LISTEN TO DAVIDSON AT PRINCETON

Davidson Wildcats (1-3, 0-0 PFL) at Princeton Tigers (0-1, 0-0 Ivy)

Date: Sept. 27 - 6:00 p.m.

Site: Powers Field at Princeton Stadium (27,800) - Princeton, N.J.

VOTE DAN CASEY CAPTAIN OF THE ALLSTATE GOOD WORKS TEAM! | Like Davidson Football on Facebook | Follow Davidson Football on Twitter

4 Downs
1st - Davidson is visiting Princeton for the first time in program history, and playing an Ivy League school for the first time since 1988.

2nd - It is both the final non-conference game and final night game for Davidson this season.

3rd - Davidson leads the PFL in total offense and ranks 27th nationally with 44.5 yards per game, but ranks eighth and 93rd, respectively, in total defense (438.0 YPG).

4th - The 'Cats' running attack has ranked near the bottom of the PFL and country in recent years, but so far leads the league and ranks 26th nationally with 213.5 YPG.

XP - LB Dan Casey was named to the 2014 AFCA Allstate Good Works team.

Signs of Improvement
• Davidson's 32 points against Morehead State were its most in a PFL game since 2009.
• The 'Cats are averaging 213.5 yards per game rushing so far this season after averaging just 88.2 last season. The rate leads the PFL and ranks 26th in the nation. If Davidson were to maintain that average, it would be its highest since 1979 (214.4). In fact, the Wildcats have not averaged over 100 yards per game throughout an entire season since 2009.
• Davidson finished dead last in the PFL in scoring last season, only averaging 14.0 points per game, but the 'Cats currently lead the league averaging 29.8 points per game.

Rankings Leaders
• Davidson has been strong offensively to lead the PFL in scoring (29.8) and yardage (433.5) per game.
• QB J.P. Douglas ranks 16th in the nation and second in the PFL with a 65.8 completion percentage. He also ranks second in the league and 23rd nationally with 844 passing yards.
• WR William Morris ranks third in the nation and leads the PFL in receiving yards (453). His 7.0 receptions per game rank 10th nationally and second in the PFL.
• RB David Rogers leads the PFL and ranks 18th nationally with 7.0 yards per carry. He also leads the league and ranks 23rd nationally with four rushing touchdowns, and ranks third in the league with 299 rushing yards.
• As a team, Davidson has been very disciplined, ranking ninth in the nation and first in the conference for fewest penalty yards. The 'Cats also lead the league averaging just 4.5 penalties per game, which ranks 11th nationally.

A Davidson win would . . .
• Snap a three-game overall losing streak
• Snap a seven-game road losing streak
• Snap a seven-game non-conference road losing streak (Last win: at Lenoir-Rhyne, 9/13/08)
• Not only be the first over Princeton, but the first over an Ivy League school (0-8)

The Series
• This will be the second-ever meeting between the schools, as their lone contest took place exacly 27 years and one day prior (Sept. 26, 1987) in Charlotte Memorial Stadium.
• Princeton won 42-6, led in part by current Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who went 14-for-16 for 208 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers' quarterback. Actor Dean Cain, most widely known for his role as Superman in the Superman TV series, had an interception.
• Current Princeton head coach Bob Surace was the Tigers' center in that game.

Davidson vs. the Ivy League
• Somewhat surprisingly, Davidson has played only four different Ivy League schools for a total of eight games: Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and Princeton.
• The Wildcats have played Harvard three times, first meeting in 1937, but last playing in 1952 and 1953. All three meetings were in Cambridge.
• Davidson faced Penn in a home-and-home series in 1984-85, and, most recently, Dartmouth in a home-and-home series in 1987-88.

Scouting Princeton
• Princeton won the Ivy League Championship last season, sharing with Harvard, and received Top 25 votes last season and before this season. The Tigers were picked to repeat as Ivy League champs this season.
• The Tigers lost their season opener last week though, falling at perennial Pioneer Football League power San Diego, 29-39.
• San Diego and Davidson are Princeton's only two non-conference opponents this season.
• Senior QB Quinn Epperly is the reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year. He completed an NCAA record 29 consecutive passes in a game against Cornell last season.

Davidson-Princeton Connections
• Current Davidson president Dr. Carol Quillen earned her Ph.D. in European history from Princeton.
• President Woodrow Wilson attended Davidson as a freshman in 1873, but became ill and took a year off from school before enrolling at Princeton to finish his degree. Wilson and Davidson maintained a strong relationship though, and he visited the school as President in May of 1916, visiting his old dorm room.

Coach To Cure MD
• For the sixth year in a row, college football coaches nationwide will join together in support of the Coach To Cure MD program, which will be held during games Saturday. Head coach Paul Nichols and the rest of the Davidson football coaching staff are wearing Coach To Cure MD logo patches on the sidelines in support of the cause.
• The rapidly growing annual effort has raised more than a million dollars to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
• Football fans can donate to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).
• Last year, more than 10,000 college coaches at more than 600 different institutions participated in Coach To Cure MD events. Both those figures are higher than in any of the program's first six years (2008-13). The five-year fundraising total is just over $1 million.

