May. 2, 2005

Games against every member of both divisions of the Pioneer Football League and a return to the schedule by area Division III power Wittenberg highlight the 2005 University of Dayton football schedule. The Flyers are coming off a 7-3 season last year, when they ranked fifth in the final Football Gazette rankings, and sixth in the Sports Network NCAA Division I Mid-Major poll.

UD will open the season on the road for just the second time in six years when the Flyers play at Division II Tiffin on September 3 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The Flyers will be playing a ten-game schedule that features eight repeat opponents from 2004. Tiffin, Morehead State, Austin Peay and Davidson, along with Pioneer Football League North Division foes Butler, Drake, San Diego and Valparaiso return. Wittenberg and Jacksonville are the only two teams UD did not face last season, and both are recent UD foes. UD played at Wittenberg in the 1989 season opener (a 28-3 win), and hosted Jacksonville in the very first PFL Championship Game in 2001 (a 46-14 win).

The Pioneer Football League season will kickoff with a game at defending PFL champion Drake on October 8. UD then plays two home games against San Diego (October 15) and Valparaiso (October 22), and the Flyers will end the regular season with a PFL game at Butler (November 5).

Following the regular season, UD hopes to play in the fifth annual PFL championship game, which will be played at the North Division winner on November 19. The Flyers won the first two PFL Championship Games (46-14 over Jacksonville at home in 2001 and 28-0 at Morehead in 2002). Valpo kept the trophy in the North's hands in 2002 with a 54-42 win over Morehead, and Drake took the title last year with a 20-17 win at Morehead.

Dayton plays in the PFL's North Division, along with Butler, Drake, San Diego and Valparaiso. Austin Peay, Davidson, Jacksonville, Morehead State make up the South Division.

UD has had 28 consecutive winning seasons, the longest such streak in NCAA Division I-AA. Among Division I schools, only Florida State has also had 28 straight winning seasons. Dayton has not been shutout in 321 games, which is the longest such active string in any division of NCAA football.

2005 Flyer Football Schedule