INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A well-rested 23rd-ranked Presbyterian College football team will be in the PFL spotlight this Saturday, traveling to Butler for a 1 p.m. opening kick and looking to push their buzzworthy winning streak to 10 games.
Tomorrow's showdown from Indiana will be a major conference test for the Blue Hose in a hostile environment, going up against a league enemy who has won both of their divisional encounters with last-minute heroics.
Head coach Steve Englehart – a native of nearby Terre Haute – will lead his troops into their first road game in five weeks. A victory over the Bulldogs would guarantee a tie with Harvard for the longest road winning streak in all of FCS (gunning for their fifth straight W when playing the visitors' role).
The action will be broadcasted by Flo College as Presbyterian pursues a 6-0 start. Butler was a casualty of PC's season-ending four-game winning streak last year, entering Bailey Memorial Stadium as a top-25 squad and taking a three-point loss on Senior Day (30-27).
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHO: #23/24 Presbyterian (5-0, 1-0) at Butler (4-2, 2-0)
WHERE: Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl (Indianapolis, Ind.)
WHEN: Saturday, October 11 | 1:00 PM
FOLLOW THE ACTION
WATCH: Flo College
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
TWITTER / X: @BlueHoseFB
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes | Butler Notes | PFL Weekly Report
BLACKOUT SHUTOUT
• Presbyterian resumed its month-long residence at the top of the FCS food chain with a 41-0 dismantling of Morehead State, now undefeated after five games for the first time since 1959.
• The Blue Hose – in their first game as a Top-25 program since turning Division I in the late 2000's – had a five-touchdown lead over the Eagles by halftime. PC has produced at least 35 first-half points in three consecutive contests.
• Senior Zach Switzer seemingly lived in the end zone as PC extended their overall winning streak to nine games, totaling 150 rushing yards after just two quarters and sprinting to touchdowns of 66 and 79 yards. He was averaging a ridiculous 30 yards per touch over the first half.
• Fellow senior Caleb Francis broke the Blue Hose D-I career record for total interceptions on the very first snap. He'd haul another INT in the end zone to complete a goal-line stand in the 4th quarter, preserving the shutout and being named the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Week.
• It was the first time that Presbyterian held a conference opponent to zero points since 2006 (back in the days of Division II versus Newberry in the season finale). Morehead turned the ball over four times in their first five series, going 0-for-4 on fourth-down.
RANKED ON BOTH ACCOUNTS
• The Scotsmen are currently ranked #23 in America by the AFCA Coaches Poll and #24 by Stats Perform thanks to their scorching start.
• They have become the first PFL program since 2018 to be ranked in both polls simultaneously. PC joins San Diego, Dayton, and Jacksonville as the only four PFL schools to be included in both rankings at the same time throughout the Pioneer League's 34-year history.
• In the AFCA poll, the Blue Hose are receiving 130 points. That's 10 behind Abilene Christian and West Georgia, who are tied for 23rd.
• In the Stats Perform Top 25, Coach Englehart's club is garnering 228 points. That's 44 better than #25 Mercer and only five fewer than #23 South Dakota.
NINE IN A ROW
• By blasting Morehead State in Clinton, the Blue Hose have extended the program record with their ninth consecutive victory dating back to last season.
• PC is averaging 39 points per game during this incendiary stretch, winning by an average margin of 24.
• There are only two schools at the Division I level (FBS or FCS) that have one-upped that current streak:
- Tennessee Tech (10 straight)
- Memphis (10 straight)
• PC's nine consecutive wins are the same number as the reigning National Champions in both FBS and FCS: The Ohio State Buckeyes and the North Dakota State Bison.
OPPONENT PROFILE
• One of two PFL teams that has played a pair of conference games and won them both, Butler brings high expectations to this weekend's game after surviving Marist (31-28) and St. Thomas in Minnesota (21-14 in overtime).
• The Bulldogs scored a 48-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes left to defeat Marist after trailing by four. In last week's thriller with the Tommies, Butler did not score in the second half but broke the ice in OT with a one-yard quarterback plunge to the end zone.
• It's the first time since 2022 that Butler has won back-to-back one-score games, propelled by QB Reagan Andrew who was awarded the PFL Offensive Player of the Week after besting St. Thomas.
• Andrew ran for all three of Butler's touchdowns last week, now with six rushing scores on the season (which ranks 5th in FCS among quarterbacks).
• The Bulldogs are giving up only one sack per game, ranking second in the Pioneer Football League with 169 rushing yards per contest. The only team they trail in that department is PC.
• Butler's 43 tackles-for-a-loss are also the 10th-most in the nation, off to a solid start in the debut year for head coach Kevin Lynch.
• Lynch came to Indianapolis last December after spending the previous nine years on the staff at Ball State (most recently serving as the Cardinals' offensive coordinator). He is the son of former Butler head coach Bill Lynch, who directed the Bulldogs in the mid-1980's to 36 wins. Bill was also a three-time All-American QB at Butler in the 1970's.
