Sept. 29, 2005

The University of Dayton will celebrate 100 Years of Football Saturday when the Flyers host Jacksonville Saturday at 12 noon EDT at Welcome Stadium. Every living former Flyer football player who could be reached was invited to attend the game, which will feature a pre-game tailgate hosted by the Varsity D club, pre-game ceremonies and a post-game reception in the Time Warner Cable Flight Deck that overlooks the stadium.

UD is celebrating three significant milestones in the 2005 football season. Mike Kelly is coaching his 25th season as the Flyers' head coach, the 50th presentation of the Lt. Andy Zulli Memorial Trophy will occur on Senior Day, and the entire season will mark 100 years of varsity football at the University of Dayton.

Dayton, 4-0, is the only undefeated team in NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major football. The Flyers are ranked #1 in all three mid-major rankings. Jacksonville is 1-1, after last week's record-setting 55-21 win over Butler.

The Flyers have been ranked at #1 at some point in every season since the Sports Network poll started in 2001.

Last year, Dayton finished the 2004 football season 7-3. UD was ranked fifth in the nation in the final Football Gazette ranking, and sixth in the Sports Network NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major poll. The Flyers' three losses were to two of the five teams ranked ahead of them (#2 Drake and #3 San Diego) and to Ivy League powerhouse Yale.

Dayton's 28 straight winning seasons is the best active streak among NCAA Division I teams. The Flyers share that honor with Florida State. Over the last ten years, UD has averaged 8.6 wins a season. The Flyers have won outright or shared the Pioneer Football League Championship eight times in the 12-year history of the league.

Flyer Facts...

*UD led all NCAA divisions in total defense last year. Dayton allowed just 263.1 yards a game in 2004. UD was also third in scoring defense, marking the fifth straight year the Flyers were in the top ten in Division I-AA in points allowed. Dayton is currently second in both total defense (207.3) and in scoring defense (7.5).

*UD has not been shut out in 324 straight games, the best such string in all of college football. The last team to shut out the Flyers was Marshall, 9-0, on October 16, 1976.

*Senior co-captain Ryan Winner has started 25 straight games at left offensive tackle for Dayton. He is the only three-year starter on the team.

*After Jacksonville, Dayton will play the two PFL teams to defeat the Flyers last season in back-to-back weeks. UD is at Drake on Saturday, October 8 and the returns home on Saturday, October 15 to face San Diego.

Series Stuff...Dayton leads the series 1-0, and won the only previous meetings 46-17. That game was the very first PFL Championship Game, played at Welcome Stadium on November 17, 2001.

Coach Mike Kelly...Is in his 25th year as a head coach (all at Dayton), and has 226 wins. His 25 seasons as UD's head coach are the longest tenure in school history (College Football Hall of Famer Harry Baujan coached for 24 years at UD before becoming Director of Athletics). Kelly's .830 winning percentage (226-46-1) is the best among active NCAA Division I-AA coaches (min. five years head coach).

More Mike Kelly...Only three other active coaches at the Division I level--Florida State's Bobby Bowden (351), Penn State's Joe Paterno (343) and Albany's Bob Ford (205)--entered the 2005 season with more than 200 wins.

Even More Mike ...Mike Kelly was the Football Gazette NCAA Division I-AA Non-Scholarship and Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2001, the PFL Coach of the Year in 2000, and the Football Gazette's Coach of the Year in 2002. UD's win over Evansville in 1996 gave him 150 career wins, making him one of only four to reach 150 in his 16th season. The other three are certain College Football Hall of Famers -- Barry Switzer (2001 inductee), Tom Osborne (1998) and Joe Paterno (not in yet, but do you want to bet against him?). Kelly is UD's winningest football coach, having surpassed 1990 College Football Hall of Famer Harry Baujan back in 1993.

Coaching Experience...The Flyers are fortunate to have an experienced coaching staff with three of the coaches at UD for at least 25 seasons: Mike Kelly, Head Coach (Manchester '70), 25th season as head coach, 29th at UD Dave Whilding, Off. Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Earlham '71), 28th at UD Rick Chamberlin, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (Dayton '80), 26th at UD

Coincidence? I Think Not...Almost all (272, to be exact) of UD's NCAA-leading string of 324 games without being shutout have been with Dave Whilding coaching the Dayton quarterbacks. After coaching UD's defensive backs when he came to UD in 1977, Whilding moved over to the offensive side of the ball in 1981.

