2024 Valparaiso Beacons football team

2024 Valparaiso Beacons football
2024 Valparaiso Beacons football
Conference	Pioneer Football League
Record	4–7 (2–5 PFL)
Head coach	Landon Fox (6th season);
Offensive coordinator	Matthew Symmes (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	David Marquis (1st season)
Home stadium	Brown Field
	Seasons ← 2023 2025 →

2024 Pioneer Football League standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Drake $^	7	–	1	8	–	3
San Diego	6	–	2	8	–	3
Butler	5	–	3	9	–	3
Morehead State	5	–	3	7	–	5
St. Thomas (MN)*	5	–	3	6	–	6
Dayton	4	–	4	6	–	5
Davidson	4	–	4	6	–	5
Presbyterian	4	–	4	6	–	6
Valparaiso	2	–	5	4	–	7
Marist	1	–	7	1	–	10
Stetson	0	–	7	2	–	9

$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant * – St. Thomas (MN) ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division III Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2024 Valparaiso Beacons football team represented Valparaiso University as a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Beacons were led by sixth-year head coach Landon Fox and played home games at Brown Field in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	4:00 p.m.	at Northern Iowa*	UNI-Dome Cedar Falls, IA	ESPN+	L 7–35	8,458
September 7	1:00 p.m.	at No. 25 Youngstown State*	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	ESPN+	L 25–59	7,649
September 14	6:30 p.m.	Indiana Wesleyan*	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN+	W 20–17	2,780
September 21	1:00 p.m.	Roosevelt (IL)*	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN+	W 31–23 ^2OT	1,378
September 28	12:00 p.m.	at Morehead State	Jayne Stadium Morehead, KY	ESPN+	L 5–17	2,552
October 5	12:00 p.m.	Drake	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN+	L 3–27	2,577
~~October 12~~	~~1:00 p.m.~~	~~Stetson~~	~~Spec Martin Stadium~~ ~~DeLand, FL~~	~~ESPN+~~	Cancelled^[a].
October 19	1:00 p.m.	St. Thomas (MN)	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN+	L 14–42	1,461
October 26	11:00 a.m.	at Marist	Leonidoff Field Poughkeepsie, NY	ESPN+	W 17–14	1,547
November 9	1:00 p.m.	Butler	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN (rivalry)	ESPN+	L 17–24	1,783
November 16	11:00 a.m.	at Dayton	Welcome Stadium Dayton, OH	Facebook Live	L 14–26	2,921
November 23	1:00 p.m.	Davidson	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN+	W 18–17	1,058
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^ This game was cancelled in anticipation of Hurricane Milton

^[1]^[2]

Game summaries

at Northern Iowa

Game One – Valparaiso Beacons (0–0) vs Northern Iowa Panthers (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Beacons	0	7	0	0	7
Panthers	14	14	7	0	35

at UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA

Date: Saturday August 31, 2024
Game time: 4:00 PM CDT
Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) (indoor)
Game attendance: 8,458
Referee: David Hergert
TV: ESPN+

Game information

First quarter

(10:04) UNI – Layne Pryor 21-yard pass from Aidan Dunne, Caden Palmer kick (Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:48; Northern Iowa 7–0)
(2:48) UNI – Amauri Pesek-Hickson 20-yard pass from Aidan Dunne, Caden Palmer kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:05; Northern Iowa 14–0)

Second quarter

(14:06) UNI – Tye Edwards 54-yard run, Caden Palmer kick (Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:13; Northern Iowa 21–0)
(11:12) VAL – Mike Mansaray 1-yard run, Ryan Hawk kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:54; Northern Iowa 21–7)
(3:28) UNI – Tye Edwards 12-yard run, Caden Palmer kick (Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:02; Northern Iowa 28–7)

Third quarter

(10:35) UNI – Sergio Morancy 5-yard pass from Aidan Dunne, Caden Palmer kick (Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:59; Northern Iowa 35–7)

Fourth quarter

No scoring

Statistics	VAL	UNI
First downs	5	29
Total yards	137	481
Rushing yards	29	365
Passing yards	108	116
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	8-19-0	12-17-0
Time of possession	18:13	41:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valparaiso	Passing	Rowan Keefe	6/16, 101 yards
	Rushing	Caron Tyler	2 carries, 17 yards
	Receiving	Mike Mansaray	3 receptions, 79 yards
Northern Iowa	Passing	Aidan Dunne	12/17, 116 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Tye Edwards	15 carries, 177 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Layne Pryor	3 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD

at No. 25 Youngstown State

Game Two – Valparaiso Beacons (0–1) vs No. 25 Youngstown State Penguins (0–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Beacons	0	22	3	0	25
No. 25 Penguins	21	14	7	17	59

at Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH

Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
Game time: 2:00 PM EDT
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	VAL	YSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Youngstown State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA)

Game Three – Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats (NAIA) (1–0) vs Valparaiso Beacons (0–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats (NAIA)	0	7	7	3	17
Beacons	7	10	0	3	20

at Brown Field • Valparaiso, IN

Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
Game time: 6:30 PM CDT
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	INWS	VAL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Indiana Wesleyan	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Roosevelt (IL) (DII)

Game Four – Roosevelt Lakers (DII) (0–0) vs Valparaiso Beacons (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lakers (DII)	0	0	0	0	0
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0

at Brown Field • Valparaiso, IN

Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	ROOSE	VAL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Roosevelt (IL)	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Morehead State

Game Five – Valparaiso Beacons (2–2) at Morehead State Eagles (2–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0
Eagles	0	0	0	0	0

at Jayne Stadium, Morehead, KY

Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	VAL	MORE
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Morehead State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Drake

