Unbeaten Butler travels to defending PFL Champion Drake in Week 7’s marquee matchup. The Battle of the Bulldogs matches a Butler squad putting its unblemished 5-0 record on the line while Drake antes up its 13-game PFL win streak.
Another key Week 7 matchup opens Week 6 action when Davidson travels to meet Dayton with both teams at 1-0 in league play. Elsewhere, St. Thomas, the league’s other 1-0 squad, travels to Marist while Presbyterian is on the road for a third straight week, trekking across the Appalachians to face Morehead State. This week’s Valparaiso-Stetson contest was postponed due to Hurricane Milton.
WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 | Kickoff (ET) | Series History | Last Meeting |
• Davidson at Dayton | Noon | DAY leads, 14-2 | Dayton def. Davidson, 45-14 (11/18/23 at Davidson, N.C.) |
• St. Thomas at Marist | Noon | STT leads, 3-0 | St. Thomas def. Marist, 49-14 (10/28/23 at St. Paul, Minn.) |
• Butler at Drake | 2 PM | DRA leads, 24-8-1 | Drake def. Butler, 13-9 (11/18/23 at Indianapolis, Ind.) |
• Presbyterian at Morehead State | 2 PM | Series tied, 2-2 | Presbyterian def. Moreehad State, 31-27 (11/18/23 at Clinton, S.C.) |
PFL Notes
- Butler is one of five remaining unbeaten teams in the FCS entering Week 7. Montana State is off to a 6-0 start, while Delaware and Mercer have matched the Bulldogs’ 5-0 start. Ivy League-leading Dartmouth has a 3-0 record entering the week.
- Behind the group of unbeatens, Davidson, Dayton, and Drake are among a group of 15 teams that have one loss in 2024. The NCAA lists 129 FCS playing institutions.
- Phil Steele Magazine released its 2024 FCS Mid-Season All-American Team on Friday. Butler junior offensive lineman Adam Doland and Drake junior defensive lineman Finn Claypool were fourth-team honorees at the halfway point.
- Drake brings a 13-game PFL win streak into Saturday’s tilt at Valparaiso after downing Valparaiso last week to advance the 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 14-5 overall.
- 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 22 student-athletes named to the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, announced Sept. 17.
- 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.
- The PFL’s coaches picked Drake to win the 2024 PFL title after winning the 2023 title, their seventh PFL championship and first since 2012. The Bulldogs received eight of the 11 first-place votes from the league’s coaches. St. Thomas was second in the preseason poll, followed by Butler and San Diego.
- 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 PerformPerform’sson 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.
- Seven PFL alumni are currently on active NFL and CFL rosters. A complete list of PFL alumni in professional football is on page 11 of the PDF.
PFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offensive Player of the Week
Reagan Andrew, Butler Sophomore, Quarterback, St. Louis, Missouri
Andrew was responsible for four touchdowns and nearly had a perfect day passing while leading Butler to a 40-6 victory against Morehead State on Saturday. He completed 11-of-12 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns while running for two touchdowns as part of an eight-carry, 58-yard day. He opened the day’s scoring with a three-yard touchdown run and closed the scoring with a career-long 33-yard touchdown carry. In between, he connected on touchdown throws to William Enneking (14 yards) and Ershod Jasey II (25-yards) on each side of halftime.
OTHER NOTABLES
Defensive Player of the Week
Finn Claypool, Drake Junior (RS), Defensive Lineman, Des Moines, Iowa
Claypool had 3.5 tackles for loss and led a Drake defensive unit that held Valparaiso to a season-low 80 yards in a 27-3 victory at Valparaiso on Saturday. His 3.5 tackles for loss are the second most in the PFL this season and included 2.5 sacks, the third most in the league, all part of an eight-tackle outing. Claypool’s tackles for loss accounted for minus-21 yards to help the Bulldogs limit Valparaiso to its season-low offensive outing, and fewest points scored this season.
Ruben Lopez, San Diego Junior, Defensive Back, Mission Viejo, California
Lopez had arguably the play of the day, picking up a fumble and returning it 87 yards for a walk-off touchdown in San Diego’s 27-21 overtime victory against Presbyterian. With Presbyterian threatening to score on the first possession of overtime, a tackle jarred the ball loose, and Lopez picked up the loose ball and ran untouched for the 87-yard score. He also had two tackles (one solo) in the win.
OTHER NOTABLES
Special Teams Player of the Week
Matthew Guggemos, St. Thomas Graduate, Defensive Back, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Guggemos’ busy day opened with his blocked punt and recovery for a touchdown to open the scoring in St. Thomas’ 34-24 victory against Stetson on Saturday. On the game’s first possession, St. Thomas forced a three-and-out, and Guggemos blocked the punt, recovered the loose ball, and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown to kickstart the Tommies’ 28-point first quarter. Later in the first quarter, he intercepted a pass that led to St. Thomas’ first offensive possession, resulting in the Tommies’ third touchdown. Guggemos also had two tackles in the win.
OTHER NOTABLES