Six Football Flyers Join UD Hall of Fame...The 2005 football season is the University of Dayton's 100th anniversary season of football. To help commemorate this, six Flyer football players were inducted into the UD Athletic Hall of Fame on January 8. The 2005 Hall of Fame class brings the total membership in UD's Hall of Fame to 146. The new members are Jerry VanderHorst (1948-50), Leo Dillon (1968-70), Larry Nickels (1970-72), Mike Duvic (1986-89), Lou Loncar (1986-89) and Andy Pellegrino (1989-92).

PFL Power...The Flyers' 45-8 PFL record is the best in the 12-year history of the league. UD's eight league championships are more than the rest of the PFL combined.

Tops In I-AA Non-Scholarship...In the 12 years I-AA Non-Scholarship has been an option, UD has the best winning percentage (.807, 108-26) of the 22 schools playing at this level.

Welcome Mat...The UD Flyers moved to Welcome Stadium in 1974. The word "Welcome" implies hospitality, but Dayton has been anything but hospitable to its opponents at home. UD is 178-33-1 (.842) at home. The "Welcome" in Welcome Stadium is not a greeting, but honors the late Percival Welcome, longtime Director of Athletics for the Dayton Public Schools. UD has won 32 of its last 38 home games, and 17 of its last 18 road games.

Ranking Run...Dayton is ranked again #1 this week in the Sports Network poll. The Flyers have been ranked first in the Sports Network poll at least once in every year since the poll began in 2001. UD has been ranked either first or second in the Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major poll for 49 of a possible 58 weeks the Sports Network poll has been in existence. The Flyers have been #1 half of the time (30 of 58 weeks). UD is also first in this week's Football Gazette rankings and second by Dopke.com (behind San Diego).

Can't Spell Dayton Without The D...UD is ranked in the top ten of NCAA Division I-AA in pass defense (1st, 82.3 yards a game), scoring defense (2nd, 7.5 points a game), total defense (2nd, 207.8 yards a game), kickoff returns (2nd, 32.0), total offense (3rd, 515.5 yards a game), rushing offense (4th, 286.5 yards a game), pass efficiency defense (5th, 85.28) and scoring offense (41.7 points a game). The Flyers have been in the top ten in scoring defense in each of the last five years.

PFL Numbers...UD is first or second in every important statistical category in the Pioneer Football League except rushing defense and turnover margin. UD leads in scoring offense (41.8), total offense (515.5), rushing offense (286.5), passing efficiency (192.8), total defense (207.3), pass defense (82.3), pass efficiency defense (85.28), first downs (103), third-down conversions (61.7%), fourth-down conversions (80.0%) and kickoff coverage (44.1).

What Condition Their Condition Is In...UD has allowed only 324 yards in the second half so far in 2005, compared to 505 in the first half.
2005 Co-Captains Are...John Hoppe at linebacker (a Sports Network pre-season All-American), Steve Verhoff at tailback and Ryan Winner at offensive tackle (also a Sports Network pre-season All-American).

Who Needs Starters?...In the five straight years, UD has finished in the top ten in Division I-AA in scoring defense. In those five years, coach Mike Kelly had the luxury of having a majority of his starters back the next season only once. UD returned six starters in 2002. In the other seasons Dayton had five back twice (2003 and 2000), four back once (2004) and three back once (2001). If history means anything, having three starters back will not be a problem for the Dayton defense in 2005.

QB Kevin...Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin Hoyng has started four games in his UD career, and his first two starts resulted in the second- and third-best total offense efforts in UD football history (378 yards vs. Wittenberg and 328 vs. Tiffin, respectively) behind Kevin Johns' school-record 418 yards at San Diego in 1996. Hoyng is second in NCAA Division I-AA in passing efficiency (194.6) and leads the PFL in total offense (281.8). Hoyng is also the only quarterback to be ranked among the PFL's top ten rushers. Hoyng is eighth with an average of 68.8 yards a game and leads UD in rushing. He averages 6.0 yards a carry so far in 2005.

