Nov. 12, 2008

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The University of Dayton Flyer football will honor its 24-man senior class Saturday when UD squares off against Morehead State at home on Senior Day. Dayton is 9-1 and 6-0 in the Pioneer Football League after last week's 28-21 win in overtime at Butler. MSU is 4-6 overall, and 2-4 in the PFL. Kickoff at Welcome Stadium on Saturday is 1:00 p.m. ET.

HAIL TO THE SENIORS Twenty-four Flyer football players will be honored in pre-game ceremonies on Saturday. They are Bart Bergfeld, Kevin Burns, Tom Bush, W.C. Clements, Will Falk, Rob Florian, Drew Fumagalli, Matt Gray, Joe Gulick, Sean Heenan, Kalen Hemmelgarn, Chris Martirano, Patrick McCormick, Steve McDonald, Greg Ochab, Marcus Overman, Ryan Pollock, Ben Shappie, Matt Smyth, Matt Swartz, Corey Vossler, Scott Vossler, James Wade and Zach Whitten. One of them will be presented the Lt. Andy Zulli Memorial Trophy at halftime.

600 CLUB The Flyers became the 11th NCAA FCS team (and the first west of the Alleghenies) to win at least 600 games in its football history when UD beat Davidson on October 18. Here's the top 12: Yale (852), Harvard (796), Penn (794), Princeton (780), Fordham (778), Dartmouth (643), Lafayette (639), Delaware (632), Lehigh (623), Cornell (615), Dayton (603) and North Dakota State (601).

MEET THE NEW BOSS An era that was 33 years in the making began August 31 when the University of Dayton defeated Central State University for former Flyer linebacker and long-time assistant coach Rick Chamberlin's first career win in his first career game. Chamberlin was a Football Coaches Association Kodak All-American on UD's first Division III playoff team in 1978, and then served as a defensive assistant under head coaches Rick Carter and Mike Kelly. Chamberlin has been involved in 303 of Dayton's 603 wins--26 as a player, 268 as an assistant coach, and 9 as a head coach.

NO ONE'S DOING IT BETTER Since 2000, the Flyers have the second-best winning percentage in FCS football (.793 at the start of the year) AND have produced the most football Academic All-Americans at all levels of college football (14).

STREAKING UD has not been shut out in 363 straight games, the best such active string in all of college football. The last team to shut out the Flyers was Marshall, 9-0, on October 16, 1976. Dayton has won its last 12 PFL games, which is tied for the FCS top spot in consecutive conference victories (NEC champion Albany also has 11). The Flyers have also won 13 straight home games, the longest streak in FCS football (UD snapped San Diego's 28-game winning streak on November 1.).

SERIES STUFF Dayton leads the series 9-4, but Morehead has won the last two meetings. MSU won 22-15 in Dayton on October 7, 2006, and 42-35 last year on September 29 at Morehead State in UD's only loss in 2007.

THE EAGLES ARE... 4-6 overall, 2-4 in the PFL. Head coach Matt Ballard is the dean of PFL coaches. Ballard is in his 15th season, while the rest of the league's coaches have been at their current schools a combined 18 seasons. MSU has seven Dayton-area products on its roster, including senior offensive tackle Chris Setters from Fairborn, who is Flyer head coach Rick Chamberlin's nephew.

DOING THE JOB ON DEFENSE Dayton's first team defense has allowed just six touchdowns in the last six games. In fact, the Flyers have only allowed 79 points in the first three quarters all season (less than a field goal per quarter). UD has held each PFL opponent under 100 yards in total offense in at least one half (all but San Diego were in the first half).

TEN FLYERS NAMED ALL-PFL UD placed 10 players on the 2007 PFL All-League teams, and five returned this season. Defensive tackle Kalen Hemmelgarn, Flyer Steve McDonald and defensive end Scott Vossler, all seniors, were on the first team last year. Sophomore cornerback Joe Castaneda and senior safety Corey Vossler were on the second team.

LEADERS ON AND OFF THE FIELD Serving as captains for 2008 are quarterback Rob Florian, Flyer Steve McDonald and defensive end Scott Vossler. The trio of fifth-year seniors took varied routes to become captains. McDonald and Vossler were First Team All-PFL last season, while Florian entered 2008 with just one career start to his credit. McDonald redshirted due to an injury, Vossler redshirted for developmental reasons and Florian has been a team leader even though he has been UD's backup QB for the last three seasons.

LEADER OF THE SACKS Dayton leads the PFL and is 10th nationally in FCS football in sacks per game (2.90). Scott Vossler is second in the PFL and is 18th nationally (0.75). Sean Heenan is third in the league (0.70). Dayton has two other players in the PFL's top 10 in sacks. Kalen Hemmelgarn is sixth (0.50) and Brandon Wingeier is ninth (0.40). Seven Flyers have at least one sack in 2008.

LET'S TALK DAYTON D The Flyers lead FCS football in rushing defense (51.50), fifth in scoring defense (15.10) and sixth in total defense (261.00). Last season, UD led FCS in sacks, was second in rushing defense and fourth in both scoring defense and total defense.

PAPER OR PLASTIC? UD had 48 sacks last season, after getting just 13 in all of 2006 (Dayton has 29 in 2008). Four of the top six sack artists in the PFL were Flyers -- Scott Vossler was second and tied for 14th nationally (0.75), Kalen Hemmelgarn was third and 20th nationally (0.71), the since-transferred Bobby Burger was fifth and tied for 25th (0.67) and Sean Heenan was sixth and tied for 33rd (0.63).

