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Bulldogs Close Out 2006 Campaign At Davidson
Nov. 8, 2006 END GAME: Butler (3-7, 2-4 PFL) will close out the 2006 season on the road when it visits Pioneer Football League foe Davidson (5-4, 4-2 PFL) on Saturday, Nov. 11. The final game for both teams is slated for 1 p.m. (EDT) at Richardson Stadium in Davidson, N.C. Butler is wrapping up a campaign that has already exceeded expectations. The Bulldogs, coming off an 0-11 season, were picked last in the PFL in the preseason poll of league coaches, but they've already clinched at least a tie for fifth in the final league standings. They've also already matched Butler's victory total for the previous three seasons combined. A fourth victory would be the most by a Butler team since 2002. The Bulldogs snapped both an 18-game losing streak and a nine-game home field losing skid earlier this season, and now they're looking to end a 21-game road slide. Both teams are trying to rebound from a PFL loss last weekend. The Bulldogs fell at home to Morehead State, 14-7, while Davidson dropped a 35-15 decision at Drake. The Wildcats are 2-2 in Richardson Stadium this season. Butler's last road win came at Valparaiso in November of 2002. BIG PLAY DAY: Visiting Morehead State turned three big plays into 14 points against the Bulldogs and that proved to be enough for the Eagles to record their second victory of the season. Four plays into the game, Morehead State's Erick Fitzpatrick returned a punt 34 yards to the Butler 44-yard line, setting up a 43-yard Brian Yost to Matu Bundy pass on the Eagles' first offensive play of the game! That led to Morehead State's first touchdown less than two minutes into the contest. The visitors' final score came on a 40-yard touchdown run by fullback Jabari McGee early in the fourth quarter. Butler had tied the score on a 22-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback T. J. Brown to junior wide receiver Tom Mulvihill in the second quarter. Nearly 30% of Morehead State's 279 total yards came on just two plays. SPECIAL HONOR: Senior punter Phil Buchanan celebrated Butler's "Senior Day" with his best performance of the season, and his effort earned him Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Buchanan averaged a season-best 40.6 yards on eight punts against Morehead State. He dropped two punts inside the Morehead State 20-yard line, including a 63-yard kick to the visitor's one-yard line! The Butler kicker also pulled double-duty as a wide receiver, and he finished with a career-best three catches for a team- and career-high 40 yards! Phil Buchanan ranks fourth in the PFL in punting (36.6 ypp). GROUND CONTROL: Butler limited Morehead State to just 148 rushing yards on 41 attempts, and 94 of those yards came in the fourth quarter! That effort came just one year after Morehead State rushed for 338 yards in a 58-10 victory over the Bulldogs. Butler limited the Eagles to just 17 rushing yards on 15 attempts in the first half. Butler ranks second in the PFL in rushing defense (126.3 ypg ). SELECT GROUP: Junior T. J. Brown became just the 11th quarterback in Butler football history to pass for 1,500 yards in a season during the Bulldogs' game with Morehead State. Brown completed 12 of 30 passes for 116 yards against the Eagles, boosting his season totals to 158 completions 1,572 yards. He has 10 touchdown passes, and seven interceptions on the year. The Butler signal caller threw for a career-high 267 yards in Butler's victory over Dayton in the Butler Bowl earlier this season. T. J. Brown has completed at least 11 passes in seven consecutive games. EARLY CELEBRATION: One day before his 21st birthday, junior Dale Murzyn turned in a career-best effort for the Bulldogs against Morehead State. The Butler safety led both teams with a career-high 11 total tackles, including a team-high six solo stops. He also forced a Morehead State fumble, and he came up with Butler's lone fumble recovery in the contest. Murzyn is one of just two Butler players (Mike Marzotto is the other) to record ten or more tackles in a game this season. Dale Murzyn is tied for third in the PFL in forced fumbles (0.30 pg). FAMILY AFFAIR: Brothers Mike and Chris Marzotto combined for 15 tackles against Morehead State. Mike, a junior linebacker finished with eight total tackles, while Chris, a junior defensive end, had seven total stops. Mike had three solo tackles and five assists, while Chris chipped in with five solo tackles and two assists. Chris also had one and a half quarterback sacks (for a loss of 10 yards) and two and a half tackles for loss. Chris has a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss, including a team-best seven quarterback sacks, on the year, while Mike stands second on the squad with 9.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks! Mike and Chris Marzotto have combined for over 100 tackles this season. GIVE AND TAKE: Butler has slipped to third in the PFL in turnover margin (+8). The Bulldogs have recovered 12 fumbles and have had nine pass interceptions on the year, while losing four fumbles and nine passes. BULLDOG BITS: •Senior cornerback Collin McGann suffered a sprained knee early in the Morehead State game, and he'll be sidelined for Butler's final game at Davidson. He's Butler's sixth-leading tackler (33). •Sophomore placekicker Jordan Quiroz ranks second in the PFL in field goals with eight. Quiroz had connected on six consecutive field goal attempts, prior to having his 42-yard attempt against Morehead State blocked. •The 12 points Quiroz scored against Valparaiso on Oct. 21 are the most kick-scoring points in a game by a PFL player this season. •Jordan Quiroz ranks third in the PFL in PAT kicking accuracy (16-17, 94.1%). He's converted his last 15 PAT attempts. •Junior wide receiver Nate Miller missed the Morehead State game because of a sore shoulder, and he's questionable for the Davidson contest. Miller ranks second in the PFL in pass receptions (5.78 pg) and stands sixth in the league in receiving yards (61.2 pg). He has caught at least one pass in his last 21 Butler games. •Junior Tom Mulvihill recorded his first career touchdown catch with his 22-yard scoring reception against Morehead State. •Junior Mike Marzotto leads the Bulldogs and ranks third in the PFL in tackles with 79 (7.9 pg). He's tied for sixth in the league in quarterback sacks (4.0/0.40 pg). •Junior Chris Marzotto is tied for second in the PFL in tackles for loss (12.5/1.25 pg), and he's third in the league in quarterback sacks (7.0/0.70 pg). Nearly 40% of his tackles have come in the opponents' backfield. •Junior defensive lineman Richard Alcala is tied for the lead in the PFL in fumble recoveries with three in 10 games. Teammate Ryan Schmidtz is tied for third in the league with two fumble recoveries. •Junior safety Alex Davis is tied for third in the PFL in pass interceptions with four (0.40 pg), while sophomore Ryan Schmidtz stands seventh with three thefts (0.33 pg). •Butler junior linebacker Mike Marzotto is tied for fourth among active PFL players in career tackles with 188. Senior linebacker Dave Inman stands sixth in career tackles with 179. Senior Phil Buchanan ranks second among active PFL players in career punting average with a four-year, 37.9 mark.
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