GAME PREVIEW: Grizzlies and Badgers Square Off on ESPN+ in 'NJCAA Game of the Week' Saturday

The Teams: No. 12 Butler Grizzlies (2-1) vs. No. 3 Snow College Badgers (4-0)
Where: El Dorado, KS
Stadium: BG Products Veterans Sports Complex (6,000)
Time: 1:30 p.m. CT

Tickets: ButlerGrizzlies.com/Tickets or at the gate.
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM, 1330 AM (knssradio.com) 'Voice of the Grizzlies' Dennis Higgins on the call.

After weather postponed last week's rivalry bout with Coffeyville, the No. 12 ranked Butler Grizzlies are back in action in a top-15 matchup at home this Saturday as the Snow Badgers come to town. The game is the NJCAA 'Game of the Week' and will air on ESPN+. The City of El Dorado's annual Gold Fest will be going on right outside the stadium all day Saturday which figures to make for an electric atmosphere for the Grizzlies and Badgers.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday will be the 6th all-time meeting for the Grizzlies and Badgers. Butler leads the series, 3-2. Three of the games have been 'Top of the Mountains Bowl' games (2005, 2007, 2008) with the 2007 and 2008 games being two Butler national championship victories, both being played in Utah. The last two meetings have come at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex with Butler coming away victorious 36-17 in week two of the 2019 season and Snow winning 50-49 in overtime in week three of the 20-22 season.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 – EL DORADO, Kan. – Snow 50, Butler 49 (OT)

Butler dropped a heartbreaker of a game in overtime at home, falling 50-49 to the Snow Badgers. The Grizzlies gave up the first 28 points of the game and seemed to be in an insurmountable hole before managing to score 28 unanswered points of their own in a wild affair. Azhaun Dingle got the Grizzlies on the board with a four-yard score and Butler managed to cut the lead to 14 just before halftime with a Jaelon Travis catch from Jake Wolff. The Grizzlies went into the locker room down 14. Down 42-35 with 17 seconds left, Butler fumbled the ball on the one-yard line and looked to have come up just short in regulation. But the Badgers fumbled just one play later, and Malik Berry fell on the ball in the end zone, forcing a miraculous overtime. Quavez Humphreys scored a touchdown in overtime to give Butler their first lead of the contest, but Snow scored one play later on a clever trick play and punched it in for two to win the game. It was first time Butler has lost in overtime since 2014. The Grizzlies fall to 2-1 on the season. It was an offensive game for both teams as Snow totaled 511 yards in the game while Butler finished with 422 total yards. Wolff passed for another 300+ yards, his second straight game over 300, finishing with 321 yards going 25-46 with four touchdowns. AJ King led the way for Butler, earning 348 all-purpose yards, including a 44-yard receiving touchdown and an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown. the fifth longest in program history. Quavez Humphreys finished the day with 90 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Norman Massey led for the Grizzlies finishing with 10 tackles in the loss. He had two tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and broke up a pass. Patrick Mooney had nine tackles in the game along with an interception, his first of the season. Malik Berry finished the game with six tackles and the fumble recovery for a touchdown.

NOTES FROM THE LAST MEETING

Former Grizzlies – Quarterback Jake Wolff and wide receiver AJ King have their names in multiple spots on the Butler single game all-time top-10 records following the 2022 offensive battle with Snow.

• Wolff's 25 completions in the game are tied fifth-highest all-time.
• Wolff's 46 attempts in the game are fourth highest all-time.
• King's 11 receptions in the game are tied second all-time

TWO QUARTERBACK SYSTEM

In all three of Butler's games this season they have used two quarterbacks. Redshirt freshmen Mac Armstrong and Mason McHugh have split the duties and seen action in both games.

• Armstrong has started all three games and is completing 45.5% of his passes (20-of-44) for 345 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
• McHugh is completing 56.3% of his passes (18-of-32) for 262 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
• In the win at Indy, McHugh led the way with 116 passing yards (9-of-15) and two touchdowns.
• Armstrong was 6-of-17 for 91 yards, a touchdown and an interception at Indy.
• Armstrong is a graduate of Bishop Miege in Kansas City and spent the 2023 season redshirting for the Grizzlies. McHugh, a native of Ferdinand, Idaho, spent the 2023 season redshirting at Appalachian State.

