The Butler football team is playing the waiting game.

With 19 weeks remaining until they open their season at South Dakota State, the Bulldogs played their annual Blue and White spring game Saturday.

Quarterback Matt Lancaster, who will be a senior in the fall, was in prime form. He completed three of four passes on the Blue team’s opening drive, capping it off with a 30-yard touchdown run.

The Blue team went on to win 20-0.

“It’s fun to come out here and play a game and play against a real defense,” Lancaster said.

Alongside Lancaster on the Blue squad was junior running back Trae Heeter.  Heeter also scored a touchdown.

“The summer is the most important part of the season, and it helps us get ready going into fall camp,” Heeter said. “Once we come back in August, we’ll all be ready to go and get ready for the Jackrabbits on the 31st.”

Junior defensive lineman Jeremy Stephens anchored the White squad’s defense. Stephens said it felt good to get back on the field despite typical spring ball kinks.

“Spring ball is definitely a developmental thing as far as the team goes,” Stephens said. “It was good to get back out there in game situations.”

For the upcoming season, the Pioneer Football League champion will receive an automatic bid to the Football Championship Series playoffs.

Lancaster said the team’s yearly goal of winning the PFL will remain the same, but it has the added incentive of making the FCS playoffs.

“We won the conference last year, and that’s still our goal this year, except now we get to play for the tournament,” Lancaster said.

The Bulldogs open with the Jackrabbits on Aug. 31 and return home the following week to play against Division III Wittenberg. Two weeks later Butler hosts Ivy League school Dartmouth.

Stephens said the tough schedule should prepare them for PFL play and help them reach the FCS playoffs.

“(South Dakota State) is probably the biggest program we’ve played in the history of this program,” Stephens said. “South Dakota State and Dartmouth will definitely get us ready for those bigger schools that we would potentially play in the postseason.”

Coach Jeff Voris said reaching the playoffs is certainly a team goal, but as they did last season, the Bulldogs will be taking the season one game at a time.

“Our success last season came from the commitment and dedication of playing one-game seasons,” Voris said. “The biggest thing is to get ready for August 7 and have a good camp and attack the non-conference (schedule) one game at a time.”

The Bulldogs will spend the summer doing individual workouts with one date in mind, Voris said.

“If you worry about the playoffs and conference titles, you’re never going to reach your goals because you’ll lose focus,” Voris said. “Our focus right now is South Dakota State in August.”

With summer and the subsequent break from school approaching, Butler athletes face a different routine for staying in shape when not on campus.

Athletes at Butler, regardless of when their sport’s season is, are expected to maintain physical health over the break without necessarily being under the watchful gaze of their coaches.

For different sports, this could mean different things.

Spring athletes, such as freshman track and field runner Jake McCormick, are fortunate enough to get a little time off.

“We do get three and a half weeks off,” he said. “Our coaches design a daily conditioning workout that is emailed to us afterwards, and we are expected to keep up with it every day.

“I’m able to have a full-time job and also get to spend more time with my family and hobbies, such as fishing and boating.”

For sports in the fall, however, the workouts are more regimented.

Freshman linebacker Jack Schaub is expected to abide by a more rigorous program to ensure his readiness for the upcoming football season.

“I have a strength and conditioning program that I will be following for all of summer except for about the first week and a half I am home,” Schaub said. “The program lasts all the way up until we report in the first week of August.

“It will consist of all the different lifts that I will need to focus on and also the conditioning that I will need to do in order to be ready in the fall.”

The team gives the players individual workouts to focus on if they go home.

If athletes stay on campus, there are open lifting and conditioning times.

All football players will report to campus at the beginning of August for team practices.

To help combat burnout,  Schaub is planning on taking a two-week vacation, though he still plans on running every day.

For the collegiate athlete at Butler, things are just getting started as the school year comes to a close.

Ken LaRose has worn multiple hats at Butler. Now, the university welcomes him back as an associate athletic director.

Ken LaRose is replacing Bill Lynch as the associate athletic director of development.

“I absolutely love it here,” LaRose said. “It is an unbelievable opportunity for me.”

LaRose was a student-athlete for the Bulldogs, competing on the football team as an offensive lineman from 1976-80.

He was also an assistant football coach at Butler for eight years and the team’s head coach for 10 years.

