Riggs’ Red and Blue Reverse: The Dayton Flyers Push for Playoffs
Flyers flatten Morehead State in the Snow; Battle Davidson for Pioneer League Crown and Playoff Spot.
Flying High: Throwing the Ball in Bad Weather
You had to hand it to Dayton for how well they threw the football in the poor weather conditions and achieved enough balance with their passing game on an afternoon where running was the order of the day. Shane Hamm was effective in both facets. He was 12 of 18 for 118 yards and three touchdowns. He chipped in in the running game with 13 carries for 112 yards, giving him 230 yards of offense for the game.
Formation Leader: Jake Chisholm.
Number 29 was flying fast and low for the Flyers. Jake Chisholm had 34 carries for 205 yards and two touchdowns and like Hamm lent a hand outside of his primary job (rushing the ball) by catching two passes for 54 yards to be the Flyers leading receiver in yardage for the game. On the day the senior from Union, Kentucky had 36 touches for 259 yards and two touchdowns as he led the way for Dayton.
The Chisholm Trail
Chisholm blazed the trail for the offense and running the football but he had plenty of help from his wingmen. The rest of the UD offense rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns including 112 yards from quarterback Shane Hamm and 12 carries and 70 yards and two touchdowns from sophomore running back Michael Neel, the heir-apparent to Jake Chisholm in 2023. Cade Beam led the way for the receivers with two catches for 26 yards, both of them for touchdowns.
On the Enemy Radar: The Big Plays.
One area of concern for the Flyers has to be the big plays they gave up defensively. They gave up 72-yard and 67-yard touchdown runs and a 72-yard touchdown pass to the Eagles’ offense. That’s something Dayton will have to get cleaned up for the game against Davidson and any potential playoff games.
An Ace Up Their Sleeves
The Flyers’ defense has been stout on the all-important get-off-the-field third downs. They’re 23rd in the nation allowing their opponents to convert only 35.2% of their third downs. With senior linebacker, Ben Schmiesing leading the Dayton defense will have a tall challenge with Davidson.
Run, Run, Run.
Davidson is first in the FCS in running the football with 357.4 yards per game on the ground. UD is 19th with 201.7 yards per game. On the flip side, the Flyers are third in the nation in defending the run, giving up only 92.2 yards per game and the Wildcats are 27th giving up 123.7 per game. This looks to be an old school, smash-mouth, run the ball, run the ball, run the dang ball, and run the ball some more type of game. Buckle your chin strap.
Flying for the Playoffs.
Against Davidson the Flyers will need the balance offensively they had against Morehead State. They’ll need another big game from Big Jake. Chisholm has only been held to less than 80 total yards twice this year and those were in the two games where the Flyers fell short. UD will have a good chance if he can get over the century mark and find the end zone. On the year he has 234 touches for 1,208 total yards and 15 total touchdowns. The Flyers will soar or fall with Jake Chisholm.
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