Game Six – Drake Bulldogs (2–1) at Valparaiso Beacons (3–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	10	3	0	14	27
Beacons	0	0	3	0	3

at Brown Field • Valparaiso, IN

Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Game time: 12:00 PM CDT
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 2,577
Referee: John Shay
TV announcers (ESPN+): Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Tom Byrne (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

10:31 Drake – Joe Frommelt recovered fumble in end zone (Shane Dunning kick) (Drake 7–0)
6:11 Drake – Mitchell January 5-yard pass from Blake Ellingson (Shane Dunning kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:09; Drake 14–0)

Second quarter

14:03 Drake – Shane Dunning 38-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:24; Drake 17–0)

Third quarter

2:24 Valpo – Ryan Hawk 22-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 3:48; Drake 17–3)

Fourth quarter

11:22 Drake – Shane Dunning 45-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 5:28; Drake 20–3)
6:02 Drake – Dairon Cherwin 21-yard run (Shane Dunning kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:23; Drake 27–3)

Statistics	DRKE	VAL
First downs	17	10
Total yards	390	80
Rushing yards	128	–4
Passing yards	228	84
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	19–29–1	11–22–1
Time of possession	31:42	28:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Drake	Passing	Luke Bailey	17/26, 224 yards, INT
	Rushing	Davion Cherwin	10 carries, 72 yards, TD
	Receiving	Sam Rodriguez	3 receptions, 65 yards
Valparaiso	Passing	Caron Tyler	11/21, 84 yards, INT
	Rushing	Ryan Mann	12 carries, 25 yards
	Receiving	Gary Givens III	2 receptions, 23 yards

at Stetson

Game Seven – Valparaiso Beacons (2–4) at Stetson Hatters (2–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0
Hatters	0	0	0	0	0

at Spec Martin Stadium, DeLand, FL

Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	VAL	STET
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stetson	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

St. Thomas (MN)

Game Eight – St. Thomas Tommies (3–3) vs Valparaiso Beacons (2–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tommies	0	0	0	0	0
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0

at Brown Field, Valparaiso, IN

Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	STMN	VAL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
St. Thomas (MN)	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Marist

Game Nine – Valparaiso Beacons (2–5) vs Marist Red Foxes (0–7) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0
Red Foxes	0	0	0	0	0

at Leonidoff Field, Poughkeepsie, NY

Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
Game time: 12:00 PM EDT
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	VAL	MRST
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Marist	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Butler (Hoosier Helmet Trophy)

Game Ten – Butler Bulldogs (7–2) at Valparaiso Beacons (3–5) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	7	10	0	7	24
Beacons	0	10	0	7	17

at Brown Field • Valparaiso, IN

Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 53 °F (12 °C) • Wind: SE at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
Game attendance: 1,783
Referee: Chris Rick
TV: ESPN+

Game information

First quarter

(3:02) BUT – Nick Howard 1-yard run, Ryan Short kick (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:20; Butler 7–0)

Second quarter

(14:07) BUT – Ryan Short 41-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 1:43; Butler 10–0)
(7:12) VAL – Gary Givens III 33-yard pass from Caron Tyler, Ryan Hawk kick (Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 2:15; Butler 10–7)
(3:09) BUT – Reagan Andrew 1-yard run, Ryan Short kick (Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:57; Butler 17–7)
(0:07) VAL – Ryan Hawk 27-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 2:53; Butler 17–10)

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

(12:19) BUT – Joey Suchy 36-yard run, Ryan Short kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:17; Butler 24–10)
(7:19) VAL – Michael Mansaray 5-yard run, Ryan Hawk kick (Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:56; Butler 24–17)

Statistics	BUT	VAL
First downs	17	12
Total yards	384	263
Rushing yards	145	105
Passing yards	239	158
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16–23–0	8–17–0
Time of possession	32:01	27:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Butler	Passing	Reagan Andrew	15/22, 232 yards
	Rushing	Nick Howard	13 carries, 50 yards, TD
	Receiving	Luke Wooten	8 receptions, 138 yards
Valparaiso	Passing	Caron Tyler	8/16, 158 yards, TD
	Rushing	Michael Mansaray	23 carries, 82 yards, TD
	Receiving	Gary Givens III	3 receptions, 93 yards, TD

at Dayton

Game Eleven – Valparaiso Beacons (3–6) vs Dayton Flyers (5–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0
Flyers	0	0	0	0	0

at Welcome Stadium, Dayton, OH

Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
Game time: 12:00 PM EST
TV: Facebook Live

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	VAL	DAY
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Dayton	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Davidson

Game Twelve – Davidson Wildcats (6–4) at Valparaiso Beacons (3–7) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0
Beacons	0	0	0	0	0

at Brown Field • Valparaiso, IN

Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy with a few showers
Game attendance: 1,058
Referee: David Hergert
TV announcers (ESPN+): Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Tom Byrne (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	DAV	VAL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Davidson	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valparaiso	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

^ "2024 Valparaiso Football Schedule". fbschedules.com. FBSchedules. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
^ "2024-25 Schedule". valpoathletics.com. Valparaiso Beacons. Retrieved May 31, 2024.

[1] This game was cancelled in anticipation of Hurricane Milton

[2] "2024 Valparaiso Football Schedule". fbschedules.com. FBSchedules. Retrieved May 31, 2024.

[3] "2024-25 Schedule". valpoathletics.com. Valparaiso Beacons. Retrieved May 31, 2024.

[a]

[1]

[2]

v t e Valparaiso Beacons football
Venues	Brown Field (1919–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Butler: Hoosier Helmet Trophy
Culture & lore	The Crusader
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024