Valparaiso (1-6, 0-4 PFL)
at Butler (5-3, 3-2 PFL)

Game #8 Saturday, Oct. 28, Noon CT
Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl (5,647) – Indianapolis, Ind.

This Week in Valpo Football: There’s every other game, and then there’s this one for the Valparaiso University football team. Every game means a lot, but this game means the most as the Pioneer Football League’s oldest rivalry takes center stage on Saturday in Indianapolis. Valpo will seek to regain control of the Hoosier Helmet trophy in the latest clash with arch nemesis Butler.

Previously: An offense that ranks among the FCS leaders in most statistical categories put on another strong showing on Saturday in North Carolina as host Davidson stayed perfect in PFL play by taking a 21-0 halftime lead en route to a 42-21 victory over Valpo. Redshirt freshman quarterback Rowan Keefe was a major bright spot after entering the game at the start of the second half. He completed nine of his 12 pass attempts for 187 yards, tossing three touchdowns and no interceptions. Chris Gundy’s 60-yard touchdown grab was the longest of the day, while Brian Thomas (five yards) and Brandon Jimenez (nine yards) were also on the receiving end of Keefe scores. Mohamed Kamara and Evan Annis had 10 tackles apiece to lead the defense, while Jashon Butler had a 68-yard kickoff return and Onye Nwosisi had a fumble recovery to account for two other Valpo highlights.

Series Notes: Butler holds a 52-30 edge in an all-time series that began way back in 1927, but Valpo has come away victorious in five of the last seven matchups between these two teams. The Beacons enjoyed a three-game head-to-head winning streak prior to a 26-25 setback last season at Brown Field. Valpo’s most recent trip to Indianapolis saw the Beacons pound the Bulldogs 47-3 in 2021, notching the most lopsided victory over a Division-I opponent in program history. Valpo is 3-2 against Butler under Landon Fox with both losses coming by three points or fewer, the first of which saw Butler hit a 38-yard field goal with all zeros on the clock for a 24-21 win in 2019 after Valpo had scored a game-tying touchdown with 19 seconds remaining. A win on Saturday would allow Valpo to win its third straight trip to Butler, which would mark the program’s first three-game road winning streak against a specific PFL opponent since wins at Butler in 1995, 1997 and 1999.

Following the Beacons: A video feed of Saturday’s game will be available on FloFootball. In addition, the radio commentary will air on 95.1 FM WVUR, The TuneIn Radio App and ValpoAthletics.com with Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst) on the call. For in-game updates, follow @valpoufootball on Twitter. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Landon Fox: Landon Fox (15-33) is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Valparaiso University football program in 2023. Over the last three seasons, Fox has led Valpo to 12 Pioneer Football League victories, the most in a three-year period in program history. The program finished with a PFL record of .500 or better for a third consecutive season in 2022, the first time that has occurred since 1998-2000. Prior to that, Valpo had not had a stretch of three straight years with a league record of .500 or better since 1961-1964. The program won four PFL games in the same season just once in the 26 seasons prior to Fox’s arrival. Now, the program has reached that threshold in three straight seasons and three of the first four years under his direction (Spring 2021, Fall 2021, 2022). During his four years in charge of the program, Valpo has boasted 43 All-PFL honorees and 22 academic all-PFL selections.  During his second season at the helm in Spring 2021, Fox was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award – which is presented annually to the FCS National Coach of the Year – after guiding Valpo to its best winning percentage since 2003 and tying for the squad’s best winning percentage since 1999. He led his team to Pioneer Football League runner-up honors, the program’s highest finish in the league standings since the PFL championship season of 2003. Fox’s defensive roots paid dividends on that side of the football in his second year at the helm, as the team enjoyed its best defensive season in four decades. Valpo held opponents to 283.3 yards per game, the program’s best total defense in the last 40 years. In Year 1 of the Fox Era in 2019, Valpo ranked in the Top 5 in the PFL in scoring defense (32.0, fifth), total defense (381.6, fourth), rushing defense (184.2, fourth) and passing defense (197.3, fifth). After spending the previous 11 seasons as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of Dayton, Fox was named the head football coach at Valpo prior to the 2019 season. He helped the Flyers finish with 10 winning seasons in his 11 years on staff and guided a defensive backfield that produced one All-American, four Academic All-Americans, two PFL Special Teams Players of the Year and three corners who were invited to NFL Rookie Minicamp. Prior to joining Dayton’s staff, Fox served as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Wayne State University in Detroit from 2005-2007. He also spent time as a defensive graduate assistant at Ball State University (2004), Dayton (2002-2003) and Lakeland College (2001). Fox began his coaching career as an assistant varsity coach at Preble Shawnee High School in Camden, Ohio during the 2000 season. During his playing days, Fox was a team captain and all-conference performer at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio from 1995-1999 and graduated with a degree in physical education and health in May 2000 before earning his master’s degree in education from Lakeland in May 2002.

