Sept. 27, 2006

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

The University of Dayton Flyer football team begins its quest for a ninth Pioneer Football League championship Saturday when the Flyers take on Butler at the Butler Bowl in Indianapolis. Game time is 1:00 p.m. EDT. Dayton comes to the game 3-0 and has won its last six games. Butler is 1-3 under new coach Jeff Vorhis, and 0-1 in the PFL after dropping its league opener 31-7 at home against Jacksonville last Saturday.

SERIES STUFF Dayton leads the series 23-7-1. UD has reeled of 11 straight wins in the series including last year's 41-7 win in Dayton in hte last game of the season on November 5.

CRAMER EARNS PFL, NATIONAL HONORS Junior safety Brandon Cramer is this week's PFL Defensive Player of the Week and one of I-AA.org's four I-AA Weekly All-Stars after his performance in UD's 28-23 win over Austin Peay. The I-AA.org selection covers all of NCAA Division I-AA, not just the mid-major level. Cramer collected three of APSU's four turnovers, and returned his last interception 84 yards for the game-clinching TD.

MAKING HISTORY The 2006 campaign is UD coach Mike Kelly's 26th season as Dayton's head coach, the longest tenure of any UD head coach in any sport.

NO ONE'S DOING IT BETTER Since 2000, UD has the best winning percentage in I-AA football (.841, 58-11) AND has produced the most football Academic All-Americans at any level of competition (12).

UP NEXT Dayton is back home next Saturday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. EDT when the Morehead State Eagles visit Welcome Stadium.

FOR TICKET INFORMATION Contact the UD Ticket Office at 937-229-4433. Football prices are $10 (adults), $5 (youth) and group rates are available. UD students are admitted free with ID.

SELECT COMPANY The University of Dayton was one of six football teams who finished the 2005 season with only one loss. The other teams were Brown, Grambling, Hampton, New Hampshire and San Diego.

KELLY'S HEROES The 2005 Dayton Flyers were just the 18th team in UD history to finish a season with no more than one loss. It is worth noting that 12 of those 18 one-loss-or-better UD teams were also coached by current Dayton head coach Mike Kelly.

DAYTON D UD finished third in NCAA I-AA in scoring defense in 2005, allowing 14.1 points a game. It was the sixth straight year Dayton was ranked in the top ten in points allowed.

KEEPING IT GOING UD has had 29 straight winning seasons, which is the best active streak among NCAA Division I teams. Florida State has also played 29 straight winning seasons. Over the last ten years, UD has averaged 8.6 wins a season. The Flyers have won outright or shared the Pioneer Football League Championship eight times in the 13-year history of the league.

STREAKING UD has not been shut out in 333 straight games, the best such active string in all of college football. The last team to shut out the Flyers was Marshall, 9-0, on October 16, 1976.

QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY Dayton has just two captains for the first time in ten years, but there's no question they are the two best football players on the team. John Hoppe, a preseason All-American, and Kevin Hoyng, the 2005 White-Allen Flyer Football MVP, will serve as captains this year. Hoppe is only the second two-time captain in school history.

TOTALLY Quarterback Kevin Hoyng set the Dayton single-season record for total offense in a season in 2005 (his first year as a starter). He gained 2,547 yards in ten games, breaking Steve Keller's record of 2,460 yards in 14 games in 1991. Hoyng's 4,136 career yards in total offense is third at UD. He needs 116 yards to reach Kevin Johns and second place on the list. Kelly Spiker is the Flyer record holder with 5,138 yards. Hoyng is also fifth in career passing at UD with 3,136 yards. Dan Sharley is fourth (3,229).

HOYNG REPORT Kevin Hoyng has accounted for more than half of UD's offense this season. He is averaging 254.3 yards a game in total offense, while the team is averaging 389.7. Hoyng is second in the PFL in passing efficiency (154.5) and third in total offense per game. Through the air, he is 46 of 72 (.639) for 643 yards and four touchdowns. At Wittenberg, he was 20 of 26 passing for 288 yards.

THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE Starting receivers Nick Ruhe, Matt Champa and Carlton McFadgen have caught 39 of UD's 46 passes so far this season. Split end Ruhe leads with 15 catches for 280 yards (18.7) and two TD's. He is also second in the PFL in receiving yards a game (93.3). He caught six passes for 124 yards in the APSU win. Flanker McFadgen has 14 receptions for 202 yards (14.4). He had six for 118 yards at Wittenberg. Tight end Champa has ten for 91 yards (9.1) and has a TD. McFadgen also has also run the ball five times for 65 yards (12.4 average) and had a 21-yard rushing touchdown.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS Senior wideout Nick Ruhe is also UD's top punt returner. His 10.8 average is second in the PFL. He was all-league as a punt returner in 2005.

SOMETHING ABOUT THE NAME, AND BEING A LEADER Senior linebacker Brian Kelly (no relation) is third in NCAA I-AA and leads the PFL in tackles per game (12.7). He had 14 hits (seven solo, two in the backfield) at Wittenberg, and followed that with 16 (five solo) and a forced fumble in the Austin Peay win.

ON THE HOP Senior John Hoppe has moved from linebacker to "nickel" for the 2006 season, and early returns appear to be business as ususal. Hoppe had nine hits, a forced fumble and pass deflected against RMU, and had eight hits (one in the backfield) and a blocked punt at Wittenberg. He is fifth in the PFL in tackles per game (7.3). INVENTING THE WEALE Linebacker Pat Weale led the Flyers with ten tackles and a fumble recovery in the RMU win.

WAITING FOR CRAMER TO QUALIFY In order to be ranked in the NCAA statistics, players must have played in 75% of a team's games. If not for that little detail, junior safety Brandon Cramer would be tied for the nation's lead in interceptions (1.5 per game).

SCRAMBLE THE INTERCEPTORS Defensive end David Walbright pulled in the first pass of his career in the RMU win, and returned it 23 yards. Backup nickel Steve McDonald sealed UD's win with an interception with 49 seconds left. At Wittenberg, cornerback Casey Klaus intercepted a pass in the first half, and safety Brandon Cramer clinched that win with a pick on the game's last play. Cramer had two against Austin Peay, including one returned 84 yards for what proved to be the game-winning points with 2:27 left in the game.

BIG HOLE TO FILL Cornerback Casey Klaus suffered a career-ending injury just five plays into the Austin Peay game. He fractured the fibula and tibia of his left leg, and after successful surgery to place a rod in the leg, is now recuperating at home.

GAINING GROUND BY COMMITTEE UD has four players who have gained at least 80 yards this season. Tailback Brandon Godsey has 158 yards on 43 carries (3.7) to lead the team. Quarterback Kevin Hoyng is next with 120 yards, followed by tailback Greg Wimberly (93 yards) and fullback Matt Marshall (85 yards). Wimberly had 59 yards on nine attempts (6.6 avg) in the APSU win.

GODSEY TO THE GOAL LINE Tailback Brandon Godsey leads the Flyers in scoring (20) points. No other player has more than 12.

NET-NET Dayton punter Derek Hall is only averaging 31.0 yards a punt, but some of that is due to where he has been punting from. Of his 11 punts, three have been downed inside the 20, and two more have been fair caught. Flyer foes are only averaging 1.8 yards per punt return.

COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH With the outcomes hanging in the balance in both of Dayton's first two games, the Dayton offense came through when it counted. In the fourth quarter this season, UD has converted seven of 12 third downs, and own 8:24 of time of possession, UD's best quarter mark in both categories.

TOPS IN I-AA NON-SCHOLARSHIP In the 13 years I-AA Non-Scholarship has been an option, UD has the best winning percentage (.816, 124-28) of the 21 schools playing at this level. Duquesne's .748 (107-36) is second, followed by Drake (.668, 95-47-1), Robert Morris (.617, 76-47-1) and Albany (.583, 77-55).

FLYER FOOTBALL'S GOLDEN ERA It might seem a reach to say that the present state of Flyer football should be referred as its "Golden Era," but it's also hard to argue with the numbers. Since going to non-scholarship football in 1977, Dayton is 271-54-3, the most successful period in school history. In fact, UD's .831 winning percentage during that time is second in all of college football, behind only Mt. Union's .853.

