Butler athletic team members with spring seasons are familiar with hitting the road for long trips to warmer locales.

The number of miles racked up by some squads may be surprising though.

Graph by Rachel Anderson

Seven of Butler’s athletic teams have made or will make at least two trips more than 600 miles from Butler during the 2011-12 school year.

Men’s and women’s golf coach Bill Mattingly said the Midwestern climate of Indianapolis makes scheduling far-off events necessary.

“In the spring, we go down south, and we try to do more [long trips] because of the better weather,” Mattingly said.

Both golf teams will head to Jacksonville, Fla., over spring break, where the Bulldogs will face non-conference opponents.

Mattingly said this helps the teams prepare for Horizon League play.

“We like to play against different teams in other conferences to help us get ready for our conference,” Mattingly said. “Playing better teams on tougher courses can get us ready for that.”

The Butler softball team is also accustomed to starting off the first month of the season in the South or on the West Coast.

The team is making a trip to Fresno, Calif., for this weekend’s 2012 Bayer CropScience Classic.

The Bulldogs will then travel from Fresno State to Pacific University in Oregon for two contests on March 14.

Senior outfielder Lauren McNulty said that while the trips may sometimes involve driving long distances, it is worth it to be able to leave the cold weather behind.

“I think I speak for all of my teammates when I say that we would take a 10-hour bus ride every weekend to play in nice weather,” McNulty said.

While the Butler football team plays its games in the fall, it is a member of the far-reaching Pioneer Football League.

While the longest trip made from Butler to another Horizon League member’s location is 349 miles for Youngstown State, annual cross-country flights are required in the PFL.

Teams from North Carolina, California, Florida and New York are currently part of the league.

Senior quarterback Andrew Huck said that while the trips offer some players a chance to see a new part of the country, they have to focus on the competition ahead.

“We had a lot of players who hadn’t been to California or on a plane before,” Huck said. “We have to keep in mind that we’re going on a business trip rather than a spring break vacation.”

Huck said the time change between Indiana and California can be difficult to cope with.

“We’ve had games start at 7 or 8 [p.m.] their time, which is 11 here, and we only have one day to overcome jet lag,” Huck said.

McNulty said that flying to games does not affect her play.

“I’ve never experienced jet lag or exhaustion after flying to a tournament,” McNulty said. “The most tiring trip is usually the trip home because we are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted after a weekend of games.”

According to Huck, the long road trips that teams embark on are useful for improving the chemistry and camaraderie of a team’s members.

“I would say it brings you closer,” Huck said. “You’re removed from campus, and you’re really bonding with each other.”

The Butler football team sent its seniors out in style with a 17-7 conference win over Davidson Saturday. The game marked the final home game for Butler’s 23 seniors.

Each of those seniors saw action in the win, except quarterback Andrew Huck, who is nursing a shoulder injury suffered in Butler’s Homecoming loss to Marist.

Filling in for Butler’s second all-time leading passer makes for no easy feat, but coach Jeff Voris called redshirt freshman Wade Markley’s performance as quarterback “great.”

Photo by Taylor Cox

In his first collegiate start, Markley completed 15 of his 22 pass attempts, throwing for 168 yards and two touchdowns, including a third-quarter strike to sophomore tight end Matt Jenson. The 24-yard score put the Bulldogs (5-4, 3-3) on top 17-0.

“The thing with Wade  that allows everyone to relax and feel confident is the intangible things he brings to the game,” Voris said. “He spends as much time as anyone studying. He is the first guy here and the last guy to leave.”

Markley also connected with senior wide receiver Zach Watkins five times for 90 yards. Markley and the Bulldog offense finished with no turnovers on the day.

The Wildcats (2-7, 0-6) didn’t fare as well in regard to turnovers.

Led by sophomore quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff’s 304 passing yards, Davidson outgained Butler by more than 100 yards offensively. However, the Bulldogs’ defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions.

Senior defensive linemen Grant Hunter, Jeff Poss and Ross Teare accounted for four of the Bulldogs’ five sacks.

Butler senior kicker David Lang added a 23-yard field goal in the effort and converted both extra points following Markley’s two touchdown passes.

Kicking for the final time at the Butler Bowl, Lang said what he will miss most are the relationships he has established with his teammates.

“I don’t think you can find this anywhere else,” Lang said. “These kinds of relationships are hard to make. I’ll definitely be friends with these guys for the rest of my life, and hopefully we can go places together.”