Strength of Schedule

• The Pioneer Football League schedule has proven to be a difficult one as the four teams that Valpo has faced in league play hold a combined 14-3 league mark.
• Three of Valpo’s four conference defeats have come to Davidson (4-0), Drake (4-0) and Marist (4-1), who are combined 12-1 in PFL play.
• It gets no easier this week as the Beacons face off with a Butler team that stands at 3-2 with a seven-point road loss to preseason favorite St. Thomas and a two-point setback to first-place Davidson, the team picked second in the preseason poll.
• Entering this week, there are six PFL teams that are .500 or better and five that are below .500 in league play. After this week, Valpo will have played five of the six teams with winning records in league play and none of the other four teams with sub-.500 marks.
• The two teams in the league that Valpo does not play this season, Presbyterian (1-3) and San Diego (1-3), are both below .500 in league play.

A Dandy Debut

• Redshirt freshman quarterback Rowan Keefe was inserted into the game at halftime on Oct. 21 at Davidson with his team down 21-0. He helped the Beacons play even in the second half of a 42-21 loss to the first-place Wildcats.
• Keefe went 9-of-12 passing for 187 yards and three touchdowns while tossing no interceptions.
• Keefe became the first Valpo quarterback to throw three touchdown passes with no interceptions in a game since Ben Nimz on Nov. 13, 2021 at Butler.
• Keefe completed a 68-yard pass to Brandon Jimenez, Valpo’s longest play from scrimmage this season and the team’s longest passing play since Griffin Norberg’s 75-yard reception from Chris Duncan on Nov. 10, 2018.
• The Keefe to Jimenez play surpassed Solomon Davis’ 67-yard catch from last season against Dayton for Valpo’s longest passing play of the Landon Fox Era.
• Prior to Keefe’s entrance, Valpo had just one passing play of 60+ yards in the program’s previous 44 games. The rookie completed two passes of 60+ yards in his first half of collegiate football, adding a 60-yard touchdown pass to Chris Gundy that came just 2:48 of game time after his connection with Jimenez.
• Keefe became the first Valpo quarterback to complete two passes of 60+ yards in the same season (let alone, same game) since Chris Duncan had three such heaves in 2018 – all to Griffin Norberg.
• Keefe became the first Valpo quarterback to complete two passes of 60+ yards in the same game since Eric Hoffman on Nov. 16, 2013 vs. Dayton. Hoffman found Tanner Kuramata (78 yards) and Tony Taibi (70 yards) in that one.

The Only Butler We’re Talking About

• You may hear those close to the Valpo program avoid saying the name of the opponent leading into this week’s rivalry game, but there’s one context where Valpo personnel will not hesitate to say the word Butler this week.
• That would be in reference to return specialist Jashon Butler, who had his longest kickoff return of the season with a 68 yarder on Oct. 21 at Davidson.
• This marked Butler’s third return of 60+ yards this year, as he had two such returns vs. Southwest Minnesota State (61 and 60).
• This was his fourth kickoff return of more than 50 yards including a 58 yarder at Indiana Wesleyan.
• The 68-yard return against the Wildcats was the longest by a Valpo player since Chuck Maxwell had a 76 yarder on Oct. 23, 2021 vs. Dayton.
• In the game against Southwest Minnesota State, Butler became the first Valpo player with a pair of 50+ yard kickoff returns in the same game since John Popper in 2009 vs. Concordia (Wis.).
• Butler is the first Valpo player with four kickoff returns of over 50 yards in a single season in over two decades.

