University of Dayton Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Dayton football team went to Butler University Saturday afternoon to continue Pioneer Football League play and earned a hard-fought 19-9 victory.
 
The Flyers (5-1, 2-1 PFL) improve their league win total while the Bulldogs (5-2, 2-1 PFL) suffered their first league loss.
 
GAME RECAP
1st Quarter – Dayton 0, Butler 3

• On the first play from scrimmage, Butler attempted a deep pass but it was intercepted by junior Emmanuel Hardrick, giving the Dayton back the ball.
• On the ensuing drive, senior quarterback Bryce Schondelmyer found senior receiver Michael Mussari for a 38-yard gain on a 3-and-12 to put UD in Butler's side of the field. That set up a field goal attempt that Dayton was unable to convert.
• The Bulldogs then settled in offensively and slowed things down as they marched down the field into the Flyer redzone as they ate up the clock. That resulted in a 30-yard field goal to put the hosts on the board first, 3-0, with 6:25 to go in the first.
• The Flyers looked to answer on the next drive, but a bad snap turned the ball back over to the Bulldogs with a short field. But it was Dayton safety Javawn Brooks that picked it off this time to stop the drive.
• Schondelmeyer hit senior Ethan Thulin on a route across the middle to move Dayton into Butler's side of the field as the clock ticked under a minute to go in the first. He found him again on the next play to end the quarter with another first down.
• Senior running back Luke Hansen led the way for UD with seven rushing attempts in the first quarter.

 
2nd Quarter – Dayton 14, Butler 3

• Dayton kept it on the ground to open the second quarter, but it was a 25-yard pass from Schondelmyer to junior tight end Bryce Cowgill for his first touchdown of the season. The extra point put UD up 7-3 with 13:36 to go in the second.
• The Flyer defense stepped up on the next couple of drives as well, forcing punts by the Bulldogs as Dayton kept momentum in its favor.
• The running game continued to work for the Flyers as a healthy dose of Hansen chewed up time and yards as Dayton looked to make this the last possession of the first half.
• Hansen capped off the drive with a 33-yard catch off a wheel route from Schondelmyer to score his first touchdown of the game and put UD ahead 14-3.
• Dayton outgained Butler 233 yards to just 74 yards in the first half.

 
3rd Quarter – Dayton 14, Butler 3

• The Flyers got the ball first to start the second half and went for it at midfield on fourth down, but were unable to convert as the Bulldogs took over with just under 11:00 to go in the third.
• The hosts also got off to a slow start to the second half offensively and were forced to punt as well with nothing going in the opening six minutes of the third.
• With 7:19 to go in the third, Dayton junior safety Ross Coppock picked off the third Butler pass of the day to give the Flyers back the ball and ending the Bulldogs' drive.
• Just when Dayton's next drive looked like it was going to stall, Schondelmyer found Thulin for a 43-yard gain to keep the visitors' hopes alive as they moved into the Bulldogs' side of the field. That led to a fourth-down attempt at the 20-yard line with over a minute to go in the third, but the Butler defense came up with a big stop.

 
4th Quarter – Dayton 19, Butler 9

• The Bulldogs started the fourth with the ball at their own 49-yard line, only needing to go half the field to pull within one score of the Flyers. They managed to get 24 of those yards on a broken passing play and 16 yards on a quarterback scramble, putting them inside the 10-yard line.
• Butler managed to put it in the endzone and went for two on the extra point conversion, but was unsuccessful. That made it 14-9 in Dayton's favor with 12:18 to play.
• With the narrow lead, the Flyers used a methodical approach to both pick up yards and eat up clock on the next drive. Schondelmyer showed poise in the pocket and converted some big third downs to keep the drive alive.
• Senior David Maurer came into attempt a 21-yard field goal with 5:14 on the clock and nailed it to make it 17-9.
• Butler hoped to add to its total on the next drive, but Dayton got a defensive stop once again on fourth down to give the offense back the ball to clinch the game.
• On the Bulldogs' final hope, defensive end Colin Ansel sacked the quarterback for the safety, making it a 10-point game.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2nd – Luke Hansen is known as a running back, but has recorded his second-straight game with a receiving touchdown.
18 attempts – Hansen also recorded a season-high 18 rushing attempts in the effort.
12 – Gavin Lochow caught a new career-high 12 passes, two short of the school record.  
28 for 297 – Bryce Schondelmyer also had a season-high 297 yards on 28 completions from 36 attempts.
12 – Joe Kingsbury finished the game with 12 tackles including three tackles for loss.
1925 – The Dayton-Butler series dates back 101 years all the way to the first meeting in 1925.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will return home to host San Diego next Saturday, Oct. 24 at 12 p.m. at Welcome Stadium.
 
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