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INDIANAPOLIS – The final game of the 2021 spring season will be played Saturday at Morehead State. The Bulldogs and the Eagles played earlier this year on April 3. The rematch at Jayne Stadium is set for 4 PM on ESPN+
 
Bulldog Talk
- Connor Reid led BU with 11 tackles vs. Drake and recorded the first interception of his Bulldog career.
- Tommy Carlsen also made 11 tackles last Saturday to give him a team-high 29 tackles on the season.
- Eloi Bigirimana matched his career-best performance with five tackles against Drake.
- Bret Bushka tossed the first TD pass of his career vs. Drake. He completed six passes for 95 yards.
- Luka Popovic scored the first TD of his young career in the fourth quarter vs. Drake.
- Grant Stegman caught a team-high four passes vs. Drake.
- OL Ben Treece, Grant Purlee and Skyler Spetter have started each game for BU this season.
- Butler is the least penalized team in the PFL.
- Nick Orlando scored two TDs the last time BU played MSU. One 11-yard pass and one 1-yard rush.
- There were six total interceptions the last time these two teams met.
 
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE: The Eagles have won their last two games and head into Saturday with a 3-3 overall record. QB Mark Pappas leads an aerial attack that ranks third in the PFL in passing offense (235.5). The Eagles also defend the pass better than any other team in the conference (144.3). They have a conference-best 13 interceptions in 2021 and rank second in sacks with 10. LB Vincent Winey is one of the top tacklers in the conference.  He has 61 total, an average of 10 stops per Saturday. The 'Dawgs will also need to game plan for DL Vaughn Taylor. The senior has a team-high three sacks and six tackles for loss.
 
PFL Defensive Player of the Week Brandon Barbee had two interceptions last Saturday, giving him five on the year. He had five tackles and a pick in the first meeting vs. BU.
 
REMATCH FROM APRIL 3: Butler and Morehead State will meet for the second time this month, this time on ESPN+. In the first meeting, BU rushed for 185 yards behind a strong performance from Kavon Samuels, but gave up 382 yards through the air. Turnovers were critical in the outcome with BU tossing four picks in the setback.
 
Kavon Samuels rushed 25 times for 108 yards and Johnny O'Shea would bring down eight receptions for a team-high 108 yards.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Morehead State leads the all-time series 16-8. Butler's last win over the Eagles came in 2018, 24-21.
 
The first-ever meeting between these two programs was played in 1963. The Eagles won the first five matchups. Butler's first win came at home in 2001, 29-27.
 
LAST SATURDAY: Drake scored 23 points in the second quarter to post a 33-7 win over Butler at the Sellick Bowl. Heavy rain came down for much of the game. The 'Dawgs were limited to just 28 rushing yards, while Drake posted 225 yards on the ground. QB Ian Corwin entered the game in the second quarter and would be named PFL Offensive Player of the Week the next day. He went 7-for-8 in pass attempts for 75 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed six times for 67 yards.
 
Butler broke-up the shutout with a fourth quarter TD pass from Bret Bushka to Luka Popovic.
 
SEASON FINALE: The Bulldogs have not won their regular season finale since 2013 when they defeated Morehead State 58-27. The 'Dawgs went 7-1 in the conference that season and would host Tennessee State in the NCAA Playoffs as the PFL's first automatic bid.
 
2013 was Butler's first appearance in the NCAA Division I FCS Championship.
 
NEW RECIPE: Butler had three different players complete a pass last Saturday, seven different players take a hand-off and 11 different Bulldogs catch a pass in the set-back to Drake.
 
Luka Popovic, Colin Kelly, Wayne Dixie, and Matthew Kentgen all recorded their first reception of the season in the Battle of the Bulldogs.
 
BULLDOG DEFENSE: Six players on the roster have recorded at least one tackle in all five games this season. Tommy Carlsen, Devin Aguilar, Bradley Magee, Mike Manning, Mickey Kane and Thomas Rousseau make up that list.
 
Aguilar was the best defensive player on the field the first time these two teams met. He had 10 tackles and an interception.
 
KAVON WITH THE CARRY: Kavon Samuels is the only player on the roster with 10+ carries in a single game for BU. He has three games with 20+ carries this season, but is coming off a season-low seven rush attempts.
 
Samuels rushed the ball 25 times in the first meeting vs. MSU, setting a new season and career-high.
 
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