Ain’t Nothing But a Heart Ache

• Four of Valpo’s six losses this season were one-score games, coming by a total margin of defeat of 17 points over those four showings.
• Valpo’s four losses by seven points or fewer have come against Indiana Wesleyan, Marist, Drake and Morehead State.
• The Beacons have endured as much heartache as anyone in the country this season, as they are tied for the FCS lead in most losses by seven points or fewer.
• Kennesaw State, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin and Valpo are the only four FCS teams nationally with four one-score setbacks.

More on the Close Calls

• In Landon Fox’s 48 games as Valpo head coach, 23 (47.9 percent) have been decided by seven points or fewer, most recently a 24-21 loss to Morehead State on Oct. 14 of this season.
• Valpo is 8-15 in those one-score games. Since Fox took over the program, 58.3 percent of the team’s games have been either victories or defeats by seven points or fewer.
• Just seven games into his fifth season and with one of those first four seasons being shortened to six games, Fox has already coached more one-score games at Valpo than the program’s previous two head coaches – Dave Cecchini (13 in five full seasons) and Dale Carlson (six in four seasons) – combined.
• In 48 games under Fox, Valpo has played more one-score games than it did in 110 games from 2007-2018.
• The Week 7 game vs. Morehead State was Valpo’s fifth straight game decided by fewer than seven points. This was the first time Valpo has had a streak of five or more one-score games consecutively since six straight during the PFL championship season of 2003 – at Jacksonville, vs. Morehead State, at Dayton, vs. San Diego, vs. Drake and at Butler.
• Since the start of last season, seven of the nine games played at Brown Field have been one-score affairs, including all three this year.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Davidson: Davidson 42, Valpo 21

• Brandon Jimenez had two catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Gundy had two grabs for 73 yards and a score. Solomon Davis made a team-high four catches.
• Jimenez’s TD catch was his second of the season, while Gundy’s represented the first of his collegiate career. Thomas also recorded his first collegiate score.
• Jashon Butler had two kickoff returns for 90 yards including a long of 68, his third of 60+ yards this season.
• Evan Annis and Mohamed Kamara led the Valpo defense by accruing 10 tackles apiece. This marked the first time this season that a Valpo player racked up 10 or more tackles.
• Davidson improved to 16-1 in its last 17 home games and 4-0 in PFL play this season. The Wildcats are among the national leaders in most offensive categories. They have made three straight FCS Playoff appearances.

Among PFL and National Leaders

• Valpo leads the league and ranks 13^th nationally in kickoff return average at 24.47.
• The team ranks second in the league and 29^th nationally in rushing defense at 124.1.
• Jashon Butler ranks second in the PFL and fourth nationally in combined kickoff return yards at 517. He is first in the league and fourth in the nation in kickoff return average at 32.3.
• Tyler Geiman leads the league and ranks second nationally in passes defended per game at 2.0.
• Evan Matthes leads the league and ranks 21^st in the nation in punting average at 43.0.

Scouting the Bulldogs

• Hold a 5-3 record with the three losses coming to No. 14 Montana and the two teams picked to finish 1-2 in the Pioneer Football League preseason poll, St. Thomas (17-10) and Davidson (35-33).
• Picked to finish fifth in the PFL preseason poll, one spot ahead of Valpo.
• Surged to 7-4 and 5-3 in the PFL last season during Mike Uremovich’s first season as head coach. That came after the Bulldogs went 1-7 in league play during the 2021 campaign.

Mann oh Mann!

• Ryan Mann finished with a career-high 102 rushing yards on 12 carries on Oct. 14 vs. Morehead State, becoming the first Beacon to rush for 100 yards in a game this season. The last Valpo player to do so was Aaron Dawson on Nov. 12, 2022 at Marist (199).
• Mann accounted for two of the team’s three scores, hauling in a 21-yard pass from Jeffrey Jackson in addition to breaking free for a 23-yard run.
• The rushing score was Mann’s second of the season, while the receiving score was the first of his collegiate career.

Nice to Meet You, Chris Gundy

• Entering the Oct. 14 game vs. Morehead State, redshirt freshman wide receiver Chris Gundy had one career reception for nine yards. That first collegiate grab came the previous week at Drake.
• Gundy enjoyed a breakout day against the Eagles, soaring for six catches to the tune of 74 yards with a long of 29.
• He and Solomon Davis were top targets of quarterback Jeffrey Jackson, who made his first start with the Brown & Gold. That duo combined for 13 catches and 168 yards through the air.