SUPER SIZE ME Senior Steve McDonald usually plays the hybrid linebacker/safety position known as "Flyer" or "nickel" in the Dayton defensive package. At 5-10, 184 lbs., he is not the most imposing physical specimen. But his game is large. This year, he leads UD in tackles (72) and is second in solo hits (38). He is third in tackles in the backfield (10.5). He is fifth in the PFL in hits per game (8.0). He had 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the Drake win, and led UD with nine tackles (eight solo, three in the backfield) at San Diego. In 2007, he led UD in solo hits (40), tied for team and league honors in fumbles recovered (3, including one for a TD), and was second in total tackles (79). He missed the Butler game with a knee injury.

MEET THE OLD "VOSS" Scott Vossler returns for his fifth year after one of the most productive seasons in UD history by a Flyer lineman. Vossler led UD in sacks (9.0), tackles in the backfield (16.5), QB hurries (4) and fumbles forced (6). He led the PFL in fumbles forced and was second in sacks. He's picked up right where he left off this season. He is among the nation's leaders in sacks (0.83, 13th in FCS). He was the PFL Defensive Player of the Week after the CSU win with seven hits, three sacks and fumble recovery for a touchdown. He earned PFL and national honors after blocking two kicks in the Fordham game that led directly to nine Flyer points (including a 35-yard return of his own punt block). He leads UD in tackles in the backfield (13.5), interceptions (2, tied), fumbles recovered (3), fumbles forced (3), QB hurries (5, tied) and blocked kicks (3). He was named UD's Defensive Player after getting two sacks and an interception at Davidson. Despite a hamstring injury that prevented him from even jogging as late as Thursday, Vossler played every down at Butler. Two of his three tackles were in the backfield.

WHOLE LOTTA LOVE Scott Vossler was named PFL, The Sports Network and College Sporting News Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt and returning it for a TD, and also blocking a PAT that Joe Castaneda took back for two more points in UD's win over Patriot League favorite Fordham.

CAPTAIN ROB Offensive captain Rob Florian is back for his fifth year and is stepping up to replace record-setting QB Kevin Hoyng. For the year, he is 187 of 308 (.607) for 2,071 yards, 12 TD's and 12 interceptions. The 187 completions are the second-most by a UD QB in a season, and the 2,071 yards are third. He led Cincinnati Elder to back-to-back D-I state titles in 2002 and 2003.

PICKING UP THE PFL PACE Flyer QB Rob Florian has been named PFL Offensive Player of the Week the last two weeks, making him the first player to earn two league offensive awards (let alone consecutive ones) in 2008. Against Valparaiso, he completed 21 of 28 for 270 yards with three passing TD's and one rushing TD in three quarters of action. Against what was the league's top-ranked pass efficiency defense, Florian completed a school-record tying 34 passes while passing for 353 yards and two touchdowns. With Dayton down 22-6 late in the second quarter, he completed 25 of his final 30 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. In the last three weeks, he is 75-of-95 (78.9 percent) for 823 yards. This hot run began at Davidson, where he was 21 of 24 passing for 200 yards and no interceptions. He did not throw for a TD, but ran for one and caught a pass from Ben Shappie for another. In PFL games only, the Flyer co-captain leads the PFL in passing yardage and total offense (253.8 yards a game).

FLORIAN'S FIRST START Rob Florian entered 2008 with only one start in his career, but what a start it was! In 2006, without ever throwing a collegiate pass, Florian filled in for the injured Kevin Hoyng at Jacksonville and threw for 411 yards, just three yards short of the school single-game record.

PECHAN ORDER In his first career start, redshirt freshman Jeff Pechan was selected PFL Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Flyers to a 28-21 overtime at Butler. Pechan was starting in place of senior captain Rob Florian, who injured his hand late in Dayton's win at San Diego on November 1 (Florian had been the PFL Offensive Player of the Week the previous two games). Pechan was 23 of 42 for 242 yards with two TD's and no interceptions. He also ran 15 times for 53 yards and a TD. In UD's game-winning series in overtime, Pechan accounted for all 25 yards gained. He ran for the first 10, and then hit Justin Millio on a corner fade for the TD to keep the Flyers undefeated in the PFL. Pechan, a redshirt freshman, completed his first collegiate pass for a 58-yard touchdown in the Drake game. He is 29-for-49 for 358 yards and three TD's this season and in his career.

BIG BEN Senior running back Ben Shappie tied PFL and UD records in the Campbell game when he scored five TD's to lead the Flyers to the 42-0 win. It was the most points scored in FCS football this season. He also ran for a career-high 124 yards on 17 carries (all in the first three quarters of play) and was named PFL (and UD) Offensive Player of the Week. He leads UD in rushing (57.1 yards a game), and is fourth in the PFL. He is also second in the PFL in scoring (7.8). In addition, he has caught 13 passes for 114 yards. He had 94 yards on 16 carries at Duquesne, and was named UD's Offensive Player of the Game. Shappie is back after being listed as starter every game in 2007 and finishing second on the team in rushing. Shappie's numbers of 529 yards and six touchdowns in 108 carries (4.9 yards per carry) were also ninth in the PFL in yards per game (44.1).

TO SERVE AND PROTECT The Dayton offensive line, led by returning starters Ryan Pollock (tackle) and Patrick McCormick (guard), allowed just one sack for every 22 pass attempts in 2007. By contrast, Dayton opponents were sacked once every eight times last year. So far this year, it's one sack in every 30 pass attempts vs. one sack every 13 opponent attempts. Senior tackle Zach Whitten was the Offensive Player of the Week in the CSU win. McCormick has been named twice.

THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE QB Rob Florian completed his 17 passes against Central State in the season opener to seven different receivers. Six of them caught their first college pass in the game. At Davidson, 10 Flyers caught passes (including quarterback Rob Florian). UD utilized nine different pass catchers in the San Diego win. Justin Millio leads UD with 61 receptions for 459 yards (7.5 avg.) this season, including 12 at San Diego. His 12 receptions at USD were two off the school single-game record. Speaking of records, he is just three away from the UD single-season record of 64 set last year by JMichael Jonard. Steve Valentino is second with 43 catches for 538 yards. Nick Collins is third with 21 for 331. Ten of Collins' balls have come in the last three games. Seven different Flyers have caught a TD pass in 2008. Valentino, Millio, Bart Bergfeld and Justin Watkins each have three.

V IS FOR VERSATILE Wideout Steve Valentino had 199 all-purpose yards in the Robert Morris win. He caught five passes for 55 yards and one TD as a wide receiver and carried the ball six times for 17 yards lined up as a quarterback. He also had one kickoff return for 48 yards, and four punt returns for 79 yards. He even recovered the onside kick Robert Morris tried after they scored with 43 seconds to go. Valentino was UD's Offensive Player of the Week in the Fordham win, and UD's Special Teams Player of the Week after the RMU win. He had a career-high seven catches for 94 yards vs. Drake. At Butler, he had six catches for 110 yards. He leads the PFL in kickoff return average (25.0), is third in punt return average (12.4) and is second in the PFL in all-purpose yards (128.5).

ELEMENTARY, MR. WATKINS Wideout Justin Watkins is back months after suffering a knee injury in the PFL-title-clinching win at Drake. Last year the redshirt sophomore led Dayton in yards per catch (17.8) and was UD's top returning receiver with 20 catches. Six of his receptions were for TD's, which was tied for second on the team. He is one of six Flyer receivers with at least 15 catches this season, and one of four with three TD catches. He scored two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) at Butler.

MILLI-OH Running back turned wideout Justin Millio leads the team and is third in the PFL in receptions per game (6.1). He is three catches shy of JMichael Jonard's UD single-season record of 64 set last year. Millio caught the game winning TD in overtime at the Butler game.

SMART BART Tight end Bart Bergfeld is a semifinalist for the 2008 Draddy Trophy. The award, presented annually by the National Football Foundation, is considered the "Academic Heisman." Flyer safety Brandon Cramer was a finalist last year. Bergfeld's status as a semifinalist marks the first time UD has had semifinalists in back-to-back years. He is tied for third on the team in catches (21 for 230 yards) and is tied for team honors with three TD receptions. Bergfeld suffered a dislocated ankle in the Butler win, and following surgery performed on November 10, is out for the season.

PICK NICK Nick Collins has caught ten passes in the last three weeks, and is now third on the team in receiving (20 for 314 yards). He had three for 67 yards in the Valparaiso win. Two of the receptions were for touchdowns, and he was UD's Offensive Player of the Week in the game. In the San Diego win, he had six for 77 yards.

WARD. HUH! WHAT IS HE GOOD FOR? How about 14 catches for 264 yards, a TD and a team-leading 18.9 yards-per-catch average? The redshirt freshman is getting better every week as he continues to learn the position of wideout. He came to UD as a safety. Good god, y'all, indeed.

HUJIK REACTION True freshman Tyler Hujik has caught 15 passes this year, good enough for seventh on the team. He caught his first pass in the second half at Duquesne when Justin Millio tweaked his ankle, and caught five more in that game. He then added four more for 31 yards in the Campbell win.

CONVERSION RATE Three of UD's four starting receivers listed on the depth chart are in their first seasons at receiver after starting their college careers at other positions. Justin Millio was a running back, Steve Valentino was a quarterback, and James Ward was a safety. With the season-ending injury to UD's most "experienced" receiver (first-year starter Bart Bergfeld), only Nick Collins, who will start his first game Saturday, was a receiver last season.

MEET THE NEWER VOSS Corey Vossler, the younger brother of captain Scott Vossler, leads UD in solo hits (39) and is second on the team in total tackles (64) and pass breakups (10) this season. He has 14 more solo tackles than assists. He had 14 tackles (seven solo) at Duquesne.

MR. SMYTH GOES TO CORNER Senior defensive back Matt Smyth moved to safety this season due to UD's depth at cornerback and started the first two games there before moving back to corner to fill in for the injured Joe Castaneda against Robert Morris. All Smyth did was earn PFL Defensive Player of the Week honors. He snared the first two of four interceptions the Flyers came up with in the game. He returned the first one 38 yards to put Dayton up 7-0, and added a 20-yard interception return on the second. He also batted away three other passes and was in on five tackles. He had nine hits at Butler. He leads the PFL in passes defended (1.50), leads UD in passes broken up (13) and is tied for team honors in interceptions (2).

JOLTIN' JOE Redshirt sophomore linebacker Joe Ries led UD in tackles in his first start, getting eight hits. He was one of three players with nine tackles at Butler, and also had two interceptions. He is currently third on the team with 62 tackles, is second in recovered fumbles (2) leads in interceptions (2, tied). He was UD's Defensive Player of the Week in the Fordham win.