That Was Then, This Is Now...Kevin Hoyng has already surpassed his numbers for 2004 after just four games. He had 826 yards in total offense last year, splitting time with the now-graduated Brandon Staley. Already this year, he has gained 1,127 yards and is on pace to set break Steve Keller's school record (which was set in 14 games) by over 400 yards. He has completed 45 of 67 passes (.672) for 852 yards and six TD's. On the ground, he has 275 yards on 46 attempts (6.0 avg.) and five TD's. Last year, Hoyng threw just three touchdown passes and ran for three more. In 2004, Hoyng was UD's second-leading rusher (322 yards, 68 attempts, 4.7 avg.) and completed 53.1% of his passes (34 of 64) for 504 yards.

Player Of The Week(s)...Kevin Hoyng opened the season with two straight PFL Offensive Player of the Week Awards. Back-to-back Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week Awards to the same player has occurred 12 times since the PFL began operation in 1993, but it has never happened to start a season. If you are wondering if anyone has earned the award three straight times, then you do not remember Butler's Arnold Mickens, who won it five straight weeks during the 1994 season. Hoyng joins Kelly Spiker (September 25 and October 2, 2000) and Kevin Johns (November 16, 1996 and September 6, 1997) as the only Flyers to take the PFL Offensive Player of the Week twice in a row.

Great Week To Be A Flyer...Each of UD's fall "ball" sports had a conference player of the week during the week ending September 5. Kevin Hoyng was named PFL Offensive Player of the Week. Volleyball player Faye Barhorst was Player of the Week in the Atlantic 10, as was men's soccer player Lubomir Bogdanov. Women's soccer player Reba Sedlacek was A-10 Co-Player of the Week. For good measure, freshman Amy Kempf was A-10 Rookie of the Week in cross country.

Wrobo-Receiver...Senior wideout Ryan Wrobleski is off to a great start in 2005, with 23 receptions for 413 yards. He leads the PFL in receiving yardage (103.2 yards per game). He's had three games of five or more receptions this year. He opened the 2005 year with six catches for 170 yards (including a 50-yard TD) at Tiffin, and added seven more receptions for 94 yards in the Wittenberg win the following week. At Morehead, he had six catches for 95 yards. He's even UD's fourth-leading rusher (93 yards) even though he only has four carries, one being a 61-yard TD run versus Wittenberg. His 46 catches last season more than doubled the number of receptions he had in 2003 in 11 games (19). The Detroit Central Catholic product had 46 of UD's 104 receptions (44.2%), 840 of UD's 1,520 receiving yards (55.3%) and six of the Flyers' nine aerial touchdowns (66.7%) last year. Although he plays for the team least likely to throw the ball in the pass-happy Pioneer Football League, Wrobleski was second in the PFL in receiving yards (84.0, just 0.6 behind Austin Peay's Pat Curran) and fourth in receptions per game (4.60). If Wrobleski can approach his 2004 numbers, he has a shot at Pat Hugar's UD record for receiving yardage in a career (1,878 yards). Wrobleski is currently fifth with 1,655 yards. Next is Kelvin Kirk in fourth (1,676), Bill Franks in third (1,767) and Tim Eubank in second (1,851).

#1 Is #2...Detroit native Ryan Wrobleski changed his number last season to #1, imitating the University of Michigan tradition of putting the team's top reciever in the #1 jersey. After three weeks, Wrobleski is 13th in NCAA Division I-AA in receiving yardage (103.2 yards a game).

Happy Jack...Jack O'Dell is what could be called a first-strike weapon in the Dayton offense. Literally. Against Wittenberg, he caught a 65-yard TD pass on Dayton's first play from scrimmage. At Morehead, he took the opening kickoff back 54 yards. O'Dell has touched the ball 11 times in 2005 (seven pass receptions, and four kickoff returns) and is averaging 27.8 yards a touch. O'Dell's seven catches have resulted in a 23.1 yards-per-catch average, and his 36.0 yard kickoff return average would lead the PFL if he had enough returns to qualify.
Very, Very Verhoff...In the backfield, the Flyers return their top rusher for the first time since Jermaine Bailey came back for his senior season in 2002. Starting tailback Steve Verhoff, a 2005 captain, was UD's leading rusher last season. He gained 612 yards (3.8 yards per carry) in 10 starts, with four rushing touchdowns. He was named Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-America, First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District, and First Team Academic All-Pioneer Football League. So far in 2005, Verhoff is third on the team in rushing (33 attempts, 152 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 1 TD, 38.0 yards per game).