Fake It & Make It

• One of the Valpo highlights in the Oct. 14 game vs. Morehead State was a successful fake punt on fourth-and-7 at the Morehead State 47.
• Punter Evan Matthes completed a 23-yard pass to Mark Johnson for a first down.
• This marks the second straight season that Valpo attempted a fake punt against Morehead State. Last year in Kentucky, Matthes attempted to run for what would have been a game-clinching first down, but he was spotted just shy on a fourth-and-4 at the Morehead 46 with one minute on the clock. Valpo still went on to win the game.
• This was the first time a Valpo punter attempted a pass since Ben Niesner on Oct. 30, 2021 at San Diego. That one fell incomplete.
• This was Valpo’s first time moving the chains thanks to a punter since Niesner ran for a first down on Sept. 11, 2021 at North Dakota State. Niesner also converted a fake punt on Oct. 5, 2019 at Drake.
• Matthes was the first Valpo punter to successfully complete a pass in over 15 years.

Additional Notes Wrapping Up Oct. 14: Morehead State 24, Valpo 21

• Jeffrey Jackson went 18-of-29 passing for 202 yards and a pair of scores in his first start in a Valpo uniform.
• Jake Vickers made his third career touchdown catch. The tight end now has exactly one score in each of the last three seasons – 2021, 2022 and 2023.
• Tyler Geiman made his first interception in a Valpo uniform. He, Evan Annis, Sam Hafner and Caleb Rao shared the team lead with six tackles apiece.
• Evan Matthes averaged 42.7 yards per punt on six kicks including a 67 yarder, his eighth of 50+ yards this season.

Captain Corner: Valpo has four team captains for the 2023 campaign – redshirt senior linebacker Evan Annis, senior offensive lineman Tyler Eberhert, redshirt junior defensive lineman Sam Hafner and redshirt senior wide receiver Solomon Davis. Annis is a captain for the third straight season, while the others hold the distinction for the first time this year.

Preseason Picks

• Valpo was picked sixth of 11 in the preseason poll.
• WR Solomon Davis and TE Evan Jernegan were recognized with Preseason All-PFL honors.
• Evan Matthes was named to the FCS Punter of the Year Award Watch List.
• Six Valpo players earned Phil Steele First All-PFL honors – WR Solomon Davis on the first team; TE Evan Jernegan, DL Sam Hafner, DL Kevin Spelman and P Evan Matthes on the second team and LB Evan Annis along with Spelman (as a long snapper) on the third team.

2022 Valpo Football Feats

• Winning on the road is never easy, but Valpo finished out a successful season in terms of Pioneer Football League games away from Brown Field with the 45-24 win at Marist in Week 11. The team finished 3-1 in league road games, the first time Valpo has won three PFL road games in the same season since the league was founded in 1993.
• In addition, 2022 marks the first time Valpo has won three league road games in the same season since 1962.
• Valpo finished with a PFL record of .500 or better for a third consecutive season. This is the program’s first such stretch since 1998-2000. Prior to that, Valpo had not had a league record of .500 or better in three straight years since doing so in four straight seasons from 1961-1964.
• The program has won four PFL games in the same season for the third straight year and just the fourth time ever. Prior to the Spring 2021 season, Valpo had won four league games in a season just once since 1968, with the one instance coming in 2017.
• To put the last note in further perspective, Valpo had won four Pioneer Football League games once in 26 seasons prior to Fox’s arrival. Now, the program has reached that threshold for league wins in three of his first four seasons. (Although, in fairness, the program played only four to five league games per year in each of its first 13 PFL seasons.)
• Fox’s team achieved yet another program first with the Week 11 win at Marist. That marked the program’s first-ever win in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (previously 0-4) and the team’s second win over Marist in any location (previously 1-9, last win in 2017 at Brown Field.)
• That one was the latest on a growing list of the program’s feats, as earlier in the season Valpo garnered the program’s first win at Morehead State since 2006.
• Also during the Fox Era, Valpo has achieved its first-ever win at Drake, its first win over Drake in any location since 2003 and its first win over San Diego since 2003.
• During the 2021 campaign, Valpo prevailed 47-3 in a game at rival Butler, setting a program record for margin of victory in a game against a Division-I opponent. Valpo and Butler are instate foes who play for the Hoosier Helmet rivalry trophy.

