FCS Preview: Dayton Flyers Host St. Thomas In A Pioneer Football League Showdown
The University of Dayton football team returns home looking to even its Pioneer Football League record when St. Thomas comes to Dayton on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Dayton is 2-2 overall after last week's 40-25 loss at San Diego in the PFL opener. Saturday's game is a matchup of a charter member of the PFL -- Dayton was part of the leagues founding in 1993 -- and the newest member -- St. Thomas, who joined in 2022. The Flyers cut a 24-point deficit to eight points (and had the ball) early in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome six turnovers in last week's 40-25 loss at San Diego. Dayton leads the PFL in plays run (294), and is second in scoring (34.8). Dante Casciola leads the PFL in passing efficiency (147.14), Cole Dow is tied for first in TD's (8), Gavin Lochow leads in yards per catch (24.8) and Aiden McKinley is tied for first in tackles (9.0).
700 CLUB
The Flyers are one of nine FCS teams to win 700 games. The previous eight members of the FCS 700 Win Club are Yale, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, North Dakota State, Dartmouth, Delaware and Lehigh.PFL POWER
• The Pioneer Football League is in its 31st season. The original (and now the only) Division I strictly need-based football league began with charter members Butler, Dayton, Drake, Evansville, San Diego and Valparaiso. • The Flyers' 136-47 record is the best in PFL history. • UD's 12 league championships are the most in PFL history. San Diego also has 12.FLYER AT THE HELM
• Trevor Andrews was named the University of Dayton's head football coach on Dec. 12, 2022. • A 1998 Dayton graduate, he brings 25 years of college coaching experience to his alma mater. • Andrews was a three-year letterwinner at defensive back for the Flyers. • He was a member of three Pioneer Football League championship teams that had Mike Kelly as the head coach, and Andrews' predecessor at Dayton, Rick Chamberlin, as the then-defensive coordinator. • The Flyers were a combined 37-5 over Andrews' four years. That includes Dayton's undefeated (11-0) team in 1996. • Andrews brought a wealth of college coaching successes back to The Hilltop. • He returned to Dayton from Western Michigan, where he coached the Bronco linebackers for four seasons. • Prior to that, he was at William & Mary for 18 years, including six as Associate Head Coach, five as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for nine years. • He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Illinois Wesleyan in 1999 and coached one season at Randolph-Macon before moving to William & Mary. • Over his coaching career, Andrews has coached 23 all-conference players, three league defensive players of the year and six NFL players. • The Nappanee, Ind. native is the 24th head football coach at UD since the program began in 1905. He is the second of the 11 modern era coaches to have lettered for the Flyers (his immediate predecessor, Rick Chamberlin, was the first), and the second to be a graduate of the University of Dayton (Pete Ankney was the first alum when he coached in 1963 and 1964).PRESEASON PFL
• Four University of Dayton Flyers were named 2023 Preseason All-Pioneer Football League, as chosen by the PFL. Dayton's selections consisted of linebacker Nathan Arthur, safety Cole Hildebrand, defensive tackle Sam Schadek and offensive tackle David Tkatch. • The Flyers' four selections were second only to defending champion St. Thomas' six picks. • Phil Steele's College Football also picked eight Flyers to its All-PFL teams. In addition to Arthur, Hildebrand, Schadek and Tkatch, four others were also named. Luke Brenner (KR) and Sam Webster (PK) were on the second team, and Sam Bubonics (WR) and Michael Neel (RB) were on the third team. • Dayton was picked third in the 2023 PFL Coaches Poll.QUARTERBACK COMPETITION
• The first snap of the Trevor Andrews era was taken by redshirt sophomore Dante Casciola in the season opener at Illinois State, but it didn't take long for both Casciola and redshirt senior Cole Dow to contribute for the Flyer offense. • Casciola was 7-for-11 passing for 43 yards at ISU. • Dow was 10-for-20 for 63 yards, and was the UD co-leader in rushing with 12 carries for 54 yards. • In the Central State win, the duo combined to go 15 for 24 passing for 195 yards and four touchdowns. Casciola was 10 of 16 for 160 yards with two TD and a pick. Dow was five of eight for 35 yards and two TD. He also ran 13 times for 47 yards and a score. • Against Taylor, Casciola completed 12 of 18 passes for 277 yards and two TD. • Dow started the Taylor game, and it was his first college