This Week in Valpo Football: The Valparaiso University football team will look to enter the Pioneer Football League win column this week as the Beacons make their way to upstate New York for a showdown with Marist. Valpo will have to reacquaint itself with hitting the road as the team will have gone nearly a full month between road games with this representing the squad's first away contest since Sept. 28 at Morehead State due to the postponement of the Oct. 12 game at Stetson caused by Hurricane Milton. Valpo, which will board a plane for the first time this season, will take the field this week before a scheduled bye week on Nov. 2.   
 
Previously: St. Thomas improved to 20-1 in its last 21 Pioneer Football League games by beating the Beacons 42-14 on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Brown Field. Valpo found the end zone for the first time in league play thanks to a four-yard run by Ryan Mann in the first quarter that tied the game at seven. Jack Coulson had a spectacular 30-yard catch from Caron Tyler for Valpo's other score. Three turnovers plagued the Beacons, who lost two fumbles and tossed an interception, setting up several short fields for the Tommies.  
 
Series Notes: Valpo is 2-10 in a dozen all-time matchups with the Red Foxes. The road team has prevailed in the last three showdowns between these two foes, with Valpo winning 45-24 in 2022 in New York and Marist prevailing 27-24 in overtime in 2021 and 36-30 in overtime in 2023 in the team's last two trips to the Hoosier State. Valpo is 1-3 against the Foxes under Fox but the one win was the first at Marist in program history. In addition, this game brings Valpo back to the site of its most recent road win, as the Beacons will look to snap a 10-game skid away from Brown Field on Saturday. 
 
Following the Beacons: Saturday's game will air on ESPN+ with Geoff Brault (play-by-play) and Steve Eggink (analyst) on the call. In addition, the hometown radio call featuring Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst) will be available on 95.1 FM Valparaiso, ValpoAthletics.com and the TuneIn Radio app. Links to live video, audio and stats can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Head Coach Landon Fox: Landon Fox (19-40) is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Valparaiso University football program in 2024. Over the last four seasons, Fox has led Valpo to 14 Pioneer Football League victories, the most in a four-year period in program history. This stretch marks Valpo's most league wins in a four-year period in any conference since 1961-1964. Fox finished the 2023 season with 17 victories as Valpo head coach, tied for the seventh most in program history. He coached his 2023 team to a 3-2 record at Brown Field, the group's highest home win total since 2017. Fox's teams continued to thrive academically in 2023 as well, led by PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year Evan Annis, who became the first Beacon to earn that honor. He was part of a group of five Academic All-PFL selections, tied for the most in the league and the program's most since 1998. During the 2022 campaign, Valpo had 64 PFL Honor Roll members, the most in program history. 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 2019 season. 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 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 spent time as a defensive graduate assistant at Ball State University (2004), Dayton (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 2000 season. During his playing days, Fox was a team captain and all-conference performer at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio from 1995-1999 and graduated with a degree in physical education and health in May 2000 before earning his master's degree in education from Lakeland in May 2002.
 
Fourth-Down Stops

• Valpo is the only team in FCS that has not allowed a fourth-down conversion on defense this season.
• Opponents are 0-for-4 on fourth down against the Beacons in 2024.  
• The Beacons join Louisiana Tech as the only two teams nationally in Division-I (FBS or FCS) that have not allowed a fourth-down conversion this year. Opponents are also 0-for-4 against La Tech.

Record Watch

• Punter Sam Johnson had another big performance in Week 8, averaging 50.5 yards per attempt on eight punts while totaling 404 punting yards. Five of his eight boots went for upward of 50 yards with a long of 57.
• Johnson ranks seventh nationally in FCS with a season punting average of 47.0 yards per attempt. His 44 punts have covered 2,068 yards this season.
• Despite Valpo's strong history of punters, Johnson is currently positioned to break the program record for single-season punting average. Greg Wood and Ben Niesner share the current mark at 43.6.
• Johnson also leads the league in punting by a fairly wide margin, over four yards per attempt ahead of Drake's Shane Dunning.
• Johnson has 17 punts for 50+ yards this season and has a long of at least 55 in five of his seven games.

Another Honor

• For the aforementioned performance against St. Thomas, punter Sam Johnson shared the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week Award when the league announced its weekly honors on Oct. 20.
• Johnson was previously named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 15 for his performance against Indiana Wesleyan.
• In total, Valpo has four PFL weekly awards this season including three honors provided by the special teams unit. Michael Mansaray (offense) and Ryan Hawk (special teams) were both recognized on Sept. 22 for their roles in Valpo's 31-23 double overtime victory over Roosevelt.

The Hawk's Nest

• Johnson isn't the only Valpo specialist finding success, as Ryan Hawk is 8-for-11 this season and 12-for-18 in his career on field-goal tries.
• The Valpo kicker is only three makes away from cracking the program's all-time top 10.
• Hawk could potentially break Valpo's record for made field goals in a single-season of 13, which has stood since it was established by Kevin Mackey in 1984.
• Hawk is a perfect 6-for-6 on field-goal attempts that are less than 40 yards.
• In addition, 15 of his 24 kickoffs this season have gone for touchbacks and he's a perfect 9-for-9 on PATs.
• Hawk ranks tied for 29^th nationally and third in the PFL with 1.14 made field goals per game.