HEENAN THE BARBARIAN Senior defensive tackle Sean Heenan is second on the team in sacks (7) and tackles in the backfield (11.0). He picked up a fumble and rumbled 77 yards for a TD at Davidson. Heenan was UD's Defensive Player of the Week for the Drake win.

IT'S WHAT'S UP FRONT THAT COUNTS The Flyers boast the best one-two defensive tackle combination in the PFL in seniors Sean Heenan and Kalen Hemmelgarn, and that's a big reason UD is #1 nationally in rushing defense. Among league DT's they are 1-2 in sacks (Heenan averages 0.70, Hemmelgarn 0.50). Hemmelgarn was UD's Defensive Player of the Game in the Campbell win with six hits, a sack, a tackle behind the line and a QB hurry.

BURNS NOTICE Senior safety Kevin Burns made his first career start when Matt Smyth moved to corner against Robert Morris. He came through with two interceptions and a team-leading eight tackles. He is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2).

IT'S SO Cornerback Joe Castaneda was the 2007 PFL Rookie of the Year. Castaneda was only the third freshman in Kelly's 27 years as a head coach to earn a starting job. He led Dayton with eight pass break ups, and tied for team honors in interceptions (3, all in conference play). He was in on 51 tackles (27 solo). He was also UD's top kick returner, averaging 11.8 yards a punt return and 24.1 yards a kick return. He missed three games with a shoulder injury before returning to action during the Drake game and starting at Davidson. He is third on the team in passes defended (6).

DY-NO-MITE! Redshirt sophomore J.J. Vercammen made his first career start at Butler in place of Steve McDonald, and came through with a team-high-tying nine tackles. The biggest hit he had was a sack on the first defensive play of overtime.

STICKY FINGERS Joe Castaneda and Corey Vossler co-led Dayton in interceptions last season, each with three. Four players had two each, including Castaneda's partner at the other corner, junior Scott Horcher. Horcher was UD's Defensive Player of the Week at Duquesne after intercepting his first pass of the season.

D LEADERS Steve McDonald leads UD in tackles (72), is second in solos (38) and third in tackles in the backfield (10.5). Corey Vossler is first in solos (39) and second in total tackles (64) and passes batted away (10). Joe Ries is third in tackles (62) and second in fumbles recovered (2). Scott Vossler is top dog in sacks (7.5), QB hurries (5, tied), tackles in the backfield (13.5), blocked kicks (3), fumbles forced (3) and recovered (3). Scott is also tied for first on the team in interceptions (3) with Matt Smyth, Kevin Burns and Joe Reis. Sean Heenan leads in QB hurries (5, tied) and is second in sacks (6.0).

McGLAVIN Junior Nick Glavin had a solid season for the Flyers in 2007 (35-37 PAT's, 3-5 FG's), and has kicked it in a higher gear this year. He is 36 for 39 in PAT's and 11 for 16 in field goals with a long of 42. At Duquesne, he made all three of his field goal attempts and was UD's Special Teams Player of the Game. He leads the PFL in touchbacks (7) and kick scoring (6.9).

DAYTON RULES THE "DAYTON RULE" TEAMS In the 15 years since D-I schools were prohibited from playing football at the D-III level (thus creating the Pioneer Football League), UD has the best winning percentage (.805, 136-33) of the 20 schools currently playing football that were affected. Duquesne's .708 (119-49) is second, followed by Drake (.662, 112-57-1), San Diego (.631, 99-58) and Robert Morris (.597, 89-60-1).

PFL STATS Dayton leads the PFL in scoring defense (15.1), total defense (261.0), rushing defense (51.5), sacks (2.90), red-zone defense (.625, 15-24), opponent 3rd-down % (.293, 44-150) and time of possession (32:25).

PFL POWER The Flyers' 61-16 PFL record is the best in the history of the league. UD has won nine league championships (including ties) in the 15 years the PFL has existed. The rest of the league has 10.

WELCOME MAT The UD Flyers moved to Welcome Stadium in 1974. The word "Welcome" implies hospitality, but UD has been anything but hospitable to its opponents at home, where it is 190-37-2 (.834). The "Welcome" in Welcome Stadium is not a greeting, but an honor to the late Percival Welcome, longtime AD for the Dayton Public Schools. UD has won its last 12 home games (7-0 last season) and 48 of its last 57 home games (and 27 of its last 33 road games).

GREAT GRAD RATES UD's 97 score in the 2007APR (Academic Progress Report) is the second-best in the Pioneer Football League and one of the best in NCAA Division I football. UD was one of 26 teams honored by the NCAA for having an APR in the top 10 percent of all Division I football-playing institutions. The others were Air Force, Brown, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, William and Mary, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, fellow PFL member Davidson, Duke, Furman, Harvard, Navy, New Hampshire, Penn, Princeton, Rice, Richmond, Rutgers, Stanford, Villanova, Wofford and Yale. In the 2008 GSR Report, UD is tied for 10th as an institution with a GSR of 96 (fellow PFL member Davidson is tied for seventh with a 97 GSR).

HITTING THE BOOKS The Dayton football program has produced 14 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans since the 2000 season. That's most at any level of college football. Safety Brandon Cramer was named the 2007 Division I football Academic All-American of the Year, capping a career that saw him named an Academic All-American for three straight seasons. In the history of the Academic All-America program, UD has had 44 Academic All-Americans. Among schools currently playing Division I football, only Nebraska (95), Notre Dame (51), Penn State (48), Ohio State (47) and Oklahoma (45) have had more. The Dayton football program has produced 14 Academic All-Americans since the 2000 season. That's the most by any school at any level of college football, and includes the 2007 Division I ESPN The Magazine All-American of the Year, Brandon Cramer. Covering all sports, at least one University of Dayton student-athlete has been named an Academic All-American for 24 straight years.

