Spring 2021 Football Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 Spring 2021 Schedule/Results Valparaiso (3-1, 3-1 PFL) Date Opponent Time/Result at Morehead State (2-3, 2-2 PFL) March 13 at Butler* W 24-14 Game #5 Saturday, April 10, 11 a.m. CT March 20 Drake* L 17-6 Jayne Stadium (10,000) – Morehead, Ky. March 27 Butler* W 28-25 This Week in Valpo Football: The Valparaiso University football team will look April 3 at Drake* W 10-7 to clinch its best single-season winning percentage since 2003 on Saturday in April 10 at Morehead State* 11 a.m. Morehead, Ky. as Valpo attempts to go to 4-1 by topping Morehead State at Jayne April 17 San Diego* noon Stadium. The Brown & Gold will look to extend their winning streak to three and All Times Central attempt to secure an unblemished 3-0 road record. * - Pioneer Football League game All home games at Brown Field Previously: The Valpo defense put together another fine performance last week, this time helping the team make program history with a 10-7 win at Drake. It marked *** REFERENCING VALPO *** the first time ever that Valpo won in Des Moines and the program’s first win in the Please refer to our team as Valparaiso or Valpo. The head-to-head series with the Bulldogs since 2003. Austin Martins had 2 ½ sacks, University has voted to retire the Crusader mascot name, effective February 2021. Evan Annis accrued eight tackles and Keyon Turner forced a turnover for the fourth consecutive week. The kicking game also thrived thanks to punter Ben Niesner and kicker Brian Bartholomew, while Robert Washington turned in his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season. Series Notes: A week after garnering the program’s first-ever win at Drake, Valpo will visit another venue that has not been favorable for the Brown & Gold in recent Pioneer Football League years. Valpo has dropped six straight at Morehead State and hasn’t gone on the road Standings to beat the Eagles since Sept. 16, 2006 (W 42-35). Valpo is 2-9 all-time at Jayne Stadium and 4-21 all-time against the Eagles. Morehead State has won 12 of the last PFL Overall 13 matchups with Valpo’s lone win in that span coming 63-32 on Oct. 28, 2017 at Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct. Brown Field. Valpo’s last five losses to the Eagles have all comes by seven points Davidson 4-0 1.000 4-1 .800 or fewer. Morehead State prevailed 27-21 in the most recent matchup on Nov. 9, Valparaiso 3-1 .750 3-1 .750 2019 at Brown Field. San Diego 3-1 .750 3-1 .750 Following Valpo Football: The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. In addition, Morehead State 2-2 .500 2-3 .400 Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst) will handle the Valpo Drake 1-2 .333 1-2 .333 Sports Network radio call, which is available on 95.1 FM Valparaiso and via the Stetson 0-3 .000 0-3 .000 TuneIn Radio app. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on Val- Butler 0-4 .000 0-4 .000 poAthletics.com. Head Coach Landon Fox: Landon Fox (4-12) completed his first season as the head coach of the Valparaiso University football program in 2019. In Year 1 of the Fox Era, 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). The defense also thrived in critical down-and-distance situations, as the team’s opponent third-down conversion percentage of 32.4 ranked second in the league and its opponent fourth-down conversion percentage of 46.2 was third. 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 @ValpoUFootball 2020 season. His teams held opponents to an average of 19 points per game during his time as the defensive coordinator at Dayton. 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 Valpo 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 Football spent time as a defensive graduate assistant at Ball State University (2004), Dayton Spring 2021 Football Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 (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 Around the PFL 2000 season. During his playing days, Fox was a team captain and all-conference Saturday, March 13 performer at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio from 1995-1999 and graduated Valpo 24, Butler 14 with a degree in physical education and health in May 2000 before earning his master’s degree in education from Lakeland in May 2002. Presbyterian 31, Morehead State 16 Davidson 26, Stetson 20 With the 3-1 Start, Valpo… San Diego 13, Drake 10 - Owns its best record through four games since 2007. - Holds its best record through four league outings since 2003. Saturday, March 20 - Has clinched at least a .500 record, securing at least the team’s second-best winning Morehead State 31, Stetson 14 percentage over the last 17 seasons. Davidson 41, Presbyterian 24 - Owns a 2-0 road record for the first time since 2006 and a 2-0 mark in league road Drake 17, Valpo 6 games for the first time since 1986, when head coach Bill Koch’s team notched wins San Diego 27, Butler 13 at Franklin College and Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) in Heartland Collegiate Conference action. Saturday, March 27 - Has won back-to-back games for the first time since beating Butler and Dayton in the final two games of the 2017 campaign. San Diego 24, Presbyterian 21 Davidson 24, Morehead State 21 With a win at Morehead State, Valpo would… Drake at Stetson, CCD - Clinch a winning season. Valpo 28, Butler 25 - Own its best record through five games since 1999. - Hold its best record through five league contests since 1961. Saturday, April 3 - Earn a fourth PFL win in the same season for just the second time ever (five, Presbyterian 26, Stetson 3 2017) and a fourth league win in any conference for the second time since 1968. Valpo 10, Drake 7 - Clinch the program’s best winning percentage since 2003. Davidson 31, San Diego 25 - Own a 3-0 road record for the first time since 1995. Morehead State 35, Butler 14 - Own a 3-0 league-only road record for the first time since 1962. - Snap a six-game skid at Morehead State by beating the Eagles in Kentucky for the first time since 2006. Saturday, April 10 - Hold a three-game winning streak within the same season for the first time since Drake at Butler, 11 a.m. 2003. Valpo at Morehead State, 11 a.m. - Clinch the program’s highest road win total since 2007. Davidson at Presbyterian, noon - Clinch the program’s highest league-only road win total since 1962. Stetson at San Diego, 2 p.m. - Finish the regular season with an undefeated road record for the first time since 1956. Saturday, April 17 Stetson at Davidson, noon Making History in Des Moines Presbyterian at Drake, 1 p.m. - Valpo’s 10-7 win at Drake in Week 4 (April 3) marked the program’s first-ever San Diego at Valpo, 1 p.m. victory in Des Moines, a location where the Brown & Gold previously held an Butler at Morehead State, 3 p.m. 0-13 mark. - The win snapped a 17-game head-to-head losing streak that dated back to a 51-45 (all times Central) overtime win on Oct. 25, 2003 at Brown Field. Media Relations Information - The seven points marked the fewest permitted by the Valpo defense in a road PFL Requests to cover home football games should be made game since a 31-7 win at San Diego on Oct. 31, 1998. The seven points tied for the through Brandon Vickrey, Assistant Director of Athletics for fewest Valpo has allowed in a PFL road game since the league’s inception in 1993. Media Relations, by contacting [email protected] or 219.464.5396. Hauling in Honors - Senior punter Ben Niesner was honored with a Pioneer Football League weekly During the week, all player and coach interview requests should award for the second time this season following the April 3 victory at Drake. This be directed to Brandon Vickrey. Gameday interviews prior to the contest are not permitted. Coach Fox and requested players will time he was tabbed the co-PFL Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging be available following the game via Zoom. All interviews during 47.8 yards per punt over six punts. the Spring 2021 season will be conducted via Zoom or phone.