BEST OF THE DECADE UD has the best winning percentage in I-AA since the new century began (maybe we should have hyped this note as "Best of the Century"). UD's .838 percentage (57-11) leads Montana (.795, 70-18), Penn (.787, 48-13), Duquesne (.783, 54-15), and Grambling (.760, 57-18) and Lehigh (.760, 57-18).

PFL POWER The Flyers' 48-8 PFL record is the best in the 13-year history of the league. UD's eight league championships equal those won by the rest of the PFL combined.

PFL NUMBERS UD leads the Pioneer Football League in punt returns (14.5) and kickoff coverage (40.6), is second in pass efficiency (154.5) and turnover margin (+1.67), and is third in scoring offense (28.0), rushing offense (175.3), total offense (389.47) and sacks allowed (4). Brian Kelly leads the PFL in tackles per game (12.7). Casey Klaus David Walbright and Steve McDonald are all tied for third in interceptions (0.33). Kevin Hoyng is second in the league in passing efficiency (154.5) and is third in total offense (254.3, which is also tenth in NCAA I-AA). Nick Ruhe is second in receiving yardage per game (93.3) and in punt returns (10.8).

WELCOME MAT The UD Flyers moved to Welcome Stadium in 1974. The word "Welcome" implies hospitality, but Dayton has been anything but hospitable to its opponents at home. UD is 180-35-2 (.834) at home. The "Welcome" in Welcome Stadium is not a greeting, but honors the late Percival Welcome, longtime Director of Athletics for the Dayton Public Schools. UD has won 37 of its last 44 home games, and 20 of its last 21 road games (last six straight).

GRAB A PAINT BRUSH The University of Dayton, Dayton Public Schools and the Dayton-Montgomery County Port Authority have signed a letter of agreement to work together to renovate Welcome Stadium. Thanks to the agreement, the Port Authority was able to acquire $1 million from the State of Ohio in this fiscal year. Safety improvements, painting and new seating occurred in the program's first phase, with a new FieldTurf playing surface and a new press box to follow.

RANKING RUN UD is ranked #4 in the latest Sports Network poll and #6 in the Football Gazette ranking. Dayton finished the 2005 season ranked #2 in both the Sports Network and Football Gazette NCAA I-AA Mid-Major rankings. UD spent six straight weeks earlier during the 2005 season at #1. The Flyers have been ranked first in the Sports Network poll at least once in every year since the poll began in 2001. UD has been ranked either first or second in the Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major poll for 60 of a possible 73 weeks the Sports Network poll has been in existence (including #1 32 times).

CAN'T SPELL DAYTON WITHOUT THE D UD finished the 2006 season ranked fifth in NCAA Division I-AA in scoring defense (14.1 points a game). It was the sixth straight season the Flyers have been ranked in the top ten of scoring defense. Dayton was also ranked in scoring offense (3rd, 40.30), total offense (4th, 470.70), rushing offense (6th, 259.40) and passing efficiency (8th, 163.13).

GOTTA PLAY SMART The University of Dayton placed a league-best 11 players on the 2005 Academic All-Pioneer Football League team. Since the league's origin in 1993, over a quarter (124 of 460) of the PFL All-Academic selections have been Dayton Flyers. UD also had 60 players on the PFL Academic Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or better). That was 26 better than the next-best school.

HITTING THE BOOKS The Dayton football program has produced 12 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans since the 2000 season. That's most at any level of college football. Safety Brandon Cramer was named a Second Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America in 2005. In the history of the Academic All-America program, UD has had 44 football Academic All-Americans. Among schools currently playing Division I football, only Nebraska (80) and Notre Dame (45) have had more. UD has had at least one football player named Academic All-American in 14 of the last 15 years. UD had five players named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team, the most of any school in the district for the fifth straight year. Twelve Flyers were nominated for Academic All-America in each of the last three years (2003, 2004 and 2005).

ARTHUR ASHE SCHOLAR Fullback Matt Marshall was one of three Arthur Ashe Scholars from the University of Dayton in 2005-06, the most in UD history.