THE BOOKS TOOK A BEATING THIS YEAR The University of Dayton placed 13 Flyer football players on the 2008 University Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Team, the most of any team in the country. The Dayton list included seven first-team selections which tied with Penn State's seven for the most first-team selections of any Division I program. In the district, the 13 Flyers named to the first and second teams were more than twice as many as the next team, Ohio State, who had six. Senior defensive tackles Sean Heenan and Kalen Hemmelgarn were repeat all-district selections. Heenan was named to the 2008 first team, while Hemmelgarn made the second team. Both were on the 2007 second team all-district team. Joining Heenan on the first team were senior tight end Bart Bergfeld, senior offense guard Patrick McCormick, senior Flyer Steve McDonald, sophomore linebacker Joe Ries, senior safety Corey Vossler and junior defensive end Brandon Wingeier. Named to the second team along with Hemmelgarn were senior running back Joe Gulick, senior offensive guard Marcus Overman, senior offensive tackle Ryan Pollock, senior defensive back Matt Smyth and sophomore wide receiver James Ward. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team is the first step in selecting this year's Academic All-America team. Everyone named to the district first teams appears on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America national ballot. UD had eight players named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team, twice as many as any other school in the district. At least 12 Flyers were nominated for Academic All-America in each of the last four years (16 the last two last seasons).

GOTTA PLAY SMART The University of Dayton placed a league-best 16 players on the 2007 Academic All-Pioneer Football League team. It was the fifth straight year UD had the most players on the PFL Academic team. Since the league's origin in 1993, over a quarter (154 of 558) of the PFL All-Academic selections have been Flyers. UD also had 64 players on the PFL Academic Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or better). That was 15 better than the next-best school.

SUPER STAT When Jon Gruden coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl championship in 2003, he became the second UD grad to coach a Super Bowl winner. Former UD co-captain and 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XII & XIV) as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Noll started at center and linebacker for the Flyers and graduated from the University in 1953. Gruden played quarterback at Dayton and earned his degree in 1986. UD became only the third school to have two alumni coach Super Bowl winners. The others are San Jose State, with grads Bill Walsh (XIV, XIX, XXIII) and Dick Vermeil (XXXIV), and Arkansas with grads Jimmy Johnson (XXVII, XXVIII) and Barry Switzer (XXX). Gruden is the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl, and Noll is the fourth youngest. As a matter of fact, UD has ties to 18 Super Bowl rings. In addition to Noll's four and Gruden's one, five former members of Dayton coaching staffs own a total of 14 Super Bowl rings between them. They are the late Len Fontes (New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI), Jon's father Jim Gruden (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowls XXII & XXIV), John McVay (49ers, XVI, XIX, XXII, & XXIV), current Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore (Pittsburgh Steelers, XIII & XIV, Indianapolis Colts XLI) and George Perles (Steelers, IX, X, XII & XIV). McVay was the Flyers' head coach from 1965-72, and Fontes, Gruden, Moore and Perles were on his staff.

GAME #1 - DAYTON 31, CENTRAL STATE 12 DAYTON - The Rick Chamberlin era in University of Dayton football opened with a 31-12 win over Central State August 31 in CSU's "Dayton Classic IV" at Welcome Stadium. Chamberlin, a former Flyer All-American and 28-year UD assistant, was leading a team as head coach for the first time. Senior captain Scott Vossler was named the Classic MVP after leading a Dayton defensive effort that allowed just 14 yards rushing. Vossler had seven tackles (six solo), three sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Another senior captain, quarterback Rob Florian, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the offense. Florian was 17 of 34 passing for 201 yards, and spread his 17 completions amongst seven different receivers. Steve Valentino led the way with four receptions for 63 yards UD's first touchdown. Justin Watkins added three catches for 56 yards and a score. Ben Shappie led the ground attack with 65 yards on 12 carries. Dayton averaged 5.1 yards per play compared to 2.9 for CSU. Nine UD defenders had at least five tackles. Linebacker Joe Reis had eight (three solo) in his first career start. Vossler and fellow end Brandon Wingeier (also in his first start) had six, with safety Kevin Burns and cornerbacks Joe Castaneda and Scott Horcher each had five.

GAME #2 - DAYTON 23, FORDHAM 20 DAYTON - Thanks to timely plays by the defense the Dayton Flyers held on for a 23-20 victory over the Fordham Rams in their home opener at Welcome Stadium. Senior defensive end Scott Vossler enjoyed one of the most productive days in his UD career with a blocked punt and blocked PAT, one of which he recovered and scored for a touchdown, five tackles and a forced fumble. Senior quarterback Rob Florian went 18 for 32 for 172 yards and a touchdown pass. UD's Justin Millio tallied nine receptions for 58 yards, while Steve Valentino had five receptions, one of which went for a touchdown. Although the Rams outgained the Flyers 357 to 279 on offense, Dayton's defense forced four fumbles and recovered three of them. Late in the fourth quarter, Fordham cut the UD lead to 23-20, and UD suffered a costly turnover late in the fourth quarter when Shappie fumbled the ball at the Fordham 41 with 3:24 remaining. However, UD's defense held strong on third and one stopping a quarterback sneak at the line of scrimmage and forcing an incomplete pass on fourth and one with less than two minutes remaining to preserve the win.