start, and his first start in any game since 2018. • Casciola leads the PFL in passing efficiency (147.14) and yards per attempt (8.7). • Casciola started the first five games of 2022 when he suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand at Butler. The injury required surgery and he missed the rest of the season. • He was second in the PFL in completion percentage at the time of the injury in 2022. • Casciola completed 72 passes of 111 passes (.649) for 757 yards, with five TD and four interceptions last year. • Dow had played in six games in the last two seasons, with eight rushes and five pass attempts with one completion. • He is tied for the PFL lead in TDs responsible for (8, 5 rushing, 3 passing). • A strong athlete, he actually moved to wide receiver for part of last year in hopes of getting his athleticism on the field. • Dow started one season at Maine South High School, leading them to a Chicago Central Suburban League championship in 2018. He passed for 2,140 yards with 26 TD and ran for another 700 yards with nine TD. • Freshman Drew VanVleet (the son of two-time All-PFL Flyer linebacker Brad VanVleet) and senior Will Tammaru are running third and fourth respectively on the depth chart.ON THE RECEIVING END
• Dayton has four players who have at least seven catches already this season. Derek Willits has 11, Joey Swanson has 10, Gavin Lochow has eight and Sam Bubonics has seven. • UD also has five players who average at least 10.0 yards per catch -- Lochow (24.8), Swanson (14.3), Alec Keathley (13.6), Willits (12.5) and Bubonics (12.4). • Lochow is second in FCS in yards per catch, and the top freshman in FCS by five yards. • Last year, UD only had three receiving TDs scored by wideouts. Dayton matched that in the Central State game, and now has five on the year. • All of this without last year's leading pass catcher, Luke Brenner, who is yet to play this season. • In 2022, Brenner had 28 catches for a 9.9 avg., Swanson had 20 for 11.7, Willits 17 for 12.4, Bubonics 14 for 14.1 and Jake Coleman five for 9.4. • Brenner led UD in yards per catch in 2021 (11 receptions for 24.7 yards per catch), while Bubonics led in total receptions (34 for 14.0).TO SERVE AND PROTECT
• Dayton returned two starters on the O-line in 2023. • Co-captain and All-PFL performer David Tkatch at guard and Dylan DeMaison at center each played in and started nine games last year. • Tkatch started his nine games at tackle in 2022. The co-captain and All-PFL performer graduated Magna Cum Laude last spring and is working on his MBA. A two-year starter, he is also a two-time First Team Academic All-PFL selection. • DeMaison is also a two-year starter. Most of his starts have come at center, but he has also started at guard. •DeMaison was UD's Offensive Player of the Week in the season opener. • Tackle Conor Clyde played in six games with three starts in 2022. • At right tackle, Ryan Iiams is a transfer from Robert Morris, where he started 12 of 14 games played the last two seasons. He transferred in January, and participated spring ball with the Flyers. • Injuries have depleted some of the Dayton depth on the line, and talented freshmen have stepped up. Brock Adams and Zachary McDowell started at guard vs. Central State and Taylor. • They both saw significant time at Illinois State in the college debuts.AIDEN & A-TACKLING
• In his first college start at ISU, redshirt sophomore LB Aiden McKinley led UD with 15 tackles, including a fumble forced and a fumble recovered. • McKinley had 10 tackles (six solo) in the Taylor win. • He leads UD and is tied for first in the PFL in hits (9.0).SCOUTING THE TOMMIES
• St. Thomas is the defending Pioneer Football League champions, and the Tommies were the preseason favorite to win it again in a vote of the league's coaches. • St. Thomas opened PFL play with a come-from-behind 35-28 win at home over Morehead State. • Junior running back Shawn Shipman led the way in the Morehead win, gaining 204 yards. Much of his yardage came on touchdown runs of 61 and 71 yards. He has 415 yards on the year. • Shipman is one of five Tommies named preseason All-Pioneer Football League. • The others are linebacker Jonathan Bruce, defensive back Yusef Leak, wide receiver Andrew McElroy (also as a return specialist) and offensive lineman Alec Rasmussen. • The Tommies are ranked eighth in FCS football (and first in the Pioneer Football League) in rushing defense, allowing just 117.0 yards a game. • St. Thomas averages a PFL-best three sacks a game. • STU has won its last 11 PFL games. • Dayton is at Morehead State on Saturday, Oct. 7. • Game time is 1 p.m. ET.• The Flyers' next home game is Saturday, Oct. 14 against Presbyterian.
