GAME PREVIEW: Grizzlies Face 1st Road Test of 2024 Saturday

The Teams: Butler Grizzlies (0-1) vs. Ellsworth Panthers (0-1)
Where: Iowa Falls, IA
Stadium: Cadet Football Field
Time: 1 p.m. CT

Streaming Platform: youtube.com/@EllsworthCommunityCollege
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (knssradio.com) 1 p.m.

The Butler football team hits the road for the first time in 2024 as they head to Iowa Falls to take on the Ellsworth Panthers Saturday afternoon.

SERIES HISTORY

Butler leads the all-time series 7-3 over Ellsworth. The first meeting between the two was in 1987 as Ellsworth defeated the Grizzlies 30-21 in El Dorado. The 40-point margin of victory for the Panthers (69-29) in 1988 is the largest win for either team in the 10 meetings all-time. Butler has won the last six meetings dating back to 2016.

LOOKING AT ELLSWORTH

Ellsworth dropped its season opener on the road Aug. 22nd at the College of DuPage, 48-13. The Panthers were outgained 591-240 allowing 437 yards through the air and 154 on the ground. Ellsworth used three quarterbacks in the game with Kellen Cockrell playing the most finishing 5-of-15 for 64 yards and a touchdown through the air. Calvin Swinney led the ground game with 70 yards on 15 attempts. Defensively, Xavian Andrews led Ellsworth with nine total tackles.

LAST TIME OUT FOR BUTLER

Butler held a 13-0 lead in the first quarter but NEO tied the game going into halftime and eventually won 26-23 in overtime to spoil Butler's season opener in El Dorado. The Grizzlies mustered just 187 total yards of offense while NEO ran 29 more offensive plays (80-to-51). Butler was just 2-of-15 (13%) on third down conversions.

"We started out really well, playing with a lot of effort and enthusiasm," said head coach Brice Vignery. "Then it just stopped, it just quit. I don't know where it went or what happened. That team was not the team that I've been watching the 29 days previous to this."

Butler got the ball first in overtime. Mac Armstrong was sacked for a loss of five on first down and an incomplete pass on second down set them up with third-and-15 from the NEO 30-yard line. Running back Vinny Smith ran for three yards on third down and Butler sent Aidan Battle (3-4 on the night) out for a 45-yard field goal on fourth down that was short and left. NEO ran three plays on the next drive and kicker Ryder Goodwin (2-3 on the night) drilled a 34-yard field goal to win the game.

"We had a bunch of kids that played extremely hard," said Vignery. "But in those critical moments where we had to make a play in certain situations, we didn't do it."

"I feel like we've got the right players but I have to watch the film and figure out who those players were at times. The details and the unforced errors, that's what I am most disappointed in."

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

NOVEMBER 12, 2023 – EL DORADO, Kan. – Butler 47, Ellsworth 8

Butler football closed its 2023 season out on a high note, defeating the Ellsworth Panthers 47-8 at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Butler jumped out to an early lead, up 19-0 after the first quarter. Aiden Battle connected on two field goals, one from 36 and one from 37 yards out. In between the two field goals, freshman running back Vinny Smith took in his first touchdown of the season, a seven-yard rush to put Butler ahead 9-0. With 16 seconds left in the first period, quarterback Tanner Murray found receiver PJ Caldwell in the front left corner of the end zone as Caldwell toe tapped to finish the 13-yard touchdown and give Butler a 19-0 lead.

Defensive back Gabe White made a big play on the defensive side of the ball in the second quarter. He picked off an Ellsworth pass and returned it 55 yards for a pick-six that put the Grizzlies ahead 26-6 going into the half.

The second half saw three more Butler touchdowns, all rushes by Grizzly running backs. Jaisean McMillian had six and three yard touchdown runs within two minutes of each other in the third quarter while Smith added his second of the game with 14:20 left in the fourth quarter to make it 47-6 on an 18-yard scamper.

Butler outgained Ellsworth 392-110 in total yards, outrushing them 243 to -17. Quarterback Tanner Murray finished 9-of-17 through the air for 131 passing yards and a touchdown, also rushing for 33 yards on six carries. KJ Shankle led the rushing attack with 14 carries for 87 yards, a 6.2 average per carry. Tight end Dante Daniels led the Grizzly pass catchers with three receptions for 56 yards.

Defensively, Udoka Ezeani had four tackles including a tackle for loss and an interception. Linebacker Landon Boss had four tackles and a big interception near the goal line as Ellsworth was threatening to score. Keghan McConnell had two tackles for loss while White had the pick-six as well as a forced fumble. Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder had two sacks and a forced fumble.

2024 NJCAA DI Football Poll | Week Two - 9-3-24

Receiving Votes: Northwest Mississippi, Garden City, Pearl River, Butler

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