SAINT LOUIS – It's a four-team race atop the Pioneer Football League standings entering Week 9, will it gain definition this week with none of the co-leaders facing one another?

Dayton takes a three-game win streak south to meet Stetson in a series it has dominated with six wins in seven meetings. Butler, fresh off a road win at Drake, also heads south and meets a Presbyterian squad that owns the FCS' third-longest home win streak. Marist looks to rebound after suffering its first PFL Loss but must do so on the road at San Diego, though the Red Foxes won the last meeting between the two teams. St. Thomas is the lone team among the co-leaders to play a home contest in Week 9, with Davidson headed to the Twin Cities. Drake looks to end a three-game losing streak when it travels to Morehead State.

This Week's Schedule

SATURDAY, OCT. 31	Kickoff	Series	Streak	Last Meeting
Drake at Morehead State	1 PM	DU, 10-3	DU, W1	Drake def. Morehead State, 17-10 (11/22/2025)
Dayton at Stetson	1 PM	UD, 6-1	UD, W3	Dayton def. Stetson, 48-14 (9/27/2025)
Butler at Presbyterian	1 PM	PC, 2-1	PC, W2	Presbyterian def. Butler, 31-25 (10/11/2025)
Davidson at St. Thomas	2 PM	UST, 2-1	UST, W2	St. Thomas def. Davidson, 57-13 (10/11/2025)
Marist at San Diego	4 PM	USD, 16-2	MU, W1	Marist def. San Diego, 19-14 (10/11/2025)

PFL Notes

• Week 8 proved to be a reset for the PFL Championship race, with no team escaping the week unbeaten in conference play. That sets up a four-week dash to the championship beginning this weekend. It will be the third consecutive year the PFL Champion has suffered one loss in league play and the fifth time since 2020.
• Presbyterian extended its home win streak to 11 games with its Week 6 victory against Davidson. It is the FCS' third-longest active home win streak behind Montana State (12 games) and Stephen F. Austin (12 games). 
• St. Thomas quarterback Nick Peipert and Drake safety Dax Wiskur were among 30 student-athletes named to Stats Perform's 2026 Jerry Rice Award Watch List on Wednesday. Peipert leads the PFL in passing efficiency (171.7) and ranks sixth nationally, thanks to a FCS-leading 16.85 yards per completion. Wiskur ranks 2nd in the PFL in solo tackles (4.5 per game) and 13th in total tackles (6.2 per game). 
• Valparaiso senior punt returner Chris Gundy (2nd Team) and St. Thomas senior offensive lineman James Morrison (4th Team) were named to Phil Steele Magazine's 2026 FCS Mid-Season All-American Teams this week. Gundy has an FCS-best three punt-return touchdowns and is No. 2 among FCS return specialists in combined kick return yardage (597) and punt return average (23.6 yards per return). Morrison leads a Tommies line group that anchors an offense ranked No. 1 among PFL teams in team passing efficiency (150.38), fewest sacks allowed (0.57), and total offense (444.3 yards per game). 
• San Diego was the PFL preseason favorite by a narrow margin in the league's preseason coaches' poll. The Toreros received five first-place votes and 90 points. Drake was picked second with five first-place votes and 88 points. St. Thomas earned the third-place nod with 87 points, as the only team to earn a spot in the Top 3 on all 10 possible ballots. 
• Dayton, which was picked fourth in the league's preseason coaches' poll, had the PFL's representatives on the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch Lists, presented by Stats Perform. All-purpose back Gavin Lochow and defensive lineman Mirko Jaksic, both returning First Team All-Pioneer Football League selections, earned the preseason recognition. 
• Lochow and Jaksic are two of just seven returning First Team All-PFL selections. The other five returning first-teamers are San Diego running back Adam Criter, St. Thomas fullback Luke Schuler, Butler offensive lineman Charles Mackley, San Diego offensive lineman Maicah Talavou, and San Diego punter Emiliano Salazar.
• Salazar, the reigning PFL Special Teams Player of the Year, was one of 14 selections to the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year Watch List and one of 15 FCS placekickers named to the 18th annual Fred Mitchell Award Watch List.