Casey Named to Good Works Team
• Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the roster for the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Tuesday morning, which included senior Davidson linebacker Dan Casey.
• One of the most prestigious off-the-field-honors in college football, the award pays tribute to a select group of student-athletes who have worked to positively impact the lives of others. The 22 players honored with this distinct recognition have not only dedicated their time to succeeding on the field, but have made a commitment to enriching the lives of others while contributing to the greater good of their communities.
• Notable members of the voting panel to determine the rosters included Kirk Herbstreit, Lou Holtz and Bruce Feldman.
• Casey was one of four NCAA Division I FCS players honored this year amongst the 11-man team comprised of student-athletes from across FCS, NCAA Divisions II and III, and the NAIA. The other 11 members were selected from NCAA FBS schools.
• This summer, the program received a record 182 nominations from colleges and universities across the country.
• Casey's service work extends from the local community to in-need parts of the world. Since graduating high school, Casey has gone on five international mission trips.
• Allstate and the AFCA are looking to the fans to help determine this year's 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain. By visiting ESPN.com/Allstate, fans can learn more about this year's team members and vote for the player who they feel best embodies the spirit of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.

Last Time Out
• Morehead State fended off a hot Davidson start and a fourth quarter rally to win, 40-32, in the Pioneer Football League opener for both teams.
• Led by William Morris' three catches for 129 yards, Davidson (1-3, 0-1 PFL) leapt out to an 11-0 lead in the first six minutes, and held an 18-7 lead early in the second quarter, but Morehead State (2-2, 1-0 PFL) answered with the next four scores – two first-half touchdowns and two second-half field goals – to take a 27-18 lead late in the third quarter. The Eagles maintained the lead despite allowing the 'Cats back within two points early in the fourth quarter, and within a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:19 to go.
• Davidson totaled 485 yards of offense, with quarterback J.P. Douglas gaining 282 in the air by completing 20-of-36 passes with a touchdown and interception, and six different rushers, led by quarterback John Cook (six carries, 56 yards, two touchdowns) and running back Austin Wells (8 carries, 56 yards), totaling 203 yards.
• Morris was limited to just two more receptions, but finished with 163 yards for the third-most prolific game in his career.
• Morehead State was able to run 94 plays and totaled 549 yards of offense. The attack was led by a strong running game that gained 273 yards and scored four touchdowns.
• Matt Casey led the 'Cats' defense, making a career-high 15 tackles (nine solo,) including a sack, and an interception on a deflected pass.

Utility Man
• John Cook is not your average backup quarterback.
• On offense, Cook is a goaline threat with his running ability. He also provided Davidson with a spark late in the game against Morehead State, breaking off a 39-yard touchdown run.
• He also took over the punting duties when starter Jaris Scott struggled early. Cook punted frequently as a freshman when Davidson lacked a specialist for the position last season.

Schedule Notes
• Davidson is playing 12 games this season for the first time in its history.
• The schedule was front-loaded with home games, as three of Davidson's first four were at home. Four of the final six will be on the road.

Young 'Cats
• The team is very young, with 36 freshmen and just 25 upper-classmen (9 seniors, 16 juniors.) It's the largest freshman class since the 'Cats also had 36 in 2009.
• Of the 22 slots on the offensive two-deep, 10 are occupied by underclassmen (5 sophomores, 5 freshmen), while 14 (9 sophomores and 5 freshmen) are listed on the defensive side. Eight of 12 specialists slots are filled by freshmen.

2014
• The Wildcats return 35 letterwinners and 14 starters (6 offense, 8 defense).
• The top returner on offense is junior WR William Morris. He had 1,090 yards receiving in 2013 – the third most in Davidson history - and 67 receptions - tied for the fourth most in a single season in school history. His 6.1 catches per game ranked second in the PFL, while his 99.1 yards per game led the league. He is on pace to break Davidson's all-time receiving records and was an All-PFL honorable mention last season.
• On defense, LB Matt Casey is the top returner. He finished 2013 with 106 tackles, which ranks as the fourth-most in a single season at Davidson. He was named to the All-PFL second team.

William Morris Milestone Watch
• William Morris is on pace to rewrite the Davidson receiving record books.
• He caught his 100th career reception at VMI (9/13) as part of a 16-catch performance.
• Morris also passed Gary Pomeroy '75 (1329) and Mike Chase '03 (1345) in receiving yards at VMI.
1.   2770   Lanny Funsten (229-2770)   2009-12
2.   2220   Ryan Hubbard (153-2220)      2004-07
3.   2215   Brett Dioguardi (154-2215)   2003-06
4.   2157   Barrett Johnson (147-2157)   2000-03
5.   2154   Mike Kelly (162-2154)        1967-69
6.   2125   Gifford Piercy (109-2125)   1977-80
7.   1948   George Hannen (158-1948)   1967-69
8.   1940   Walt Walker (130-1940)       1971-73
9.   1884   Corey Crawford (119-1884)   1997-00
10. 1830   Mike Mikolayunas (179-1830) 1968-70
11. 1655 William Morris (105-1655)    2012-pres.

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Dan Casey

Matt Casey

John Cook

J.P. Douglas

William Morris

David Rogers

Jaris Scott

Austin Wells

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