2018 Valparaiso Crusaders football team

The 2018 Valparaiso Crusaders football team represented Valparaiso University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Dave Cecchini and played their home games at Brown Field. They competed in the Pioneer Football League. They finished the season 2–9, 2–6 in PFL play to finish in a three-way tie for seventh place.

2018 Valparaiso Crusaders football
ConferencePioneer Football League
2018 record2–9 (2–6 PFL)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJason Miran
Defensive coordinatorErnest Moore
Home stadiumBrown Field
(Capacity: 5,000)
2018 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 25 San Diego $^  8 –0     9 –3  
Stetson  6 –2     8 –2  
Drake  6 –2     7 –4  
Marist  5 –3     5 –6  
Dayton  5 –3     6 –5  
Davidson  3 –5     6 –5  
Butler  2 –6     4 –7  
Morehead State  2 –6     3 –8  
Valparaiso  2 –6     2 –9  
Jacksonville  1 –7     2 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

Previous season

The Crusaders finished the 2017 season 6–5, 5–3 in PFL play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. The Crusaders had a winning season for the first time since 2003 and had five league wins for the first time since 1961.[1][2]

Preseason

Preseason All-PFL team

The PFL released their preseason all-PFL team on July 30, 2018, with the Crusaders having three players selected.[3]

Preseason coaches poll

The PFL released their preseason coaches poll on July 31, 2018, with the Crusaders predicted to finish in a tie for fourth place.[4]

Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1San Diego81 (9)
2Dayton72 (1)
3Drake58
T–4Butler48
T–4Valparaiso48
6Jacksonville47
7Marist44
8Morehead State22
9Stetson19
10Davidson11

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 811:00 a.m.at Duquesne*
NECFRL 21–23943
September 151:00 p.m.at Youngstown State*
ESPN+L 7–4214,913
September 221:00 p.m.Truman State*
ESPN3L 20–341,840
September 291:00 p.m.Davidson
  • Brown Field
  • Valparaiso, IN
ESPN3L 35–404,605
October 612:00 p.m.at Dayton
Facebook LiveL 20–532,592
October 131:00 p.m.Butler
ESPN+W 35–171,724
October 201:00 p.m.at Morehead State
ESPN+L 24–318,145
October 271:00 p.m.Drake
  • Brown Field
  • Valparaiso, IN
ESPN+L 25–421,945
November 311:00 a.m.at Marist
Red Fox NetworkL 24–351,227
November 1012:00 p.m.Jacksonville
  • Brown Field
  • Valparaiso, IN
ESPN+W 48–301,150
November 1712:00 p.m.at Stetson
ESPN+L 45–311,961

Game summaries

at Duquesne
1 234Total
Crusaders 0 1407 21
• Dukes 7 0106 23
  • Date: September 8, 2018
  • Location: Rooney Field • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Game start: 12:05 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:28
  • Game attendance: 943
  • Game weather: Temperature: 60°F • Weather: Rainy, cool • Wind: ENE 13 mph[5]
  • Television network: NEC Front Row
See also: 2018 Duquesne Dukes football team

at Youngstown State
1 234Total
Crusaders 7 000 7
• Penguins 7 14147 42
  • Date: September 15, 2018
  • Location: Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, Ohio
  • Game start: 2:05 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:13
  • Game attendance: 14,913
  • Game weather: Temperature: 82°F • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: E 5-10 mph[6]
  • Referee: Andy Speciale
  • Television network: ESPN+
See also: 2018 Youngstown State Penguins football team

Truman State
1 234Total
• Bulldogs 6 0117 24
Crusaders 7 0310 20
  • Date: September 22, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:58
  • Game attendance: 1,840
  • Game weather: Temperature: 65° F • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 9 mph
  • Referee: Aaron Adams[7]
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman

Davidson
Homecoming
1 234Total
• Wildcats 14 2006 40
Crusaders 14 777 35
  • Date: September 29, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Game attendance: 4,605
  • Game weather: Temperature: 62°F • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: NE 3 mph
  • Referee: Marcel Kerr[8]
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman
See also: 2018 Davidson Wildcats football team

at Dayton
1 234Total
Crusaders 7 607 20
• Flyers 14 23160 53
  • Date: October 6, 2018
  • Location: Welcome Stadium • Dayton, Ohio
  • Game start: 1:07 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:38
  • Game attendance: 2,592
  • Referee: Grant Henderson[9]
  • TV announcers (Facebook Live): Alex Mikos, Jason Phillips[10]
See also: 2018 Dayton Flyers football team