Elementary...Backup tailback Tim Watson is second on the team in rushing (35 carries, 170 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, two TD's and 42.5 yards a game). No better than fifth on the depth chart last year, a great spring moved him up to the regular rotation this season.

Full-Speed Fullback...Fullback Matt Marshall has only nine carries in 2005, but his average yards per carry of 5.6 is indicative of what he brings to the UD backfield. The speedy Marshall led UD running backs last year with a 7.2 yards per carry average (35 rushes for 251 yards).

Goal-Line Thunder...Starting fullback Matt Mong (the "Thunder" of UD's Thunder and Lightning fullback tandem) scored three TD's in the season-opening win at Tiffin. Mong scored five rushing touchdowns in all of 2004. He has never been thrown for a loss in his college career.

The Winner Is...Offensive tackle Ryan Winner, a 2005 captain, is back for his third year in the starting lineup. He has started the last 25 games at left tackle for UD. The largest Flyer (6-foot-6, 294 pounds) has been a mainstay on a line that has bulldozed the way for 85 rushing touchdowns the last two seasons and four games, compared to 17 for Flyer foes. He was First Team All-Pioneer Football League and selected an Honorable Mention All-American by the Football Gazette. He's also received some 2005 preseason accolades. The Sports Network picked him to be on its preseason All-America team, and I-AA.org Magazine chose Winner to be its preseason PFL Lineman of the Year.

Comeback Kid...Offensive guard Ross Mroczek came back after off-season knee surgery (he missed the last three games of 2004 after a severe knee injury) to be named UD's Offensive Player of the Week in the season-opening 38-0 win at Tiffin. Even with the injury, Mroczek was named UD's Most Improved Player in 2004.

To Serve And Protect...Offensive linemen have earned two of the first three UD Offensive Player of the Week Awards in 2005. Both were guards. Ross Mroczek was named after the Tiffin win, and Adam Love was chosen following Austin Peay. The Flyer O-Line has plowed the way for a 5.6 yard-per-carry average this season.

You Know You Have Arrived When...Senior All-American tackle and captain Ryan Winner's family owns and operates a regionally-famous butcher shop, but he isn't the member of the Dayton offensive line who has a sandwich named after him. That honor goes to senior tackle Dan Fedyk, for whom the "Fedyk Dog" is named at Pug's Dog House near UD's campus. For the record, it's a hot dog with mustard, onions, chili, cheese and cole slaw.

I'm Your Dence-ity...Despite throwing the first incompletion of his college career last week, backup quarterback Robert Dence is the second-highest-rated passer in the PFL (behind teammate Kevin Hoyng). This season, Dence has competed five of six passes for 64 yards and a QB rating of 172.9. One of the best athletes on the team, Dence is also one of the outside men in kickoff coverage for the Flyers.

Hoppily Stopping The Ballcarrier...The Dayton defense, led by senior linebacker John Hoppe, held Tiffin to just 87 yards in total offense, and to 56 yards rushing in 34 carries (1.6 avg.). The Dayton defense held Tiffin to minus-three yards in the third quarter. Hoppe led UD with 11 tackles (six solo), including two hits in the backfield. He also blocked a punt. For the year, Hoppe leads the Flyers in tackles (35), solo hits (20) and tackles in the backfield (5). Hoppe's 8.8 tackles a game is eighth in the PFL.

Backup Boppers...While Hoppe leads with 20 solo hits, a trio of non-starters--DB Jared Frank (11), LB Brian Kelly (10) and DB Steve McDonald (10)--are the next three Flyer hitters. Kelly is second in overall tackles with 20.

Pickoff Artist..Junior cornerback Casey Klaus leads UD and is tied for the PFL lead in interceptions (3 on the season, 0.75 per game). That is also good for 12th in I-AA. Klaus led UD with nine hits vs. Austin Peay (five solo) with two passes batted down.

Young McDonald...Sophomore safety Steve McDonald led UD with ten tackles at Morehead State. He had seven solo tackles in the game.

From Depth To Defense...Junior Marques Warner has moved from UD's deepest position (tailback) to defense, where he has proved to be a fast learner. Warner has moved up to #2 corner behind Chance Walton.