Butler will look to continue its winning ways when it visits second-place Jacksonville (6-3, 5-1) Saturday. The Bulldogs are 0-6 all-time against the Dolphins.
Jacksonville is coming off a 31-24 last-minute loss to league-leading Drake.

Three different Butler quarterbacks hit the turf in front of a crowd of more than 4,000 at the Butler Bowl Saturday, but their combined efforts were no match for Marist senior quarterback Tommy Reilly.

Reilly’s 283 passing yards and two touchdowns led the Red Foxes (3-5, 2-3) to a 28-10 win over the Bulldogs (4-4, 2-3).

“We knew they were a good team coming in,” Butler coach Jeff Voris said. “Our guys played with great effort, but Marist played better.”

Despite the final score, it was Butler who came out with a strong start.

Just three plays into the first half, senior defensive back Jack McKenna nabbed an interception at the Red Foxes’ 26-yard line.

The Bulldogs could not come up with a touchdown off the drive, but senior kicker David Lang put Butler on the scoreboard with a 28-yard field goal.

It marked the last time Butler would score in the first half.

“We came out really hyped up, but they outplayed us, and we just didn’t respond,” sophomore cornerback Kevin Cook said.

With 5:38 left in the first quarter, Reilly connected on a 29-yard pass to junior tight end Anthony Calcagni to give Marist a 7-3 advantage.

The second half saw two more touchdowns for the Red Foxes on a 4-yard pass by Reilly and a 1-yard run by senior running back Matt Gray. The scores gave Marist a 21-3 lead going into the locker room.

The Bulldogs were hit with two key injuries at the end of the second quarter as well.

Senior linebacker Nick Caldicott was helped off the field after suffering an injury during a tackle, and senior quarterback Andrew Huck suffered a shoulder injury on the last play of the half.

Play was much closer in the second half, with Butler holding Marist to one touchdown and scoring one as well.

“We weren’t going to bend over and let this happen,” Cook said. “There was a lot of good leadership showing at halftime.”

Things began to look bleak for the Bulldogs when the Red Foxes scored another touchdown, stretching their lead to 28-3.

Butler made the game respectable by scoring the final touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, closing the deficit to 28-10.

Butler freshman quarterback Wade Markley recorded his first collegiate touchdown pass with a 29-yard toss to senior wide receiver Jeff Larsen.

“Those guys were put in a really tough situation,” Voris said. “I thought they did well for the situation they were in.”

Markley completed five of his six pass attempts for 83 yards in relief of Huck and redshirt sophomore Tom Judge.

Reilly was the star of the game though. He completed 21 of 24 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

Marist held a 38:58–21:02 advantage in time of possession by the end of the game and outgained Butler 431-284.

Senior defensive back Andy Dauch led the team in tackles with a career-high 14 stops.

“[Dauch] is a good football player,” Voris said. “He does his job, and he’s an outstanding leader in the locker room.”

Junior linebacker Jordan Ridley tallied 12 tackles for the Bulldogs. He is currently leading the Pioneer Football League in tackles.

After an off-day this Saturday, the Bulldogs will be back in the Butler Bowl against Davidson Saturday, Nov. 5 at noon.

Even with senior quarterback Andrew Huck throwing a career-high 381 yards, the Butler football team was not able to stop the running game of Pioneer Football League foe Campbell, dropping Saturday’s game 38-23.

“In any game, you’re going to get your ups and downs, and that’s kind of how our game went,” freshman cornerback  Jimmy Schwabe said.

The Bulldogs (3-3, 1-2) started the game off on the right foot—senior kicker David Lang’s—with two consecutive field goals in the first half, giving Butler an early 6-0 advantage.

Campbell’s offense rallied during the second quarter and took the lead from the Bulldogs, driving 54 yards in seven plays.

The Fighting Camels (2-3, 1-2) reached double-digit points with a field goal, but Lang came through with his third field goal of the half to make it a one-point game going into the locker room.

“We were in control the first half,” sophomore safety Jayme Szafranski said. “Then  they made a couple of plays [in the second half], and the momentum just kept going.”

The Fighting Camels stepped up their running game in the third quarter, scoring back-to-back touchdowns and boosting their lead to 24-9.

“In the second half, they  really went back to their running attack,” Schwabe said. “That was their philosophy.”

Campbell ended the game with 247 rushing yards compared to Butler’s 79.

Photo by Maria Porter

The Bulldogs were hampered by the losses of senior running back Trae Heeter and sophomore wide receiver Brandon Grubbe, who both left with injuries.

