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.”

The Butler football team used running back Trae Heeter’s career high 231 rushing yards and two touchdowns to beat Davidson 31-20 on Saturday and remain undefeated in Pioneer League play.

“The win was good, because they’ve always given us trouble,” Butler head coach Jeff Voris said. “They play hard, and especially at their place, they’re really good.

The Bulldogs (7-2, 6-0) won their sixth straight game, while Davidson fell to 1-7 (1-4) on the year.

Butler was tied at 5-0 for the PFL going into the weekend, but Drake didn’t play Saturday and they took sole possession of first place. They now control their own destiny for the PFL championship.

Senior captain linebacker Jordan Ridley said they have tried to go 1-0 each week, and nothing was different against Davidson.

“We always take it one week at a time and treat each game like a championship,” Ridley said.

Heeter’s first touchdown came early in the second quarter to put the Bulldogs in the lead for good.

The PFL’s rushing leader scored his second touchdown on a 78-yard run late in the second half to give the Bulldogs momentum going into the locker room. At the time the Wildcats were making a push in momentum. Heeter said they needed the big play to get the momentum back in their favor.

“The offensive line made a big hole and I raced 78 yards to the end zone,” Heeter said.

Quarterback Matt Lancaster threw for two touchdowns and 277 yards and no interceptions. Lancaster has thrown just two picks all season, leading all PFL quarterbacks.

Davidson cut Butler’s early lead to 24-20 in the fourth quarter, but Lancaster’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Marque Martin-Hayes put the game out of reach for the Wildcats.

The Bulldogs host Jacksonville (6-2, 4-1) on Saturday, who was tied for the lead most of the season until losing to San Diego two weeks ago. The game is the Bulldog’s final home game.

The following week Butler travels to Drake for what could be a potential PFL championship game.

Ridley and co-captain Matt Storrey, an offensive lineman, were both a part of the 2009 PFL championship team.

Ridley said Saturday’s game against Jacksonville will be an emotional one.

“We’re lucky to be in the position that the last two games will mean something,” Ridley said.

Ridley said it would mean a lot to come in with a ring and go out with a ring.

“It would be amazing to do that,” Storrey said.

Storrey said it makes it a lot more exciting to end his career in the Butler Bowl being in the position they are in.

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.”

The Butler football team upended rival Dayton 21-11 Saturday afternoon behind 159 yards and two touchdowns from running back Trae Heeter.

The Bulldogs (3-2 overall) remained undefeated at 2-0 in Pioneer League play. Butler has won three of four in the 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,” defensive lineman Jeremy Stephens said.

Butler led the Flyers (1-4, 0-2) 7-3 until Heeter scored his first touchdown on a long run late in the third quarter.

Dayton cut the lead to 14-11, but Heeter sealed the game for the Bulldogs as he bounced off tacklers and went to the outside for an 80-yard touchdown on third down with under 3:00 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.

Quarterback Matt Lancaster continued his dual-threat efficiency with 170 yards and one touchdown through the air. Despite being sacked twice for 25 negative yards, he finished with 27 yards on the ground, including a 28-yard run.

Butler junior running back Trae Heeter had a career-high 204 rushing yards to lead the Bulldogs to a 35-14 victory against Campbell in their Pioneer League opener.

Butler (2-2, 1-0) avenged last season’s 38-23 loss against the Camels (1-3, 0-1).

“Campbell got to us last year, and they beat us pretty bad,” Heeter said. “So we just talked about going out there and getting revenge on them and making it a redemption game.”

Heeter said his effort wasn’t done by him alone.

“The O-line did a great job opening holes all day, the receivers blocked well on the outside and there were running lanes everywhere,” he said.

Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Lancaster went 15 for 21 through the air for 168 yards and a touchdown. He added 61 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Butler coach Jeff Voris said the team played well for all 60 minutes and played more complementary football than it did in last week’s loss at Dartmouth.

“The offense and defense had to work better off of each other,” Voris said. “It was a great win against a really good football team.

Senior linebacker Jordan Ridley finished the game with nine tackles.

“We were definitely inspired the whole game just to come out and prove that we’re going to be a tough team to beat in this league,” Ridley said.

Butler stays home this weekend to take on PFL opponent Dayton, which the Bulldogs beat on the road last season with the help of a last-minute field goal.

“This week is as important as any because it’s the next one on the schedule,” Voris said. “And it just so happens to be Dayton, and you know they’ll be ready to play us.”

Annual meetings with Dayton have turned into a competitive rivalry since Voris began coaching Butler six years ago.

