Bulldogs Host League-Favorite San Diego
HOMECOMING: Butler, off to a 4-0 start
for the second time in three seasons, returns from its Pioneer
Football League opener at Morehead State to play its first league
home game against PFL preseason favorite San Diego on Saturday,
Oct. 3. The Bulldogs’ annual Homecoming contest is
scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) at the Butler Bowl. Butler passed
its first league test with a stunning 28-21 overtime victory at
Morehead State. The victory was the Bulldogs’ fourth
straight to open the season, matching Butler’s 2007 squad for
the program’s best start in nearly two decades. San
Diego (2-1, 1-0 PFL) is returning to action after taking last
weekend off. The Toreros, 9-2 a year ago, have won 30 of
their last 35 PFL outings. Butler is looking for a 5-0 start
for the first time since 1991. Two years ago, the Bulldogs
dropped their fifth game of the season to San
Diego.
Butler is one of just eight 4-0 teams in the NCAA Division I
FCS.
ON THE AIR: For the fifth straight year,
Butler football games can be heard on XL 950 (AM) in Indianapolis
and on the internet at BigPlayProductions.com. Calling the
game are play-by-play announcer Brian Giffin and former Butler
football coach Ken LaRose. This weekend’s game against
San Diego will be carried live on the internet, starting with a
pre-game show at 12:40 p.m. (ET) and will be tape-delayed on XL
950, starting at approximately 3:30 p.m.
LATE PAYOFF: Butler scored three touchdowns
in the second half to overcome a 21-0 halftime deficit and send the
game at Morehead State into overtime. The Bulldogs then took
their first lead of the game on the second play of the overtime
period when quarterback Andrew Huck found wide
receiver Eddie McHale with a 22-yard touchdown
pass. Butler defensive back Mark
Giacomantonio sealed the victory with a fourth down pass
interception on Morehead State’s overtime possession.
The Bulldogs fell behind, 14-0, in the first two minutes of the
game and trailed 21-0 with 5:59 remaining in the first quarter.
FEATURE ACT: Butler quarterback
Andrew Huck overcame an aggressive Morehead State
defense and a game-long pouring rain to throw four touchdown passes
and lead the Bulldogs to a come-from-behind victory. His
effort earned him Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the
Week honors for the third time in four weeks. Huck was
intercepted three times and sacked twice by the Eagles’
defense, but he persevered and led Butler’s comeback by
hitting 16 of 25 passes for 143 yards after intermission. The
sophomore signal caller threw scoring aerials of nine yards to
Zach Watkins and two yards to Dan
Bohrer in the third quarter and then tied the game with a
seven-yard TD pass to Watkins in the fourth period. He then
found Eddie McHale with a 22-yard strike for the
game-winner in overtime. Huck finished the day with 26
completions in 49 attempts for 208 yards.
Andrew Huck leads the PFL in touchdown passes with 14 in four
games.
RECEIVING END: Wide receiver Zach
Watkins had a career-high 13 receptions for 130 yards and
two touchdowns to help fuel Butler’s comeback win at Morehead
State. The 13 catches were the most by a Butler player in
more than three decades, matching Mike Chrobot (vs. Dayton, 1978)
for the second-highest single game total in Butler football
history. Watkins accounted for half of Butler’s
completions and 63% of the Bulldogs’ receiving yards against
Morehead State. The sophomore end has had at least two
touchdown catches in three of Butler’s first four games this
season.
Zach Watkins ranks seventh in the NCAA Division I FCS in
receptions/game (8.25).
NATIONAL LEADER: Sophomore safety
Mark Giacomantonio sealed Butler’s victory
at Morehead State with a pass interception in the overtime
period. It was his fourth theft of the season, which ties him
for first in the NCAA Division I FCS in pass interceptions/game
(1.00). Giacomantonio had his first career pass interception
against San Diego last year.
PRESSURE POINT: Defensive end Grant
Hunter spent a good portion of the second half at Morehead
State in the Eagles’ backfield. He recorded three
quarterback sacks and added a tackle for loss on a running
play. He further assisted on a second tackle for loss.
The Butler junior was responsible for 20 of the Eagles’ 58
lost rushing yards! Hunter leads the PFL in both quarterback
sacks (6) and tackles for loss (8.5). He has 20 career
quarterback sacks in his first two seasons with the Bulldogs.
Grant Hunter ranks second in the NCAA Division I FCS in QB
sacks/game (1.50).
RECORD GRAB: Senior wide receiver
Dan Bohrer came up with his 19th career touchdown
catch at Morehead State, giving him sole possession of
Butler’s all-time record. The record-breaking grab came
on a two-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Huck with 2:59 left in
the third quarter. Bohrer also holds Butler’s all-time
record for pass receptions with 160. He’s caught at
least one pass in 23 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.
BULLDOG BITS:
•Butler leads the PFL in scoring offense (40.2), passing
offense (265.5), passing efficiency (153.3) and total offense
(405.8). The Bulldogs also top the circuit in rushing defense
(39.8), pass interceptions (8) and quarterback sacks (16).
•The Bulldogs stand third in the NCAA Division I FCS in
rushing defense, 5th in scoring offense and eighth in total defense
(233.25).
•Senior wide receiver Dan Bohrer ranks fifth
on Butler’s all-time list for receiving yards with
1,923. He needs 11 yards to pass Tom Redmond (1970-72) in
fourth place and 22 yards to pass Paul Page (1983-86) in the No. 3
spot.
•Quarterback Andrew Huck stands 12th in the
NCAA Division I FCS in passing efficiency (153.97) and 14th in
total offense (279.25). He leads the PFL in passing
efficiency, total offense and passing average (246.2).
•Sophomore Zach Watkins ranks fifth in the
NCAA Division I FCS in receiving yards/game (114.25), and
he’s tied for fifth in scoring (10.50). He leads the
PFL in both categories, as well as receptions per game (8.25).
•Sophomore Logan Sullivan scored his first
collegiate points to help send the Bulldogs into overtime at
Morehead State. Sullivan, the holder on Butler’s
special teams, tallied a two-point conversion on Butler’s
third touchdown to tie the game at 21-21.
•Linebacker Derek Guggenberger,
Butler’s leading tackler in each of the past two campaigns,
had a season-high seven tackles, including one quarterback sack,
and a fumble recovery at Morehead State.
•Junior Tadd Dombart had two pass
interceptions at Morehead State giving him seven for his Butler
career. He’s tied for fifth in the PFL in pass
interceptions (0.50).
•Offensive guard Donny Gilmore started his
26th consecutive game for the Bulldogs in last weekend’s win
at Morehead State.
ON THIS DATE: Tailback Steve Roberts became
just the second player in Butler football history to rush for over
200 yards on Oct. 3, 1987. Roberts picked up 246 yards on 34
carries and scored three touchdowns in Butler’s 27-22 victory
at Northeast Missouri State. He had all but six of
Butler’s rushing yards in the game. (Bruce Scifres had
206 rushing yards against Franklin in 1976).