Even after he left Butler, LaRose was still involved with many things at the university, said Mike Freeman, associate athletic director of external operations.

Freeman said LaRose is a great fit in Butler’s athletics department, and he is excited for a Butler alumnus to be back on campus.

“Ken is happy to be here and loves it,” Freeman said. “He raises everyone’s morale and raises the energy in the room.”

Freeman said once LaRose received the job, he didn’t waste any time jumping into his responsibilities, diving right into the Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Athletics Director Barry Collier was the man who hired LaRose. Collier said he thinks LaRose is a perfect fit in the athletics department.

“Ken has the integrity and the intelligence to be very successful here at Butler,” Collier said. “He has a high motor and keeps a high energy level that allows him to be successful at anything he does in life, including this position.”

Collier said he is also excited LaRose is back because he knows what Butler is all about. LaRose has seen the university from a student-athlete’s and coach’s perspective.

Collier said he knows LaRose will be able to interact with students on Butler’s campus.

The position LaRose is filling was made available to people across the nation. Approximately 60 applications were sent before Collier offered LaRose the job.

“He can tell the Butler story,” Collier said. “He knows what Butler stands for and will be able to keep the tradition going.”

LaRose said he has settled in at Butler and wants to help bring the school to another level with regard to national prominence.

“I could not do this for any other university,” LaRose said. “My love and passion is here at Butler University.”

Bill Lynch, associate athletic director for development, is resigning his position at Butler to become DePauw’s new football coach.

Stevie Baker-Watson, DePauw’s athletic director, announced today that Lynch has been named as the next head coach.

“Through a comprehensive and thorough search process which yielded a strong pool of candidates, we’re excited to have someone with Bill’s experience and passion to lead our football program,” said Baker-Watson in a DePauw press release. “Bill is well known and respected in Indiana and the Midwest and understands the long, rich tradition of the DePauw football program.”

DePauw fired coach Robby Long last fall, two games into the season, for “failure to fully comply with the school’s policies and expectations.”

At that time assistant coach Scott Srnka was appointed as the interim head coach.

There were many rumors circling Greencastle as to who would replace Long. Current Butler coach Jeff Voris was mentioned as well as Lynch. Ken Owen, DePauw executive director of media relations mentioned Lynch in a local radio interview, but later clarified that it did not mean he was a potential candidate.

“The years ahead present an exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to work with a great group of student-athletes, an outstanding athletics department and a supportive administration,” said Lynch. “DePauw is a special place and the time I spent here was a highlight of my coaching career.”

Lynch has been the associate athletic director for development at Butler since 2011. In that role he has overseen annual giving, served as a major gift officer and was also the sport administrator for the football program.

Prior to that the 1977 Butler graduate served as the football coach at Indiana, Butler and also spent a season at DePauw.

In December 2003, Lynch was named DePauw’s head football coach, succeeding Nick Mourouzis who coached the Tigers for the previous 23 years.  Lynch led the Tigers to an 8-2 record in 2004 including a 14-7 victory over Wabash in the Monon Bell game. He was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year and was the first football coach in SCAC history to earn the honor in his initial season.

DePauw Junior captain Patrick Keller was among the student-athletes who met with Lynch during the interview process.

“Coach Lynch’s experience and commitment to success were apparent during our meeting,” Keller said. “This is an important time for the DePauw football program and we can’t wait to start working towards moving the program forward.”

Overall Lynch has coached 32 years in college football. He is 100-97-3 overall as a head coach, including a 44-14-3 mark in six seasons with Butler and DePauw.

Lynch will start at DePauw on Jan. 2.

The Butler volleyball and football teams have experienced great success this year, thanks in part to contributions from three transfer athletes.

Volleyball players Morgan Peterson and Erica Stahl and quarterback Matt Lancaster have helped lead their teams to conference tournament berths and a share of the conference title, respectively.

MORGAN PETERSON

Peterson, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State University, is in her first season as a member of the Butler volleyball team.

Early in the year, she was named most valuable player at the DePaul Invitational and made the All-Tournament team at the Pittsburgh Invitational.

“The one intangible that Morgan brings to the team is her competitiveness,” Clark said. “It’s pro level in terms of how competitive of a player she is, and that’s been a great addition for us.”