PRIDE OF THE PALMETTO
• Presbyterian is the only Division I school in the entire state of South Carolina that can boast an undefeated record at this stage of the season.
• Clemson, South Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Furman, Wofford, and Charleston Southern have each taken at least one L already, positioning PC as the lone Palmetto party that is still perfect.
• Going beyond the D-I level, the only other South Carolina college without a blemish is Division II member Benedict out of Columbia. They'll entertain Fort Valley State this weekend as PC hopes to become the last unbeaten standing.
ELITE EIGHT
• The number of undefeated FCS programs has dropped to single-digits since the Blue Hose last saw the field, now with just eight perfect teams in the mix.
• Below is a list of the other seven unbeatens around the nation, and who they will face this weekend:
(Rankings reflect AFCA Coaches Poll)
- #1 North Dakota State (vs Southern Illinois)
- #2 South Dakota State (vs Northern Iowa)
- #3 Tarleton State (@ Utah Tech)
- #4 Montana (vs Cal Poly)
- #7 Tennessee Tech (@ Charleston Southern)
- #8 Lehigh (@ Columbia)
- #25 Harvard (vs Cornell - FRIDAY)
FRANCIS IS NUMBER ONE
• Senior defensive back Caleb Francis intercepted the first pass of the game during the Morehead State shredding, officially putting him past Ed Britt (2012-15) and Big South Hall of Famer Justin Bethel (2008-11) for the most career picks in PC's Division I era.
• It was his eighth INT, later getting number nine in the same game to further tighten his grip on the record.
• Francis is the captain of a Blue Hose secondary that has assembled nine interceptions in just five games, the third-most of any FCS team (behind only #3 Tarleton State and Colgate).
• There are now two active PC players who own at least one D-I-era career record. Wideout Dominic Kibby is #1 in the Presbyterian record book for both receiving touchdowns (16) and receiving yards (2,554).
CREAM OF THE CROP
• Through the first five games of 2025, the Blue Hose lead the PFL and are near the top of numerous statistical categories nationwide:
(Rankings encompass all 129 FCS football teams)
- 8th in Points Per Game (42)
- 9th in Total Yards Per Game (484)
- 11th in Rushing Yards Per Game (209)
- 13th in Passing Yards Per Game (275)
- T-1st (with Drake) in 4th-Down Defense (14%)
- 3rd in Interceptions (9)
- 4th in Fewest Total Yards Allowed Per Game (246)
- 5th in Fewest Points Allowed Per Game (13)
- 7th in Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game (89)
- T-10th in Fewest Passing Yards Allowed Per Game (157)
(RB) ZACH SWITZER
- 3rd in Yards Per Carry (7.9)
- 5th in Total Touchdowns (9)…*Six Rushing, Three Receiving*
- 6th in All-Purpose Yards (735)
(QB) COLLIN HURST
- 2nd in Passing Touchdowns (15)
- 3rd in Points Responsible For (104)
- 5th in Quarterback Rating (182.4)
Coach Englehart talks about the bye week and being from Indiana here.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Sophomore Justin Montgomery netted a career-high 134 rushing yards, tight end Nathan Levicki raced to arguably the biggest touchdown of the season from 75 yards away, and the #23/24 Presbyterian College football team moved to a 6-0 record by outlasting Butler on Saturday, 31-25.
Overcoming 40 total minutes of Butler possession in a raucous road setting, the Blue Hose bent but didn’t break against one of just two Pioneer Football League programs who entered the weekend 2-0 in conference play.
PC is now one victory away from matching the school’s all-time record for best start to a season (established in 1959), winning their third one-score game of 2025 in the process.
Presbyterian now holds a 10-game winning streak that spans nearly a full calendar year, the second-longest active streak of any NCAA Division I football team.
Additionally, head coach Steve Englehart’s crew has tied Harvard for the most consecutive road wins of any FCS school, claiming their fifth straight W as the visiting party.
The Scotsmen will return to Bailey Memorial Stadium with two PFL victories in tow, next facing Stetson on October 18. Kickoff in Clinton is tabbed for 1:00 on Homecoming Weekend.
FINAL SCORE: #23/24 Presbyterian, 31 – Butler, 25
RECORDS: #23/24 Presbyterian (6-0, 2-0) – Butler (4-3, 2-1)
LOCATION: Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl (Indianapolis, Ind.)
RUNNING WITH A FURY
- Montgomery has now posted a career-high rushing tally in consecutive games, having also surpassed the century mark in a 41-0 shutout over Morehead State two weeks back.
- Nearly 60 percent of PC’s offensive production came on the ground attack, as Montgomery and senior Zach Switzer added up for 209 rushing yards and a couple of touchdowns.
- PC averaged 13 yards whenever Montgomery touched the rock, going blow-for-blow against an opponent who piled up three scoring drives of at least seven minutes apiece.
