2017 Valparaiso Crusaders football team

The 2017 Valparaiso Crusaders football team represented Valparaiso University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Dave Cecchini and played their home games at Brown Field. They competed in the Pioneer Football League. They finished the season 6–5, 5–3 in PFL play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. The Crusaders had a winning season for the first time since 2003 and had five league wins for the first time since 1961.^[1][2]

2017 Valparaiso Crusaders football
Conference	Pioneer Football League
Record	6–5 (5–3 PFL)
Head coach	Dave Cecchini (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Jason Miran
Defensive coordinator	Ernest Moore
Home stadium	Brown Field (Capacity: 5,000)
Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

2017 Pioneer Football League standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 23 San Diego $^		8	–	0					10	–	3
Drake		6	–	2					7	–	4
Jacksonville		5	–	3					7	–	4
Campbell		5	–	3					6	–	5
Valparaiso		5	–	3					6	–	5
Butler		4	–	4					6	–	5
Dayton		4	–	4					5	–	6
Marist		3	–	5					4	–	7
Morehead State		3	–	5					4	–	7
Stetson		1	–	7					2	–	9
Davidson		0	–	8					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	2:00 p.m.	at Montana*	Washington–Grizzly Stadium Missoula, MT	ALT/SWX	L 23–45	23,160
September 9	1:04 p.m.	Duquesne*	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	WVUR	L 40–45	2,932
September 16	1:00 p.m.	at Trinity International*	Leslie Frazier Field Deerfield, IL	TIU	W 44–10	300
September 23	1:00 p.m.	at Drake	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	BV	L 13–38	2,956
September 30	1:00 p.m.	Stetson	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	WVUR	W 27–24	4,492
October 7	1:00 p.m.	at Campbell	Barker–Lane Stadium Buies Creek, NC	BSN	L 10–49	5,253
October 14	1:00 p.m.	Marist	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	WVUR	W 49–15	946
October 28	1:04 p.m.	Morehead State	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN3	W 63–32	2,277
November 4	11:05 a.m.	at Jacksonville	D. B. Milne Field Jacksonville, FL	ESPN3	L 20–17	1,738
November 11	12:00 p.m.	at Butler	Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl Indianapolis, IN (Hoosier Helmet Trophy)	Facebook Live	W 36–28	3,661
November 18	1:04 p.m.	Dayton	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	WVUR	W 8–7	1,238
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Eastern time

• Source: Schedule

Game summaries

At Montana

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	6	7	0	10	23
Grizzlies	10	7	7	21	45

See also: 2017 Montana Grizzlies football team

Duquesne

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dukes	14	17	7	7	45
Crusaders	0	21	7	12	40

See also: 2017 Duquesne Dukes football team

At Trinity International

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	14	10	13	7	44
Trojans	7	3	0	0	10

See also: Trinity International University

At Drake

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	6	7	0	0	13
Bulldogs	14	3	14	7	38

See also: 2017 Drake Bulldogs football team

Stetson

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hatters	0	13	3	8	24
Crusaders	10	10	0	7	27

See also: 2017 Stetson Hatters football team

At Campbell

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	7	0	3	0	10
Fighting Camels	28	21	0	0	49

See also: 2017 Campbell Fighting Camels football team

Marist

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Foxes	3	0	6	6	15
Crusaders	7	7	21	14	49

See also: 2017 Marist Red Foxes football team

Morehead State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	6	12	14	32
Crusaders	21	21	14	7	63

See also: 2017 Morehead State Eagles football team

At Jacksonville

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	7	7	0	3	17
Dolphins	3	10	7	0	20

See also: 2017 Jacksonville Dolphins football team

At Butler

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	17	7	6	6	36
Bulldogs	3	14	0	11	28

See also: 2017 Butler Bulldogs football team

Dayton

	1	2	3	4	Total
Flyers	0	0	0	7	7
Crusaders	0	0	0	8	8

See also: 2017 Dayton Flyers football team

References

1. "Crusaders Play Dayton for First Winning Season Since 2003". ValpoAthletics.com. Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
2. "Hollywood Ending: Valpo Clinches First Winning Season Since 2003". ValpoAthletics.com. Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved November 19, 2017.