The Stetson Hatters will open the second, more important, part of their season this Saturday when they host the defending Pioneer Football League champion Butler Bulldogs in the Hatters 2014 PFL opener.

The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on Saturday from Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand. Fans can listen to the game on WSBB AM 1230 in New Smyrna Beach and 1490 in DeLand as well as on WYGM AM 740 “The Game” in Orlando. Video streaming of the game will also be available on Hatter Vision through the official Stetson Athletics web site, www.GoHatters.com.

Tickets for the game are also available through the Stetson Athletics Ticket Office. Single game tickets start at just $15 for general admission. There is also a “Family Four Pack” available for the game this weekend. That deal includes four general admission tickets, four drinks, four hot dogs and four packs of chips for just $59.

On the field, the Hatters (2-2, 0-0 in PFL) will be looking to accomplish some very specific goals when they host Butler (2-2, 0-1). First, the Hatters are looking for their first home victory of the season and, second, the team will be looking to notch a second consecutive victory for the first time since early in the 1952 season, 62 years ago.

“We are anxious to get back on the field,” Hatters coach Roger Hughes said. “Obviously, we are facing a big challenge in Butler this week. They represented us in the playoffs and are a perennial power within our league. We will certainly have our work cut out for us.”

Butler is the one program in the Pioneer Football League that, over the last five seasons, has set the standard for excellence. The Bulldogs have shared three of the last five league titles, posting 7-1 records in conference play in each of those season and, in 2013, they became the first program to represent the PFL in the FCS Championship playoff.

Hughes said the reason for the successes the Bulldogs have enjoyed over the years comes down to coaching.

“The thing I love about watching them is that they are so sound,” Hughes said. “On defense, they are rarely out of their gaps. They don't do a lot of different things, at least they haven't to this point, but they do what they do very well. They do force you to take it in chunks. They are relentless to the ball, they hustle and they are tough kids. They play like I want our team to play. They play hard on every snap, regardless of the situation.”

When the two teams met last year in Indianapolis, the Hatters trailed by just two points, 9-7, at halftime before Butler pulled away in the third quarter to take a 35-15 victory. Hughes said there were three big plays in that game that he can point to that could have easily turned that game in Stetson's favor.

“We dropped a touchdown pass, we should have pitched another one on an option that would have been 14 points, and then we dropped an interception that might have been a pick six,” Hughes said. “That is 21 points right there. We gave up four on the two safeties and we gave up good field position. I think we helped Butler out too much. They are a good team and they took advantage of those opportunities. We have to make sure we don't give them those chances this year.”

While the Bulldogs are a significantly different, and younger, team in 2014, they still carry the confidence that comes from having won the league title so often.

Offensively, Butler relies on a quick, west coast style, passing game to move the ball down the field. The Bulldogs have the perfect trigger man for their attack in Matt Shiltz. The redshirt junior took a circuitous route to the starting quarterback role, spending the 2013 season as a defensive back before taking the reigns this year.

Through four games, Shiltz leads the PFL in average passing yards per game (274.8), passing efficiency (143.8) and total offense (325.0). He has been intercepted just three times and has only been sacked twice. Getting pressure on him to get him out of his comfort zone will be a key for the Hatters this weekend.

“Their quarterback does a great job of getting rid of the ball,” Hughes said. “They are very well coached and they scheme up your blitzes to know where you are coming from so that they can protect it the right way. Their receivers are also where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there.

“We have to get pressure on the quarterback to take pressure off our secondary. We have to make him think enough to make him hold the ball a little longer than he wants. With our technique and disguises, hopefully we can make him a little bit unsure of where the pressure is coming from to give our blitz a chance to get there.”

With the Hatters running a blitz heavy defensive scheme, cornerbacks Chris Atkins and Glenn Adesoji are often left in man-to-man coverage with little, or no, safety help. That will be a major key to success against the Bulldogs, who have three of the top pass-catching threats in the PFL.

Sophomore Brandon Collins, junior Marguese Martin Hayes and senior Derek O'Connor have combined to make 58 catches through four games for 792 yards and four touchdowns.

For the Hatters, offensive success will be dependent on the same things that always determine success – eliminating mistakes in the form of turnovers and penalties and running the ball successfully.

“The run game will be crucial,” Hughes said. “Butler hasn't given up a lot of rushing yards this year. They have a very good run defense because they keep eight guys in the box and while they aren't big, they move people around and they are very quick. They are relentless to the ball and they use their movement to try to confuse you. We have to get our run game going to have a chance to win to keep their offense off the field.”

The Hatters are coming off their most successful day running the ball, with both Cole Mazza and Jerami Singleton having rushed for more than 100 yards in Stetson's 37-19 victory over Birmingham-Southern. That duo, along with P.J. Franklin, will be expected to continue being productive in the run game to help take some of the offensive load off quarterback Ryan Tentler.

“It was nice to see our run game get going up at Birmingham-Southern,” Hughes said. “We had our first 100-yard rusher in that game and it was nice to see our offensive line start to come together and play together. That is a combination that we are going to have to continue to do this year in order to be successful.

“Cole and Jerami are different kinds of runners and I think they make each other better. Hopefully they can keep the defense off balance because of their different styles.”

For Tentler, as well as defensive end Davion Belk and kicker Grant Amick, who hails from Chicago, the game against Butler is a big one because of the many friendships he has with players on the Bulldogs roster. Tentler was actually high school teammates with Butler running back Guy DiBalsamo at Saint Patrick HS in Chicago.

“This is a big game for Ryan because he has a lot of friends on that team,” Hughes said. “I have talked to him about the fact that he does not have to impress his friends, he just needs to impress us. He has to make sure to keep the chains moving. With him having another year of experience, and having already been to Butler to face those guys, that experience will take over.”

Hughes said that some of the problems Tentler has had this year stems from his desire to be perfect on every snap.

“He has to stop thinking and play,” Hughes said. “He studies so much film and studies so many other people that he tries to do things in situations that he doesn't have to do. My analogy is a golf shot where you are two feet off the green and you can chip it or just take the putter out and putt the ball where you need to. Sometimes he tries to do too much and make the great play and not just the good one.”

For Hughes, the game against Butler is important because it will set the tone for the rest of the Pioneer Football League schedule. The Hatters will play games in the PFL for the next eight straight weeks, and getting off to a good start is a key to having a successful season.

“If you lose the game, it doesn't ruin your season but, if you win the game, it could certainly launch you into a better season,” Hughes said. “It comes down to confidence and swagger. If we are fortunate enough to put two wins together, play well against these guys, that bodes well for our confidence. That is very important for a young team because, if they believe they can win, it lends itself to better play down the road. The attitude and belief that you are going to be better can carry you a long way with your work ethic and making plays when the game is on the line.”

Having a loud and enthusiastic home crowd at the game will also make a huge impact on the game Saturday.

“This is Butler's first time here and if we can have a great crowd that is boisterous it will help us. Our kids definitely play at a higher level when the crowd is into it, so my hope is that we will have a bunch of people in the stands and that they will get to see a quality football game.