Three more PFL squads join the PFL race in Week 3 as things begin to heat up in the run to the 2009 Gridiron Classic, Dec. 5. San Diego, Campbell and Davidson all will play their first 2009 PFL contest while Marist makes its first PFL cross-country trek. Five non-conference contests fill out the league's slate with undefeated Drake facing a stern test at South Dakota.

Week 3 Previews

Marist at San Diego, 4 p.m.
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Series: SAN leads, 4-0
[Marist Game Notes | San Diego Game Notes]
Marist will play its second conference contest in as many weeks when it heads cross  country to face San Diego. The Red Foxes have not defeated the Toreros in four previous meetings all of which have taken place in San Diego, including a 40-22 USD victory last season. Both squads suffered losses in Week 2 – Marist dropping a home PFL affair to  Drake while San Diego fell on the road to Northern Colorado.
Who to watch for: Marist senior wide receiver James LaMacchia ranks among the PFL's top three in both receptions per game (7.0) and receiving yards per game (113.5). San Diego senior quarterback Sebastian Trujillo will seek to get back on track with the start of conference play. He enters the Toreros PFL opener with more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) and is averaging just 111.0 passing yards per game this season.

Campbell at Davidson, 6 p.m.
Location: Davidson, N.C.
Series: DAV leads, 1-0
[Campbell Game Notes | Davidson Game Notes]
A “Tar Heel State” tussle will see Campbell and Davidson – teams separated by 160 miles – each open their PFL campaigns. The Wildcats won last season’s meeting, 49-0, which was one of the Camels four shutout losses – all in PFL play – during their freshman campaign. Davidson will seek its first scoring drive this season after suffering back-to-back  shutouts this season. Campbell has rolled up 76 points in its first two contests, but fell in overtime at Birmingham-Southern last weekend.
Who to watch for: Campbell sophomore running back C.J. Oates is the only PFL runner – and one of 16 in the FCS - averaging more than 100 yards rushing per game, with 210 yards on 30 attempts for an impressive 7.1 yards per carry. Davidson's passing game, led by junior quarterback Michael Blanchard, has been grounded in the two shutout losses, averaging just 107 yards per game with three interceptions.

Dayton at Robert Morris, Noon
Location: Moon Township, Pa.
Series: DAY leads, 9-2
[Dayton Game Notes]
Dayton will make its first road trip this season when it meets Joe Walton-coached Robert Morris at Joe Walton Stadium. Both squads are seeking their first victories this season. The Flyers lost their season-opener in Week 2 by three points. The Colonials are 0-2 but lost their opener by one point before falling by three points in Week 2.
Who to watch for: Senior saftey/linebacker James Vercammen opened his 2009 campaign with PFL single-game best 14 tackles against Urbana, including two tackles for loss.

Hanover at Butler, 1 p.m.
Location: Indianapolis, Ind.
Series: BUT leads, 20-1-1
[Butler Game Notes]
Butler continues its Hoosier State tour when it hosts to Hanover the 23rd meeting between to two foes. The two teams were scheduled to play last season but severe storm damage on the Hanover campus caused that game to be cancelled. Butler has won its first two outings this season behind the impressive play of sophomore quarterback Andrew Huck who has earned the league’s first two “Offensive Player of the Week” honors
Who to watch for: While it is certainly easy to point to Huck as the Bulldog to watch, also keep an eye on sophomore wideout Zach Watkins who is Huck's favorite target. Watkins leads the PFL with 137.0 receiving yards per game and has caught five touchdown passes.

Old Dominion at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Fla.
Series: First Meeting
[Jacksonville Game Notes]
Jacksonville will play its first home contest in Week 3 and hosts Old Dominion. The Dolphins went 1-1 in their first two road games, but lost at Samford last weekend. The Monarchs are returning to football for the first time in 69 years but have won their first two contests
Who to watch for: Junior return specialist Elliott Finkley leads the PFL with 13.2 yards per punt return this season. He has returned six punts for 79 yards but is still seeking his first return for touchdown this season.

Morehead St. at North Carolina Central, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Durham, N.C.
Series: First Meeting
[Morehead State Game Notes]
Morehead State heads across the Appalachian Mountains to meet North Carolina Central, an independent program moving into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference next season. MSU was shutout last weekend at St. Francis to even its record at 1-1. NCCU has opened its campaign with back-to-back road losses, Saturday’s game serving as its  home opener.
Who to watch for: Morehead State is ranked third among the league's teams in total offense (321.0 ypg), but only junior quarterback Evan Sawyer – ranked 10th in total offense (111.5 ypg) – is ranked among the PFL's top 10 in either total offense or all-purpose yardag.

Drake at South Dakota, 5 p.m.
Location: Vermillion, S.D.
Series: Drake leads, 11-5
[Drake Game Notes]
Drake and South Dakota will meet for the first time since 1972 when they meet in Vermillion, S.D., Saturday. The Bulldogs have opened their 2009 campaign with back-to-back victories, including a crucial PFL win at Marist in Week 2. South Dakota, in the midst of reclassifying to Division I, dropped its Week 2 contest at Northern Iowa to level its record at 1-1
Who to watch for: Drake kicker Brandon Wubs has converted all five of his field goal attempts this season and leads the PFL's kickers with 20 points (10 ppg). His longest make this season is from 37 yards – his season's first boot in the Bulldogs victory against Grand View.