The game went on, however, and the Bulldogs ended the third quarter with a 67-yard touchdown pass from Huck to senior wide receiver Zach Watkins.

It was déjà vu for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter.

Butler was able to end the game on a high note with a 41-yard pass from Huck to senior wide receiver Jeff Larsen.

However, the Fighting Camels scored two more touchdowns in the quarter to seal the victory.

Huck is now the second Butler quarterback to throw for more than 6,000 career yards after hitting the 6,020 mark on Saturday.

He also completed a career-best 34 of 47 passes against Campbell.

Huck wasn’t the only Bulldog to have a career-best performance during the game.

Sophomore wide receiver Brendan Shannon had a career-high 10 catches for 87 yards, and junior linebacker Jordan Ridley, who was later named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week, recorded a career-high 19 tackles.

Senior defensive back Andy Dauch also had a career-high 10 tackles.

Butler will play next at home, competing in the “Hoosier Helmet” game against Valparaiso on Saturday at 1 pm.

Butler senior kicker David Lang has been “good as gold” this season, to steal a term often used to describe Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould.

Lang drilled a game-winning, 35-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining in the game to give the Butler football team a 29-27 victory over Dayton on Saturday.

“That was a great win,” Butler head coach Jeff Voris said.

Lang nailed another 35-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter as well as a career-long 46-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first quarter.

The performance earned Lang the Pioneer Football League’s Special Teams Player of the Week honor, his second this season.

The Bulldogs (3-2, 1-1) needed all the points that Lang produced after blowing a 10-point advantage against the Flyers, (3-2, 1-1) the co-champion of the PFL last season.

Butler overcame Dayton’s defensive effort on its first drive of the game, moving the ball 83 yards in 11 plays.

The drive finished in the end zone with a three-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Zach Watkins from senior quarterback Andrew Huck.

Huck ended the day with 255 passing yards and three touchdown passes.

The Bulldogs had a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter thanks to Lang’s 46-yard field goal.

The Flyers rallied in the second quarter to score two consecutive touchdowns and gain a 14-10 lead.

Butler responded by putting together an 80-yard drive in the last three minutes of the first half. Huck capped the drive with a four-yard pass to senior wide receiver Jeff Larsen, giving the Bulldogs a 16-14 lead at halftime.

Photo by Mickey Shuey

“We came out really strong,” sophomore cornerback Kevin Cook said. “Dayton has always been one of our biggest rivals. We had the mentality ‘we can win’, and that’s what gave us tempo.”

The third quarter saw tight defense and one touchdown for each squad. Dayton’s failed two-point conversion after its touchdown left the Bulldogs with a 23-20 lead.

The tide turned for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter after a Butler punt was blocked and returned 42 yards, giving Dayton a 27-23 lead.

“That put us down, but we set the tempo on the next drive,” Cook said.

The Bulldogs erased part of the deficit when Lang made a 35-yard field goal, bringing the Bulldogs within one point of the Flyers with 7:52 remaining.

After the field goal, Butler’s defense held strong to give the offense another opportunity. The Bulldogs’ defense limited Dayton to 78 passing yards and 162 rushing yards while forcing three turnovers.

“[The defense] was more aggressive on the short passes, and we really wanted to press that,” Cook said.

Butler sealed the victory with Lang’s field goal with seven seconds left to go.

Cook said that beating last season’s PFL co-champs made the Butler win even sweeter.

“We don’t want to share anything with anybody,” Cook said. “If we can beat the league champs, then we can be the league champs. This win was crucial to the rest of our season.”

The Bulldogs will hit the road for their next game at Campbell Saturday.

Zach Watkins has made a habit of catching passes over the past four years. This season, the senior receiver is making a habit of breaking records.

After becoming the all-time receptions leader Sept. 17, Watkins  added another notch to his belt, surpassing Dan Bohrer as the Bulldogs’ leader in receiving yards with 2,308.

And Watkins made the record-breaking play in appropriate fashion.

Fully extended in the corner of the end zone, Watkins made a leaping touchdown grab that gave Butler a 7-6 lead over Drake.

Photo by Maria Porter

“He’s made some catches that you wonder how in the heck he made,” coach Jeff Voris said. “The one that broke the record, he’s probably laying on his back. That was just the perfect way for him to get it.”

Following the game, Watkins deflected his achievement back to his teammates.

“I see it more as a team goal than an individual goal,” Watkins said. “At the end of the day, I catch the ball, but it wouldn’t happen without 10 other guys.”

