Wildcat Football Travels to Undefeated Butler Saturday

Davidson Wildcats (2-5, 2-3 PFL) vs. Butler Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 PFL)
Oct. 31, 2009 - Indianapolis, Ind.
Butler Bowl (2,500) - 12 p.m. - Natural Grass

Today's Game
• Davidson opens a two-game road trip, its longest of the season, as the Wildcats travel to Indianapolis to take on first-place Butler.
• It's the third consecutive week the Wildcats have played an opponent with a share of first place in the PFL standings.
• Davidson is 7-14 all-time in league games on the road, including 2-7 in its last nine and 0-2 this season.
• The 'Cats are 14-13 in their last 27 PFL contests and own a 20-22 all-time PFL record.
• The Wildcats are allowing just 16.4 points and 99.4 rushing yards a contest in five conference games this season. The 'Cats have 16 sacks in league games.
• Davidson is coming off a 21-16 home loss to Drake last Saturday.
• Butler is 7-0 for the first time since 1983 and coming off a 23-16 victory at Campbell last Saturday.
• The Bulldogs are one of three remaining unbeaten teams in all of Division I FCS.
• The last team to beat Butler was Davidson - in the 2008 season finale, a 46-34 Wildcat victory at home.
• The Wildcats and Bulldogs will be part of the 300th game in Pioneer Football League history.

Series Record
• The Wildcats lead the all-time series, which began in 2003, 5-0, and are 2-0 on the road against the Bulldogs.
• Davidson quarterback Ryan Alexander completed 21-of-28 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and the Wildcats rolled up 512 yards of total offense in a 46-34 victory over Butler last season.
• Kirk Konert caught seven passes for 100 yards and was on the receiving end of fellow receiver Myles Potter's first career touchdown pass on a trick play. Potter finished the contest with three catches for 20 yards to go along with 39 passing yards.
• Kenny Mantuo rushed for 90 yards, and Justin Williams rushed for 72.
• Davidson scored on its first four possessions and punted just once, a 47-yarder by Konert. The Wildcats scored touchdowns on seven of their eight possessions in the game.
• Davidson posted a 44-32 victory the last time the two teams met in Indianapolis behind 225 rushing yards and four touchdowns by Justin Williams.

Scouting the Bulldogs
• Butler is averaging 33.1 points and 400.4 yards of offense a contest.
• Andrew Huck has thrown for 1,536 yards and 17 TDs to go along with 299 rushing yards with three scores.
• Scott Gray averages 56.9 rushing yards a game with four TDs.
• The defense is giving up 16.9 points and 90.7 rushing yards an outing.
• The Bulldogs have a turnover margin of +6 and have recorded 22 sacks.
• Butler also has 11 interceptions, including four by Mark Giacomantonio.
• Grant Hunter leads the squad with 10 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Claw Marks
• Defensive back Peter Kidwell has both Davidson interceptions this season, and they have come in consecutive weeks. His 75 INT return yards are the most since Ricky Childers had two picks for 82 yards in 2002.
• The Wildcats' six sacks against Drake Oct. 24, were the most in a game since Oct. 26, 2002, when they recorded seven in a 31-0 victory over Wesley.
• Eleven different Wildcats have been in on Davidson's 16 sacks this season.
• Defensive lineman Daniel Hauffe did not start the game against Drake, ending a long streak of starts for the senior. Hauffe had started 27 consecutive games.
• Davidson's 132.4 rushing yards a game ranks fourth in the PFL.
• The Wildcats allowed just 59 rushing yards against Morehead State Oct. 10. It was the least rushing yards Davidson has allowed since the 'Cats gave up minus 40 yards in a 24-21 home victory over Drake in 2007.
• Linebacker Tyler Lemons had nine tackles against Morehead State to give him 200 for his career. The senior now has 215.
• Mark Hanabury had a career day at Jacksonville Oct. 3, catching nine passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. It was the most yards for a Davidson receiver since Kirk Konert had 153 against Dayton in 2008.
• Neither Davidson nor Jacksonville committed a turnover in their game Oct. 3. It's the first time Davidson has been involved in a game in which neither team committed a turnover since the 2008 season finale against Butler. That's also the last time the Wildcats had a turnover free game.
• With their 24-7 victory over Campbell Sept. 19, the 'Cats have now won their Pioneer Football League opener in six of the nine seasons they have been in the league.
• Running back Kenny Mantuo matched his career high with 135 rushing yards against Campbell. He had 135 at Jacksonville in 2007.
• The 'Cats are 4-0 when either running back Kenny Mantuo or Justin Williams rushes for 100 yards or more.
• Junior quarterback Michael Blanchard is making his eighth career start. Davidson is 2-5 with Blanchard as its starting quarterback. Blanchard has 300 rushing yards, the most for a Davidson quarterback since Tommy Dugan had 486 in 1998.
• The Wildcats, who are playing their 111th season of football, are scheduled to play the 1,000th game in school history Nov. 7 at San Diego.
• Head coach Tripp Merritt is climbing the all-time victory list at Davidson. With 22 wins, he needs three to move into the top-5. He is slated to coach his 50th career contest against San Diego Nov. 7.
• The 'Cats need one more victory to make 2000-09 the winningest decade in school history.
• The Wildcats opened the 2009 home schedule with new red jerseys. The new look was a surprise to the team as they found them laid out by their lockers when they reported to the Richardson Stadium locker room on game day. Davidson is 1-1 with the red jerseys.
• Davidson's 56-0 loss at Elon was its worst since a 56-0 setback at San Diego in 2004. It was the first time the 'Cats were shut out since a 33-0 loss at VMI in the 2005 season opener.
• Davidson was shut out in its first two games of the 2009 campaign. It's the first time Davidson has not scored in consecutive games in the same season since the 1985 campaign, when the 'Cats lost 28-0 at James Madison and 15-0 to Penn the previous week. The 'Cats failed to score in three straight games that season as they lost 31-0 at The Citadel.
• It was the first time Davidson was held scoreless in consecutive contests since falling 23-0 to Georgetown in the last game of 2004 and opening the 2005 season with a 33-0 setback at VMI.
• The Wildcats have scored 20 points in the first half this season.
• The 'Cats have been shut out three times this season. It's the first campaign Davidson has been shut out three times since the 1985 campaign, when opponents blanked the 'Cats in five games.

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