Facing Fierce Foes

• Valpo's last two games have not had favorable results, but a big part of the story is the quality of the competition, as the Beacons have faced the teams picked to finish first and second in the Pioneer Football League preseason poll.
• Valpo's 27-3 loss on Oct. 5 vs. Drake came against the defending PFL champion and a squad that picked up its 13^th straight Pioneer Football League victory, the third longest conference-only winning streak nationally in FCS. This was a Drake team that also has a win against a scholarship FCS opponent on its resume, a 35-32 victory at Eastern Washington on Sept. 7.
• Valpo's 42-14 loss to St. Thomas on Oct. 19 came against a team picked to finish second in the PFL preseason poll. The Tommies are 20-1 in their last 21 PFL contests.
• Valpo's four home PFL games this season are against the teams picked one through four in the league's preseason poll.

Birm's Back

• After missing the previous game with an injury, Jake Birmingham returned to the field for Week 8 vs. St. Thomas and registered a season-high 11 tackles including five solos.
• He tied a career high for tackles set way back on Nov. 5, 2022, also against St. Thomas.
• The Valpo linebacker also tied for the most tackles by a Beacon in a single game this season, joining Nic Lendino's 11 from Sept. 28 at Morehead State.
• Despite missing two games with an injury, Birmingham still leads the team with 37 tackles.
• Birmingham is approaching a career milestone as he enters Oct. 26 at Marist needing six tackles to get to 100 for his career. He is also three tackles from tying his single-season career high of 40 that was set in 2022.

Notes Wrapping Up Week 8: St. Thomas 42, Valpo 14

• Jack Coulson made an impressive catch for his first score in a Valpo uniform. After entering the day with two receptions for 12 yards, Coulson produced four grabs for a team-high 54 yards against the Tommies.
• Ryan Mann had a season-high 69 rushing yards on 17 carries. His touchdown was his first of the season and the fourth of his career.
• Redshirt freshman Camari Harris collected eight tackles, representing a season high. He entered the game with 10 total tackles for the season.
• Junior Jeffery Vercher had six kickoff returns for 146 yards with a long of 44, which was Valpo's longest of the season.
• Valpo produced 244 yards of total offense, more than its previous two PFL games combined, but was hurt by three turnovers, losing the turnover battle 3-0.
• The Tommies racked up 424 yards of total offense, split almost exactly down the middle between rushing (213) and passing (211).

Empire State Homecomings

• Two players on Valpo's roster hail from the great state of New York – senior wide receiver Brandon Jimenez and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Ethan Stierheim.
• This will be a homecoming for Jimenez, whose hometown of Suffern, N.Y. is only about 50 miles south of Poughkeepsie.
• Stierheim is Valpo's only other New York native, but his hometown of Buffalo is over 350 miles from Poughkeepsie.
• Valpo also features a trio of New Jersey natives – redshirt senior defensive back Shaikyi Hannah (Woodbury), senior tight end Jalen Jones (North Brunswick) and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Jake Russell (Glen Ridge).

Scouting Marist

• Marist is coming off a 34-6 loss at San Diego.
• The Red Foxes are seeking their first PFL victory, but did have a one-score game vs. St. Thomas in the team's most recent home game, a 39-32 setback on Oct. 12. Marist's other three PFL losses were all decided by 23 points or more.
• The Red Foxes faced off with former Valpo head coach Dave Cecchini on Sept. 21 at Bucknell. The Bison prevailed 34-18.
• The team was picked eighth of 11 in the PFL preseason poll, two spots ahead of the Beacons.
• Jim Parady retired at the end of the 2023 season after 32 years as Marist head coach, ending his run as the longest-tenured head coach in Division-I. The Red Foxes are now led by first-year head coach Mike Willis, who previously served as the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at Princeton.

Hurricane Havoc

• The Valpo at Stetson football game scheduled to take place on Oct. 12 in DeLand, Fla. was postponed due to Hurricane Milton. If the game is rescheduled, details will be announced at a later date.
• This would have been the first visit to the state of Florida during the tenure of any active Valpo player, including the program's longest-tenured player, sixth-year senior defensive back Austin Chilton.
• Chilton, the last active player who committed to Valpo prior to Landon Fox's arrival, is a native of Windermere, Fla., located an hour away from DeLand.
• Four other Beacons hail from the Sunshine State – running back Brian Thomas, wide receiver Jackson Coulson, offensive lineman Jacob Gorberg and wide receiver Gary Givens III.