RUNNING GAME

• Redshirt sophomore Vinny Smith is averaging 96.0 rush yards per game for Butler and has carried the ball 10+ times in all three games. His biggest game of the season was at Ellsworth as he carried the ball 16 times for 157 yards and a touchdown.
• Freshman Markellus Bass has added a nice complement to Smith this season, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 46.0 yards per game. His 53-yard touchdown rush at Indy helped the Grizzlies break the game open.

GRIZZLY DEFENSE

• Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Seven Cloud and sophomore linebacker Landon Boss lead the Grizzlies with 17.0 total tackles this season.
• Boss has 4.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
•  Cloud has 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The only defensive lineman in the conference with more total tackles than Cloud is Highland's Javen Augustus with 19.0 (one more game played).
• Starting cornerback, redshirt freshman Zayden Laing-Taylor, made a return from injury at Indy after missing the Ellsworth game. The Akron transfer made an impact in his return with five total tackles including four solo tackles and a tackle for loss from his corner position.
• Redshirt sophomore defensive back Craig Royal Jr. has a pass breakup in all three games this season including two PBU's in both the NEO and Independence games.
• Sophomore defensive end Kenton Simmons had a big game at Indy last timeout for Butler. The Lawrence native tallied 5.0 total tackles including 2.0 sacks, 3.0 total TFLs.
• The Butler defense is allowing 137.7 passing yards per game, best in the conference. The 10.7 points per game and 32 points allowed are both second best in the league, only behind Highland.

SPECIAL TEAMS IMPRESSING

• Redshirt sophomore punt/kick returner Da'Realyst Clark scored the first touchdown of the game for Butler vs. Ellsworth on an 85-yard punt return on the first play of the second quarter. Clark's return prowess flashed for a second consecutive week, but this time he broke through for the touchdown after returning the opening kickoff 64 yards at home vs. NEO before being brought down on the NEO 23-yard line.
•  In the win over Indy, Clark had two kickoff returns for a total of 55 yards, a 27.5-yard average with a long of 35. On the season he is averaging 39.7 yards per kick return and 17.4 yards per punt return. Both marks lead the conference, but Clark is not on the conference website's database as he does not meet the criteria of "played in 60% of games and 1.2 attempts per game"
• Sophomore kicker Aidan Battle is now 15-15 on extra points this season (second-best in KJCCC) after going 5-5 at Indy. On the season he is 6-7 from field goal distance (best in KJCCC) with a long of 42.
• The Grizzlies have two blocked kicks this season. Redshirt freshman linebacker Levi Wittenberg blocked a punt vs. NEO that helped the Grizzlies to a field goal. Defensive tackle Seven Cloud blocked a field goal in the win at Indy that defensive back Zeric Avery returned for a 60-yard touchdown.

RECEIVERS FLASHING

• After not recording a catch in Butler's season opening loss, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Daveon Walker has put together two impressive games in wins over Ellsworth and Indy, leading the team in receiving yards in both. At Ellsworth, Walker recorded five catches for 132 yards with a long of 45. He hauled in four balls for 54 yards at Indy.
• Walker's 93.0 receiving yards per game ranks second best in the KJCCC behind only Dariyonne Bryant of Highland (109.3).
• The 132 receiving yards for Walker in the game at Ellsworth marked the first time a Butler pass catcher had over 100 receiving yards since Nov. 5, 2022, when AJ King had 7 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Dodge City.
• The 132 yards for Walker was the most by a Grizzly pass catcher in a game since King went for 158 on 11 receptions in the 2022 loss to Snow.
• Redshirt freshman Jaylin Williams' four touchdown receptions is tied for the league lead with two other players this season. Three of Williams touchdown receptions came in the 66-0 win over Ellsworth. Those three touchdown receptions in a game ties the Butler record with 10+ other Grizzlies.

BIG GAINS

The Grizzlies have had a play go for over 50 yards in all three games this season.

• Da'Realyst Clark 64-yard kickoff return on opening kick vs. NEO
• Vinny Smith 61-yard touchdown run at Ellsworth
• Markellus Bass 53-yard touchdown rush at Indy
• Zeric Avery 60-yard return touchdown off a blocked field goal at Indy