Our Man Hall...Sophomore punter Derek Hall's first two punts of the year were kicked out of bounds inside the ten-yard-line. For the season, he is averaging 38.6 yards a punt, with four of his eight boots winding up inside the 20.

Nick's New Stat...If you can "pre-board" an airplane, can you get a "pre-first down?" Nick Ruhe is doing just that, averaging 10.8 yards a punt return, tops in the PFL.

The Cream Does Rise To The Top...UD's 2005 roster includes a number of what some might call "over-achievers." Fifty-three current Flyers were in the National Honor Society, and 92 were team captains in some sport.

Gotta Play Smart...The University of Dayton placed a league-best 10 players on the 2004 Academic All-Pioneer Football League team. Since the league's origin in 1993, over a quarter (113 of 410) of the PFL All-Academic selections have been Dayton Flyers. UD also had 46 players on the PFL Academic Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or better).

Hitting The Books...The University of Dayton had two football CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in 2004, matching the most from one school for the fourth straight year. UD had eight players named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, which doubled any other team in the district (Kentucky had four). UD has had 43 football Academic All-Americans. Among schools currently playing Division I football, only Nebraska (80) and Notre Dame (44) have had more. UD has had at least one football player named Academic All-American in 13 of the last 14 years. Twelve Flyers were nominated for Academic All-America in each of the last two years (2003 and 2004).

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 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 staff own a total of 13 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), Tom Moore (Pittsburgh Steelers, XIII & XIV) and George Perles (Steelers, IX, X, XII & XIV). McVay was the Flyers' head coach from 1965-72. The other four were UD assistants.

Week#4...Dayton 42, Morehead State 7...Dayton scored 21 points in the second quarter to turn a close contest into a rout, enabling the Flyers to roll to a 42-7 win at Morehead State. UD scored on all three of its second quarter possessions, out-gaining the Eagles 193 to 26 in the decisive period. A pair of redshirt sophomores gave the Flyers an early lead. Wideout Jack O'Dell answered the opening bell by taking the starting kickoff back 54 yards, and eight plays later quarterback Kevin Hoyng ran it in from ten yards out to give Dayton a 7-0 lead that stood up until UD busted out 21 points in the second quarter. Fullback Matt Mong dove over from the one, Hoyng scored on a 49-yard scramble and tailback Steve Verhoff would not be denied from the six to push the Flyers up 28-0. After a scoreless third, Hoyng hit Matt Champa for a 48-yard TD on the first play of the fourth period, and backup Greg Wimberly scored a 12-yard run to put Dayton up 42-0. UD's bid for its third shutout of the season (and fourth straight over MSU) ended with 3:37 left in the game when Brian Yost hit Daniel Vagni for a 15-yard catch-and-run TD. The Eagles came into the game with the second-highest scoring and rushing offense in the PFL, but the Dayton defense held Morehead to one touchdown (29 points under its average) and 136 yards rushing (98 yards under). Safety Steve McDonald led a strong team effort on defense for UD. McDonald was credited with ten hits (seven solo) and was the game's leading tackler. Close behind were linebacker Brian Kelly (nine, five solo), linebacker John Hoppe (seven, six) and nickelback Jared Frank (seven, five). Cornerback Casey Klaus intercepted two passes, and his partner at the other corner, Chance Walton, intercepted another. Kelly and Tom Jakacki each forced fumbles. Hoyng led the Flyers with 284 yards in total offense. He was 12 of 16 passing for 208 yards with one TD, and carried the ball 13 times for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Ryan Wrobleski caught six passes for 95 yards to move into the top five in Flyer career receiving yardage. O'Dell added four receptions for 37 yards. Dayton's second-and third-leading rushers, backup tailback Greg Wimberly (eight rushes for 49 yards) and backup quarterback Robert Dence (2 for 33), only carried the ball in the fourth quarter. Dence was also two-for-two passing for 27 yards.

Up Next...Dayton will begin play in the PFL North Division following the Jacksonville game, and will jump right into the fire with its toughest two games in back-to-back weeks. On October 8, the Flyers will travel to PFL defending champion and 2005 pre-season PFL North favorite Drake. The following Saturday, UD will return home to meet San Diego, who is ranked second behind UD in all three NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major polls. Drake and San Diego handed Dayton its two Pioneer Football League losses last year, and both were decided in the final minute by a touchdown or less.