Notes Wrapping Up Week 6: Drake 27, Valpo 3

• Onye Nwosisi blocked a Drake field-goal attempt, recording Valpo's first blocked field goal since Nathan Orlandini on Oct. 30, 2021 at San Diego.
• Nwosisi also had 1.5 tackles for loss including a sack in the game.
• Redshirt junior Hayden Bedell had a career-high seven tackles including five solos. He entered the game with 15 total tackles in his four years at Valpo including 11 this season. His team-high tackle total came while filling in for the injured Jake Birmingham.
• Sixth-year senior Marquette Harris had five tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Redshirt freshman Nic Lendino made his second interception of the season. He leads the team in picks and has accounted for two of the team's four interceptions this year. Lendino became the first Valpo player with multiple interceptions in a season since Kohlton Sherman had four in 2022.
• The Beacons were outgained 356-80 including a 128 to minus-4 disparity in rushing yards that was impacted by Drake's six sacks for 40 yards.
• Drake, the defending PFL champion and preseason league favorite, picked up its 13^th straight Pioneer Football League victory, the third longest conference-only winning streak nationally in FCS (now 14 after a win over Butler in Week 7). In fact, only two teams have longer conference-only winning streaks in all of the Division-I (FBS and FCS) – South Dakota State and Florida A&M. This was a Drake team that also has a win against a scholarship FCS opponent on its resume, a 35-32 victory at Eastern Washington on Sept. 7.

Free Football

• Valpo's 31-23, double-overtime victory over Roosevelt in Week 3 marked the program's 27^th one-score game in Landon Fox's 54 games as head coach.
• That came after Valpo's 20-17 victory over NAIA No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan in Week 3.
• Since the start of the 2023 season, six of the seven games played at Brown Field have been decided by eight points or fewer and three of them have gone to overtime.
• Valpo vs. Roosevelt was just the second double overtime game nationally in FCS this season, joining UT Martin at SEMO on Sept. 7.
• Valpo played its first double overtime game since Sept. 6, 1997, a 35-34 win over Hope. That was also Valpo's most recent nonconference OT contest prior to the tilt with Roosevelt.
• Valpo played its first overtime game of the season and first since Nov. 11, 2023 vs. Stetson (W 23-20). The program went seven straight seasons without an overtime game from 2014 to Spring 2021, but has now played four overtime games over the last four seasons, all at Brown Field.

Not One, But Two PFL Honors

• Valpo earned a pair of Pioneer Football League weekly awards following the team's Week-4 victory over Roosevelt.
• Michael Mansaray, who went for a season-high 132 rushing yards while scoring two touchdowns, was named the PFL Offensive Player of the Week. His 51-yard touchdown run in the third quarter broke a 10-10 tie, then he scored on an 18-yard run on Valpo's possession of the second overtime, a play that held up as the game-winning score.
• Mansaray took the first snap of the game as Valpo operated out of the wildcat, so he was technically the team's starting quarterback for the contest. He became the first Valpo player to earn the PFL Offensive Player of the Week Award after starting at QB since Jimmy Seewald in October 2017.
• Ryan Hawk, who went 3-for-4 on field goals including a career-long 51 yarder, was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. His 51 yarder was the longest by a Valpo player since Andrew McCawley on Nov. 8, 2003 and he became one of 19 FCS kickers this season (through Week 4) with a field goal of longer than 50 yards. He became the first Valpo player with three made field goals in a game since Dimitrios Latsonas on Oct. 26, 2019 vs. Stetson.
• Hawk, who also went 2-for-2 on PATs and booted four of his five kickoffs for touchbacks, made a pressure-packed 39 yarder on Valpo's possession of the first overtime, a kick that he had to make to extend the game.
• This marked the first time Valpo won two PFL weekly awards in the same week since Oct. 23, 2022, when Aaron Dawson (offense) and Brian Bartholomew (special teams) were honored following Valpo's victory at Morehead State.
• Hawk helped Valpo win the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week Award for the second straight week, while Mansaray won Valpo's first offensive award since Dawson on Nov. 13, 2022.
• Hawk's 51-yard field goal outdid his previous career long of 47 that was set on Sept. 9, 2023.

Rookies on the Rise

• Although the PFL does not officially hand out a Freshman of the Week award, Valpo boasted the league's nominee for National Freshman of the Week consideration in back-to-back weeks in Week 2 and Week 3.
• Redshirt freshman Caron Tyler was the league's top rookie after going 8-of-17 passing for 160 yards and a touchdown and rambling for 120 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns in Week 2 at No. 25/23 Youngstown State.
• Redshirt freshman Nic Lendino was recognized for his role in Valpo's Week 3 victory over Indiana Wesleyan. After he was originally disqualified due to targeting, Lendino was reinstated into the game when the targeting call was reversed at halftime. He made the most of his opportunity, recording six tackles and the interception that helped wrap up the win with 5:05 remaining.
• Lendino was recognized as Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week Honorable Mention, one of seven freshmen nationally in FCS recognized for their play in Week 3.