Voris, on the other hand, commented on the impressiveness of Watkins, a four-year letter winner, and his recently acquired records.

“To have those types of records, you need to be able to find the field early,” Voris said.

Watkins did just that, turning heads as an underclassman with his dazzling catches and big-play ability.

Butler receivers coach Kenan Smith knows what it takes to be a successful wideout. Smith was an all-conference receiver at Sacramento State and finished his collegiate career on the school’s  top 10 list for receptions.

“Zach has some of the strongest hands I’ve ever seen,” Smith said. “He makes catches that sometimes I’m even amazed he makes.”

Even so, Smith says that Watkins’ success is as much a product of off-the-field efforts as natural talent.

“I would come in to the office in the summer, and Zach would be sitting in the dark watching film,” Smith said. “He is always trying to get better.”

Assistant coach Nick Anderson oversaw the Bulldogs’ receiving corps from 2007 to 2010 before focusing specifically on cornerbacks this season. During that time, Anderson watched Watkins mature as both a player and a person.

“It has been really fun watching him grow from being a young guy who couldn’t remember one play to a guy who can line up at any position and know what he’s doing,” Anderson said. “The best part for me has been watching him grow as a person and young man.”

Four games into his final season as a Bulldog, Watkins has yet to reflect on his Butler career. Instead, the wideout is focusing on the short term, establishing one clear objective: win the Pioneer Football League conference title.

“Seeing the seniors hold up that trophy [in 2009] meant a lot to me,” Watkins said. “It’s something that I definitely want to do.”

Senior quarterback Andrew Huck was Butler’s offensive MVP in 2009 when the Bulldogs won a school record 11 games, were PFL co-champions and picked up the first postseason victory in school history.

That season, Watkins led the Bulldogs in receiving and scoring while garnering first-team All-PFL honors. His 78 receptions were a league best.

“[Watkins] and I have built quite a rapport over the past four years,” Huck said. “A lot of our success has to do with communicating and making adjustments in the game. It’s definitely a relationship where we both have a lot of trust.”

Bulldog fans and players alike are hoping the chemistry and trust Watkins and Huck have developed will equate to Butler victories.

When asked if the 2-2 Bulldogs still have a shot to win the conference title, Watkins was confident.

“Oh yeah,” Watkins said. “Definitely.”

Despite a stone-wall defense in the second half and a record-breaking performance by senior wide receiver Zach Watkins, the Butler football team fell to Drake 24-14 in a battle of the Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Bulldogs from Drake (3-1, 1-0) managed to find the end zone first, despite a sack by Butler senior defensive lineman Grant Hunter and an interception by senior linebacker Nick Caldicott.

Drake put the Butler Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1) in an early hole with a 6-yard run into the end zone by senior running back Patrick Cashmore. Butler blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the deficit at 6-0.

After the Drake touchdown, Butler’s defense continued to hang tough, with junior linebacker Jordan Ridley and junior defensive lineman Jack Tennant nabbing back-to-back sacks.

The defensive push sent Drake’s offense back 12 yards and started a Butler drive that carried into the second quarter.

Photo by Maria Porter

Less than a minute into the second quarter, the Butler Bulldogs found the end zone when senior wide receiver Jeff Larsen made a 24-yard reverse pass to Watkins for the touchdown.

“We try something every week that keeps them guessing, ‘will they or won’t they?’” head coach Jeff Voris said. “We thought we had that one pretty polished up.”

The reception gave Watkins his second school record in as many games. Watkins moved past Dan Bohrer on Butler’s all-time receiving yards list with 2,308.

Butler made the extra point, taking a short-lived 7-6 lead. A Drake touchdown with 6:58 left in the half followed by a successful two-point conversion and another run into the end zone gave Drake a 21-7 halftime advantage.

The third quarter was a defensive one for both teams, with a field goal by Drake accounting for the quarter’s only points. It would be the last score of the day for Drake’s offense.

“[The defense] was up to tempo on game speed,” Voris said. “Everyone was doing their job, being in the right place at the right time.”

Butler’s offense made a late push with a touchdown during the game’s final two minutes. Senior quarterback Andrew Huck completed a 27-yard pass to senior wide receiver Jordan Koopman to cut the lead to 24-14.

Butler’s defense recovered a fumble moments later, but the ensuing offensive drive ended with Huck being intercepted, preserving Drake’s victory.

“We have to move forward and leave this behind us,” Watkins said.

In addition to Watkins’ record-setting day, Huck attempted a school record 51 passes during the game, completing 27 of them.

