GAME 2:  Butler (0-1, 0-0 PFL) vs. TRUMAN STATE (0-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 6  |  1PM
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. | Sellick Bowl
Watch: FloSports

OF NOTE:
- Butler opened the season with a 38-14 loss at Northern Iowa Saturday. 
- Saturday serves as the first home game leading the Butler program for head coach Kevin Lynch. He was hired in December after serving as Ball State's offensive play caller last year, and was the Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach for the Cardinals during the 2024 season.
- Butler has won four straight home openers. 
- The Bulldogs are 15-4 when playing at the Sellick Bowl over the last three years. 
- Butler was picked fourth in the 2025 Pioneer Football League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Jeremiah Jackson and Danny Orgler represent Butler on the 2025 Preseason All-PFL Team.
- Jackson led the Bulldogs with nine tackles Saturday at Northern Iowa and set a school record last year with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Stetson.
- Reagan Andrew ranked third in the PFL last year in completion percentage and passing efficiency. He was seventh in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He threw for 189 yards and one touchdown Saturday at Northern Iowa. 
- A year ago, Butler's offense led the PFL in scoring offense, red zone offense, 3rd down conversions, first downs, fewest sacks allowed, fewest tackles for loss allowed, and fewest penalties.
- In 2024, the BU defense ranked Top-10 among all FCS teams in in total defense, scoring defense, red zone defense, passing yards allowed, and first downs allowed.
- Butler scored on 47 of their 51 trips to the red zone in 2024. They opened the year scoring on 28-straight over the first seven weeks of the season.
- Butler added 29 newcomers to the 2025 roster, including transfers from Ball State, Idaho, and Toledo, and Tulane. 

WEEK 1 RECAP: Butler took a brief 14-10 midway through the second quarter, but the final 30 minutes belonged to the home team as Northern Iowa scored 21 points after the intermission to post the 38-14 victory. UNI had a 448-336 advantage in total yards for the game after Butler held a 241-169 edge in the first half. UNI had 213 rushing yards on 31 carries for an average of 6.9 yards per play.

RIGHT WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Butler quarterback Reagan Andrew accounted for both Bulldog touchdowns against Northern Iowa Saturday – one by air and one by ground – throwing for 189 yards while running for 75. The dual-threat signal-caller ranked sixth in the PFL in total offense during the 2024 season, averaging 190.3 yards per game.

SCOUTING TRUMAN STATE: The contest on Saturday will be the first meeting between Butler and Truman State, a Division II program that went 8-4 last season. Over the offseason, Truman State removed the interim tag for head coach Kellen Nesbitt. Coach Nesbitt helped the team win eight of their last nine games, marking the fifth-straight season for Truman State to notch eight or more wins.

Truman State fell to Washburn, 20-17, in their 2025 opener Saturday. Truman State is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), which is headquartered in Indianapolis and also includes the University of Indianapolis. 

HOME OPENERS: Butler has won four straight home openers, including a 2024 Week 1 win over Upper Iowa, which is also a member of the GLVC. The Bulldogs defeated Upper Iowa, 40-7. The Bulldogs averaged 7.9 yards per play and ended the day with 388 yards of total offense.

NOT AT A LOSS FOR YARDS: Ethan Loss ranked second in the PFL last year in receiving touchdowns, third in yards per reception, and tenth in receiving yards. Loss surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards last year. He began the 2025 season with eight catches for 81 yards Saturday at Northern Iowa. 

I HAVE GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS: The Bulldogs return three players that were selected to Phil Steele's Postseason All-PFL Teams in 2024, but 11 other student-athletes left the program. WR Ethan Loss, LB Jeremiah Jackson, and LS Jason Hicks all return to their roles in 2025.

Butler also returns QB Reagan Andrew. In 2024, Andrew passed for 1,717 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for 566 yards and eight scores.

2024 RECAP: The Bulldogs won nine games in 2024, marking their highest total since 2013 when Butler shared the PFL crown with Marist (7-1). BU opened the year 5-0, defeated Davidson for the first time since 2016 and notched their first-ever win over St. Thomas.

Butler received votes in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll before the start of the 2024 season and were ranked No. 23 heading into the season finale.

RECENT SUCCESS: Butler is 23-11 over their last three seasons, winning seven games in both 2022 and 2023 followed by nine in 2024.

SIDELINE SHAKEUP: First-year head coach Kevin Lynch kept five assistant coaches from last year's staff while adding seven new football minds to the program. The offensive coordinator will be Colin Johnson and Jordan Belfiori was added to serve as the defensive coordinator. Special Teams will once again run through Joe Cheshire.

Kevin Lynch's father, Bill, coached at Butler from 1985-89 and won 36 games over that five-year stretch. He won over 70 percent of his games while on the sideline at BU and was the first coach to accomplish that feat since Pat Page did it from 1920-25!
 
'DAWGS ON D: Butler returns seven starters to a defensive unit that only allowed 16.3 points per game last year, the third-best scoring defense in the country. BU ranked sixth among their FCS peers in total defense limiting the opposition to just 292 yards per game. The Bulldogs also ranked sixth in FCS football in passing yards allowed (158) and seventh in red zone defense.

Butler came up with consecutive shutouts last year for the first time since 1947! The Bulldogs defeated Hanover 53-0 in Week 3 then dominated the action vs. Virginia-Lynchburg in Week 4 (63-0).

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to the road for a Saturday game at Hanover. The kick is set for 1:30 p.m. in southern Indiana. Following another road game at Weber State Sept. 20, Butler returns to the Sellick Bowl Sept. 27 to host Marist. The game serves as the PFL opener for the Bulldogs and it will be Homecoming Weekend on the Butler campus. 

2025 PFL SCHEDULE - WEEK 2 (TIMES ET)
Thomas More at Dayton - 12PM
Truman State at Butler - 1PM
Bucknell at Marist - 1PM
Presbyterian at Furman - 2PM
St. Thomas at No. 10/11 Idaho - 3PM
Warner at Stetson - 6PM
Davidson at Elon - 6PM
Morehead State at No. 7/7 Illinois State - 7PM
Adrian at Valparaiso - 7PM
#24/rv Southern Utah at San Diego - 9PM
Bye Week: Drake