CFB-FCS: Pioneer Football League Week 12 Release & Preview

The Lead

With a win, Drake clinches the 2024 PFL Championship outright and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship. However, the Bulldogs face another crucial test when they host a Morehead State squad seeking to keep the title chase alive into the regular season’s final week.

Nationally-ranked Butler, newly minted at No. 25 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll this week, hosts St. Thomas in a battle between two of the league’s four 4-2 squads and in a series that the Bulldogs are seeking their first win.

San Diego returned home with a 4-2 record after a win a rival Dayton and hosts Stetson which is making the cross-country trip seeking its first win this season and in the series against the Toreros.  Valparaiso travels to Dayton after both teams lost close home outings in Week 11. Presbyterian heads north to face a Marist squad that picked up its first win last week and is looking to end its 2024 campaign with back-to-back wins.

WEEK 12 SCHEDULE

PFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Marist quarterback Sonny Mannino, Drake defensive back Caleb Bowling, and San Diego kicker Aiden Lehman are the Pioneer Football League’s Week 11 award winners, announced Sunday.

Mannino is one of only four quarterbacks to rush for four touchdowns in a game this season, doing so in a win against Stetson that was Marist’s first win of 2024. Bowling was all over the field for the Bulldogs and had an interception and a 65-yard blocked field goal return in a win at St. Thomas that helped Drake secure a share of the 2024 PFL title. Lehman hit three field goals and was responsible for 10 of the Toreros’ 16 points in a road win against Dayton. 

Offensive

Sonny Mannino, Marist (Sophomore (RS), Quarterback, Leesburg, Virginia)
Mannino became the fourth FCS quarterback to rush for four touchdowns in a game this season, leading Marist to a 40-31 victory at Stetson on Saturday. He completed 21-of-39 passes for 275 yards and added 68 yards on his 15 carries. Mannino’s third touchdown of the day was a six-yard dash that gave the Red Foxes the lead for good. He secured the win with a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the game, he had touchdown runs of five and 30 yards. His performance provided head coach Mike Willis his first win as Marist head coach and tied the program record for rushing touchdowns.   
Others Nominated

• Bulter wide receiver Luke Wooten had eight catches for 138 yards in a win at Valparaiso.
• Davidson running back Mari Adams ran for 129 yards and a touchdown in a win against Morehead State.
• Dayton running back Luke Hansen returned to the starting lineup for the first time in six games and put together a 23-carry, 121-yard rushing performance in a loss to San Diego.
• Morehead State wide receiver Nate Garnett, Jr. had six receptions for 124 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown reception, in a loss at Davidson.
• San Diego running back Logan Gingg carried the ball 28 times for 175 yards and a touchdown in a win at Dayton.
• Stetson wide receiver Dalton Bailey caught 13 passes for a career-high 190 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Marist.
• Valparaiso wide receiver Gary Givens III had three receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Butler.

Defensive

Caleb Bowling, Drake (Senior, Defensive Back, Winston-Salem, S.C.)
Bowling had a hand in a little bit of everything with six tackles, an interception, a tackle for loss for a safety, and a 65-yard return of a blocked field goal in Drake’s 22-19 victory at St. Thomas. His interception came early in the second quarter and set up the Drake offense in St. Thomas territory, ultimately leading to a field goal for a 10-0 lead. Bowling’s kick return came early in the third quarter and helped turn the momentum as Drake scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive for a 17-10 lead. He wrapped up the day with credit for a tackle for loss that led to a safety when St. Thomas’ was charged with intentional grounding in the end zone.
Others Nominated

• Butler defensive lineman Jack Burch had five tackles and a sack in a win at Valparaiso.
• Davidson defensive end Dixon Hudson recovered a fumble for a touchdown and had five tackles and a sack in a win against Morehead State.
• Dayton defensive tackle Jaksic Mirko had four tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks in a loss to San Diego.
• Drake defensive back Caleb Bowling had a 79-yard blocked field goal return, an interception, six tackles, and one for loss in a win at St. Thomas.
• Marist linebacker James Kratochvil picked off passes on Stetson’s first two drives and had seven tackles in a win at Stetson.
• Morehead State safety Matthew McClelland recorded 18 tackles (nine solo) and one for loss in a loss at Davidson.
• San Diego linebacker Iovino Giovanni forced two fumbles and had nine tackles (five solo), including one for loss, in a win at Dayton.
• Valparaiso linebacker Jake Birmingham recorded 12 tackles (eight solo) in a loss to Butler.

