Full Game Notes (PDF)

The Bulldogs return to the road Saturday, traveling to Kentucky for a Pioneer League Football match-up with Morehead State. The kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
The game will have an audio stream that is available through Morehead State's web site.

Both teams feature a 2-3 mark so far in 2017. Morehead State is 1-1 in PFL play, while Butler is 0-2.

This is the 21^st meeting between the two teams with MSU holding a 14-6 advantage. They have won the last two meetings, including a 54-28 decision in 2016 in Indianapolis. In that match-up, quarterback Malcolm Weaver threw four touchdown passes with two of those going to Pace Temple. MSU's offense was led by quarterback Austin Gahafer and his 465 passing yards and five touchdowns.

Temple, a junior, has picked up right where he left off as a sophomore. Temple has accumulated 507 receiving yards through the team's five games so far this season. He has eclipsed 100 yards in three of the team's past four games and has six 100-yard performances during his career.

Temple had seven grabs for 138 yards in Saturday's loss to Drake. That followed his eight catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 23 at San Diego. His career-high of 156 receiving yards came at Franklin Sept. 9. Temple now has 108 career receptions.  

Temple, a preseason All-Pioneer Football League selection, had 978 receiving yards in 2016, which was 24^th in FCS.

Temple's average of 101.4 receiving yards per game this season is second in the PFL and 14^th nationally. He is averaging 17.5 yards per catch.  

In its last non-conference game of the season, Butler posted a dramatic 27-21 victory over Taylor (Sept. 16) in the closing minutes. After leading for much of the game, Taylor took a 21-20 lead in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Will Marty was able to orchestrate a late drive that included a one-yard touchdown run with seven seconds remaining. That performance came one week after posting 313 yards in the win over Franklin. His 313 passing yards were one short of his career-high 314 that he posted in the 2016 game against Marist.

Nick Weaver had a career-best eight receptions in that win over Taylor. Marty and James Marbaugh connected on the first touchdown reception of his career as Marty spread his 32 completions among nine receivers. Freshman Cam Cooper had career-bests of four catches for 43 yards.

Cooper has played a key role in the return game, averaging 21.5 and 8.4 yards, respectively, on kick-off and punt returns this season. He had season-best returns in the win over Taylor (37 yards on a kick-off return and 32 yards on a punt return). By contrast, Butler has allowed an average of 2.4 yards per punt return, which leads the PFL and is 16th nationally.

Sophomore Drew Bevelhimer made all three of his field goal attempts Saturday against Drake, connecting on kicks of 32, 42, and 43 yards. His final field goal pushed him over 100 career points. Bevelhimer has connected on 20 of his 25 career field goal attempts (80 percent).

Redshirt senior Duvante Lane led the ground attack at Franklin, posting 117 yards on 26 carries. He had two touchdowns in addition to a single reception of 16 yards. It was Lane's third career 100-yard rushing game. His career-high of 29 carries and 156 yards came against Valparaiso in 2016. Lane joined Temple as a preseason All-PFL honoree after finding the end zone nine times last season.

Isaak Newhouse has led the Bulldogs in tackles in three of the team's five games. He had 11 tackles (eight solo) at San Diego. That performance followed a 14-tackle (12 solo) game against Illinois State in the 2017 opener. Newhouse averages 9.6 tackles per game this season, which is third in the PFL. His average of 6.8 solo tackles per game leads the PFL and is sixth nationally.

Ethan Brunhofer led the Bulldogs with eight tackles in the game against Taylor. Brunhofer joined Newhouse as honorable mention All-PFL choices last season. Brunhofer is the team's leading returning tackler with 74 a season ago, including a career-high 12 in the game against Marist. Fellow linebackers David Starkey and Sean Horan had 77 and 75, respectively, before graduating.

Luke Sennett grabbed the second interception of his Butler career at San Diego. He has both of the Bulldogs' picks this season. Sennett had 10 tackles against Drake, which were a team-high. Chad Burdo has a team-best 2.5 sacks so far this season, which is fifth in the PFL. Edge rusher Josh Willis has 11 career sacks, including 1.5 this season.
Butler has averaged 32:03 per game in time of possession, second in the conference. That is highlighted by Butler's offense having the ball for 44:21 minutes Sept. 9 at Franklin. Franklin had possession of the ball for only 4:22 of the second half's 30 minutes.

The Bulldogs have scored on 12 of 13 red zone possessions, including nine touchdowns.

Butler has only committed three turnovers through its five games this season. That leads the PFL. Butler is fifth in FCS in fewest turnovers committed.

Marty, Lane and Newhouse join defensive lineman Connor Andras as the team's four seniors for the 2017 campaign.

Voris, in his 12^th season on the Butler sidelines, enters Saturday's contest with a 66-63 mark at Butler.

Butler was picked to finish seventh in the Pioneer Football League preseason poll. The conference's 11 head coaches voted in the poll and were not allowed to vote for their own team. San Diego was picked as the preseason favorite.

Butler continues conference play next weekend, returning to the Sellick Bowl to host Jacksonville (Saturday, Oct. 14). It is the first of two consecutive home games as Oct. 21 is Homecoming on the Butler campus with Campbell coming to Indianapolis.