'Cats Open PFL Slate at San Diego Saturday

Davidson Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 PFL) vs. San Diego Toreros (3-1, 1-0 PFL)
Date: Oct. 1, 2011 - 3 p.m. (PST)
Site: Torero Stadium (5,792 capacity) - San Diego, Calif.
Audio: Mark Plemmons calls the action on the Davidson Radio Network (1350 AM, online at DavidsonWildcats.com and mobile with the TuneIn Radio App)
Video: Live on Toreros All-Access at USDToreros.com
Web sites: Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com), San Diego (USDToreros.com)

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Today's Game
• Davidson opens its Pioneer Football League schedule by traveling across the country to take on San Diego.
• The 'Cats are coming off a 35-7 home victory over Johnson C. Smith last Saturday and have won their last two.
• The Wildcats are led offensively by sophomore quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff, who leads FCS football in passing yards (382.67) and completions (32.0) per game.
• Junior receiver Lanny Funsten ranks in the top-10 in the FCS in receptions (8th-7.67) and receiving yards (5th-127.33) per game.
• The Wildcat defense has given up two touchdowns and 17 points in the last two games.
• The Wildcats are 6-12 in their last 18 road games, dating back to 2008. Davidson is 0-1 on the road this season.
• Davidson is 11-16 all-time in league games on the road, including 6-9 in its last 15.
• Davidson is 18-20 in its last 38 PFL contests and owns a 24-29 all-time PFL record.
• San Diego is coming off a 48-44 road win over Morehead State in their PFL opener last Saturday.
• The Toreros are 1-0 at home this season after defeating Western New Mexico 38-10.
• San Diego returns 44 lettermen and 11 starters from last year's 5-6 team. The Toreros were 5-3 in the PFL.
• The 'Cats were picked ninth in the PFL preseason poll while San Diego was picked fourth.

Series Record
• San Diego leads the all-time series, which began in 2000, 6-2, and has won six of the last seven.
• Three of the last four games of the series have been decided by a touchdown or less.
• Davidson's two wins in the series have come at San Diego, including a 34-27 decision in 2009.
• Michael Blanchard gained 180 yards of total offense, and the Davidson defense forced four straight incompletions from its own 31-yard line inside the last minute as the Wildcats hung on for the win that season.
• Blanchard rushed for a career-high 102 yards and completed five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Justin Williams rushed 15 times for 72 yards and a score, and Kenny Mantuo rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown.
• San Diego receiver Godfrey Smith caught nine passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Toreros to a 29-15 victory over Davidson at Richardson Stadium last season.
• The San Diego defense was stifling, holding the Wildcats to minus-10 rushing yards and sacking Davidson quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff eight times.
• Carkhuff finished the day 16-of-28 for 257 yards and two scores for Davidson, and Lanny Funsten caught six passes for 118 yards and a score. Jonathan Adams had five receptions for 53 yards, and Peter Kidwell led the defense with 11 tackles.
• Mason Mills threw for 240 yards and three TDs and ran for another 50 yards for San Diego. Phil Morelli added 106 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

Leftovers from JCSU
• The Davidson defense has given up just two touchdowns in the last eight quarters.
• Butler's receiving and rushing totals were career highs.
• Carkhuff was four yards shy of the school record for passing yards, set by Damion White at Coastal Carolina in 2004.
• Carkhuff has now thrown for 300-plus yards in four career games, including all three contests this season.

Claw Marks
• Jonathan Carkhuff and Lanny Funsten set a school record with a 99-yard TD pass and catch vs. Johnson C. Smith Sept. 24.
• Funsten's 195 receiving yards vs. JCSU was the most for a Wildcat since Alvin Atkinson had 220 vs. Furman in 1979.
• During head coach Tripp Merritt's tenure, the Wildcats are 20-5 when winning the turnover battle.
• Merritt has moved into fifth place on Davidson's all-time win chart (28). He is seven away from fourth place, his former mentor, Tim Landis.
• Peter Kidwell picked off two passes against Lenoir-Rhyne Sept. 10, giving the senior seven for his career.
• Davidson is 1-2 on the opening coin toss; the 'Cats received the opening kickoff twice.
• Stetson and Mercer will join the PFL, beginning in the 2013 season.

Coaching Changes in the Offense
• Offensive coordinator Matt Mumme, wide receivers coach E.J. Henderson and offensive line coach Robert Fickling joined the 'Cats' staff in the spring, and the Wildcats are running the Air Raid offense this year.
• Mumme comes to Davidson from McMurry University, where he was the OC for his father, Hal Mumme. Hal developed the Air Raid at Kentucky with Tim Couch as his quarterback, and Matt played behind Tim for the Wildcats.
• McMurry finished the 2010 campaign with a 6-4 record, earning the school's first winning season since 2000, placed second in the nation (D-III) with 3,665 passing yards and led all of college football in touchdown passes with 45.

Air Raid Needs a Traffic Controller
• Quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff will be making his 13th start today, and Davidson owns a 5-7 record when he starts.
• He was one of a handful of true freshmen starting at quarterback in all of Division I football (FBS and FCS) in 2010. He was the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Davidson since Beaux Jones started three games in 2004.
• Carkhuff completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,002 yards and 12 touchdowns with nine interceptions en route to earning PFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.

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