Butler will travel to Dayton this Saturday for another Pioneer League matchup.

An offensive attack of 20 unanswered points during the third quarter was too much for the Butler football team on Saturday, as the Bulldogs fell to Indiana State 48-34 at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute.

The outburst by the Sycamores (1-1) thwarted Butler’s hopes of bringing home a win in the first meeting between the two squads in 37 years.

Indiana State found the end zone early, scoring a touchdown within the first two minutes in the game.

The Bulldogs (1-1) responded when senior wide receiver Jeff Larsen scored on a 19-yard pass from freshman running back Brandon Grubbe, tying the game 7-7.

In the second quarter, Butler grabbed the lead with a 30-yard field goal by senior kicker David Lang. Lang scored 10 points in the Bulldogs’ loss and was named Pioneer Football League Player of the Week.

“They expected to push us over, and we were not going to roll over just because they are a big school,” Butler sophomore cornerback Kevin Cook said. “We kind of went in there with a chip on our shoulder.”
The Sycamores soon took back the lead with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by sophomore wide receiver Leonard Riston.

The Bulldogs were not behind for long though, thanks to a 4-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Andrew Huck to senior wide receiver Jordan Koopman.

Photo by Rachel Senn

The Sycamores outscored the Bulldogs 7-3 in the final two minutes of the first half.

“We went toe-to-toe with them and competed,” Butler head coach Jeff Voris said.  “It should give us the confidence that we can play with anyone if we play together, play as a team and trust each other.”

Indiana State came out strong in the second half with two touchdowns in less than six minutes. The Sycamores posted 20 points in the third quarter while the Bulldogs went scoreless.

“We came out a bit sluggish after the half and Indiana State took advantage of that,” Cook said.
Butler fought back with two touchdown passes by Huck in the fourth quarter, but Indiana State’s offensive onslaught in the third quarter proved to be too much.

The Bulldogs finished with 429 offensive yards, while the Sycamores had 456.

Junior linebacker Ridley led Butler defensively with 12 tackles. Ridley also forced a fumble in the game.

“We learn more from a loss than a win,” freshman cornerback Jimmy Schwabe said. “As a resilient team, we are going to bounce back and learn from our mistakes so we can get a win.”

The Bulldogs will hit the road again to take on Taylor Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m.

Butler beat the Trojans (2-0) last season 28-20.

Photo by Maria Porter

The Butler football team opened its season in record-breaking fashion Saturday en route to beating Albion 31-17.

Senior quarterback Andrew Huck etched his name in Butler lore, completing his first 19 passing attempts.

Dwayne Ewing (2001) and Matt Kobli (2008) shared the old record for consecutive completions with 12. Kobli also set his mark against Albion.

“The record is cool to have,” Huck said, “But I couldn’t get that done without good line protection and my guys outside making plays. It definitely wasn’t a one-man show out there.”

Huck led the Bulldogs to a 31-3 halftime lead by throwing for 212 yards and three touchdowns, including a 19-yard strike to senior receiver Zach Watkins to end the second quarter. Huck finished with 235 passing yards.

Butler’s 273 first-half yards more than doubled Albion’s 116.

The Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught was put on ice in the second half, with Albion holding Butler scoreless on 45 yards of offense.

“We didn’t show the mental toughness necessary to come out of halftime and play like it’s 0-0,” Butler head coach Jeff Voris said. “You’re going to have hiccups, but I was proud of our effort and the way we played today.”

Behind a stellar performance by junior running back Clinton Orr, Albion mounted a second-half comeback, cutting its deficit to 31-17 with about 12 minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

Orr, who finished second in Division III for all-purpose yards last season, rushed for 39 of his 85 yards in the second half, including a third-quarter touchdown run from the goal line.

“He [Orr] is a good football player,” Voris said. “The only way you defend a guy like that is to get 11 guys in the right spot and fit in the right place. We did that pretty consistently.”

Sophomore running back Trae Heeter helped the Bulldogs stave off Albion’s comeback attempt and seal the victory.

Butler handed off to Heeter four times on its final possession to run the clock out on the Britons’ chances.

The Bulldogs will look to continue their success Saturday as they travel to Terre Haute to play the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium.

Butler’s defense will be put to the test against the Sycamores. Indiana State amassed 351 points and found the end zone 48 times last season, both school records.

In order to overcome the Sycamores, Huck and the Bulldogs will need to stay focused on the high goals they have set for themselves.

“Our expectations are to return to the ’09 stature, win some games and eventually win a championship,” Huck said.