Peterson has also made strides in her offensive play. Her hitting percentage ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

As a junior, Peterson is one of the older players on the team. Peterson said she has experienced a major role change since coming to Butler.

“Here at Butler, I’m pretty much the oldest except for Rachel (Barber) so I have more experience and I am leading the other people instead of following,” Peterson said.

ERICA STAHL

Stahl transferred from University of Cincinnati last year.

The junior was recruited by Clark out of high school but chose Cincinnati over Butler. In an earlier interview, Stahl said she chose to come to Butler because of her respect for Clark and the rest of the coaching staff.

Stahl has had a dominant seson, especially in blocking. Her strong play has led to a team-high 153 blocks. This mark puts her second in the A-10 and 13th nationally.

“I’m here mostly just to keep the ball off the floor on our side and help out our defenders as much as possible,” Stahl said.

Similar to Peterson, Clark said Stahl is a fierce competitor.

“The thing that I think Erica will continue to get better at is being more of an offensive threat,” Clark said. “She’ll be a great blocker, but she will be able to raise the level of her hitting and make her more dominant.
“I think that (Stahl and Peterson) are both top all-conference players, and they will be next year.”

Peterson and Stahl have helped lead the volleyball team to a berth in the A-10 tournament.

The tournament will take place at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where the Bulldogs will face Virginia Commonwealth Friday evening.

MATT LANCASTER

Junior Lancaster transferred from Illinois State University, where he played 16 games in two seasons of football.

He had a full ride scholarship to play at ISU but said it was not the right atmosphere and decided it was time for a change.

Butler was one of Lancaster’s options when he was in high school. Upon leaving ISU, he contacted head coach Jeff Voris, and two days later Voris said he was interested in having Lancaster on the team.

Lancaster redshirted last year when he transferred to Butler. He has one more year of eligibility remaining.

Lancaster led the team to at least a share of the Pioneer Football League title, compiling a 7-1 conference record and 8-3 overall mark. Coach Jeff Voris said Lancaster has been a big help to the program.

“He’s been a great teammate and a heck of a football player,” Voris said. “He has all the intangible qualities that you look for in a quarterback.”

Lancaster recorded several strong statistics this season. He completed over 60 percent of his passes for more than 2,700 yards. He has thrown 21 touchdowns to only three interceptions.

Voris said Lancaster’s work ethic has been a key to his success.

“What he brings to the team is a guy who loves football and (he) has a work ethic that’s unmatched,” Voris said. “He constantly works at his game and week-to-week gets better.”

Voris also lauded Lancaster’s enthusiasm and leadership.

“He’s enthusiastic about practice and games, and no question he’s been a big addition to our program,” Voris said.

Lancaster was effective running the ball, too. His 408 rushing yards is second only to starting running back Trae Heeter. Lancaster averaged over 37 yards per game and tallied eight touchdowns on the ground.

“I’ve always been kind of a dual-threat quarterback,” Lancaster said. “I think coach liked that part of me, and I like running the ball too.”

Lancaster was a part of many major plays throughout the season.

He threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to cap a dramatic comeback against Morehead State.

He also commanded a 95-yard game-winning drive against Jacksonville and scored the winning touchdown on a fourth-and-goal with two seconds left.

“It was surreal,” Lancaster said. “To go 95 yards in the hail and on fourth-and-goal, to have coach call my number, it shows a lot about him.”

With the win over Jacksonville, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the Pioneer Football League title.

Despite losing to Drake last weekend, Lancaster said he will always remember the successes of the team this year.

“I hated losing and everything, but when we’re out of school 20 to 25 years, what we are going to remember is that we won a championship, and no one can take that away from us,” Lancaster said.

Bill Lynch’s career path has come full circle.

He played football and basketball at Butler, and after a series of football coaching jobs, he finds himself back at his alma mater.

After 33 years of coaching football, including 18 as a head coach, Lynch has now been serving as one of Butler’s associate athletic directors since March 2011.

Lynch is the associate athletic director for development, as well as the football sport administrator. He helps manage the Bulldog Club, which provides annual donations to athletics.

The Bulldog Club gets gifts from alumni, faculty and community members to help provide benefits to athletics, such as the current Hinkle Fieldhouse renovations.