The Flyers (1-3, 0-1) lost their PFL opener against Jacksonville 21-17 last Saturday.

The Butler Football team got off to a slow start and couldn’t recover Saturday night, losing to Ivy League school Dartmouth 35-7.

The Bulldogs’ (1-2) lone touchdown came on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Matt Lancaster to Derek O’Connor with under 7:00 in the first half.

The Mean Green answered with 19 seconds remaining to extend their lead to 21-7 at the half.

Dartmouth added another touchdown in the third quarter and led 28-7.

The Bulldogs threatened to score late in the game, but fell short on a fourth and goal, before the Mean Green went on to score their final touchdown.

Lancaster went 25-for-35 passing and 267 yards. O’Connor led the Bulldogs with 164 receiving yards, including a 57-yard strike from Lancaster.

Running back Trae Heeter accounted for 61 yards on the ground on seven carries.

Jeremy Stephens and Jay Brummel led the Bulldogs defense with eight tackles apiece. Senior captain Jordan Ridley had seven.

The game was the first-ever meeting between the Bulldogs and the Mean Green, and Butler’s first contest against an Ivy League team.

The Butler football team fell short of a comeback in its season opener against Western Illinois.

The Bulldogs trailed 23-0 late in the third quarter before the offense showed its first signs of life in the season.

Junior running back Trae Heeter scored on a 5-yard run with four minutes remaining in the quarter to make the score 23-7. The Bulldogs snuck an onside kick past the Leathernecks (1-0) but were unable to capitalize.
Redshirt junior Sean Grady intercepted a pass that set up the team’s next scoring drive.

Grady said it was a big spark for the Bulldogs (0-1).

“We hadn’t been able to get a turnover all game, and as a defense we really look to put the offense in a good situation by turnovers,” Grady said.

On the ensuing drive, former quarterback Tom Judge made a circus catch for the Bulldogs (0-1) to get the drive moving.

On the next play, redshirt junior quarterback Matt Lancaster connected on another long screen to Heeter before running the ball into the end zone on the final play of the drive.

On the 2-point conversion attempt, Butler ran a reverse pass from Judge to make it a one-possession game, 23-15.

“The defense helped the offense, and the offense capitalized,” coach Jeff Voris said.

By getting the 2-point conversion, Voris said they felt completing the comeback was doable.

With two minutes remaining the Bulldogs were able to use their timeouts to get the ball back on their own 1-yard line.

Butler used four complete passes and three first downs to get the ball to the Western Illinois 7-yard line. The game clock was malfunctioning during the drive, and the officials kept the time on the field.

“You never know what’s going to happen with the clock,and the officials,” Lancaster said. “It’s just a matter of going out there and competing and worrying about ourselves.”

Lancaster completed a pass to Heeter, who attempted to get out of bounds but was brought down at the 4-yard line. The game clock ran out, and the Bulldogs’ 95-yard drive came up short.

“It was a little adversity thrown at us, and we needed to respond to it a little bit differently to get it done,” Voris said.

The Bulldogs will be playing under the lights for the first time since 1941 on Saturday.

Voris said he knows the atmosphere will be special, but his team is preparing the same way as it always does.

“We understand it’s a big game,” Voris said. “It’s a game that people are going to want to attend just because of the uniqueness of the lights.”

The Butler football team trailed Western Illinois 23-0 late in the third quarter before the offense showed its first sign of life in the season opener.

Trae Heeter scored on a 5-yard run with 4:00 remaining in the quarter to make the score 23-7. The Bulldogs tried to get  an onside kick past the Leathernecks (1-0) but were unable to capitalize.

Defensive back Sean Grady made an important interception that would set up the team’s next score.

On the ensuing drive former quarterback Tom Judge made a circus catch for the Bulldogs (0-1) to get the drive moving. On the next play, red-shirt junior quarterback Matt Lancaster connected on another long screen to Heeter before running the ball into the end zone himself on the next play.

On the 2-point-conversion  Butler ran a reverse pass from Judge and cut the deficit to 23-15 with just over 7:00 remaining.

The Bulldogs were able to use their timeouts to get the ball back with 2:00 remaining  on their own 1-yard line.

Butler used four complete passes and three first downs to get the ball to the Western Illinois 7-yard line.

The game clock was malfunctioning during the drive and time was being kept by the officials on the field.

Lancaster completed a pass to Heeter who attempted to get out of bounds but was brought down at the 4-yard line. The game clock ran out and the Bulldogs 95-yard drive came up just short.

Butler’s next game will be Saturday, Sept. 8 at 6:00 at the Butler Bowl. The home-opener is against Franklin College.