Acrobatics & Tumbling

• Caron Tyler leaped over several Youngstown State defenders and sailed his way into the endzone to complete a seven-yard touchdown run on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State. The redshirt freshman quarterback took off from the five-yard line with the incredible leap.
• The play was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, ranking No. 2 on the iconic ESPN countdown that evening.
• Earlier in that edition of SportsCenter, Tyler's leap was highlighted during the "two-minute drill" segment as the Most Acrobatic Play of the Day in college football.
• Tyler also received praise from ESPN's College Football Final, checking in at No. 4 on that show's Plays of the Day.
• The play was also highlighted on the NCAA FCS Football X account and was shared by Bleacher Report on TikTok.

O Captain, My Captain

• Valpo named its three captains for the 2024 season shortly before the Week 1 game at UNI.
• Redshirt senior defensive lineman Sam Hafner, senior linebacker Jimmy Pouba and redshirt senior offensive lineman Tyler Eberhart received the honor.
• Hafner and Eberhart are second-year captains, while Pouba holds the distinction for the first time this year.
• The Beacons will have a rotating game captain for the fourth captain spot each week.

Hafner Does It All

• Sam Hafner received preseason accolades related to each of the three main pillars of the Valpo Athletics Department – classroom, competition and community.
• Hafner was tabbed to the Preseason All-PFL Team, the lone Valpo player to earn that honor, after finishing second nationally among tackles by a defensive lineman with 63 last season. He was also named to the Phil Steele All-PFL First Team.
• Hafner was nominated for the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works team, which recognizes college football athletes for their unwavering commitment to community service and their "good works" off the field. A 2023 team captain, Hafner is the community service leader for the Valpo football defense, helping organize and track volunteer hours for the team. He also works summer football camp, participates in a Boys & Girls Club holiday event every December and is involved in the team's Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics.
• Hafner owns a 3.78 cumulative grade point average in biology/chemistry, and was named a semifinalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is college football's premier scholar-athlete award and annually recognizes an individual for a combination of academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

More Preseason Plaudits

• Hafner was not the only player to receive recognition this summer, as offensive lineman Tyler Eberhart was named The Leadership Playbook 2023-24 Collegiate Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
• That award is presented to an individual who exemplifies sportsmanship, positive leadership and good teamwork. Eberhart, a team captain and mechanical engineering major, made a positive impact on the program through leadership despite suffering a season-ending injury in the 2023 season opener at Youngstown State.
• Four Beacons were named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Third Team – senior offensive lineman Carter Woody, senior defensive back Max Franco, junior running back Ryan Mann and junior defensive lineman Kevin Spelman.
• The Beacons will look to exceed preseason projections as they were picked 10^th of 11 in the PFL preseason poll. Defending champion Drake earned the top spot in the poll.

Star-Studded Staff

• Head coach Landon Fox's 2024 coaching staff features three former National Football League players and five coaches who have either played or coached in the professional ranks.
• Offensive line coach Michael Brewster started 49 consecutive games at Ohio State, the second longest streak in program history, and earned a variety of awards and honors. He was a Freshman All-American in 2008, garnered All-Big Ten honors in 2010 and 2011 and was the only junior to be named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the best center in college football, in 2010, when he was also named a First Team All-American. He spent two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars – seeing action in 26 games and making 10 starts – and later had stints with the Miami Dolphins (2014) and New Orleans Saints (2015).
• Quarterbacks coach Gibran Hamdan was a signal caller in the NFL from 2003-2010, playing for the Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft by Washington after playing his college football at Indiana, where he was a two-sport athlete and also played baseball. He passed for 2,115 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season with the Hoosiers.
• Cornerbacks coach Stanford Routt was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Houston and played for the Raiders for seven seasons from 2005-2011. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans during the 2012 season and was part of the Baltimore Ravens organization in 2013. Routt played in 119 NFL games and made 60 starts including three different seasons where he started every game for the Raiders.
• Running backs coach Kearstin Schweitzer came to Valpo after a stint working with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, where she spent the summer as part of the National Coaching Academy Fellowship with the Buccaneers and learned under longtime NFL running backs coach Skip Peete. She previously spent time with the Bucs as an NFL National Coaching Academy Finalist in May, working as part of the offensive staff during minicamp. She was also part of the NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the summer of 2023. She became the first female position coach in Valpo and Pioneer Football League history. She joined St. Thomas' Anna Caruso (Quality Control: In-Game Strategy and Data Research) as females with on-field coaching responsibilities in the PFL.
• Special Teams Coordinator / Safeties Coach Marc Hull served as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League before arriving at Valpo.
• Fox will have more of a presence on the offensive side of the ball this season. He'll leave the defense in the hands of his two confidants who have the most experience in his system – Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach David Marquis and Assistant Head Coach / Co-Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line Coach RJ Ghilarducci. Marquis is in his second season on Valpo's staff and previously worked under Fox at Dayton. Ghilarducci is the program's longest-tenured assistant coach in his fifth season.
• Tight Ends Coach / Recruiting Coordinator Jack Jarnigan spent the last two seasons as an offensive line graduate assistant under head coach Jerry Kill at New Mexico State University (FBS). During his playing days, he was a four-year starter at Valpo, where he was a fixture on the offensive line from 2016-2019 after redshirting as a freshman in 2015.
• Evan Matthes, who handles quality control with an emphasis on specialists, is another former Valpo standout. He earned All-PFL First Team honors at punter in 2023 and was a member of the program each of the last two seasons after beginning his playing career at West Virginia from 2018-2021.
• Wide receivers coach Justin Bosch joined the Beacons after spending time as the wide receivers coach at the University of Rochester and Kenyon College. Nickelbacks coach Dayven Coleman joined the Valpo staff after stints at UNLV and Austin Peay.
• Former Michigan State offensive lineman Luke Campbell is back for his second season as Director of Sports Performance. He was a four-year letter winner for the Spartans, for whom he saw action in 43 career games and made 26 starts.
• Head Football Athletic Trainer Nicole Mioduski is back for her seventh season of Valpo football. She is the longest-tenured on-field member of the program. Rose Paul (second season) and JP Ehrman (first season) round out the athletic training staff.
• Sarah Hacker is the program's Director of Football Operations, while Patrick Oliva is a graduate student equipment manager.

