INDIANAPOLIS – The Davidson Wildcats visited the Selleck Bowl on Saturday afternoon and left with a 49-35 victory over Butler to improve their PFL record to 4-0. The Bulldogs (2-6, 0-5) led the Wildcats 14-7 after the first quarter, but would face a 28-21 halftime deficit. Davidson scored 21 more points in the third frame and the Bulldogs would take us to the 49-35 final score with two touchdowns scattered over the final 15 minutes of play.
 
How It Happened
Butler and Davidson combined for 941 yards of total offense on Saturday afternoon with each team moving the ball up and down the field. The Bulldog script worked to perfection on their first possession of the afternoon. BU used 20 plays to travel 66 yards to find the end zone on their first drive. Bret Bushka found Yogi Flager on a nine-yard TD pass.
 
Davidson answered quickly with Aris Hilliard breaking free on the far side of the field for a 59-yard TD run. BU countered on their next drive in a similar fashion. AJ Deinhart took a handoff and sped by defenders for a 53-yard TD run to close the scoring over the first quarter.
 
The ground game for Davidson proved to be the different in this one and the Wildcats would score on a seven-yard rush to tie the game at 14-14 and moments later take the lead on a three-yard rush by Coy Williams.
 
BU kept the ball on the ground as well and would see Michael Benefield even the scoreboard at 21-21 with 1:06 to play in the first half. The Butler defense couldn't contain Davidson over the final sixty seconds and a 35-yard pass from Louis Colosimo to Mark McCurdy gave the away team a seven point cushion at the half.
 
Davidson scored on all four of their first half possessions and would make it seven in a row after the third quarter. Hilliard scored his second rushing TD of the game to open up the second half and a pass from Colosimo to Bradyn Oakley would make the score 42-21. The final Davidson TD came on a four-yard run from Eli Turner.
 
Butler kept the chains moving in the fourth quarter thanks to Bushka. The BU QB scored on a 14-yard run with 6:17 to play and would later hit Flager for his second TD of the game from 8-yards out.
 
Flager ended the game with 10 catches for 68 yard and two scored. Bushka was a dual threat with 46 rushing yards to go along with 166 through the air. He completed 21 of his 32 pass attempts.
 
Stat of the Game
Butler recorded two more first downs than Davidson and led time of possession 31:44-28:16
 
Inside the Box Score
- There were no turnovers on Saturday and just three punts combined between the two teams
- BU went 7-for-14 on third down and 4-for-6 on fourth down
- Each team cashed in on all four of their red zone chances
- AJ Deinhart rushed the ball 12 times for 96 yards and a TD
- Michael Benefield ended the game with 11 carries for 57 yards and a score
- Jared Suchevits caught three passes for 20 yards
- Mac Menard led the BU defense with 11 tackles
- Gabe Hicks made all three of his stops behind the line of scrimmage for the 'Dawgs
 
Up Next
Butler will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 30 with a game at Dayton.