Special Teams

Aiden Lehman, San Diego (Senior, Kicker, Littleton, Colorado)
Lehman connected on three field goals, including a 42-yarder, and scored 10 points in San Diego’s 16-10 victory at Dayton on Saturday. He opened the scoring with a 22-yarder in the first quarter, then connected on a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter, helping San Diego open up a 13-10 halftime lead. Lehman helped secure the win with a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, following Dayton’s first points. .
Others Nominated

• Dayton wide receiver Paul Kelly returned a kickoff for 29 yards in a loss to San Diego.
• Drake kicker/punter Shane Dunning was responsible for eight points (2-of-2 FGs) and averaged 41.5 yards on four punt attempts in a win at St. Thomas.
• Marist punt returner Mohamed Diawara returned a punt 41 yards for a third-quarter touchdown and had four punt returns for 61 yards in a win at Stetson.
• Valparaiso punter Sam Johnson notched his fourth consecutive game averaging 45-plus yards punting, averaging 47.2 yards on five punts, including a 56-yarder, in a loss to Butler.

NOTE: All individuals recognized on this page were nominated by the athletics communications staff at their respective schools.

PFL Notes

• Drake has the second-longest PFL win streak in league history. The Bulldogs’ 17-game PFL win streak is the FCS’ longest current streak. The Bulldogs’ last conference loss was on Oct. 22, 2022, when they dropped a 48-14 decision to Davidson as part of a then-season-opening eight-game losing streak. Since snapping that streak, Drake is 16-5 overall.
• Davidson running back Mari Adams is one of 11 FCS rushers with 1,000 yards this season, entering Week 12 with 1,137 rushing yards. St. Thomas’ Hope Adebayo is second in the league with 953 rushing yards, while Adams’ teammate Mason Sheron is third with 813 rushing yards. 
• The PFL leads all FCS conferences with 33 blocked kicks in 104 games played during 2024. Dayton leads the league and all FCS squads with seven blocked kicks this season, while Drake is next with five blocks while Presbyterian and Valparaiso have three blocks to their credit.
• The PFL is fourth among FCS leagues with nine pick-sixes in 2024, trailing the Southern Conference, the OVC/Big South and CAA who all have 11 pick-sixes this season. San Diego has returned an FCS-best four of their seven interceptions for TDs, with Davidson (2), Butler (2), and St. Thomas (1) claiming the others.
• Three Pioneer Football League student-athletes were among a record 203 semifinalists for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, presented by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame: Dayton redshirt senior center Dylan DeMaison, Marist graduate student and defensive lineman Gannon McCorkle, and Valparaiso senior defensive lineman Sam Hafner.
• Davidson defensive end Julian Rawlins was one of 13 student-athletes named to the FedEx Doris Robinson Award Watch List on Oct. 30. Earlier this season, he was among 22 student-athletes named to the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
• PFL teams claimed four wins against their scholarship FCS brethren. Butler (at Murray State), Dayton (vs. Saint Francis), Drake (at Eastern Washington), and San Diego (vs. Cal Poly) victories helped the league post its most wins against FCS nonconference teams since 2019.
• Drake defensive end Finn Claypool, the reigning PFL Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List presented by Stats Perform. He also was named to the Stats Performs on All-America Team.
• Davidson running back Mari Adams and Drake quarterback Luke Bailey were named to the 35-player Walter Payton Watch Award Watch List, also presented by Stats Perform.