2023 Valpo Football Feats

• Increased the team's Pioneer Football League win total over a four-year period to 14, the program's highest league win total in a four-year stretch since 1961-1964.
• Set a program record for PFL Honor Roll members with 64 and tied for the most Academic All-PFL First Team honorees in the league with five, the program's most since 1998.
• Led the conference and ranked fourth nationally in blocked punts with four and led the PFL and ranked fifth nationally in total blocked kicks with five.
• Led the PFL and ranked 12^th nationally in kickoff return average at 23.16.
• Led the PFL and ranked 25^th nationally in punting average at 38.22.
• Led the PFL and ranked 28^th nationally in rushing defense at 123.3.
• Ranked second in the PFL and 50^th nationally in scoring defense at 24.8.
• Ranked second in the PFL and 22^nd nationally in total defense at 318.5.
• Had the team's best scoring defense (24.8 ppg) in a traditional fall season since 2000 (21.7).
• Had the team's best rushing defense in a traditional fall season since 2007. The team has ranked in the top four in the PFL in rushing defense in all five seasons under Landon Fox.
• Had the team's best total defense (318.5) in a traditional fall season since 2000 (299.1).
• Posted a 3-2 record at Brown Field, the team's highest home win total since 2017 (4-1).
• Allowed just 175 yards of total offense in a 21-7 win over Dayton on Nov. 4, helping Valpo improve to 2-2 against Dayton under Landon Fox after going 3-25 in matchups with the Flyers that occurred prior to his arrival. The 175 yards of total offense was the fewest permitted by the Valpo defense in a league game since Nov. 15, 2008 at Campbell.
• Landon Fox climbed into a tie for seventh in program history with Dave Cecchini for wins by a Valpo head coach with 17. 
• Played seven games decided by seven points or fewer, the program's most one-score games in a single season since 1976. Entering 2024, Valpo has played 25 one-score games in Landon Fox's 52 games as head coach. In 2023, the team played five straight one-score games for the first time since 2003.
• Erased a 15-0 deficit to beat Southwest Minnesota State 16-15 on Sept. 30.
• Came within six points of eventual undefeated PFL champion Drake, falling 20-14 on Oct. 7 to an FCS Playoff bound team.

2023 Individual Achievements

• Evan Matthes tied for third in program history in single-season punting average at 43.2.
• Micah Mackay became the 26^th player in program history with a punt return for a touchdown.
• Max Samuel blocked three kicks, tied for the fifth most in a single season in program history.
• Jashon Butler led the PFL and ranked fourth nationally in kick return average at 30.8.
• Tyler Geiman led the PFL and ranked third nationally with 1.6 passes defended per game.
• Evan Matthes led the PFL and ranked 13^th nationally in punting average at 43.2.
• Max Samuel led the PFL and ranked third nationally in blocked kicks with three.
• Samuel had two blocked punts in the same game on Nov. 11 vs. Stetson, one of only eight players in the FCS nation with multiple blocked kicks in the same game in 2023.
• Sam Hafner finished the season with 63 tackles, the second most nationally by a defensive lineman.
• Solomon Davis had 10 receptions on Sept. 23 vs. Marist, the first Valpo player with a double-figure reception total since Tanner Kuramata in 2014. Davis had 175 receiving yards in that game, the most by a Valpo player in a single game since Kuramata in 2013.

