Aug. 27, 2007

Sixteen returning starters (14 from last year, plus two players who started in 2005) will lead the University of Dayton football team into the 2007 season. The Flyers are looking to bounce back from last year's 4-6 season, UD's first losing season in 29 years. The six losses included four in a row by a total of 18 points.

While Dayton was literally two possessions away from extending the nation's longest string of winning seasons, the phrase all good things must come to an end applies in this case to that school-record streak. The only thing that last year can do is serve as motivation for the 42 letterwinners returning for the 2007 season.

The Flyers will be led by team captains Kevin Hoyng, Brian Kelly and Brandon Cramer. Back for his third season as the starting quarterback, Hoyng is already UD's career record holder in passing yardage (4,545), completions (279) and total offense (5,425). In his first two years as a starter, he produced the two best total offense marks in Dayton football - 2,547 yards in ten games in 2005, and 2,471 yards in nine games in 2006. A career 58% passer who has a 3.5 yards per carry average, Hoyng is only the third two-time football captain in Flyer football history.

Kelly led the Pioneer Football League in tackles (10.1 per game) and was tied for 19th in the nation. The two-time All-PFL selection also was UD's leader in tackles in the backfield (6.5) and had two sacks. He was the 2006 winner of Dayton's Chief Toscani Hitter Award.

Cramer has played almost every down on defense since arriving on campus. He has been third on the team in tackles the last two seasons (52 last year in nine games) and led UD with three interceptions in 2006. He scored what turned out to be the game-winning points against Austin Peay with an 84-yard interception return for a touchdown. That was his third career TD of more than 65 yards.

The Flyers' leaders on the field are also leaders in the classroom. All three were repeat members of the PFL's All-Academic Team in 2006. Kelly is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection, and Cramer has been twice named an Academic All-American by ESPN The Magazine.

Hoyng heads a cast of nine returning starters on offense. His favorite target will again by wideout Nick Ruhe, who caught 49 passes for 977 yards in 2006. The 977 yards were a Dayton single-season record. He led the PFL in receiving yards per game (97.7 yards per game, which was also fourth in NCAA Division I-AA), yards per catch (19.9), punt returns (11.3) and all-purpose yardage (167.3 yards a game, which was also 4th nationally).

But Ruhe is far from the only quality pass-catcher at the other end of Hoyng's throws. Tight end Matt Champa caught 29 passes for 400 yards in 2006. And wideout Jack O'Dell is back after sitting out the 2006 year. In two seasons of 12 catches each, O'Dell has a per-catch average of 21.3 yards.

Up front, UD returns four of five starters, led by center and 2006 Stan Kurdziel Outstanding Lineman Award winner Blake Bikowski. Three-time letterwinners Jake Lay (right guard) and Dan Ress (left tackle) are also back. Left guard Chris Vermillion also returns. Junior Ryan Pollock will get the first shot at right tackle, with Jim Croghan and Zach Witten also in the mix at tackle, and Patrick McCormick and Marcus Overman at guard.

In the backfield, fullbacks Ben Shappie and Matt Marshall are back. Both have starting experience, are the Flyers' top two returning rushers and have better than 5.0 yards per carry averages. Dayton's stable of tailbacks make up for a collective lack of experience with the most speed and athleticism at that spot in years. James Wade came on in the last five games of 2006, gaining 81 yards in spot duty behind a pair of seniors. Joe Gulick is penciled in at #2, after switching from the secondary in the spring. He won the team's off-season fitness competition. Explosive Bo Balogun, a former walk-on, is also being counted on. O'Dell could also line up in the backfield in an effort to keep UD's most potent offensive weapons on the field as much as possible.

Defensively, seven starters return and another ten letterwinners are available for duty. Defensive tackle Chad Burton, defensive end David Walbright, corner Scott Horcher and safety Corey Vossler are back from last season. with captains Kelly and Cramer. Steve McDonald, fully recovered from a knee injury suffered two years ago, will start at "Flyer," UD's hybrid safety/linebacker position after starting at safety two years ago.

Burton is a three-year starter who led Dayton's interior linemen with 20 hits last year. Walbright started the last two years at tackle, but is returning to his original position at end for 2007. Horcher stepped in when All-America Casey Klaus broke his leg, and responded well as the obvious target in the secondary. He was the team co-leader in interceptions (3) and passes batted down (4). Vossler took over alongside Cramer down the stretch last year.

Scott Vossler, Corey's older brother, is expected to start at defensive end opposite Walbright. Sean Heenan is moving from linebacker to tackle and is being looked to start alongside Walbright and Burton. Letterwinners Jon Andryc, Kalen Hemmelgarn will see time at tackle and Frank Kohstall will rotate in at defensive end.

At linebacker, Drew Fumagalli is projected to play with Kelly. In the secondary, Matt Smyth or Jake Van Asten are expected to start at cornerback, and a pair of two-year letterwinners, Tyler Blue and Marcus Deja, will see plenty of time at safety.

Dayton's special teams figure to be more than solid. Matt Swartz or Nick Glavin will likely will handle the punting, and Glavin or Swartz will do the placekicking. Rob Florian returns to be the holder and Marcus Overman will long-snap again.

The Flyer return corps is as good as any at the NCAA Division I FCS Mid-Major level. Nick Ruhe, Jack O'Dell and Brandon Cramer all have career kickoff averages of more than 20 yards. Ruhe led UD in kickoff returns last year, O'Dell the year before. Ruhe has led the PFL and been nationally ranked in punt returns, and Cramer has three TD's of over 65 yards in the last three years.