GAME #3 - DAYTON 31, ROBERT MORRIS 14 DAYTON - Four interceptions by the Flyer defense, including a 38-yard return for a touchdown by Matt Smyth, helped Dayton top the Robert Morris Colonials 31-14. Smyth and Kevin Burns each recorded two interceptions apiece as the Flyers extended their FCS-best winning streak to 10 games and improved to 3-0 overall on the season. The Flyer defense, which was one interception away from tying the school record for picks in a game, also had a forced fumble and four sacks. Burns led UD with eight tackles, senior Sean Heenan had three tackles and two sacks and Brandon Wingeier forced a fumble and recorded a sack. Steve Valentino had 199 all-purpose yards, 55 of them off of five receptions and one touchdown catch. Rob Florian completed 18 of 35 passes for 186 yards while Joe Gulick rushed for 58 yards on seven carries. Other contributors for the Flyers included James Ward with four receptions for 54 yards, Steve McDonald with six tackles, two for a loss and one sack and Corey Vossler with five tackles.

GAME #4 - DUQUESNE 24, DAYTON 16 PITTSBURGH - Duquesne stopped the Dayton Flyers' 10-game winning streak in Pittsburgh, knocking off UD 24-16. The Dukes beat the Flyers at their own game, winning the turnover battle, limiting penalties and coming up with key special teams plays. The Flyers outgained Duquesne 405 to 353, but committed three turnovers to just one gained. Field position played a huge role in the game. Duquesne started seven of its drives around midfield or better, while Dayton started every drive in its own territory. Ben Shappie led the way offensively for UD, carrying the ball 16 times for 94 yards. Florian was 27 of 54 for 277 yards and a 57-yard TD to Justin Watkins, but also threw two interceptions. Justin Millio led the team in receptions, with seven for 55 yards. Freshman Tyler Hujik added six for 32 in his first career action. Corey Vossler was the game leader in tackles with 14 (seven solo), and Scott Horcher grabbed Dayton's lone interception.

GAME #5 - DAYTON 42, CAMPBELL 0 DAYTON - Ben Shappie tied a program and PFL record with five rushing touchdowns as UD picked up a 42-0 win over Campbell. Shappie also rushed for a career-high 126 yards on 17 carries. Rob Florian went 16-for-28 for 244 yards and a touchdown. Justin Millio had four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown to lead the receivers. Tyler Hujik also caught four for 31 yards. Dayton compiled 29 first downs and gained 559 yards. UD had 315 yards on the ground as Joe Gulick rushed for 81 yards and Florian added 33 yards. Other than two first half turnovers, the Dayton offense looked strong compiling 331 total yards. Conversely, the UD defense shut down the Camel attack in the first 30 minutes of play allowing 63 total yards, three first downs and limiting Campbell to a -of-8 conversion rate on third downs. Scott Horcher and Ross Fumagalli each had six tackles while Brandon Wingeier, Scott Vossler and Kalen Hemmelgarn each recorded a sack to lead the Flyer defense. Ben Welsh had an interception as the Flyers held the Camel attack to a miniscule 85 yards of total offense.

GAME #6 - DAYTON 27, DRAKE 9 DAYTON - Dayton's defense forced three second-half turnovers that led to 14 points in a 27-9 home win over the Drake Bulldogs. Senior Steve McDonald spearheaded the UD defensive effort with an interception, a fumble recovery and 10 tackles as Dayton secured the 599th victory in the program's history. The Flyers did most of their damage through the air, as quarterbacks Rob Florian and Jeff Pechan combined to throw for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Ben Shappie scored two TD's. Drake was held to only 181 total yards and just 3-of-18 on third down conversions. Steve Valentino paced the UD offensive attack with seven catches for 94 yards. J.J. Vercammen was the game's leading tackler with 12 total (five solo) in his first collegiate start. Nick Glavin had his best day punting, averaging 41.2 yards in his six punts, with two of them going inside the 20-yard line.

GAME #7 - DAYTON 41, DAVIDSON 22 DAVIDSON, N.C. - The University of Dayton football team jumped out to a 41-0 lead en route to the 600th win the program's history as UD beat Davidson 41-22 at Davidson. The Flyers were led by quarterback Rob Florian who engineered the UD offense to scores on all seven drives he directed (Dayton had a one-play possession at the end of the first half). Florian was 21 of 24 passing for 200 yards and no interceptions. He did not throw for a TD, but ran for one and caught a pass from Ben Shappie for another. He was UD's second-leading ground-gainer, behind Shappie. Shappie carried the ball 10 times for 57 yards, and Florian had 13 for 51. Shappie scored a pair of TD's. The Dayton defense held their third straight opponent under 100 yards total offense in the first half. Steve McDonald led the way with eight solo and 12 total tackles. Scott Vossler had both of UD's sacks, and forced a fumble that Sean Heenan picked up and returned 77 yards for UD's final touchdown. Vossler also had an interception, as did J.J. Vercammen. UD limited Davidson to 37 yards rushing. UD led 41-0 with 11:58 left. At that point, the Dayton coaches substituted freely on both sides of the ball, and the Wildcats came to life, outgaining UD 194 to two and scoring 22 unanswered points.

