Butler career.

•Sophomore wide receiver Brendan Shannon (right) had a career-high 10 receptions for 87 yards at Campbell.  He also returned six punts for 87 yards, giving him 174 all-purpose yards on the afternoon.

•Brendan Shannon had a 12-yard touchdown reception against Valparaiso last year.

•Senior defensive back Andy Dauch had a career-high 10 tackles and one forced fumble at Campbell.

•Linebacker Paul Yanow had a career-high eight tackles at Campbell.  Defensive tackle Jeremy Stephens also had a career-high eight stops in the game.

•Senior placekicker David Lang is the PFL’s active leader in career field goals (31).

•David Lang leads the PFL and ranks eighth in the NCAA FCS in field goals/game (1.67) this season.  He stands second in the league in kick scoring (7.7) and fourth in the circuit in overall scoring.

•Senior offensive lineman Pete Mattingly has started 34 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.

The 19 total tackles were the most by a PFL player this season and the fifth-highest total in the NCAA Division I FCS in 2011.  Ridley’s 14 assists were the most by a Butler player since 1997, when Joe Miles recorded 16 assists against Dayton.

Ridley, who topped the PFL in tackles a year ago, has been Butler’s leading tackler in five of six contests this year, and in 16 of the Bulldogs’ past 17 games.  He had at least 10 tackles in four of six games this season and in 13 games during his Butler career.

Butler, coming off a stretch of four road contests in five weeks, returns home for its next three PFL games.  The Bulldogs will begin that stretch with the “Hoosier Helmet Trophy” game against Valparaiso on Saturday, Oct. 15.  That rivalry contest at the Butler Bowl will start at 1 p.m. (ET).

Campbell (2-3, 1-2 PFL) grabbed a slim lead in the second quarter and then pulled away with four second half touchdowns.  The Camels out-gained Butler, 334-204, after intermission.  The 247 rushing yards were the most against the Bulldogs this season.

Tailback Carl Smith led the Campbell assault with a career-high 148 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, while Jordan Cramer added a career-best 70 yards and a TD on 11 attempts.  Quarterback Braden Smith passed for 202 yards and two more touchdowns.

Early in the game, it looked like Butler (3-3, 1-2 PFL) might be the team pulling away.  The Bulldogs  drove 78 yards on their second possession, but they were unable to cross the goal line after gaining a first down at the Campbell four-yard line.  Senior David Lang kicked a 19-yard field goal with 1:58 left in the first quarter to give Butler a 3-0 lead.

The Bulldogs again stalled inside the Campbell four-yard line on their first possession of the second quarter, but Lang’s 22-yard field goal made it 6-0.

That was Butler’s last lead in the game.  The Camels took the ensuing kickoff and drove 54 yards in seven plays with Carl Smith scoring from 16 yards out to grab the lead.  A field goal made it 10-6, before Lang cut the margin to one at halftime with his third field goal of the game.

It was the second straight week that the Butler placekicker recorded three field goals in a game.

Campbell increased its lead to 24-9 with a pair of third quarter touchdowns.  The Camels then responded to a 67-yard Huck to Zach Watkins touchdown pass with two more touchdowns in the final period to make it 38-16.

Butler did find the end zone late in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard Huck to Jeff Larsen touchdown pass with 2:57 remaining, but the Camels recovered Butler’s on-sides kick attempts and ran out the clock.

Huck completed a career-high 34 of 47 passes in the game.  His 381 yards were the fourth-most in Butler football history and topped his previous high of 327 yards, set against Albion in his first collegiate start in 2009.

The senior from Bloomington, Ind., became just the second quarterback in Butler football history to pass for more than 6,000 career yards.  He boosted his career total to 6,020 yards and moved into second place on Butler’s all-time passing list.

Sophomore wide receiver Brendan Shannon caught a career-high 10 passes for 87 yards in the game, while Watkins finished with eight catches for a season-high 155 yards.  Stuart Harvey had a career-high five receptions for 38 yards, and Larsen finished with four catches for 74 yards.

The Bulldogs, who lost leading rusher Trae Heeter and back-up Brandon Grubbe to injuries early in the first quarter, finished with just 79 yards on the ground.  Don Stewart led the way with 36 yards on 11 carries.

Junior linebacker Jordan Ridley recorded a career-high 19 tackles, including one quarterback sack, in the game, while senior defensive back Andy Dauch added a career-high 10 stops.

Butler will return to Indianapolis for its next three games, beginning with the annual “Hoosier Helmet” showdown with Valparaiso.  That game at the Butler Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 15, will start at 1 p.m. (ET)

Broadcast will begin with the Nick’s Chili  Tailgate Show at 12:40pm, with kickoff at 1pm. In Indy, the game will be broadcast on XL950AM, WXLW, and online here at www.bigplayradiosports.com. This will be the 100th Butler Football broadcast for play by play announcer Brian Giffin.

Butler is 2-0 in Barker-Lane Stadium.