THE CREAM DOES RISE TO THE TOP UD's 2006 roster includes a number of what some might call "over-achievers." Forty-three current Flyers were in the National Honor Society, and 100 were team captains in some sport. Twenty-four captained two different teams, and 13 were three-sport captains. SUPER STAT When Jon Gruden coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl championship in 2003, he became the second UD grad to coach a Super Bowl winner. Former UD co-captain and 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XII. & XIV) as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Noll started at center and linebacker for the Flyers and graduated from the University in 1953. Gruden played quarterback at Dayton and earned his degree in 1986. UD became only the third school to have two alumni coach Super Bowl winners. The others San Jose State, with grads Bill Walsh (XIV, XIX, XXIII) and Dick Vermeil (XXXIV), and Arkansas with grads Jimmy Johnson (XXVII, XXVIII) and Barry Switzer (XXX). Gruden is the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl, and Noll is the fourth youngest. As a matter of fact, UD has ties to 18 Super Bowl rings. In addition to Noll's four and Gruden's one, five former members of Dayton coaching staff own a total of 13 Super Bowl rings between them. They are the late Len Fontes (New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI), Jon's father Jim Gruden (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowls XXII & XXIV), John McVay (49ers, XVI, XIX, XXII, & XXIV), Tom Moore (Pittsburgh Steelers, XIII & XIV) and George Perles (Steelers, IX, X, XII & XIV). McVay was the Flyers' head coach from 1965-72. The other four were assistants.

GAME #3 -- DAYTON 28, AUSTIN PEAY 23 Brandon Cramer returned the second of two interceptions 84 yards for what proved to be the game-deciding points Saturday, as the University of Dayton football team downed Austin Peay 28-23 in Dayton. The Flyers are now 3-0 on the season and have won six straight games, while the much-improved Governors fell to 1-3 against a tough schedule. Dayton was led by quarterback Kevin Hoyng, who threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Hoyng completed 13 of 24 passes and had touchdown throws of three yards to Carlton McFadgen in the second period and 34 yards to Nick Ruhe in the third. Hoyng moved past Steve Keller into third on UD's career total offense list during the game. Hoyng's 4,163 yards trail only Kevin Johns (4,252) and Kelly Spiker (5,138). Ruhe finished with six catches for 124 yards. The two teams took a while to get going. Austin Peay took the opening kickoff, but punted to UD. The two teams traded missed field goals on the next two possessions, and then the Flyers had their first punt of the day. APSU threw an interception after the punt, but then UD fumbled it back to the Govs. But on the first play after the fumble, Austin Peay quarterback Mark Cunningham threw a 59-yard scoring pass to Lanis Frederick with 11:36 left in the second quarter to give the Governors a 7-0 lead. The Flyers countered with 21 unanswered points - Hoyng to McFadgen to make it 7-7 at halftime, Hoyng to Ruhe with 9:52 left in the third quarter and Greg Wimberly's 27-yard run with 5:40 to go in the third period - to lead 21-7 after three quarters. A fumbled snap on a punt gave Austin Peay new life on the UD 12-yard line, and after Austin Peay scored on Chris Fletcher's 1-yard run and a 29-yard Ross Coffee field goal in the fourth quarter, the score was Dayton 21, Austin Peay 17 with 6:55 left. A punt into the wind gave the Govs the ball at midfield, and after one first down, Cramer picked off a deep post at the 16 and brought it back 84 yards, picking up two key downfield blocks from linebacker Brian Kelly and nickel John Hoppe. Cramer's pick and play gave the Flyers a 28-17 lead with 2:27 left. But Austin Peay had one more drive to make, going 80 yards in a minute, twenty-six with Cunningham hitting Frederick from 13 yards out with 56 second left to play. The pass for a two -point conversion fell incomplete, and when the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, UD needed two kneel-downs to run out the clock. Kelly led the Dayton defense with 16 tackles (five solo) with a forced fumble and a pass batted away. Cramer also had nine hits (four solo) a pass batted down and a fumble recovery. Wimberly led UD with a season-best 59 yards rushing in nine attempts.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK vs. AUSTIN PEAY OFFENSE-Nick Ruhe, Senior QB from Ottawa, OH DEFENSE--Brandon Cramer, Junior S from Toledo, OH SPECIAL TEAMS--Josh DeLoddere, Senior LB from Mishawaka, IN SCOUT-Bobby Burger, Freshman DE from Cincinnati, OH SCOUT-Josh Menendez, Sophomore TB from Chagrin Falls, OH