KYLE BEERY | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Butler football team’s vision of making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs became a little fuzzier after dropping a crucial Pioneer Football League game at San Diego Saturday.
Sitting alone atop the PFL with a 4-0 record to start of the day, the loss dropped them to a four-way tie with Dayton (6-2, 4-1 PFL), San Diego (5-3, 4-1) and Marist (5-3, 4-1).
The Bulldogs (6-3, 4-1) will have another major game this weekend as they travel to Dayton.
The Bulldogs have defeated the Flyers each of the last two years, and three times out of the last four.
However, coach Jeff Voris said the prior success against Dayton doesn’t guarantee a win this year.
“It’s a new year. Our guys get excited to play them, they get excited to play us. So I would definitely call it a rivalry game,” Voris said.
The Flyers head into Saturday’s game riding a four-game winning streak, coming off a 42-14 win at Morehead State over the weekend.
Butler senior quarterback Matt Lancaster said the team’s focus is on the upcoming mathcup against the Flyers.
“We’re going out 0-0 again this week. That’s how we approach every week,” Lancaster said. “It’s a big gme for us, it’s a big PFL game for us. We’re excited for it.”
Saturday’s matchup for Bulldogs went entirely in favor of the Toreros.
San Diego jumped out to a 35-0 lead in the second quarter, and never looked back. The Toreros went on to win 42-14.
“They’re a good team, good all around with a good solid D. And the offense scored a lot of points,” Lancaster said.
The PFL’s leading passer, San Diego senior quarterback Mason Mills, put up another game with big numbers, throwing for 407 yards and five touchdowns.
Butler senior quarterback Matt Lancaster accounted for the Bulldogs’ only two touchdowns—one through the air and one on the ground.
Lancaster finished the day with 251 passing yards and 54 rushing yards.
“It was a combination of everybody. I get stats, but credit to all my teammates, especially on offense,” Lancaster said. “Without everyone doing their jobs, I wouldn’t be able to score.”
Kickoff for Saturday’s contest in Dayton is slated for 1 p.m. The game will be streamed live online at www.Atlantic10.com.
