ST. LOUIS – University of Dayton senior running back Connor Kacsor, has been named the Pioneer Football league's Offensive Player of the Year after piecing together the seventh-best single-season rushing performance in PFL history.

The league announced its major award winners today.  Stetson safety Donald Payne was named Defensive Player of the Year, San Diego coach Dale Lindsey was Coach of the Year, and Jeffrey Keil of Davidson and Mack Marrin of Drake were named the Freshman Offensive and Defensive Players of the year respectively.

Kacsor led the PFL and is currently fifth in FCS football in rushing yards per game (140.6).  His 301 yards against Georgetown in the season opener is the Dayton record, and he is the only FCS player with three rushing performances of 210 yards or more this season.

The Leo, Ind. native is the only player from the PFL named to the Payton Watch List this year.  A finalist for the award that goes to the best offensive player in FCS football, Kacsor is the first Dayton player to be named for his performance during the season, and the second overall.  Steve Valentino was named during the 2010 preseason based on his PFL Offensive Player of the year performance in 2009.

Much like the namesake of the award he is a finalist for, Kacsor is everything you want in a running back.

He is powerful (301 yards vs. Georgetown), fast (three TD's of 50 yards or more vs. Morehead State), durable (47 carries vs. Davidson), dependable (65 of his 81 yards at Marist came in the fourth quarter with UD protecting a lead) and clutch (four TD's in five overtimes at Davidson).

Kacsor's 1,547 rushing yards were the third-best single-season rushing performance in UD history.  He is also now UD's all-time career rushing leader with 2,943 yards. 

Kacsor also led the PFL in scoring with 17 touchdowns and 102 points, 17 points more than the next closest player and ranked 11th among all FCS players.

It is the sixth time a Dayton student-athlete has been named the league's Offensive Player of the Year since the award was instituted in 2001.  Previous winners were Jermaine Bailey (2001), Kelly Spiker (2002), Kevin Hoyng (2007) and Steve Valentino (2009 & 2010).

The Flyers were 8-3 in 2014, and finished tied for second in the Pioneer Football League with a 6-2 PFL record.