GAME #8 - DAYTON 43, VALPARAISO 7 DAYTON - Senior Rob Florian threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score as the Dayton Flyers picked up a 43-7 win over the Valparaiso Crusaders. Florian finished the afternoon 21-of-28 for 270 yards passing and 20 yards rushing to help Dayton win its fourth in a row. Redshirt sophomore Nick Collins had three receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Ben Shappie rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown. The Flyer defense played stellar once again holding an opponent to under 100-yards in the first half for the fourth consecutive game. Senior Kalen Hemmelgarn had a sack and six tackles while senior Scott Vossler forced two fumbles, recovered a fumble and made three stops. Quarterback Jeff Pechan added a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter on a 1-yard rush to cap the scoring for the Flyers. Other contributors for UD included redshirt freshman Justin Millio had eight catches for 51 yards and redshirt sophomore J.J. Vercammen, who led the Flyers in tackles with six. The Crusaders were outgained 441 to 109 in a game that took two hours and 17 minutes to play.

GAME #9 - DAYTON 30, SAN DIEGO 22 SAN DIEGO - The University of Dayton Flyers took sole possession of first place in the Pioneer Football League Saturday night in San Diego with a come-from-behind 30-22 win over USD. UD ended San Diego's 28-game home field winning streak, which was the longest in college football. Dayton found itself down 22-6 in the second quarter after a 57-yard interception return for a touchdown by Torero freshman Al-Rilwan Adeyemi. But then the Flyers scored on their next four possessions, turning the 16-point deficit into the eventual eight-point margin. UD drove 75 yards to score in the final minute of the first half to make the halftime score San Diego 22, Dayton 13. Nick Glavin kicked his third field goal of the game to make it 22-16, and then the Flyers used TD drives to 88 and 75 yards to take the lead and then make it an eight-point game. Dayton quarterback Rob Florian tied the UD single-game record for completions with 34 (Kevin Hoyng completed 34 in last year's Gridiron Classic win over Albany. For the game, he was 34 of 43 for 353 yards with two interceptions. He threw a pair of TD passes to Bart Bergfeld. More importantly, Florian was the poster boy for the Flyers' resiliency in the face of adversity. After throwing the interception that made the score 22-6, Florian completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards and the two touchdowns. All against the defense that came into the game leading the PFL and ranked third in FCS football in pass efficiency defense. And while Florian was passing for 209 second-half yards and leading Dayton to 17 second-half points, the Dayton defense was holding the PFL's top-ranked offense scoreless and to just 59 yards in the second half. For the game, the Flyers held the Toreros to 226 total yards (including just 10 yards net rushing), 200 yards below their average. The Toreros came into the game averaging 39.4 points per game. Flyer Steve McDonald led the way for UD, with nine tackles. Eight of his hits were solo tackles, and he had three of UD's six tackles in the backfield. Safety Corey Vossler had seven hits. Linebacker Joe Ries had six, including UD's only sack. Defensive end Scott Vossler also had four hits, and added one in the backfield. He also had a fumble recovery, a pass batted down at the line and a QB hurry. Slot receiver Justin Millio led the Dayton receiving corps with 12 catches for 101 yards. Nick Collins caught six balls for 77 yards, followed by Steve Valentino (5 for 32), Justin Watkins (3 for 47), Bart Bergfeld (3 for 46 with 2 TD's) and James Ward (2 for 42). Nick Glavin kicked field goals of 30, 42 and 22 yards for the Flyers. The 42-yarder was a career-long. He was also was three-for-three in PAT's.

GAME #10- DAYTON 28, BUTLER 21 OT INDIANAPOLIS - The University of Dayton football team had to play without two of its three captains, but their understudies came through in the clutch as the Flyers beat Butler 28-21 in overtime at the Butler Bowl. Quarterback Rob Florian, the PFL's Offensive Player of the Week the last two games, was out with a hand injury. And on defense, Dayton's leading tackler, Steve McDonald, missed the game with an injured knee. In their places stepped up redshirt freshman QB Jeff Pechan and redshirt sophomore Flyer J.J. Vercammen. Pechan led the UD offense in his first start by completing 23 of 42 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, including the 15-yard game-winning score to Justin Millio. Pechan also ran 15 times for 53 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Vercammen was one of three Flyer defenders with a team-high nine tackles. The biggest tackle Vercammen had in the game was a sack on a blitz on the first play of overtime. In addition, he had two passes batted down and two tackles in the backfield. After a scoreless first quarter, Dayton opened the scoring with a 13-yard run by Justin Watkins. In the third quarter, Butler took advantage of a Flyer turnover to tie the game at 7-7. The Bulldogs returned the favor when linebacker Joe Reis picked his second pass to set up Pechan's 35-yard TD run. When Pechan hit Watkins in the back left corner of the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter, UD took a 21-7 lead with 14:52 to go. But Butler would not go down quietly on its Senior Day, gaining 206 of its 335 yards of the day's total offense in the fourth quarter. BU quarterback Matt Kobli hit Dan Bohrer from five yards out with 11:06 left to make it a seven-point game, and Dionte Wiggins ran in a six-yard TD with 42 seconds to go to send the game into overtime. Butler won the coin toss and elected to go on defense first. Pechan rolled right and then tucked it in for a nine-yard gain on first down, and then moved the chains with a one-yard QB sneak. Pechan then found Millio with a diving catch in the back right corner of the end zone to put UD up 28-21 after Nick Glavin's fourth PAT of the day. Flyer head coach called Vercammen's number on a blitz and was rewarded with a nine-yard sack of Kobli. After Joe Castaneda caused an incomplete pass on a deep fade route, Kobli completed a pass over the middle to Jordan Koopman that Reis kept to just a five-yard gain. On fourth-and-14 from the 29, Kobli tried to hit Wiggins in the end zone, but Scott Horcher knocked the ball to the ground to end the game. Steve Valentino was Pechan's favorite target, catching six passes for 110 yards. Millio added five for 25, and Watkins had three for 30. Ben Shappie was the game's leading ground gainer, with 10 carries for 61 yards. The Dayton defense held Butler to 38 net yards rushing, 120 yards under its average. Vercammen, Ries and Matt Smyth each had nine tackles to lead UD. Smyth had a game-high seven solo hits. Sean Heenan and Kalen Hemmelgarn each had a sack. Team captain Scott Vossler, who had a hamstring injury and was expected to join fellow captains Florian and McDonald on the sidelines (Vossler was unable to even jog as late as Thursday), played every down on defense and made two of his three tackles in the backfield.

PFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Week #1--Scott Vossler, Defensive Player of the Week Week#3--Scott Vossler, Special Teams Player of the Week Week #4--Matt Smyth, Defensive Player of the Week Week #6--Ben Shappie, Offensive Player of the Week Week #9--Rob Florian, Offensive Player of the Week Week #10--Rob Florian, Offensive Player of the Week Week #11--Jeff Pechan, Offensive Player of the Week

UD PLAYERS OF THE WEEK--BUTLER DEFENSE--Joe Ries, 6-1, 210 Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker OFFENSE--Justin Watkins, 5-11, 180 Redshirt Sophomore WR D SCOUT--Alex Johnston, 6-2, 230 Redshirt Freshman DE ST SCOUT--Kevin Kern, 6-3, 215 Freshman Defensive End O SCOUT--Jared Phillips, 6-0, 180 Freshman Quarterback

UD PLAYER OF THE WEEK SCOREBOARD DEFENSE: Scott Vossler (3), Joe Reis (3), Matt Smyth (1), Scott Horcher (1), Kalen Hemmelgarn (1), Sean Heenan (1) OFFENSE: Ben Shappie (2), Patrick McCormick (2), Steve Valentino (1), Zack Whitten (1), Rob Florian (1), Nick Collins (1), Bart Bergfeld (1), Justin Watkins (1) SPECIAL TEAMS: Steve Valentino (2), J.J. Vercammen (2), Scott Vossler (1), Nick Glavin (1), Kevin Burns (1) SCOUT: Sean Belanger (2), Taylor Harris (2), DeMario Jones (2), Matt Riddle (2), Alex Johnston (2),Kevin Kern (2), Brian Cugliari (1), Aaron Pugh (1), Zach Weber (1), Brian Mulcahy (1), Marcelo Natale (1), Shea Brintlinger (1), Alex Remsik (1), Jacob Brumbaugh (1), Connor Mackovjak (1), Brian Mack (1), Brad Schmitt (1), Owen Elger (1), Ben Miller (1), Dre Crawford (1), Dan Jacob (1), Chris Stucke (1), Nic Gillum (1), Jared Philllips (1)

LOOSE CHANGE BENEFITS CHARITY--UPDATE The Flyer football team calls any turnover they gain "loose change." This year, thanks to National City, any "loose change" UD picks up will benefit Catholic Social Services. For every fumble and interception Dayton comes up with, National City will donate $50 to the fund. So far this year, the total donation is $1100. In addition, fan donations at the Campbell game raised nearly $300 for Catholic Social Services. Next Saturday's Morehead State game will feature a food drive co-sponsored by Catholic Social Services and the "Pride of Dayton" marching band. Fans attending the game are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to local food banks.

WELCOME BACK TO WELCOME The Drake game on October 11 was UD's annual Football Reunion Weekend. This year's featured team was the 1978 Flyer football team, on the 30th anniversary of UD's first trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Returning players attended a dinner on campus Friday night, and met with current players in Kennedy Union after that. The former Flyers in attendance were recognized at halftime and then were hosted at a reception in the Time Warner Cable Flight Deck after the game. UD wore "throwback" jerseys patterned after the 1978 game uniforms in the game. The oldest Flyer in attendance was 90-year-old Tony Furst, who played in the NFL from 1940-44.

COUNTDOWN TO 600 Here are UD's milestone wins: 100th Win: 7-0 vs. Wilmington, during the 1929 season 200th Win: 47-14 vs. Toledo on October 15, 1949 300th Win: 14-13 vs. Marshall on November 16, 1974 400th Win: 45-14 vs. Ferrum on November 8, 1986 500th Win: 30-10 at Butler on October 19, 1996 600th Win: 41-22 at Davidson on October 18, 2008

WORTH A LOOK BACK Mike Kelly's final season at the helm of the Flyer football program was one for the books, as UD went 11-1 and earned a share of the Pioneer Football League title. That put the Flyers in the Gridiron Classic against Albany, where they won 42-21 to claim the FCS Mid-Major national championship. Seven Flyers earned All-America status, including tight end Matt Champa, who was named on six different teams, and quarterback Kevin Hoyng, who finished his career as UD's career record holder in completions, passing yardage and total offense. UD took home three of the four top awards in the PFL. Kelly was Coach of the Year, Hoyng was Offensive Player of the Year, and Joe Castaneda was Rookie of the Year. And safety Brandon Cramer was named the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year for Division I football, the first such honor for the Flyer football program.

UP NEXT The Flyers will close out the regular season at Jacksonville on November 22. The winner of that game will play at Northeast Conference champion Albany on December 6 in the 2008 Gridiron Classic.