Butler
Hoosier Helmet Trophy
1 234Total
Bulldogs 0 1430 17
• Crusaders 14 0714 35
  • Date: October 13, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:52
  • Game attendance: 1,724[11]
  • Game weather: Temperature: 51°F • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 10 mph
  • Referee: C. J. Jackson[12]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman
See also: 2018 Butler Bulldogs football team and Hoosier Helmet Trophy

at Morehead State
1 234Total
Crusaders 0 7017 24
• Eagles 0 2173 31
  • Date: October 20, 2018
  • Location: Jayne Stadium • Morehead, Kentucky
  • Game start: 1:05 pm[13] CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:15
  • Game attendance: 8,145
  • Game weather: Temperature: 55°F • Weather: Mostly rainy
  • Referee: Lamar Gresham[14]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Chuck Mraz, Jason Blanton[15]
See also: 2018 Morehead State Eagles football team

Drake
1 234Total
• Bulldogs 7 14021 42
Crusaders 3 0715 25
  • Date: October 27, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:04 pm CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:18
  • Game attendance: 1,945
  • Game weather: Temperature: 54°F • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: N 10 mph
  • Referee: Andy Speciale[16]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+[17]): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman
See also: 2018 Drake Bulldogs football team

at Marist
1 234Total
Crusaders 3 777 24
• Red Foxes 0 2807 35
  • Date: November 3, 2018
  • Location: Leonidoff Field • Poughkeepsie, New York
  • Game start: 12:05 pm EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:51
  • Game attendance: 1,227
  • Game weather: Temperature: 51°F • Weather: Mostly cloudy, windy • Wind: W 14 mph
  • Referee: Tom Kichline[18]
  • TV announcers (Red Fox Network): Geoff Brault, Ed Weir[19]
See also: 2018 Marist Red Foxes football team

Jacksonville
1 234Total
Dolphins 0 10713 30
• Crusaders 14 13147 48
  • Date: November 10, 2018
  • Location: Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Game start: 12:04 pm CST
  • Game attendance: 1,150
  • Game weather: Temperature: 29°F • Weather: Extremely cold • Wind: W 7 mph
  • Referee: Matt Packowski[20]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Todd Ickow, Dave Huseman[21]
See also: 2018 Jacksonville Dolphins football team

at Stetson
1 234Total
Crusaders 7 1707 31
• Hatters 7 14213 45
  • Date: November 17, 2018
  • Location: Spec Martin Stadium • DeLand, Florida
  • Game start: 1:04 pm EST
  • Elapsed time: 3:12
  • Game attendance: 1,961
  • Game weather: Temperature: 71°F • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NE 7 mph
  • Referee: Terrance Lamar[22]
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Evan Weston, Tom James
See also: 2018 Stetson Hatters football team
Overall record Last meeting Result[23]
2–1 2017 VALPO, 27–24

References
  1. "Crusaders Play Dayton for First Winning Season Since 2003". ValpoAthletics.com. Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  2. "Hollywood Ending: Valpo Clinches First Winning Season Since 2003". ValpoAthletics.com. Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  3. http://www.pioneer-football.org/news/archives/2018/1361/twelve-first-team-all-pfl-returnees-highlight-preseason-all-pfl-team/
  4. http://www.pioneer-football.org/news/archives/2018/1362/defending-champion-san-diego-edges-dayton-in-pfl-preseason-coaches-poll/
  5. "Duquesne 23 Valparaiso 21". Go Duquesne. Duquesne University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  6. "Youngstown State 42 Valparaiso 7". YSU sports. Youngstown State University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  7. "Truman State 34 Valparaiso 20". Truman State Athletics. Truman State University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  8. "Davidson 40 Valparaiso 35". Davidson Wildcats. Davidson University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  9. "Dayton 53 Valparaiso 20". Dayton Flyers. University of Dayton. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  10. "2018 Football Game Notes" (PDF). valpoathletics.com. Valpo Sports Media Relations.
  11. "Game 6 Notes". valpoathletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  12. "Valparaiso 35 Butler 17". Butler Sports. Butler University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  13. "Game 7 Box Score". Valpo Athletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  14. "Morehead State 31 Valparaiso 24". msueagles.com. Morehead State University. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  15. Lucia, Joe. "Your 2018 college football Week 8 announcing schedule". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  16. "Drake 42 Valparaiso 25". Drake University Athletics. Drake University. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  17. "Game 8 Preview" (PDF). Valpo Athletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  18. "Marist 35 Valparaiso 24". Go Red Foxes. Marist College. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  19. "Your 2018 college football Week 10 announcing schedule". Awful Announcing. Awful Announcing. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  20. "Valparaiso 48 Jacksonville 30". JU Dolphins. Jacksonville University. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  21. "Week 11 Preview" (PDF). Valpo Athletics. Valparaiso University. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  22. "Stetson 45 Valparaiso 31". Go Hatters. Stetson University. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  23. Lucia, Joe. "Your 2018 college football Week 12 announcing schedule". Awful Announcing. Awful Announcing. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
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