Dayton Flyers
Pioneer
Dayton hopes their magical season can continue into the playoffs. The Flyers are making their first ever playoff appearance after winning the Pioneer League, but for this group, just getting there is the reward. Despite the 10-1 record, Dayton has yet to be seriously tested. And their toughest conference games against San Diego and Jacksonville were in Dayton.
2015 Record: 10-1, 7-1
Coach: Rick Chamberlin
Big Wins: 9/19 Duquesne (24-13), 10/31 Jacksonville (31-14)
Bad Losses: 11/21 at Drake (17-27)
Strengths:
However, Dayton has found ways to get the job done and that is all that matters. Most of that comes from winning the turnover battle. The team intercepts nearly two passes per game, led by Cameron Stubbs, Christian Searles and Danny Leach. That is a very underappreciated trio in the secondary and if Dayton wants to represent the PFL respectfully, they will need to continue to make big plays. Freshman quarterback Alex Jeske has done a decent job taking care of the ball and has gotten better in that regard as the season progressed. Dayton is going to work their offense through running back Tucker Yinger. Yinger has made some big plays after the injury to starting back Connor Kacsor and Jack Adams provides some power to the running game.
Weaknesses:
However, it remains to be seen if Dayton can seriously compete with a playoff caliber team. The defense is not only going to have to make those big plays, but they need to be solid across the board. And the offense may not be ready for the tougher defense they will see either. We are talking about a redshirt freshman quarterback and a backup redshirt freshman running back carrying the load. This is a Dayton team that has done a great job taking advantage of their opportunities against Pioneer Football League opponents. The competition is about to get much, much more difficult.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Tucker Yinger, RB, 680 yards
Passing: Alex Jeske, QB, 1,928 yards
Receiving: Cory Stuart, WR, 502 yards
Tackles: Christopher Beaschler, LB, 98
Sacks: Nick Surges, DE, 4.0
Interceptions: Christian Searles, CB, 4; Danny Leach, S, 4
2015 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 172.2 (47th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 172.8 (91, 10)
Total Offense: 345.0 (81, 7)
Scoring Offense: 27.2 (59, 5)
Rushing Defense: 130.7 (26, 6)
Pass Defense: 226.1 (77, 7)
Total Defense: 356.8 (43, 7)
Scoring Defense: 17.8 (16, 3)
Turnover Margin: 1.20 (4, 1)
Sacks: 1.70 (84, 10)
Sacks Allowed: 2.70 (97, 7)
Recent Playoff Appearances:
No Tournament History
*all team stats through 11/14