LEVICKI = CLUTCH
- The recipient of the game-winning touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion to defeat Furman last month in OT, Levicki was again extra-large in crunch time thanks to the aforementioned 75-yard touchdown.
- Breaking free with exactly 11 minutes to go, it was the first play of a new drive after PC saw the Bulldogs take a one-point lead late in the 3rd.
- It’s the longest pass play of the season for the Blue Hose, their biggest TD through the air since a 79-yard score by Cincere Gill at Marist in November 2024.
- Presby forced a Butler punt in the next series after re-taking the lead, able to hold the ball for the next five minutes and reach seven more points to confirm the close win.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- PC was boosted to the victory by the resiliency of their defensive unit, holding the home side to single-digits in each quarter and never letting the momentum grow to a worrying level.
- Butler was forced to settle for a field goal twice on drives that featured a combined 31 plays, only coming away with three points after a 10-minute series to begin the 3rd quarter.
- Following Levicki’s longball from Collin Hurst, the Presby D didn’t let Butler get past midfield which handed the ball back to the offense to chew away clock and (more importantly) add to the lead.
- PC’s starting linebackers – Boyce Bankhead, Michael Torres, and Malik Lewis – assembled 27 tackles altogether, the highlight of which was Bankhead for a personal-best 11.
- Freshman cornerback Camron Barber had his best showing to date on Saturday, logging a career-high seven stops and two pass breakups.
- 2024 All-PFL honoree Carter Szydlowski wrangled in two tackles-for-a-loss, while defensive tackle Robert Porter blocked a PAT with 65 seconds until halftime.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
- Presbyterian went for the jugular on the first possession, going 75 yards in only 1:38 to get into the end zone. Cincere Gill registered his fifth TD of the fall on a 14-yard slant, prompting PC to attempt a two-point conversion for Montgomery that was successful.
- Butler countered with a near-eight-minute sequence of 15 plays, totaling 89 yards and their first touchdown of the day. It was the first offensive score given up by PC’s defense in the last 11 quarters of action.
- The offensive aggressiveness was pivotal for the Scotsmen, who secured their second TD on the final snap of the first quarter: an eight-yard burst by Switzer that finished a seven-play series.
- Now ahead 15-7, PC would witness another time-chomping drive by the Bulldogs that ended with a 33-yard field goal.
- Butler again kept possession for over seven minutes, but went backward after having 1st & 10 at the 13 due to two straight TFL’s by Szydlowski, Jalyn Turner, and Zeb Stroup.
- PC’s next drive was their longest of the first half, a 10-play stretch that gulped four-and-a-half minutes. Jett Jackson capped off that charge with a 38-yard boot, moving Presbyterian’s lead to 18-10.
- The Blue Hose made Butler punt with 1:05 on the second quarter clock, although the return was muffed and recovered by the home side to set up the Bulldogs inside the red zone.
- Butler scored a touchdown two plays later from 14 yards out, although Porter’s blocked point-after made the halftime difference 18-16.
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
- The 3rd quarter belonged to Butler thanks mostly to the 18-play, 10-minute drive that ended with a successful field goal.
- Once again, Butler’s bid for a touchdown was denied. This time, a 3rd-and-Goal at the 8 was snuffed with an incomplete pass and pressure from Porter.
- Regardless, the Bulldogs still came away with points to put PC down on the scoreboard for the first time since the Furman game.
- Butler made their third FG of the afternoon in the early moments of the 4th to go up 22-18, yet another crucial stop by Presbyterian’s defense after having to take snaps in the red zone again.
- Hurst found Levicki on the next play to wrestle the lead right back in their hands, the biggest completion of the game from the quarterback who went 12-of-16.
- Szydlowski planted Butler QB Reagan Andrew on 2nd-down for a mammoth sack at the Bulldog 36, presenting them with a 3rd-and-long that they could not convert.
- PC put the game out of reach with a workmanlike drive that started with five-and-a-half minutes left. They marched 75 yards in 11 plays, moving the chains four times to further diminish Butler’s hopes.
- Switzer dove into the end zone for his 11th touchdown of the season, leaving the Bulldogs only 55 seconds to work with and down by nine.
- Butler managed to progress far enough for a 41-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining, but their onside kick attempt sailed out of bounds. All that PC had to do from there was take a knee and relish in their new 10-game winning streak.
UP NEXT
- One more Blue Hose win would make them 7-0 for the first time in 66 years, one of eight FCS teams at this stage of the season to still be without a loss.
- Their obstacle to that goal will be the Stetson Hatters, fresh off a seven-point win against Morehead State on Saturday.
- ESPN+ will have coverage of next weekend’s bout, as Presby looks to make it two in a row over Stetson after thumping them in Florida 12 months ago.
- That 42-14 blowout was the start of their 10-game winning streak, eclipsing 600 yards of total offense on that day and finding a D-I-era record 329 yards on the ground.
