By Cord Rankin
GAME NOTES
https://daytonflyers.com/documents/2024/9/26/Notes_Marist_Web.pdf
DAYTON — The University of Dayton football team begins the quest for its 13th Pioneer Football League championship Saturday when the Flyers visit Marist. UD’s 12 previous PFL championships tie San Diego for the most in league history.
Dayton is 2-1, after last week’s 49-7 win over Ave Maria. The Flyers gave up the game’s first touchdown, and then scored the next seven in the home win.
QB Drew VanVleet was 16 of 20 passing for 239 yards and two touchdowns in the game, even though he did not play a down in the fourth quarter. VanVleet leads the PFL in passing efficiency (154.7), completion percentage (.695, 57-82-1) and yards per attempts (8.0).
Gideon Lampron was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week after both of Dayton’s first two games. The Flyer linebacker, whose middle name is ESPN, is third in the PFL in tackles (10.0), is second in sacks (1.0) and leads the league in TFL (2.5) and fumbles forced (0.7). Lampron is third nationally in TFL.
UD leads the PFL in total defense (179.3) rushing defense (94.3).
Marist is 0-3 against what is likely the toughest overall non-conference schedule in the PFL this year, with all three opponents coming from the Patriot League.
Red Fox coach Mike Willis is in his first year at Marist. The 2014 Princeton grad was part of a Tiger Ivy League championship team as a senior offensive lineman, and was a part of three more as an assistant coach. All but two of Willis’s coaches are in their first season at Marist. The two that are not are in their second season.
The Flyers entered the season with the fifth-best winning percentage (.711, 180-73) in FCS football since 2000 AND have produced the most football Academic All-Americans (36) in Division I in the same time frame. The top five in winning percentage are North Dakota State (.804), Montana (.766), Harvard (.751), San Diego (.712) and Dayton (.711).
The Pioneer Football League is in its 31st 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. The Flyers’ 138-52 record is the best in PFL history.
Dayton has its second bye week of the season next week, and then will return to action at home against Davidson on Saturday, Oct. 12. Game time is 12 Noon ET.
COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS
