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INDIANAPOLIS – Football will return to the Sellick Bowl this weekend as the Butler Bulldogs host the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats at 6 PM. Free t-shirts will be handed out to the first 1,000 fans courtesy of Pepsi!
 
Bulldog Bits
- Attendance at Target Field was 34,544. Total attendance from all 11 games in 2018 reached 37,146.
- Butler scored the first 10 points of the third quarter vs. #1 NDSU.
- Nine of Butler's 14 first downs vs. NDSU came in the second half.
- Nick Mahalak made a tackle for loss vs. NDSU
- Eight different Bulldogs recorded a catch in the season opener.
- Drew Dingman punted the ball seven times vs. NDSU and averaged 37.9 yards per punt.
- Kavon Samuels led BU with 114 all-purpose yards. 107 kickoff-return yards, four receiving, three rushing.
- Butler was one of eight FCS programs to recover two fumbles in their first game of the season.
- Mason Brunner, Luke Sennett, Brad Sznajder and John McArthur are team captains in 2019.
- Jeff Voris enters his 14th season at Butler. He has recorded 74 wins since taking over in 2006.
 
SCOUTING IWU: Indiana Wesleyan is an NAIA program located in Marion, Ind. The Wildcats are led by Head Coach Jordan Langs who enters his fourth year as head coach. Last season the team finished with a 7-3 record.
 
The Wildcats return their two leading rushers from last year, Devodney Alford and Joshua McKenzie. Alford and McKenzie combined for 21 total touchdowns and 1,724 total yards last year.
 
Indiana Wesleyan also returns its leading passer and receiver from last season. Senior quarterback, Zack Blair, tossed 15 touchdowns last year and added another rushing touchdown, while throwing for over 1,800 yards. Blair's main target was junior wide receiver Brayden Smith, who accounted for over a third or Blair's total passing yards. Smith caught 58 passes last year for 787 yards and 7 touchdowns.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Indiana Wesleyan returns two of its three leading tacklers. Linebackers Adam Schantz and Payton Marksbury tied for second on the team last season with 62 total tackles each while both totaled more than 5 tackles for loss each.
 
The Wildcats' specialist, Ben VonGunten, returns as the team's Kicker/Punter for next season. VonGunten connected on 9 of 16 field goals last season while also punting for 1,100 yards on 29 attempts.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: This is the first meeting between Butler and Indiana Wesleyan. The Wildcats inaugural season was their 2018 campaign.
 
DELGROSSO DELIVERS A TD: Dan DelGrosso scored the first TD of the 2019 season for Butler on a fumble recovery at NDSU. It was the first time a Bulldog has returned a fumble for a TD since 2013.
 
29 was a lucky number for Butler in the season opener. Drew Bevelhimer scored the first points of the season on a 29-yard FG and DelGrosso rumbled 29 yards for a defensive touchdown.
 
IT'S GOOD: Drew Bevelhimer has made more field goals in his BU career than any other Bulldog. The senior from Indianapolis went 1-for-2 in the opener vs. NDSU. He missed from 52 yards out at the end of the first half, but opened the third quarter with a make from 29-yards out.
 
Bevelhimer has made 37 field goals in his BU career. His longest made FG was a 47-yarder (2016).
 
MASON MAKIN' PLAYS: LB Mason Brunner recorded 73 tackles a year ago with two sacks. He opened the 2019 season with a team-high 10 tackles against NDSU.
 
Brunner was responsible for the first takeaway of the 2019 season. He recovered a fumble in the first quarter.
 
Phil Steele's 2019 Preseason All-Pioneer League Teams: Mickey Kane and Luke Sennett are first-team honorees; Mason Brunner and Drew Bevelhimer are second-team selections; Brad Sznajder and Stephen Dennis are each members of the third-team.
 
MCARTHUR ANCHORS THE O-LINE: John McArthur is the only returning starter from last year's offensive line unit that helped BU average136 rushing yards per game.
 
Butler only allowed one sack vs. #1 NDSU.
 
HOME OPENERS: Butler is 11-2 in home openers under the guidance of head coach Jeff Voris.
 
SENNETT RETURNS AT SAFETY: Luke Sennett recorded a team-best 104 tackles during the 2018 season. He was the first Bulldog to reach 100+ since 2012 (Jordan Ridley - 101).
 
BRAD SZNAJDER IS BACK: RB Brad Sznajder rushed for 58 yards against NDSU. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry and was responsible for the longest rush of the day at 15 yards.
 
PFL WEEK 2 SCHEDULE
Marist at Georgetown 12:30 p.m.
Dayton at Indiana State 1:00 p.m.
UC Davis at San Diego 5:00 p.m.
Louisiana College at Stetson 6:00 p.m.
Indiana Wesleyan at Butler 6:00 p.m.
Virginia Lynchburg at Davidson 6:00 p.m.
Truman State at Drake 7:00 p.m.
Morehead State at Illinois State 7:30 p.m.
 
PFL Standings
Morehead State 1-0
Davidson 1-0
San Diego 0-1
Jacksonville 0-1
Butler 0-1
Drake 0-1
Valparaiso 0-1
Dayton 0-0
Marist 0-0
Stetson 0-0
 
UP NEXT: Butler will host Taylor at the Sellick Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kick-off is set for 6 PM.