“You keep your focus,” Dayton coach Rick Chamberlin said. “You’ve got to. You can’t look ahead. Whether you’re having a good year or having a bad year, you concentrate on the here and now. That’s what good teams do. That’s what good coaching staffs do. You’ve got to put all your focus and energy into what you need to do to succeed — not next year, this week.”
Dayton (4-4, 3-3) sits alone in sixth place, a half game ahead of Stetson. The Flyers lead the all-time series 3-1 but lost the last matchup 38-21 in 2019 in a game delayed three hours due to wet conditions from Tropical Storm Nestor. There could be rain again Saturday, but the temperature should be in the 70s.
The Flyers need to win their last two games to finish with a winning record for the third straight season and the the 13th time in the last 14 years.
“This season hasn’t gone how we want it,” said linebacker Grant Dyer, who recorded his first career interception last week in a 38-31 victory against Butler, “but our coaches have harped on it and our senior leadership, we’ve harped on it, we just have to treat these two weeks like we’re going to win a PFL championship. Bring energy to the practice field. Bring energy to games.”
For the returning players, like running back Jake Chisholm, it’s a chance build momentum for 2022. Chisholm long ago decided to return for a fifth season. He didn’t get to play in 2020 because of the pandemic. It wasn’t a tough choice for him.
Even if all the focus is on the two remaining games, it’s not too early to start thinking about what the 2022 team can do. The offense will be much more experienced even considering the loss of quarterback Jack Cook.
“The offense is going to have a lot of guys returning,” Chisholm said, “so it’ll be different than it was this year. That’s exciting. Obviously, not having Cook, it’ll be a huge blow, but we have some young guys that I think will definitely step up and play their role.”
Chisholm leads the PFL in all-purpose yardage (140.8 per game). He has 40 more rushing attempts (178) than anyone else in the league. He ranks 15th in career rushing at UD (1,867 yards). With another season, he could become UD’s third 3,000-yard rusher.
Chisholm’s versatility makes him stand out. He also has 24 catches for 265 yards this season.
“I know I needed to play a huge role on the team this year,” Chisholm said, “and I know the coaches were expecting that as well and are just trying to get the ball into my hands whenever they can. That has been one of the things we’ve been pushing this year. I always enjoy getting the ball.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Dayton at Stetson, 1 p.m., ESPN+, 1290, 95.7
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