Dayton football starts practice in Year 2 for coach Andrews

“I think the way we ended that’s great, but that was last year,” Andrews said Thursday. “Yes, it should build some confidence. But this is a new team. This is team No. 116 in the history of our program. we’ve got to make our own identity. We’ll have our own group of leaders that will take over. It’s a story that gets rewritten every year. I’m just looking forward to seeing what these guys do and seeing what our senior leadership looks like and then seeing what the freshmen look like that are going to be putting the pads on for the first time for us.”

Dayton was picked to finish sixth in the PFL preseason poll. Two Flyers made the All-PFL preseason team: redshirt senior center Dylan DeMaison, who has started 30 games in his career; and redshirt junior linebacker Aiden McKinley, who ranked second on the team in tackles last season.

DeMaison, a graduate of La Salle High School in Cincinnati, and senior safety Ca’ron Coleman, a Piqua graduate who was the team’s MVP last season, will serve as captains this season.

“I’m really excited,” DeMaison said. “In the summer, a lot of us were working back home, but I’m really excited to get back on campus and get back to work for sure.”

DeMaison interned with Whirlpool in Greenville over the summer and commuted back and forth to Dayton so he could participate in summer workouts. There were about 30 players in the group. There was a morning group that started at 6 a.m. and an afternoon group.

Dayton will open the 2024 season at home against Saint Francis on Aug. 31. The Flyers will then play at Indiana State on Sept. 14 before returning to Welcome Stadium for a game against Ave Maria on Sept. 21.

Last season, Dayton suffered its first losing season since a 5-6 finish in 2017 and posted its fewest wins since a 4-6 finish in 2006.

“I hate to lose,” Coleman said. “I feel like we have a lot of games we’re going to get back this year.”

“Nobody likes to lose,” DeMaison said. “I hate losing more than I like winning.”

Andrews said the offense line and linebackers will be a strength of the team. The Flyers will hold their first practice in pads at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Jerry Von Mohr Practice Field. They will holdone scrimmage at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 and another one at 8 a.m. Aug. 17. Media day will be at noon on Aug. 18 at Welcome Stadium.

“Anytime you’re going into Year 2 the players know what to expect a little more,” Andrews said. “Now your assistant coaches have had a chance to go through a year. There’s a more comfortable feeling knowing what the expectations are and the routine every week. You definitely feel better going into Year 2. There are a lot less unknowns.”