2022 PFL Postseason Plaudits

• Seven members of Valpo’s program earned All-PFL First or Second Team status, while three others received Honorable Mention nods as the league announced its postseason awards on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
• Redshirt junior wide receiver Solomon Davis, fifth-year senior running back Aaron Dawson, redshirt senior offensive lineman Aaron Byrd and redshirt senior linebacker Ben Hines were named to the All-PFL First Team.
• Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Sam Hafner, fifth-year senior defensive back Kohlton Sherman and redshirt senior punter Evan Matthes were tabbed to the All-PFL Second Team.
• Redshirt freshman tight end Evan Jernigan, redshirt junior wide receiver Matt Ross and redshirt freshman defensive lineman and long snapper Kevin Spelman (at both positions) received PFL Honorable Mention.
• All 10 players recognized were first time All-PFL honorees, with the exception of Byrd, who had earned All-PFL Honorable Mention twice previously but was a first time First Team choice.

2022 Academic Accolades

• ­Five members of the program were recognized as Academic All-District selections by College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly known as CoSIDA).
• Redshirt sophomore linebacker James Doerer (communication), redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Sam Hafner (biology), junior defensive lineman Kurt Kessen (mechanical engineering), redshirt junior wide receiver Matt Ross (digital media) and fifth-year senior defensive back Kohlton Sherman (business) were all recognized.
• In order to qualify for the honor, an individual must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, be a starter or important reserve, have reached at least sophomore academic and athletic status and have been at their institution for at least one calendar year.
• Valpo shattered a program record for PFL Honor Roll members in 2022, placing 64 individuals on the honor roll. The previous program record of 60 was established in 2018 and tied in 2021.

Inside the Staff: Head coach Landon Fox has welcomed several newcomers to his staff for the 2023 campaign.

• Matthew Symmes (offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach) is in his first season. He has an impressive resume that features Power-5 FBS and NFL coaching experience. Prior to his most recent assignment as senior defensive analyst/assistant linebackers coach at East Carolina University, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff from 2018-2020, serving as quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant. He was the NFL’s youngest QB coach in 2019, and helped the Steelers to the 2020 AFC North Championship. He was also on staff at ECU when the team went to bowl games in 2021 and 2022.
• David Marquis (defensive coordinator / defensive backs coach) is in his first season at Valpo after previously serving as defensive coordinator at Wittenberg University. He was the linebackers coach at Dayton under then Flyers defensive coordinator Landon Fox from May 2017 to March 2019.
• RJ Ghilarducci (co-defensive coordinator / recruiting coordinator / linebackers coach) is in his fourth season at Valpo, the staff’s longest-tenured assistant. He was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator prior to the 2023 campaign and shifted to linebackers coach after previously working with the defensive line.
• Andrew Prevost (offensive line coach / run game coordinator / assistant head coach) is in his first season at Valpo after a stint on staff at the University of South Dakota since 2016. He helped the Coyotes reach the FCS Playoffs in 2017 and 2021. Prevost was elevated to offensive line coach at South Dakota in 2018.
• Other offensive coaches include Bryan Parker (wide receivers), Trevor McConnell (running backs), Nate Van Asperen (tight ends) and Cam Burnette (quality control). Other defensive coaches include Jackson Smith (defensive line), Curtis Harper (assistant defensive line) and Owen Chandler (assistant defensive backs).
• Symmes, Van Asperen and Burnette will be in the press box for the offensive staff, while Prevost, Parker and McConnell will be on the field.
• Ghilarducci and Chandler will be in the press box for the defensive staff, while Marquis, Smith and Harper will be on the field.
• The staff also features Nathan Richards (Director of Football Operations), Luke Campbell (Associate Director of Sports Performance), Nicole Mioduski (primary football athletic trainer) and Mason Williams (head equipment management).