2023 Awards & Honors

• Evan Annis, PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year (first Valpo student-athlete to win the award since it began in 2014)
• Evan Matthes, FCS Punter of the Year Award Semifinalist
• All-PFL First Team – Solomon Davis, Sam Hafner, Evan Matthes
• All-PFL Second Team – Evan Annis, Jashon Butler
• All-PFL Honorable Mention – Max Franco, Tyler Geiman, Mohamed Kamara, Ryan Mann, Kevin Spelman and Carter Woody
• Academic All-PFL First Team – Evan Annis, Tytus Ragle, Sam Hafner, Kurt Kessen, Evan Matthes
• Academic All-PFL Second Team – Ryan Mann
• Phil Steele All-PFL First Team – Solomon Davis, Sam Hafner, Evan Matthes, Jashon Butler
• Phil Steele All-PFL Second Team – Evan Annis
• Phil Steele All-PFL Third Team – Kurt Kessen, Tyler Geiman
• College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District – Kurt Kessen, Sam Hafner, Evan Annis, Tytus Ragle, Ryan Mann
• Weekly Awards – Max Samuel (PFL Special Teams Player of the Week 11/12), Evan Matthes (PFL Special Teams Player of the Week 11/5)

Roster Rundown: The program has continued to bring in talent from all over the United States. This year's roster features athletes from over half of the 50 states as 28 states are represented. Illinois is the state most represented on Valpo's roster as 26 players hail from the Land of Lincoln. Other states in double figures are Indiana (19), Ohio (14) and California (10).
 
Who's Back?: The 2024 Beacons boast seven returning starters on offense and five on defense.
 
Family Tree

• QB Michael Appel Jr. has two family members who played football at Morehead State University – father Mike (1993-1997) and uncle Jim (1989-1992)… The Morehead State annual academic award is named after his father and uncle as both were Academic All-Americans at MSU… Appel's young brother Matt is a freshman offensive tackle at Navy.
• LB Hayden Bedell's cousin is former Valpo offensive lineman Drew Parrish.
• TE Jalen Jones' uncle Derrick Coleman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Coleman went on to play in the NBA from 1990-2005, was the 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year and was an NBA All-Star in 1994.
• DL Sam Hafner's great aunt Louise Erickson played professional women's basketball for three years (Racine Belles one year, Rockford Peaches two years).
• QB Caron Tyler's father is rapper Aaron Tyler, better known by stage name MC Eiht.
• DB Mark Johnson's father Mark played football at Vanderbilt from 1986-91.
• RB Amir Simmons is the cousin of Taco Charlton, who played at Michigan and was a 2017 first-round NFL draft pick.
• OL Noah Gargano's uncle Greg Murphy played at Penn State from 1970-1974 and was selected in the 12^th round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers before playing with the Patriots (1976), Jets (1977-78) and Oilers (1979).
• TE Brayden Welch is the son of Joshua Welch, part of MMA Team Quest for 17 years.
• The parents of DB Kyle Patenaude – Allison Prado and Jerry Patenaude – both played rugby at Chico State.
• DL Betrand Berry II is the son of former Notre Dame defensive end Betrand Berry, who went on to play 12 years in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. He was Second-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection in 2004.
• WR TJ Caldwell's father Tracy played football at the University of Arkansas from 1990-1993.
• DL Max Munoz is the nephew of James Oesterle, who played football at Valpo from 1991-92.
• TE JT Gawrys is the son of Steve Gawrys, who played baseball at BYU from 1987-1991 and went on to play semi-pro ball.

Did You Know? #BeaconBits

• DB Austin Chilton lives a few minutes from Walt Disney World and can hear the Magic Kingdom Fireworks from his neighborhood every night. His career goal is to design and build rollercoasters for Disney World.
• LB Justin Jurmu's oldest brother Jordan was a national finalist in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship in 2015 at Augusta National.
• DL Alex Goworowski has never seen Star Wars, Rocky, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Caddyshack.
• DL Dawson Rye had a pet aquatic frog for over 15 years.
• TE Evan Jernegan has built out the biggest Lego set, the UCS Millennium Falcon.
• K Ryan Hawk is a certified advanced scuba diver.
• OL Noah Kline's extended family is so large that at one point he had a relative living in every state except Maine.
• DL Cole Muilenburg's family was all born on either the 15^th or 21^st of the month.
• WR Tyler Threat was born and raised in Dallas as a huge Cowboys fan. During a youth football season in Texas, he played against Coach Deion Sanders' team and executed very well on both sides of the ball. His team won and Coach Prime came up to him after the game and gave him a high five.
• WR Ryan Ricketti trains MMA.
• QB Clayton Mains went to the same high school that produced Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney
• OL Nathan Snedegar is a second-degree blackbelt in Taekwondo. 