Lynch said he considers himself to be a “point person” for the campaign, as he helps the fundraising process.

Lynch began his coaching career as an assistant football coach for the Bulldogs before becoming the head coach in 1985. He led the team to four conference championships in five seasons before going to Ball State as an assistant.

Lynch’s successor as head coach at Butler was former football teammate Ken LaRose, who is now the radio color commentator for Butler football.

“He’s a winner ever since I knew him,” LaRose said.

Lynch’s first head coaching position was with the Cardinals from 1995 to 2002, where he led the team to one bowl game and two division championships.

After one season as head coach at DePauw in 2004, Lynch served as an assistant at Indiana University for two seasons. He then became head coach of the Hoosiers for four seasons, earning a trip to the Insight Bowl in his first season.

Lynch came to Butler in  1972 as a student and played both football and basketball. Lynch said he took a lot away from his playing days with the Bulldogs.

“I think it’s like anybody that looks back at a playing career,” Lynch said. “It’s the relationships you’ve built and the friendships and the ones that have lasted throughout the years.”

Lynch played right after Tony Hinkle retired, during a transitional period, but he said it was a great experience. He said the team played to a degree of success, but it pales in comparison to the recent success of the men’s basketball team.

Butler Athletic Director Barry Collier played basketball with Lynch for the Bulldogs and said Lynch was the first Butler student he ever made contact with.

In the summer of 1974, Collier received a recruitment letter from Lynch, who was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter at Butler, and Collier eventually became Lynch’s fraternity brother.

Collier, who transferred to Butler as a junior, said he was impressed how easily Lynch made the transition from football season to basketball season.

“He was a leader on the team immediately,” Collier said. “He was kind of a ‘player-coach’ on the floor, because of how he relied on experience and knowledge to succeed as much as he did physicality.”

Collier said a lot people think Lynch and Butler are synonymous.

“Whether that makes him ‘Mr. Butler,’ I don’t know,” Collier said.

LaRose said he likes the title of Mr. Butler for Lynch.

“He is the perfect ambassador for Butler in the position that he is in,” LaRose said.

“When you think of Butler, many people think of Bill Lynch,” Collier said. “And when you mention Bill Lynch, many people think of Butler.”

Butler travels to North Carolina to take on Davidson (1-6, 1-3) Saturday.

The Bulldogs (6-2, 5-0) are tied with Drake at the top of the Pioneer Football League standings.

The Wildcats of Davidson are coming off their first victory of the season, a 28-21 win over rival Campbell.

Butler is still undefeated in PFL play following a 39-35 Homecoming victory over Morehead State last Saturday.

The Bulldogs trailed 35-17 with about 13 minutes remaining. The Eagles (1-6, 0-4) generated that lead on a touchdown run by senior receiver Kevin Thomas.

Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Lancaster, who completed 31 of 53 passes for 296 yards, recorded three of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lead the comeback for Butler.

Lancaster connected with redshirt junior receiver Brendan Shannon twice and redshirt sophomore receiver Derek O’Connor once in the final period.

Shannon said he sensed a momentum shift after the first touchdown of the fourth quarter.

“You could feel it in the crowd and on the sideline (that) everyone was starting to see and believe that we could come back and win this game,” Shannon said.

“The whole night was unbelievable,” Lancaster said. “To have that crowd late in the game was obviously a momentum boost for us.”

On the Bulldogs’ next drive, Lancaster connected with O’Connor from 11 yards out and then with redshirt junior tight end Matt Jenson on a two-point conversion.

The eight-point drive left Butler down 35-32 with 3:49 remaining.

The Bulldogs pinned the Eagles deep in their own territory on the ensuing kickoff and got the ball back at midfield with about two and a half minutes left.

The game-winning touchdown came when Lancaster hit Shannon for a 17-yard score with 1:22 remaining.

Shannon finished with 14 catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

The dual-threat Lancaster also added 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Redshirt junior receiver Tom Judge caught four passes for 30 yards.

The Butler football team remained undefeated in Pioneer League play as they defeated rival Valparaiso 56-17.

The Bulldogs (4-2, 3-0) were led by quarterback Matt Lancaster’s 246 yards and three touchdowns, as he played only the first half.