Transfer Tracker: While developing homegrown talent remains a key element of Valpo’s program, the team has also found success recruiting via the transfer portal. Defensive back Tyler Geiman (Dubuque), linebacker Mohamed Kamara (Hope), wide receiver Johnny Foley (Lehigh), linebacker Kobey Fitzgerald (UCLA), wide receiver Brandon Jimenez (Albany), wide receiver Brandon Barthel (American River), linebacker Jimmy Pouba (College of the Sequoias), defensive back Kalil Brown (Albion), wide receiver Moise Tezzo (Millsaps), running back Jashon Butler (Arizona), tight end Mike York, offensive lineman Ryan Pauley (Presbyterian), kicker Liam Shepherd (Ball State) and defensive lineman Onye Nwosisi (Miskingum) have all joined the program as transfers.

Roster Rundown: The program has continued to bring in talent from all over the United States. This year’s roster features athletes from nearly half of the 50 states as 22 states are represented. Illinois is the state most represented on Valpo’s roster as 21 players hail from the Land of Lincoln. Other states in double figures are Indiana (17), California (15) and Ohio (14). The program has over doubled its instate talent, featuring 17 Hoosiers this year after having eight a year ago.

Who’s Back: The 2023 Beacons boast five returning starters on offense and seven on defense.

Family Tree

• LB Evan Annis has a pair of older brothers who played college football. Brett played at Division-III Capital, while Kyle played at – and we’re going to whisper this one – Butler.
• Wide receiver Cam Livingston is a third-generation Division-I football player. His grandfather Brian played at Ohio State and his father Robert played for – here we go again – Butler.
• QB Michael Appel Jr. has two family members who played football at Morehead State University – father Mike (1993-1997) and uncle Jim (1989-1992)… The Morehead State annual academic award is named after his father and uncle as both were Academic All-Americans at MSU.
• Kicker Patrick Oliva’s cousin is Tad Boyle, the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Colorado.
• WR EJ Locke’s father Eric Locke Sr. played football at Illinois State.
• LB Hayden Bedell’s cousin is former Valpo offensive lineman Drew Parrish.
• DB Etwood Williams’ father Arthur played football at Illinois State from 1991-1993, cousin Rodney Peete played at USC and went on to a long NFL career from 1989-2004. His cousin Shawn Buchanon played baseball at Nebraska and went on to a five-year minor league career in the Chicago White Sox organization.
• DL Amar Elmore’s cousin Markus Wheaton played college football at Oregon State and went on to play in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2013-2016), Chicago Bears (2017) and Philadelphia Eagles (2018).
• TE Jalen Jones’ uncle Derrick Coleman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Coleman went on to play in the NBA from 1990-2005, was the 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year and was an NBA All-Star in 1994.
• DL Sam Hafner’s great aunt Louise Erickson played professional women’s basketball for three years (Racine Belles one year, Rockford Peaches two years).
• DL Logan Chastain’s father Dan was a catcher at the University of Portland, was drafted out of high school by the Montreal Expos in the 57th round of the 1991 MLB Draft and played minor league baseball in the Marlins organization.
• QB Caron Tyler’s father is rapper Aaron Tyler, better known by stage name MC Eiht.
• DB Mark Johnson’s father Mark played football at Vanderbilt form 1986-91.
• OL James Owsley’s father Kent played football at Iowa from 1986-1990.
• WR Bennett McCormick’s paternal grandfather Thomas McCormick signed to play football at Wisconsin when they had a freshman football team before he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, but instead left to join the Korean War.

Did You Know? #BeaconBits

• Quarterback Jeffrey Jackson was a 2010 Jiu-Jitsu World Champion.
• Linebacker Evan Annis played lacrosse for 10 years.
• Both of WR Solomon Davis’ parents retired from the Navy.
• DB Ousmane Dabo is ambidextrous, as is OL James Owsley.
• DB Austin Chilton lives a few minutes from Walt Disney World and can hear the Magic Kingdom Fireworks from his neighborhood every night. His career goal is to design and build rollercoasters for Disney World.
• DB Andy Cole was adopted from Ethiopia, Africa when he was 8 years old.
• LB Justin Jurmu’s oldest brother Jordan was a national finalist in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship in 2015 at Augusta National.
• DL Alex Goworowski has never seen Star Wars, Rocky, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Caddyshack.
• DL Dawson Rye had a pet aquatic frog for over 15 years.
• TE Evan Jernegan has built out the biggest Lego set, the UCS Millennium Falcon.
• DL Kurt Kessen was his high school’s valedictorian.
• K Ryan Hawk is a certified advanced scuba diver.
• NFL QB Colt McCoy came to DB Johnny Bebie’s house and drove him and his brothers to school in first grade.
• OL Noah Kline’s extended family is so large that at one point he had a relative living in every state except Maine.

