Nov. 8, 2005

University of Dayton junior cornerback Casey Klaus has been named Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Week for his play at the Flyers' 41-7 win at Butler on Saturday.

Klaus, a graduate of Delphos St. John's High School, intercepted two passes and returned the second 71 yards for a touchdown. He also had seven tackles (five solo, one in the backfield) and broke up another pass. For the season, his six interceptions lead the PFL and are fifth nationally in NCAA Division I-AA football.

This was the seventh time a Dayton player had been named a PFL Player of the Week this year.

Klaus was a mainstay on a Flyer defense that currently ranks fifth in I-AA in scoring defense (14.1 points a game). The Flyers will finish in the top ten of I-AA's scoring defense for the sixth straight season this year.

UD finished 2005 with a 9-1 record, and is ranked second in the Sports Network's and Football Gazette's I-AA Mid-Major rankings, behind Pioneer Football League rival San Diego. UD's 9-1 mark in the 100th Anniversary Season of Dayton Football marked just 18th time in school history a team ended the year with no more than one loss (Twelve of those teams have been coached by Flyer coach Mike Kelly).

Dayton will also be one of just a handful of teams who will have just one loss (or go undefeated) in this year. Going into this Saturday's games, only six teams in I-AA football had only one blemish on its record (Hampton is the sole undefeated team in I-AA.).