VALPARAISO – Valparaiso outscored Butler 14-0 in the fourth quarter to secure a 35-17 victory at Brown Field. Will Marty and Pace Temple connected on two touchdown passes in the second quarter to erase a 14-0 Crusader lead, but the final 15 minutes would belong to the home team, giving Valpo their first win of the season.
 
The Crusaders forced a BU three-and-out after opening kickoff and would punch their first drive into the end zone after nine plays. Seewald found Norberg for 22 yards and a successful point after would give the Crusaders a 7-0 lead.
 
Butler's second possession was another three-and-out and the Bulldogs would quickly find themselves down 14-0 with Valpo scoring from a yard out. The 12-play, 54-yard drive was capped off by Boxrucker crossing the goal line.
 
The offense got rolling in the second quarter for Butler with QB Will Marty spreading the ball around. Completions went to Brad Huth, Brad Sznajder, Stephen Dennis and Pace Temple to create the first points of the day. The BU touchdown would go from Marty to Temple from five yards out.
 
Butler got an important stop on Valpo's next possession and the hot offense marched back down the field to knot the score at 14-14. Sznajder got loose on the nine-play drive to get BU down the field. Marty would once again find Temple in the end zone, this time from four yards out.
 
The 14-14 halftime score would not last long as Valpo took the opening kickoff of the second half to the house. Gessinger fielded the kick at the three and went 97 yards the other way to regain the Valpo lead. Butler would answer with three points on their next possession on a 39-yard attempt from Drew Bevelhimer. Those would be the only points of the quarter the rest of the way for either team.
 
The fourth quarter told the rest of the story as the home team got a big stop and turned it into points. Butler went for it on fourth and one from the Valpo 37-yard line, but Marty would lose a yard on the rushing attempt. Valpo took control of the game by scoring on their next possession. Boxrucker scored his second TD of the game from five-yards away.
 
A costly interception would eliminate any chance of a BU comeback as Marty's first pass of the following possession would land in the hands of Messler. He returned the pick all the way down to the two-yard line where Boxrucker would do the rest. His third TD of the game came on the very next snap.
 
Boxrucker only had 10 total carries in the game. He took those for 40 yards which included the three touchdowns. The team leader in rushing yards was Cartales with 84 off 24 attempts.
 
Valpo went 14-for-18 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down. That combined with two Butler turnovers and a big-time kick-off return would lead the Crusaders to victory.
 
The usual suspects would lead the Butler offense on Saturday at Valparaiso. Marty ended the game 19-for-30 which resulted in 197 yards. Each one of his TD passes went to Temple who ended the day with eight grabs for 86 yards. The rushing attack was supplied by Sznajder who came up with 79 yards on 16 attempts.
 
On the other side of the ball, Butler got a huge lift from Luke Sennett. The redshirt junior led all players with 15 tackles and an interception. Eric Stepp and Carter Raleigh were active with nine and eight tackles respectively. The lone sack of the day went to Mickey Kane, giving him four on the season.
 
Butler will return to action next Saturday at the Sellick Bowl. The 'Dawgs will host preseason favorite San Diego at 12 PM.