2018 Valparaiso Crusaders football team

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2018 Valparaiso Crusaders football
ConferencePioneer Football League
Record2–9 (2–6 PFL)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJason Miran
Defensive coordinatorErnest Moore
Home stadiumBrown Field
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 25 San Diego $^   8 0     9 3  
Stetson   6 2     8 2  
Drake   6 2     7 4  
Marist   5 3     5 6  
Dayton   5 3     6 5  
Davidson   3 5     6 5  
Butler   2 6     4 7  
Morehead State   2 6     3 8  
Valparaiso   2 6     2 9  
Jacksonville   1 7     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2018 Valparaiso Crusaders football team represented Valparaiso University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Dave Cecchini and played their home games at Brown Field. They competed in the Pioneer Football League. They finished the season 2–9, 2–6 in PFL play to finish in a three-way tie for seventh place.

Preseason[edit]

Preseason All-PFL team[edit]

The PFL released their preseason all-PFL team on July 30, 2018, with the Crusaders having three players selected.[1]

Preseason coaches poll[edit]

The PFL released their preseason coaches poll on July 31, 2018, with the Crusaders predicted to finish in a tie for fourth place.[2]

Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 San Diego 81 (9)
2 Dayton 72 (1)
3 Drake 58
T–4 Butler 48
T–4 Valparaiso 48
6 Jacksonville 47
7 Marist 44
8 Morehead State 22
9 Stetson 19
10 Davidson 11

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 811:00 a.m.at Duquesne*NECFRL 21–23943
September 151:00 p.m.at Youngstown State*ESPN+L 7–4214,913
September 221:00 p.m.Truman State*ESPN3L 20–341,840
September 291:00 p.m.Davidson
  • Brown Field
  • Valparaiso, IN
ESPN3L 35–404,605
October 612:00 p.m.at DaytonFacebook LiveL 20–532,592
October 131:00 p.m.Butler
ESPN+W 35–171,724
October 201:00 p.m.at Morehead StateESPN+L 24–318,145
October 271:00 p.m.Drake
  • Brown Field
  • Valparaiso, IN
ESPN+L 25–421,945
November 311:00 a.m.at MaristRed Fox NetworkL 24–351,227
November 1012:00 p.m.Jacksonville
  • Brown Field
  • Valparaiso, IN
ESPN+W 48–301,150
November 1712:00 p.m.at StetsonESPN+L 45–311,961

Game summaries[edit]

At Duquesne[edit]

1 234Total
Crusaders 0 1407 21
Dukes 7 0106 23
  • Date: September 8, 2018
  • Location: Rooney FieldPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Game start: 12:05 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:28
  • Game attendance: 943
  • Game weather: Temperature: 60 °F (16 °C) • Weather: Rainy, cool • Wind: ENE 13 mph (21 km/h)[3]
  • Television network: NEC Front Row

At Youngstown State[edit]

1 234Total
Crusaders 7 000 7
Penguins 7 14147 42
  • Date: September 15, 2018
  • Location: Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, Ohio
  • Game start: 2:05 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:13
  • Game attendance: 14,913
  • Game weather: Temperature: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: E 5–10 mph (8.0–16.1 km/h)[4]
  • Referee: Andy Speciale
  • Television network: ESPN+

Truman State[edit]

1 234Total
Bulldogs 6 0117 24
Crusaders 7 0310 20
  • Date: September 22, 2018
  • Location: Brown FieldValparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:58
  • Game attendance: 1,840
  • Game weather: Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 9 mph (14 km/h)
  • Referee: Aaron Adams[5]
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman

Davidson[edit]

Homecoming
1 234Total
Wildcats 14 2006 40
Crusaders 14 777 35
  • Date: September 29, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Game attendance: 4,605
  • Game weather: Temperature: 62 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: NE 3 mph (4.8 km/h)
  • Referee: Marcel Kerr[6]
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman

At Dayton[edit]

1 234Total
Crusaders 7 607 20
Flyers 14 23160 53

Butler[edit]

