DAYTON -- The University of Dayton football team returns home Saturday, hosting Valparaiso.  
Game time is 1:00 p.m. ET.  Both teams are looking to bounce back after disappointing losses.  Dayton is 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Pioneer Football League after last week's 28-17 loss at Marist.  Valparaiso lost at home to Davidson, 40-35, and is 0-4 on the year and 0-1 in the PFL.

Saturday's game is Dayton's annual Football Alumni Game, and the guests of honor will be the 1978 team, UD's first NCAA playoff team.

The Flyers entered the season with the fourth-best winning percentage (.744, 148-51) in FCS football since 2000 AND have produced the most football Academic All-Americans (29) at any level of competition in the same time frame.  The top five in winning percentage are Harvard (.782), North Dakota State (.778), Montana (.753), Dayton (.744), and San Diego (.741).

UD has not been shut out in a school-record 471 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 Oct. 16, 1976. That is also the all-time FCS record.

The Pioneer Football League is in its 26th season.  The original (and now the only) Division I strictly need-based football league began with charter members Butler, Dayton, Drake, Evansville, San Diego and Valparaiso.   UD's 115-38 record is the best in PFL history.   The Flyers' 12 league championships are three more than any other PFL team.

Rick Chamberlin is now in his 11th season in charge of the Flyer football program. His record is 81-36.  He is third all-time in wins at Dayton, behind two members of the College Football Hall of Fame -- Mike Kelly (246 wins) and Harry Baujan (124).  Chamberlin is the winningest coach in Pioneer Football League history, with 60 wins. No other PFL coaches have 50 league wins.

Next week, the Flyers travel to defending PFL champion San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 13.  Game time is 5:00 p.m. ET.  USD and Dayton were picked 1-2 in the PFL preseason poll.  UD's next home game is Oct. 20 when Drake visits Welcome Stadium.  Drake was picked third in the PFL poll.  Kickoff for Drake is 1 p.m. ET