Player-by-Player Quick Hits – Projected Offensive Starters

*Based on two-deep, starters subject to change

• WR-x #10 Solomon Davis, R-Sr. – Ranked among the PFL leaders in receptions per game (3.48, ninth), receiving yards per game (62.33, fifth), yards per catch (17.4, fifth), total receptions (43, fifth) and total receiving yards (748, second) last season after he had just one career catch in his first three seasons on Valpo’s campus… Preseason All-PFL choice, Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL First Team... Hauled in a 53-yard catch in Week 1 at Youngstown State... Had his first TD catch of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career in Week 2 at Indiana State… Had the most receptions (10) and receiving yards (175) by a Valpo player since 2014 in the Week 4 game vs. Marist... Hauled in a 33-yard score from Jeffrey Jackson, his fourth receiving TD of the season, in Week 6 at Drake... Had seven catches for 94 yards in Week 7 vs. Morehead State.
• LT #55 Brett Gray, R-So. – Played in 11 games and made eight starts in 2022.
• C #62 Carter Woody, Sr. – Started all 12 games in 2022.
• QB #2 Rowan Keefe, R-Fr. – Entered the Oct. 21 game at Davidson in the second half and threw three touchdowns passes against no interceptions while completing nine of his 12 passes for 187 yards in his collegiate debut... Became the first Valpo quarterback since 2013 to complete a pair of 60+ yard passes in the same game during his dazzling debut.
• LG #50 Nico Paic, R-Fr. – Was converted from offensive line to defensive line prior to the 2023 campaign.
• RG #65 Mason Smith, R-Fr. – Saw action in two games in 2022 including the season finale at New Mexico State.
• RT #78 Keith Szczepanski, R-Jr. – Played in all 12 games and made four starts in 2022.
• TE #89 Jake Vickers, R-Jr. – Made seven catches for 105 yards and one touchdown while playing in nine games in 2022... Hauled in his third career TD catch and first of the season on Oct. 14 vs. Morehead State, a six yarder from Jeffrey Jackson.
• WR-z #8 Brandon Jimenez, Jr. – Joined the program prior to the 2023 season as a transfer from Albany... Caught a 68-yard pass from Rowan Keefe for Valpo’s longest play of the season from scrimmage to date on Oct. 21 at Davidson... Had his second receiving TD of the season in the game against the Wildcats.
• RB #34 Ryan Mann, R-So. – Played in all 12 games in 2022 after transferring from Northern Illinois... Scored his first career touchdown, plunging in from two yards out, in Week 1 at Youngstown State... Had a career-high 102 rushing yards on 12 carries on Oct. 14 vs. Morehead State, becoming the first Beacon to rush for 100 yards this season. He accounted for two of the team’s three scores, a 21-yard catch and a 23-yard run. The receiving score was the first of his collegiate career.
• Slot #17 Moise Tezzo, Sr. – In his first season at Valpo after transferring from Millsaps College, where he was a two-time first team all-conference performer... Led the SAA in all-purpose yards in 2021... Hauled in his first touchdown pass in a Valpo uniform on a 15-yard toss from Jeffrey Jackson on Oct. 7, 2023 at Drake.