COUNTER PUNCH:  Butler and Dayton traded punches throughout the PFL contest, until linebacker Nick Caldicott (right) applied the knockout blow for the Bulldogs with a pass interception on Dayton’s final drive.  The acrobatic, one-handed catch by the Butler senior with 1:04 remaining ended the Flyer’s hope for a final comeback.  Butler jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Flyers answered with back-to-back touchdowns in the second period to gain a 14-10 advantage.  The teams then traded touchdowns and leads three times, before Dayton’s Pat Dowd returned a blocked punt 58 yards to put the Flyers in front, 27-23, with 12:59 left on the scoreboard.  Butler responded with a pair of 35-yard field goals by senior David Lang in the final eight minutes to recapture the lead, and Caldicott sealed the decision with his theft.  The Butler victory snapped Dayton’s 11-game PFL winning streak.

PFL HONOR:  Placekicker David Lang was named Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week, following his game-winning performance at Dayton.  Lang kicked three field goals in the game, including the 35-yard, game-winner with 1:31 left in the fourth quarter.  He kicked a career-long 46-yard field goal to give Butler a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, and then he nailed a 35-yard field goal with 7:52 left in the game to trim Dayton’s lead to 27-26.  He scored 11 of Butler’s 29 points in the game.  Lang was named PFL Player of the week for the second time this season.  He also earned the honor on Sept. 11, after kicking two field goals and four PAT’s at Indiana State.

David Lang has been named PFL Player of the Week five times during his career. 

RUSH JOB:  Sophomore tailback Trae Heeter helped Butler roll up more than 400 yards in total offense against the PFL’s top defensive unit.  Heeter, who leads the PFL in rushing, ran for 142 yards on 25 carries, and he caught five passes for an additional 61 yards.  He also returned two kickoffs for 46 yards, giving him 249 all-purpose yards on the afternoon.  Dayton entered the game as the PFL leader in total defense and in scoring defense.

Trae Heeter leads the PFL in all-purpose yards (197.2).

AIR SHOW:  Senior Andrew Huck continued his climb on Butler’s all-time passing list with a 255-yard performance at Dayton.  The Butler signal caller connected on 28 of 45 passes against the Flyers and recorded three touchdown throws.  He gave Butler the early lead with a three-yard strike to wide receiver Zach Watkins, and then he closed the first half with a four-yard TD throw to Jeff Larsen.  Huck’s final touchdown pass to   came from two-yards out in the third period.  The Butler quarterback boosted his career passing total to 5,639 yards.  He trails Bill Lynch, 1972-76, in second place on Butler’s all-time passing list by 270 yards.  Butler’s all-time passing record of 8,094 yards is held by DeWayne Ewing, 1998-2001,

Andrew Huck has thrown 44 career touchdown passes.

TAKE-AWAY:  The game-saving pass interception by senior linebacker Nick Caldicott was one of two official and three unofficial thefts by the Bulldogs at Dayton.  Senior Andy Dauch picked off a Dayton pass at midfield in the second quarter, and he later intercepted another pass on a two-point conversion attempt.  The Bulldogs also came up with another turnover when defensive end Grant Hunter hit Dayton quarterback Will Bardo, forcing a fumble late in the third quarter.  Linebacker Paul Yanow recovered the fumble for the Bulldogs.  Butler did not have a turnover in the game.

Butler leads the PFL in turnover margin (+7).

BULLDOG BITS:

•Quarterback Andrew Huck ranks third in the PFL in total offense (283.8).  He stands second on the league’s list of active career leaders with 6,607 total offense yards.

•Andrew Huck rushed for 69 yards on 13 carries against Campbell last year.  He passed for a career-low 56 yards (6-18-1) against the Camels.

•Senior wide receiver Zach Watkins led the Bulldogs at Dayton with nine receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.  He boosted his Butler record career totals to 213 catches for 2,363 yards.

•Zach Watkins leads the PFL and ranks seventh in the NCAA Division I FCS in receptions per game (7.8).  He ranks third in the league in receiving yards per game (82.6).

•Senior Jordan Koopman is questionable for this week’s game, after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit at Dayton.  Koopman ranks fourth in the PFL in receptions (6.4) and sixth in the league in receiving yards (71.4).

•Jordan Koopman is ranked eighth in the NCAA Division I FCS in punt return average (15.57).  He’s the top PFL player on the NCAA list.

•Linebacker Jordan Ridley continues to lead the PFL in tackles (10.6).  Ridley had seven tackles at Dayton and shared Butler’s lead with teammate Jeff Poss.

•Jordan Ridley had 15 tackles to lead the Bulldogs in last year’s game against Campbell.

•Senior Grant Hunter, who has three quarterback sacks this season, is the PFL active career leader in sacks (27.5).

•Linebacker Paul Yanow stands third in the PFL with two fumble recoveries this season.

•Senior placekicker David Lang is the PFL’s active leader in career field goals (28).  Butler’s school record for career field goals is 34, set by John Jenkins, 1985-88.

•David Lang ranks second in the PFL in field goals (7) this season.  He stands second in the league in kick scoring (7.0) and fourth in the circuit in overall scoring.

•Senior offensive lineman Pete Mattingly has started 33 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.