Nov. 22, 2008

Final Stats |  Quotes

The University of Dayton's quest to win a tenth Pioneer Football League championship fell short, as the Flyers fell to Jacksonville 19-14. The Dolphins scored all 19 points in the fourth quarter to win their seventh straight game and the PFL title.

Dayton quarterback Rob Florian came out hot after missing the last two games with a fractured thumb. Florian, playing with a splint on the thumb and a glove to keep the splint in place, completed four of five passes after the Flyers took the opening kickoff. He hit Steve Valentino for a 23-yard score to give UD a 7-0 lead that they would keep through halftime.

Late in the third quarter, Florian caught Jacksonville in a blitz and hit Nick Collins down the middle, and he outran the defense for a 64-yard TD to give the Flyers a 14-0 lead. It was the largest deficit the Dolphins had faced in PFL play this year.

But the Dolphins, who tallied four TD's in last week's game against Drake, came back with three scores in the final period to jack up the largest crowd in school history (5,263). The first came when JU's Allen Fennell intercepted a pass and returned it to the one-yard line. Two plays later, Jacksonville was on the board. After a missed PAT, UD led 14-6 with 11:25 to go.

After forcing UD to punt, Dolphin punt returner Elliott Finkley showed why he leads the PFL in punt returns with a 54-yard return for a TD. After an excessive celebration penalty, JU's attempt for two from 18 yards away failed to make it a two-point game, 14-12, one minute and seven seconds later.

Finkley's 16-yard punt return gave the Dolphins a short field to work with, and JU senior Geavon Tribble ran it in from seven yards out to make the score 19-14 (after the PAT) with exactly five minutes remaining.

With time running out and UD forced to put the ball up on every down, two interceptions ended the Flyers' season at 9-3, and 6-2 in the PFL. Jacksonville improved to 9-3, and 7-1 in the league. The Dolphins will travel to Albany to represent the Pioneer Football League in the Gridiron Classic.

Florian completed 20 of 46 passes for 274 yards, with two TD's and four interceptions. Collins was the game's leading receiver, with 10 catches for 141 yards. Steve Valentino added six receptions for 86 yards, and Justin Millio had four for 47. Millio's four catches gave him 67 for the year, breaking the previous UD record of 64 set last season be JMichael Jonard.

Florian was also Dayton's top ground-gainer with 34 yards on 11 carries. Nick Glavin punted six times for a 40.7 yard average.

Defensively, J.J. Vercammen led all tacklers with 14 hits, including 11 solo and two in the backfield. Brothers Scott and Corey Vossler both had interceptions. Scott also had a sack and a QB hurry. Corey was UD's second-leading tackler, with nine on the day (8 solo). Drew Fumagalli was next with seven (six solo) and a sack.

UD finishes the season with at least nine wins for the 22nd time in school history. Flyer head coach Rick Chamberlin has been a part of 21 of them. One as a player, 20 as an assistant coach, and now one as a first-year head coach.