Player-by-Player Quick Hits – Projected Defensive Starters

*Based two-deep, starters subject to change

• DE #90 Sam Hafner, R-Jr. – Named to the All-PFL Second Team, Academic All-PFL First Team and CSC Academic All-District Team in 2022... Played in all 12 games... Had 65 tackles (26 solos), nine TFL, five sacks, three forced fumbles and three QB hurries... Ranked ninth in the PFL in sacks per game at 0.42... Tied for the PFL lead with three forced fumbles... Had a season-high 10 tackles in the Sept. 3, 2022 opener vs. Indiana Wesleyan... Shared the team lead with eight tackles in Week 2 of 2023 at Indiana Wesleyan including a pair of TFLs... Led the team with six tackles while also notching a fumble recovery in Week 6 of 2023 at Drake.
• DT #93 Kurt Kessen, Sr. – Named to the Academic All-PFL First Team, CSC Academic All-District Team and was the team’s Scholar-Athlete Award winner last season... Played in all 12 games, totaling 46 tackles (12 solos), a sack, eight QB hurries, three pass breakups and one blocked kick... Accrued a season-high 10 tackles on Sept. 24, 2022 vs. San Diego... Blocked an extra point on Oct. 15, 2022 vs. Butler… Blocked a PAT in Week 4 of 2023 vs. Marist to keep the score tied in the final minute and send the game to overtime.
• NG #96 Logan Chastain, So. – Named the team’s Newcomer of the Year last season... Played in all 12 games in 2022 and had 23 tackles (eight solos), 2.5 TFL, two sacks and three QB hurries... Had two sacks on Oct. 8 at Presbyterian.
• DE #91 Kevin Spelman, R-So. – Was the only PFL player and one of 25 players nationally named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for the honor presented annually to the nation’s top FCS freshman last season… Tied for fifth in the PFL in sacks and was one of nine players in the league with multiple forced fumbles in 2022... Ranked fourth in the nation in sacks by a freshman in 2022... Earned All-PFL Honorable Mention at both defensive line and long snapper last season.
• LB (W) #7 Kobey Fitzgerald, 6^th – Joined the program this season as a graduate transfer from UCLA, where he played from 2020-2022 after starting his collegiate career at Riverside City College.
• LB (M) #2 Evan Annis, R-Sr. – Earned all PFL honors in Spring 2021 (Second Team) and Fall 2021 (HM) but missed all of last season with a knee injury... Tied for the team lead in tackles with eight in Week 2 at Indiana Wesleyan... Shared the team lead in tackles on Oct. 21 at Davidson, joining Mohamed Kamara as the first Valpo players with a 10-tackle game this season.
• LB (nickel) #3 Mohamed Kamara, Sr. – Transfer from Hope College, where he was MIAA all-conference... Shared the team lead in tackles on Oct. 21 at Davidson, joining Evan Annis as the first Valpo players with a 10-tackle game this season.
• CB #6 Caleb Rao, R-So. – Had an interception and a fumble return touchdown in Week 2 of 2022 at Illinois State… Recorded 22 tackles (16 solos), had 1.5 TFL, two fumble recoveries, five pass breakups and an interception last season.
• S #20 Austin Chilton, R-Sr. – Had 28 tackles (16 solos) while seeing action in all 12 games last season.
• S #26 Colin Graves, Jr. – Had 61 tackles (23 solos), four TFL, 0.5 sacks, an interception and four pass breakups last season... Paced the team with eight tackles in Week 1 at Youngstown State.
• CB #1 Tyler Geiman, R-Sr. – Transfer who was a Division-III All-American at Dubuque... Made his first interception in a Valpo uniform on Oct. 14 vs. Morehead State.

Specialist Quick Hits – Projected Starters

• P #11 Evan Matthes, 6^th – Ranked second in the league in punting average at 41.38 yards per punt last season... Named to the All-PFL Second Team, the Phil Steele All-PFL Second Team and was tabbed the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year in 2022... Booted a 70-yard punt in Week 1 at Youngstown State, the second-longest punt in the FCS nation that week... Uncorked a 65-yard punt while averaging 39.8 yard per attempt on eight tries in Week 6 at Drake... Completed a 23-yard pass for a first down on a fake punt in the Oct. 14 game vs. Morehead State. Also booted a 67-yard punt in that contest, his third this season of 65+.
• K #99 Ryan Hawk, R-So. – Did not see game action last year… Played in two games in Fall 2021... Made a 47-yard field goal in Week 2 at Indiana Wesleyan on the first attempt of his collegiate career.
• RS #29 Jashon Butler, R-Sr. – Arizona transfer... Had a big day in the kick return game in Week 5 vs. Southwest Minnesota State, averaging 60.5 yards per return with a long of 61... Had a 68-yard kickoff return at Davidson on Oct. 21, his third of 60+ yards this season.