Lancaster finished the first half with a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver JT Mesch to give the Bulldogs a 42-3 lead over the Crusaders (0-5, 0-2) at the break.

Sophomore backup Wade Markley took over in the second half, throwing for 90 yards and one touchdown and completing eight of 14 pass attempts.

Running back Trae Heeter added three scores on the ground for Butler, all in the first nine minutes of the game.

Butler totaled 598 yards of total offense, with 336 passing yards combined between Lancaster and Markley. The Bulldogs rushed for 262 yards spread out with six different ball carriers.

Former quarterback Tom Judge caught four passes for a career high 114 yards at wide receiver.

The defense used three fumble recoveries, two of which were on the Crusaders’ first two possessions to hold their rival to just 263 yards of total offense.

Defensive back Sean Grady led the team with nine tackles, while Paul Yanow recorded eight.

Butler will play for a trophy next Saturday after upending rival Dayton 21-11 Saturday afternoon.

Junior running back Trae Heeter led the Bulldogs with 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs (3-2, 2-0) remain undefeated in Pioneer League play with the win. Butler has won three of four in the lifetime series with Dayton.

“From day one I was here, I always knew we’d be in a dogfight from the get-go against Dayton every year, and that’s what it was today,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Jeremy Stephens said.

Heeter put the game out of reach as he bounced off tacklers and went to the outside for an 80-yard touchdown on a third down  play with less than three minutes left in the game.

“They didn’t wrap up too well, so I kept my feet (moving) and hit it to the outside where there was room to run,” Heeter said.

Heeter injured his ankle after getting tangled up in a pile but said he is recovering well.

“It feels a lot better after that big win,” Heeter said.

Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Lancaster continued his dual-threat efficiency with 170 yards and one touchdown through the air.

Despite being sacked twice, he finished with 27 yards on the ground.

The Bulldogs have another rivalry game next Saturday as they travel to Valparaiso (0-4, 0-1). Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

Coach Jeff Voris said the Crusaders will be eager to improve off their 42-14 loss to Butler last season.

“(We’re) going to get their best shot because it’s a rivalry game, and I know they’re much improved, from what I’ve read,” Voris said.

“It’s going to be every bit of what we had (Saturday) and more,” Voris said, “because of the passion of the game, the Hoosier Helmet Game.”

DePauw University fired its head football coach Robby Long early last week after the team started the season 0-2.

“Long was dismissed due to his failure to fully comply with the school’s policies and administrative expectations,” according to a press release from the university.

While an interim head coach has been named, the opening for a full time coach still exists.

Butler coach Jeff Voris is a DePauw football alumnus.

Ken Owen, DePauw executive director of media relations, said that there have been many rumors in the Greencastle area about who the future coach may be, including Voris. He also added they are not considering anyone at the moment.

When asked, Voris said he knew nothing about the DePauw job and is happy at Butler.

“I’m ecstatic to be here, and I have the best job I’ve ever had,” Voris said.

The Tigers promoted assistant coach Scott Srnka to interim head coach and plan to begin a nationwide search at the end of the season.

Srnka had been serving as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Tigers.

DePauw Athletic Director Stevie Baker-Watson said in a press release that the decision was not based on football and the team’s performance this season.

“We have been working with Coach Long since spring to resolve several administrative issues under his control,” Baker-Watson said. “We made this decision to terminate Coach Long’s employment because he failed to take corrective actions in a timely manner.”

Baker-Watson said the Division III school has not yet thought about future coach candidates.

“We are focusing on our student-athletes in this time of transition,” Baker-Watson said.

Owen reiterated what Baker-Watson said, that DePauw will not begin the search until the season is over.

He also mentioned Bill Lynch, former DePauw coach and current Butler associate athletic director for development, in a local radio interview, but later clarified that it did not mean he was a potential candidate.

Baker-Watson left the idea of the Tigers contacting Voris open.

“[The decision] would be up to Jeff,” Baker-Watson said.

Voris held the all-time passing yards, attempts, completions and total-offense records for the DePauw football team until 2009 when they were broken by Spud Dick.

Voris has the Bulldogs at 2-2 on the season after winning Saturday’s Pioneer Football League opener against Campbell.

DePauw is currently 0-3 on the year.