Game:            Malone University                                                0-0 (0-0 GLIAC)
                       at NCAA Div. II #13 Ohio Dominican University    0-0 (0-0 GLIAC)     
Date:              Saturday, September 6, 2014
Kickoff:         12:00 p.m. EDT at Panther Field (Columbus, OH)
Broadcasts:  ESPN 990 AM, www.espn990.com
                       11:40 a.m. EST pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play, Larry Ridgeway – color)
Live Stats:      http://www.ohiodominicanpanthers.com/sports/fball/2014-15/boxscores/20140906_6ffm.xml
Live Video:     http://www.ohiodominicanpanthers.com/video/LiveEvents

Series:       
Ohio Dominican holds a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series with Malone.  The Pioneers defeated the Panthers 39-32 in the first-ever contest between the two schools, held at ODU on Oct. 16, 2004.  Ohio Dominican has since won the last six meetings, most recently defeating Malone 40-13 in the regular-season finale at Fawcett Stadium last fall.

Coaches:   
Malone – Eric Hehman is in his fifth season as the Pioneers' head coach and has tallied a 10-32 record at Malone.  Prior to arriving in Canton, Hehman spent the previous five years as head coach at NCAA Division III Greenville (IL) College where he led the Panthers to a 28-22 record and a berth in the 2009 NCCAA Victory Bowl.
Ohio Dominican – Bill Conley is now in his fifth season as the Panthers' head coach and has guided ODU to a 27-16 overall record, including a memorable 10-1 mark and a GLIAC Championship in 2013. Prior to becoming Ohio Dominican's head coach, Conley completed two stints as an assistant at Ohio State University - from 1984-87 under Earl Bruce and then from 1992-2003 under John Cooper and Jim Tressel.

Malone Season Preview: Article  |  Video

Last Season's Records: Malone 2-9 (1-8 GLIAC), Ohio Dominican 10-1 (9-0 GLIAC)

Malone Notes – 2014 marks the 22nd season of intercollegiate football at Malone…It is also the Pioneers' third year of competition in the GLIAC and second year as members of NCAA Division II… Malone has tallied a 10-10-1 mark in its first 21 season openers….The Pioneers are 5-6-1 all-time in season openers played on the road… This fall, Malone will be looking to build upon last season's solid offensive numbers as in 2013 the squad racked up over 395 yards per contest and nearly doubled its points per game average from the previous season, going from 14.9 in 2012 to 29.1 a year ago.

Malone players to watch:  RB Justin Davis returns to the Pioneer backfield after accounting for a total of 10 touchdowns last season (seven rushing, three receiving)… With Will Szpor sidelined for 2014 with an injury, the QB spot will feature returnee Brandyn Eckhart and newcomer Bryan Jones…In 2013, Eckhart threw for 838 yards and seven TD's while picking up 300 yards on the ground with five rushing TD's…  Jones, a former Mid-American Conference decathlon champion and Stark County High School Football Player of the Year, returns to the gridiron this year after transferring from the Univ. of Akron…DB Demarco Donaldson, a USA Football Preseason All-American pick and 2013 All-GLIAC Second Team selection, is back to anchor the defense after ranking second in the GLIAC last year with an average of 10.8 tackles per game

Ohio Dominican Notes – The Panthers clinched an undefeated regular season and outright GLIAC Regular-Season Title with their win over the Pioneers at Fawcett Stadium last season…ODU then moved on the NCAA Division II playoffs, falling at home to West Texas A&M University 34-27 in the Regional Semifinals…The Panther defense surrendered the fewest points in the GLIAC last fall while the ODU offense ranked among the conference leaders in nearly every statistical category…Ohio Dominican was picked to win the GLIAC South Division in the 2014 Preseason Coaches' Poll and is well stocked with returning talent as the squad looks to repeat their 2013 success.

Ohio Dominican players to watch: QB Mark Miller is back for his third year at the helm of the ODU offense…Last year, Miller earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention recognition after completing 67.5% of passes while notching 24 TD tosses and only seven INT's…RB Brandon Schoen also returns to the backfield…The junior was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team last fall after posting his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign...In addition to Miller & Schoen, the ODU offense also features the two top pass catchers from last year in WRs Abe Johnson and Dez Stewart…Five of the top six tacklers from 2013 return for the Panther defense, including LB Warren Shields, who was named the GLIAC's 2014 Preseason Defensive MVP by Midwest Entertainment Sports (MES)…Up front, Defensive linemen Di'Andre Harrison and Sydney Omameh are both back after combining to notch 15 sacks a year ago

2014 Rosters
Malone  |  Ohio Dominican

2013 Statistics
Malone  |  Ohio Dominican