Hoosier Helmet Trophy
1 234Total
Bulldogs 0 1430 17
Crusaders 14 0714 35
  • Date: October 13, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:52
  • Game attendance: 1,724[9]
  • Game weather: Temperature: 51 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 10 mph (16 km/h)
  • Referee: C. J. Jackson[10]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman

At Morehead State[edit]

1 234Total
Crusaders 0 7017 24
Eagles 0 2173 31
  • Date: October 20, 2018
  • Location: Jayne StadiumMorehead, Kentucky
  • Game start: 1:05 pm[11] CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:15
  • Game attendance: 8,145
  • Game weather: Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Mostly rainy
  • Referee: Lamar Gresham[12]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Chuck Mraz, Jason Blanton[13]

Drake[edit]

1 234Total
Bulldogs 7 14021 42
Crusaders 3 0715 25
  • Date: October 27, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:18
  • Game attendance: 1,945
  • Game weather: Temperature: 54 °F (12 °C) • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: N 10 mph (16 km/h)
  • Referee: Andy Speciale[14]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+[15]): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman

At Marist[edit]

1 234Total
Crusaders 3 777 24
Red Foxes 0 2807 35
  • Date: November 3, 2018
  • Location: Leonidoff FieldPoughkeepsie, New York
  • Game start: 12:05 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:51
  • Game attendance: 1,227
  • Game weather: Temperature: 51 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Mostly cloudy, windy • Wind: W 14 mph (23 km/h)
  • Referee: Tom Kichline[16]
  • TV announcers (Red Fox Network): Geoff Brault, Ed Weir[17]

Jacksonville[edit]

1 234Total
Dolphins 0 10713 30
Crusaders 14 13147 48
  • Date: November 10, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 12:04 pm CST
  • Game attendance: 1,150
  • Game weather: Temperature: 29 °F (−2 °C) • Weather: Extremely cold • Wind: W 7 mph (11 km/h)
  • Referee: Matt Packowski[18]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman[19]

At Stetson[edit]

1 234Total
Crusaders 7 1707 31
Hatters 7 14213 45
  • Date: November 17, 2018
  • Location: Spec Martin StadiumDeLand, Florida
  • Game start: 1:04 pm EST
  • Elapsed time: 3:12
  • Game attendance: 1,961
  • Game weather: Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NE 7 mph (11 km/h)
  • Referee: Terrance Lamar[20]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Evan Weston, Tom James

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Twelve First-Team All-PFL returnees highlight Preseason All-PFL Team".
  2. ^ "Defending Champion San Diego edges Dayton in PFL Preseason Coaches' Poll".
  3. ^ "Duquesne 23 Valparaiso 21". Go Duquesne. Duquesne University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "Youngstown State 42 Valparaiso 7". YSU sports. Youngstown State University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  5. ^ "Truman State 34 Valparaiso 20". Truman State Athletics. Truman State University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  6. ^ "Davidson 40 Valparaiso 35". Davidson Wildcats. Davidson University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  7. ^ "Dayton 53 Valparaiso 20". Dayton Flyers. University of Dayton. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  8. ^ "2018 Football Game Notes" (PDF). valpoathletics.com. Valpo Sports Media Relations.
  9. ^ "Game 6 Notes". valpoathletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  10. ^ "Valparaiso 35 Butler 17". Butler Sports. Butler University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  11. ^ "Game 7 Box Score". Valpo Athletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  12. ^ "Morehead State 31 Valparaiso 24". msueagles.com. Morehead State University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  13. ^ Lucia, Joe (October 17, 2018). "Your 2018 college football Week 8 announcing schedule". Awful Announcing. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  14. ^ "Drake 42 Valparaiso 25". Drake University Athletics. Drake University. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "Game 8 Preview" (PDF). Valpo Athletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  16. ^ "Marist 35 Valparaiso 24". Go Red Foxes. Marist College. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  17. ^ "Your 2018 college football Week 10 announcing schedule". Awful Announcing. Awful Announcing. November 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  18. ^ "Valparaiso 48 Jacksonville 30". JU Dolphins. Jacksonville University. Retrieved November 10, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ "Week 11 Preview" (PDF). Valpo Athletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  20. ^ "Stetson 45 Valparaiso 31". Go Hatters. Stetson University. Retrieved November 18, 2018.