Player-by-Player Quick Hits – Projected Offensive Starters
*Based on two-deep, starters subject to change

• WR #84 Gary Givens III, Fr. – Burst onto the scene with three catches for 71 yards and his first collegiate touchdown in Week 2 at Youngstown State.
• LT #77 Jake Russell, R-Fr. – Did not see game action in 2023… Had a good spring and fall camp to earn the top spot on the depth chart… Also competed in wrestling in high school… Was named the team's Offensive Player of the Week following the Week 3 game vs. Indiana Wesleyan.
• LG #62 Carter Woody, 5^th – Started all 12 games in 2022 and all 11 games in 2023… Earned the 2023 Sever Award, presently annually to the team's top offensive lineman… 2023 All-PFL Honorable Mention… 2024 Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Third Team.
• C #60 Tyler Eberhart, R-Sr. – Suffered a season-ending injury in the 2023 season opener at Youngstown State… Earned 2023-24 Leadership Playbook Collegiate Male Student-Athlete of the Year honors… 2023 team captain… Played in all 12 games on Valpo's offensive line in 2022.
• QB #1 Caron Tyler, R-Fr. – 2023 Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year… Saw action in two games in 2023, retaining four years of eligibility… Jumped over several defenders and landed in the end zone after taking off from the five-yard line on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State. That play was No. 2 on SportsCenter Top 10, No. 4 on College Football Final's Plays of the Day and was named the Most Acrobatic Play of the Day in College Football on SportsCenter's "two-minute drill" segment… Came off the bench to go 8-of-17 passing for 160 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 120 yards and two scores on 15 carries on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State. He had the highest single-game rushing total by a Valpo quarterback since Chris Duncan had 154 on Oct. 12, 2019 vs. Dayton… Went 8-of-17 passing for 70 yards and rushed for 115 yards on 18 carries in Week 3 vs. Indiana Wesleyan.
• RG #50 Nico Paic, R-So. – Was converted from defensive line to offensive line prior to the 2023 campaign…  Played in 11 games and made six starts in 2023.
• RT #70 Noah Kline, So. – Played in nine games, all starts in 2023… Team captain in both football and track & field during his senior season.
• TE #89 Jake Vickers, R-Sr. – Made seven catches for 105 yards and one touchdown while playing in nine games in 2022... Started all 11 games and made 16 catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
• WR #9 Chris Gundy, R-So. – Played in all 11 games in 2023 and racked up 195 receiving yards on 12 catches… Had six kick returns for 105 yards and three punt returns for 27 yards in 2023, bringing his all-purpose yard total to 331… Hauled in a 57-yard reception on a pass from Caron Tyler on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State… Had a six-yard TD catch for his second career score and first of the season in Week 3 vs. Indiana Wesleyan.
• SLOT #4 Brian Thomas, So. – Made a 21-yard touchdown reception on Sept. 21 vs. Roosevelt.
• RB #7 Michael Mansaray, R-Sr. – Played at South Dakota from 2020-2023, competing in 10 games during the 2023 season… Scored Valpo's first touchdown of the season on a one-yard run that followed his 61-yard reception in Week 1 at UNI. He finished the game with three receptions for 79 yards while also rushing for six yards and a touchdown… Had 12 rushes for 46 yards in Week 2 at Youngstown State… Had 97 rushing yards on 16 carries in Week 3 vs. Indiana Wesleyan… Named the PFL Offensive Player of the Week for Week 4 after rushing for 132 yards and two scores in the win over Roosevelt. He ran for a 51-yard TD in the third quarter and a game-winning 17-yard TD in the second overtime.

Player-by-Player Quick Hits – Projected Defensive Starters
*Based two-deep, starters subject to change

