GAME NOTES | ESPN+ | AUDIO | LIVE STATS
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will kick-off the 2018 season at #24 Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon. Fans can catch the game live on ESPN+ at 2 PM.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler ranked third in the PFL last year in total defense (354.4).
- The Bulldogs only allowed 110.4 yards on the ground last year, the second-best mark in the PFL.
- BU averaged 21 first downs per game in '17.
- Butler ranked third in the PFL in 3rd down conversions (42.9%).
- The Bulldogs were the second-least penalized team in the PFL one year ago.
- Butler finished the year +7 in turnover margin.
- BU tied San Diego for the top spot in the conference in time of possession.
- BU led the league in Red Zone efficiency (87.8, 36/41 - 25 TDs, 11 FGs).
- Drew Bevelhimer led the PFL in made field goals last year with 16.
- Pace Temple became the fourth Bulldog in program history to eclipse 1,000 yards in '17
- Temple had five 100-yard receiving games in '17 moving him to second in career yards at BU with 2,267 (1st - Zach Watkins, 2,994)
 
SEASON OPENERS: Butler is 6-6 in season openers under the direction of head coach Jeff Voris. The 'Dawgs won five-straight season openers from 2007-11, but have gone 1-5 since.
 
Butler lost 45-0 at Illinois State last year in the season opener.
 
BU VS. THE PENGUINS: Butler and Youngstown State last met on the gridiron during the 2014 season with the Penguins earning a 44-13 win at Stambaugh Stadium. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-3 lead after the first quarter, but a 28-3 second quarter would determine the outcome. YSU added a field goal in the third and finished off the fourth with 10 more points.
 
Butler's only other meeting vs. YSU under Voris was a 31-7 setback at YSU during the 2010 season.
 
TEMPLE THE TOP TARGET: WR Pace Temple nearly accounted for half of Butler's receiving yards in 2017 by hauling in 65 catches for 1,075 yards. He averaged 16.5 yards per catch and 97.7 yards per game.
 
Pace Temple scored four touchdowns last year. His longest grab of the season was 40 yards.
 
MARTY UNDER CENTER: Will Marty returns as the BU starting QB in 2018. Marty threw for 2,198 yards in 2017 averaging 200 passing yards per contest. He ended his junior campaign with seven touchdowns through the air and two on the ground.
 
Will Marty completed 58.6 percent of his pass attempts in 2017.
 
RUNNING BACK BATTLE: Brad Sznajder and Anthony Scaccia will split time at RB this season with both Duvante Lane and Sam Schrader departing due to graduation. Sznajder and Scaccia combined for 473 rushing yards in 2017.
 
SENETT AT SAFETY: Junior Luke Sennett is the top returning tackler on the team for Butler. Sennett recorded 57 tackles and also led the team with four interceptions.
 
Follow us on Twitter @ButlerUFootball
 
BRUNNER AT BACKER: Mason Brunner is penciled in as the team's starting middle linebacker for the 2018 season. Brunner recorded the second-highest tackle total of any returner from the 2017 season with 53. He made two tackles behind the line of scrimmage and added a sack to his stat line.
 
Seven of Butler's top ten tacklers from last season are gone in 2018. Joining Sennett and Bruner in the top ten from a year ago is linebacker Xavier Colvin.
 
BE SPECIAL: All-Conference kicker Drew Bevelhimer highlights the special team unit this season. Mason Brunner will handle the snap and Cameron Towns will put down the hold.
 
Bevelhimer connected on 16 of 21 field goal attempts last year. He went 30-32 on PATs.
 
UPPERCLASSMEN UP FRONT: QB Will Marty will have two seniors to his right, two juniors to his left another senior up the middle at center to form an experienced offensive line this year.
 
Butler only allowed seven sacks last year.
 
NEW COACHES: Colin Johnson will coach the offensive line this year and Craig Neece will take over as the tight end coach. Bryan Bing will be on the other side coaching up the BU defensive tackles.
 
BU coaches Kyle Conner ('01), Derek Day ('09) and Spencer Summerville ('10) are all Butler grads.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT: Austin Schwantz, Mickey Kane, and Devin Aguilar will all see significant playing time this year as redshirt freshmen. Schwantz is slated to start at tight end, while Kane will line up at defensive end. Aguilar will line up outside Kane at cornerback.
 
Adam Baker and Joe Zuccari are two other redshirt-freshmen that appear on the two-deep depth chart. Baker is a wide receiver, Zuccari is a cornerback.
 
WHERE YOU FROM?: A full roster breakdown features 37 players from Illinois, 25 players from Ohio, 15 players from Indiana, six players from North Carolina, four from both Maryland and Georgia, three from both Michigan and Kentucky, two from both Virginia and Texas, and singles from Tennessee, Iowa, Colorado, and Missouri.
 
Butler starting defensive tackle Ugo Udeogu is from Imo, Nigeria.
 
SHOOT UP THE STANDINGS: Butler finished the 2017 season 6-5 overall with a 4-4 mark in the PFL. They finished in a tie for sixth in the conference standings alongside Dayton. The 2018 Preseason Poll has Butler in a tie with Valpo for fourth place.
 
10 of Butler's 11 projected starters on offense are upperclassmen. 9 of 11 on defense.
 
UP NEXT: Butler will play at Taylor in week two of the regular season. Kick-off is slated for 6 PM in Upland, Ind.