PDF Release

The Malone University football team returns home this week to host the University of Findlay on Thursday, October 26th at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in a 7:00 pm kickoff. The Pioneers enter the week 1-6 overall and 1-3 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. The Oilers enter the week 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference.

Media Information
Live Video/Stats: portal.stretchinternet.com/malone
Live Radio: ESPN 990 AM | espn990.com
Twitter: @Malone_Football | @maloneathletics

Promotions
Educator Appreciation Night - All Northeast Ohio teachers (with proper ID) will receive free admission
Youth Football Night - All youth football players (8th grade and younger) wearing their jersey will receive free admission

Gameday Storylines 
Malone Secures First Win of the Year
After suffering as many one-possession losses (four) as any team in the country through the the first six games, Malone finally came out on top last Saturday night, defeating Lake Erie College 24-13. Taking advantage of three long touchdowns and a tremendous defensive effort, the Pioneers earned their first win of the 2017 season and the second win of the Fred Thomas era. The win was also the first-ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference victory for the Pioneers who will now look to win consecutive games for the first time since 2011.
 
Thursday Night Lights
Achieving that feat won't be easy as the Pioneers will face a talented University of Findlay team, which comes into the week ranked 22nd in NCAA Division II, on a short week of preparation. The Pioneers have played Thursday night season openers before, but this week will be the first time in program history that they play a Thursday night game mid-season. Malone is 0-6 all-time against the Oilers, including an 0-4 mark in the DII era. The two teams last met in 2015 when Findlay handed Malone a 49-17 defeat.

Pioneers to Honor Educators
The Pioneers will hold an Educator Appreciation Night to honor the teachers and professors who have made an impact on their lives both in and out of the classroom. All teachers from northeast Ohio with a valid ID will be given free entry to Thursday's game. Read what the Pioneer seniors had to say about their favorite professors by clicking here.
 
Johnson Repeats as Weekly G-MAC Award-Winner
Senior cornerback Jordan Johnson, who returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown in that loss at Findlay, picked up his second Great Midwest Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week award on Monday following his performance at Lake Erie on Saturday. Johnson totaled 159 return yards, including a 54-yard kickoff return and a school and conference record 88-yard punt return touchdown that put Malone out in front. Johnson earned the G-MAC award after setting the previous conference mark with a 70-yard punt return touchdown in week one. The special teams ace has also been getting it done on defense this season where he ranks third on the team with 41 tackles and leads the team with five passes defended, an interception, and a blocked field goal.
 
Another Huge Game for Dulin
Big-play wide receiver Ashton Dulin went over 100 all-purpose yards for the seventh-straight game last Saturday at Lake Erie as he continues to make highlight-reel plays. Dulin, the G-MAC's leading receiver, outran the Storm defense for a 75-yard touchdown catch and a 70-yard touchdown run in the victory. Of his eight total touchdowns this season, seven have been over 50 yards and five have gone for at least 70. With three games left to play, he needs just 147 receiving yards to become just the fourth Pioneer with 1,000 yards in a season. Dulin, an All-American track athlete, is building a solid case for All-American football honors this season as he ranks 9th in DII in all-purpose yards (179.3 ypg) and 6th in receiving (121.9 ypg). Last season, all seven players who averaged 122 receiving yards per game each earned All-American accolades.
 
Malone Defense Bounces Back
After giving up 528 total yards, including a season-high 410 yards passing, to Kentucky Wesleyan two weeks ago, the Pioneer defense responded with its best game of the season on Saturday, holding Lake Erie to 230 yards of total offense and just 82 through the air. The Pioneers limited the Storm to just 5.9 yards per completion while allowing them to complete just 51.9% of their passes. Lake Erie was just 3-of-14 on third downs and the 13 points Malone surrendered was the lowest total allowed since joining NCAA Division II. The Pioneers will look to repeat their performance this week against the G-MAC's #1 offense.
 
Pioneers to Watch
Offense:  Pioneer tailback Xavier Garland carried the ball 20 times for the third-straight contest, finishing with 70 yards rushing on Saturday. Center JD Stamper, who has played every offensive snap this season, struggled at times with low snaps last week at Lake Erie. Look for him and the rest of the offensive line to matchup well against the Findlay front.
 
Defense: The Malone front seven will be tested this week versus Findlay's running attack which ranks 6th in DII. Tackles Drew Shreve and Roy Johnson, who each had six tackles and a sack last week, will need to create interior pressure. Linebackers Ryan Weber and Josh Correll will be counted on to make big plays on Thursday. Weber remains the DII leader with 14 tackles per game. Correll has at least at least eight tackles in six of seven games this year.
 
Findlay at a Glance
The Oilers are led by head coach Rob Keys who is in his seventh year at the helm and has UF ranked for the first time since 2014. Since losing to NCAA DII #2 Ferris State 48-27 in week two, the Oilers have reeled off six straight wins. During that span they have outscored their opponents 325-50. Findlay comes into the week with the #2 scoring offense and the #9 scoring defense in the country. The Oilers are also sixth in the nation in forced turnovers (22) and second in turnover margin (+14).
 
Last week, UF forced four turnovers and collected five sacks in a 68-14 rout of Kentucky Wesleyan. Findlay, who has rushed for 267 or more yards six times this season, racked a season-high 390 yards rushing in the win over the Panthers. The Oiler defense did, however, give up two touchdown passes in a game for the first time all season.
 
Oilers to Watch
Offense: Expect Findlay to give Malone a heavy dose of running backs Daouda Sylla and Michael Campbell. Sylla leads the G-MAC and is 8th in DII in rushing (134.5 ypg). The league's leading scorer also ranks third in the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns. Campbell has 10 touchdowns on just 69 carries this season. He ran for a team-high 147 yards last week. All-American wide receiver Jason Moore leads the conference with 10 receiving touchdowns.
 
Defense: Defensive back Aaron Ivory was named the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording his third interception return for touchdown of the season last weekend. Linebacker Justice Jenkins has a team-high five sacks on the year. Defensive end Johnny Hopkins has 4.5 sacks and a team-high 10 tackles for loss.

By the Numbers
1 – Undefeated regular season in the history of the Malone program. The 1995 Pioneers went 10-0-1, but were eliminated by Findlay, 15-7, in the NAIA Playoffs. The Oilers went on to share the NAIA National Championship after tying with Central Washington in the title game.
1 – 20-yard play allowed by the Pioneer defense last week at Lake Erie. The Pioneers gave up seven a week earlier.
3 – Sacks allowed by Findlay this season, the second fewest of any team in DII.
7 – Losses in seven games played by Malone against ranked opponents in the DII era. The Pioneers have been outscored by an average of 29.4 points in those games.
2008 – The last year Malone beat a ranked opponent. The Pioneers, who were ranked 16th in the NAIA at the time, upset #12 Saint Xavier 27-23.
 
Looking Ahead
Malone travels to Hillsdale next Saturday, November 4th for a 1:00 pm kickoff.