GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | WATCH
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler Bulldogs will take their 2-1 overall record into PFL action this weekend with a road trip to Stetson. The 12 PM kick-off at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium on Saturday will stream on Hatter Vision (YouTube).
 
GameDay
Date: Saturday, September 23
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: DeLand, Fla. / Spec Martin Stadium
Live Stats: GoHatters.com (SidearmStats)
Watch: Hatter Vision (YouTube)
 
Bulldog Bits
- Nick Bafia earned PFL Defensive Player of the Week honors after Week 3 (Sept. 17).
- Danny Orgler had 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three tackles for loss last Saturday.
- Butler used 442 yards of total offense, a safety, and a defensive touchdown to post a 47-21 win over Wabash.
- Butler's defense limited Wabash to 62 rushing yards in their last game. The Little Giants averaged just 2.3 yards per rush.
- Jyran Mitchell and Kaderris Roberts are tied for the PFL lead in rushing touchdowns (4).
- Mitchell (94.3) and Roberts (88.0) rank 2-3 in the PFL in rushing yards per game.
- Bret Bushka leads the PFL in completion percentage (66.67). He completed 13 of his 18 pass attempts vs. Wabash for 198 yards and two TDs.
- Ethan Loss and Ershod Jasey II each scored their first collegiate touchdown vs. Wabash on Sept. 16.
- BU ranks second in the PFL in scoring offense (36.0 ppg).
- Butler averaged 8.0 yards per play vs. Wabash and now lead the PFL in yards per play this season (6.7).
- Luka Zurak leads all PFL kickers in scoring (28). Zurak is 13-for-13 on PATs and 5-for-6 on FG.
 
2023 PFL Standings
Davidson 1-0, 1-2
Butler 0-0, 2-1
Dayton 0-0, 2-1
Presbyterian 0-0, 2-1
Stetson 0-0, 2-1
Morehead State 0-0, 1-1
St. Thomas 0-0, 1-2
Valparaiso 0-0, 0-2
Drake 0-0, 0-3
San Diego 0-0, 0-3
Marist 0-1, 0-2
 
2023 PFL SCHEDULE - WEEK 4
Butler at Stetson 12:00 p.m.
Marist at Valparaiso 1:00 p.m.
Morehead State at St. Thomas 2:00 p.m.
Dayton at San Diego 5:00 p.m.
St. Andrews at Davidson 7:00 p.m.
 
SCOUTING STETSON: The Hatters are 2-1 at the start of the 2023 season with victories over St. Thomas (Fla.) and Webber International. They topped the Bobcats in overtime Week 1 (34-33) and posted a 10-point win over the Warriors in Week 2. Their first setback was a 57-20 loss at #3 Montana State. Kaderris Roberts and Kaleb Costner each scored a rushing TD that day and Daniel Holbrook (45, 37) added a pair of field goals.
 
Stetson has scored more rushing touchdowns (8) this year than any other PFL team. The Bulldogs have not allowed a rushing TD since Week 1 at Montana.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Bulldogs are 4-1 against Stetson in the all-time series. Butler won the first meeting 35-15 in 2013, but the Hatters won the last meeting 30-27 in 2019.
 
Butler picked up wins over Stetson in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The 'Dawgs have scored at least 23 points in every meeting.
 
BAFIA NAMED PFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nick Bafia's 66-yard interception return for a touchdown capped the day's scoring as Butler defeated Wabash 47-21 in non-conference action Saturday. The Bulldogs defense back had a busy day, finishing with a team-leading 11 tackles (eight solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, and forced a fumble.
 
Bafia has 103 career tackles at BU (23 games). The pick-six vs. the Little Giants was his first collegiate interception.
 
PFL OPENERS: Butler has not won a PFL opener since 2018 when they defeated Morehead State at the Sellick Bowl 24-21.
 
Butler has not opened league play with a win on the road since 2013. That year, they defeated Jacksonville 45-27 at D.B Milne Field behind 38 second half points.
 
'DAWGS PLAYING DEFENSE: The Butler defense provided the team with their first points of the second half vs. Wabash by recording a sack that ended up as a safety. Danny Orgler strip-sacked Liam Thompson and a Little Giant offensive lineman would fall on the ball to give BU two points.
 
Butler's last safety before last weekend occurred on Nov. 4, 2017 at Stetson (Connor Andras).
 
BUSHKA IN BULLDOG HISTORY: QB Bret Bushka needs just seven rushing yards to reach 1,000 in his career. He heads into this weekend with 4,780 career passing yards, the seventh-most all-time at BU. Bushka needs 51 passing yards vs. Stetson to move to sixth place (4,830 - Steve Clayton... 1970-73).
 
Bushka is one of 35 FCS players to make the Preseason Watch List for the Walter Payton Award. He has 35 passing touchdowns in his career and added his 10th rushing TD last Saturday vs. Wabash.
 
GROUND GAME: Butler had five different players gain 10+ yards on a rush against Wabash. Jyran Mitchell led the team with 82 rushing yards and a TD. Ershod Jasey II had the longest run of the game to cover 40 yards.
 
Joey Audia recorded the longest rush and reception of his BU career vs. the Little Giants. Audia got down the sideline for a gain of 24 in the first quarter of the contest. He caught a 27-yard pass in the third quarter.
 
TOP TARGETS: Ethan Loss and Luke Wooten are the top two outside targets for the Bulldogs this season. This duo is responsible for 22 receptions and three touchdowns. The supporting cast has 28 receptions and two TD's.
 
Ethan Loss has caught four passes in all three games this season. He leads the team with 197 receiving yards.
 
FOLLOW THE SCRIPT: Butler has scored a TD on their opening drive in each of their last two games.
 
BU used five plays to cover 66 yards vs. Taylor for a touchdown. Last weekend they traveled 75 yards in nine plays for a TD.
 
STEP UP: Four Bulldogs either set or tied their career-high tackle total vs. Wabash on Saturday night. Lucas Kozlowski (6), Danny Orgler (5), Jeremiah Jackson (4) and George Dristiliaris (3) helped slow down the opposition.
 
THE LAST TIME: Bret Bushka topped 300 passing yards two times last year. The last time he threw for 300+ yards was Oct. 8, 2022 vs. Dayton.
 
Luke Wooten is the last Bulldog to top 100 receiving yards. He had 147 yards in a win at San Diego. Wooten is also the last BU receiver to have multiple touchdowns in the same game (Nov. 19).
 
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will end the month of September with a home game vs. Presbyterian. The Blue Hose joined the Pioneer Football League in 2021.
 
The 1 PM kick-off vs. Presbyterian on Sept. 30 will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.