• DE #90 Sam Hafner, R-Sr. – Started all 11 games in 2023… 2024 Preseason All-PFL, 2024 Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL First Team, 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee, 2024 Campbell Trophy Nominee… 2023 All-PFL First Team, 2023 Academic All-PFL First Team, 2023 Team Defensive Player of the Year, 2023 CSC Academic All-District, 2023 Preseason Phil Steele All-PFL Second Team… 2022 Academic All-PFL First Team, 2022 All-PFL Second Team, 2022 CSC Academic All-District, 2022 Phil Steele All-PFL Third Team… Finished the 2023 season second nationally in tackles by a defensive lineman with 63.
• DT #91 Kevin Spelman, R-Jr. – Was the only PFL player and one of 25 players nationally named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for the honor presented annually to the nation's top FCS freshman in 2022… Tied for fifth in the PFL in sacks and was one of nine players in the league with multiple forced fumbles in 2022... Ranked fourth in the nation in sacks by a freshman in 2022... Earned All-PFL Honorable Mention at both defensive line and long snapper in 2022… 2023 All-PFL Honorable Mention (long snapper)… 2024 Preseason All-PFL (LS)… Appeared in 10 games and made nine starts in 2023. 
• NT #59 Isaiah Fowler, R-Fr. – Played in two games and redshirted in 2023… Northwest Indiana native and a Chesterton High School product.
• DE #9 Onye Nwosisi, Jr. – Played in all 11 games and made three starts in his first season at Valpo in 2023 after transferring from Muskingum… Had 32 tackles including 15 solos, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2023… Named the team's Defensive Player of the Week for the Week 3 win over Indiana Wesleyan after sharing the team lead with eight tackles to go along with a sack and two QB hurries… Had 1.5 tackles for loss including a sack while also recording Valpo's first blocked field goal since October 2021 (Nathan Orlandini vs. San Diego).
• LB (Will) #41 Hayden Bedell, R-Jr. – Had four tackles in Week 1 at UNI and Week 4 vs. Roosevelt… Played in eight games in 2023… Made his first collegiate start and recorded a team-high seven tackles in Week 6 vs. Drake.
• LB (Mike) #44 Jake Birmingham, R-Jr. – Played in all 11 games in 2023 and all 12 games in 2022… Had 40 tackles in 2022 and 17 in 2023… Had 36 of his 40 tackles in 2022 over the final four games of the season including three straight double-figure tackle outputs… Tied for the team lead in tackles with eight on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State… Shared the team lead with eight tackles in Week 3 vs. Indiana Wesleyan… Led the team with seven tackles and a had a key strip sack in Valpo's Week 4 win over Roosevelt. The strip sack marked his first career sack, first career fumble recovery and second career forced fumble… Returned for Week 8 vs. St. Thomas after missing the previous two games due to an injury, and tied a career high with 11 tackles to lead the team.
• LB (nickel) #15 Jimmy Pouba, Sr. – Played in eight games and made one start in his first season at Valpo in 2023 after transferring from College of the Sequoias… Tied for the team lead with a career-high nine tackles in Week 1 at UNI.
• CB #14 Nic Lendino, R-Fr. – Played in four games in 2023, retaining four years of eligibility… Was a 7v7 national champion with the Midwest Boom… Had a key interception with 5:05 remaining to help seal the Week 3 victory over Indiana Wesleyan. He had six tackles to go along with his first career pick, a game where he was initially disqualified due to targeting before the call was overturned at halftime… Made his second interception of thFe season in Week 6 vs. Drake, turning away a Bulldog scoring chance by making the snag in the end zone. He became the first Valpo player with multiple interceptions in a season since Kohlton Sherman had four in 2022.
• S #28 Mark Johnson, So. – Had six tackles in Week 5 at Morehead State… Played in 10 games in 2023.
• S #7 Colin Graves, Sr. – Started all 11 games in 2023, posting 70 tackles including 35 solos… Has played in each of the team's 23 games over the last two seasons… Tied for the team lead with nine tackles in Week 1 at UNI… Followed that up by once again sharing the team lead in tackles with eight in Week 2 at Youngstown State.
• CB #5 Max Franco, Sr. – Had an interception and a 34-yard return on Nov. 12, 2022 at Marist… 2024 Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Third Team… 2023 All-PFL Honorable Mention… 2023 Team Most-Inspirational Player… Played in all 23 games over the last two seasons… Had 30 tackles, 22 solos, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight pass breakups in 2023… He made his second career interception in Week 3 vs. Indiana Wesleyan.

Specialist Quick Hits – Projected Starters

• K #37 Ryan Hawk, R-Jr. – Made a 47-yard field goal in Week 2 of 2023 at Indiana Wesleyan on the first attempt of his collegiate career... Kicked a go-ahead, 34-yard field goal in overtime that stood as the difference in the 23-20 win over Stetson on Nov. 11, 2023… Played in all 11 games in 2023… Had 42 kickoffs for 2,405 yards, averaging 57.3 yards per kick while booting 21 touchbacks in 2023… Went 4-for-7 on field-goals and 10-for-11 on PATs last year… Went 3-for-3 on PATs and 1-for-1 on field goals on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State… Made two field goals including a go-ahead 37-yarder with 5:24 remaining in a 20-17 victory over Indiana Wesleyan in Week 3. Also booted four of his five kickoffs for touchbacks and averaged 64.2 yards per kick in that contest… Was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 4 after going 3-for-4 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points while also booting four of his five kickoffs for touchbacks in Valpo's 31-24, 2OT win over Roosevelt. He had a career-long 51-yard field goal, Valpo's longest since 2003, and became the first Valpo kicker with three made field goals in a game since 2017. His 39-yard field goal at the end of the first overtime extended the game… Had his eighth made field goal of the season, a 22 yarder, for Valpo's only scoring in Week 6 vs. Drake.
• P #46 Sam Johnson, R-Sr. – Joined the program prior to the 2024 season after previously playing at Alabama and Jackson State… Walk-on who made the start at punter for the first four games of the Crimson Tide's 2020 season… Won one SWAC Championship at Jackson State and an FBS national championship and two SEC crowns while at Alabama… Averaged 48.4 yards per punt on eight boots in Week 1 at UNI… Had a 65-yard punt on Sept. 7 at Youngstown State, Valpo's longest since Evan Matthes hit one 67 yards on Oct. 14, 2023 vs. Morehead State… Earned PFL Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his Week 3 performance vs. Indiana Wesleyan, when he averaged 42.7 yards per punt on six attempts and pinned four inside the 20. In the game, he also recovered a blocked field-goal attempt while serving as the holder and completed a 25-yard pass for a first down… Averaged 50.6 yards per punt on seven punts with four of the seven traveling 50+ yards in Week 6 vs. Drake… Averaged 50.5 yards per punt on eight attempts in Week 8 vs. St. Thomas, earning the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season.