Our side
MoneylineBUT to win
ours 25%
Projected score
36–23
BUT – VAL
2026-09-26 · 2:00 PM
Brown Field · Valparaiso, IN
Conference game
Early season
The books
No book has priced this game. Nothing to compare, and no ticket to build.
Series
Butler lead
13–9
· 22 meetings since 1933
2025 unit ranks —
last completed season, from games actually played
Run game
edge Butler Bulldogs
48 ranks
Butler Bulldogs #139 rush offense
Valparaiso Beacons #187 run defense
Pass game
edge Butler Bulldogs
116 ranks
Butler Bulldogs #113 pass offense
Valparaiso Beacons #229 pass defense
Run game
edge Butler Bulldogs
120 ranks
Valparaiso Beacons #252 rush offense
Butler Bulldogs #132 run defense
Pass game
even
34 ranks apart
Valparaiso Beacons #197 pass offense
Butler Bulldogs #231 pass defense
Butler Bulldogs
Run-heavy · 62% run
Avg pace
Dual-threat QB · 62 rush ypg
Valparaiso Beacons
Run-heavy · 58% run
Ball-control
Ranked by team-unit strength
(rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all 265
D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the
2025 season.
The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above
Who carried each team in 2025
Butler Bulldogs
DL
Okemdi Eze
6 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 1.0 TFL
#316 DL
WR
Nick Munson
5 rec · 73 yds · 2 TD
#234 WR
DB
Steven Stephany
8 tkl · 1 PD · 1 INT
#457 DB
RB
Desmin Jackson
88 rush yds · 2 TD · 1 rec
#209 RB
Valparaiso Beacons
LB
Max Samuel
9 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 2.5 TFL
#125 LB
DB
O.C. Nurse
9 tkl · 1 PD
#696 DB
WR
Chris Gundy
5 rec · 107 yds
#454 WR
DL
Gabriel Batres
4 tkl · 1.0 TFL
#900 DL
Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their
position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no
2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for
these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.
Power breakdown
Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).
Where the number comes from
Butler offense vs Valparaiso defense+9.8 pts
Valparaiso offense vs Butler defense-5.0 pts
An efficiency adjustment from season-to-date EPA and success rate applies once teams have
played enough games; before then it is 0 and the number is the power rating alone.