Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011
DES MOINES--The Drake Bulldogs open the home portion of their 2011 schedule on Saturday, Sept. 10 with a night game at Drake Stadium versus the Grand View Vikings. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. It is the second meeting between the two schools, following the initial matchup in 2009, in which Drake defeated Grand View 22-0.
LINKS: 2011 YEARBOOK STATS (2006-11) ONLINE ROSTER
RADIO/TV: The game will be broadcast on radio in Des Moines on KRNT 1350 AM with Sean Neugent handling the play-by-play. Fans can also listen to the game online via the official Drake Athletics website at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com. A video stream of the game is available with a subscription to True Blue TV, at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com.
DRAKE-GRAND VIEW SERIES: This will be the second meeting all-time between Drake and Grand View. The first matchup came in 2009 when the Bulldogs defeated the Vikings 22-0 at Drake Stadium in a season-opening game on Sept. 5.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Grand View of the NAIA Mid-States Football Association Midwest Division, enters the contest with a record of 1-1. The Vikings won their opener 48-14 at Black Hills State before dropping their home opener this past Saturday to No. 6-ranked Marian, 19-14. Grand View entered the game ranked 25th in the NAIA poll. The Vikings are coached by Mike Woodley, who carries 17-16 record into Saturday's matchup, and was the 2009 MSFA Coach of the Year. Woodley's son Matt is a former Drake basketball player who recently was named head basketball coach at Truman State after serving as head coach at Waukee (Iowa) High School. Matt Woodley was a two-time honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and was the Bulldogs' team MVP his senior season.
ONLINE RESOURCES:
GoDrakeBulldogs.com
Facebook-Drake Athletics | Facebook-Drake Football | Twitter-@DUBulldogs
VIDEO: HC Chris Creighton | DC Brian Ward | QB Mike Piatkowski | WR Drew BlackmonPREGAME TAILGATE: All fans are invited to participate in pregame tailgate activities at Drake Stadium. The tailgate will open in the west lots of the stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday. Activities include the Wellmark 3-Point Play Experience, a U.S. Army rock-climbing wall and a Kids' Zone. Parking on-site is limited, and restrictions exist for charcoal grills and glass containers.
MEDIA PROCEDURES: To arrange interviews with Drake football players and coaches, please contact Assistant A.D./Athletic Communications Paul Kirk in advance (paul.kirk@drake.edu). Availability can be arranged either before or after practices, which generally run from 3:30-5:30 p.m. during a typical game week. Credential requests should also be directed to Kirk.
DRAKE IN HOME OPENERS: Drake is 7-3 in its last 10 home openers, 2-1 under head coach Chris Creighton. The game versus Grand View is the first time Drake has had its home opener in Week 2 since 2007 when it defeated Waldorf 45-14 in a Sept. 8 matchup at Drake Stadium.
GAME 1 HONORS: Drake DE Brandon Coleman wasted no time making an impact in 2011, recording 3.0 sacks of North Dakota QB Joey Bradley on Sept. 1 to earn honorable mention consideration for Defensive Lineman Performer of the Week from the College Football Performance Awards. The total topped his 2010 season output of 2.0 sacks.
HEAD COACH CHRIS CREIGHTON: Drake football enters its fourth season under the direction of head coach Chris Creighton, who has compiled a 21-13 record over his first three-plus years, including victories in 19 of the Bulldogs' last 28 contests.
- Creighton's 21 wins in his first three seasons are the most by a head coach in school history in his first three seasons at the helm. His total is two greater than that of Warren Gaer (1949-51), who compiled a record of 19-6-2 in his first three seasons.
- He ranks No. 20 in career winning percentage (.758) among all head coaches with at least five seasons at four-year colleges, entering this week's game with a record of 116-37 in 14-plus seasons of coaching.
- Creighton was named a 2011 winner of the Giant Steps Award presented by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as part of National Student-Athlete Day on April 6, 2011. Creighton, awarded for the Coaching category, was one of just five 2011 winners of the Giant Steps Award, given annually to individuals who use sport to positively affect social change, actualizing the mission of the NCAS. The awards honor student-athletes, athletic administrators, civic leaders, coaches, parents, organizations, and other individuals who demonstrate an outstanding ability to manage life on and off the field, and who demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of society. The award will be presented to October 2011.
- His Wabash teams won North Coast Athletic Conference titles in four of his seven seasons at the Division III school in Crawfordsville, Ind.
- In four seasons at Ottawa (Kansas) his teams won two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference titles (1997, 2000), its first two since 1972.
- An All-America quarterback at Kenyon (Ohio) College, Creighton led the school to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989 and was named conference player of the year. He was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991 and a master's degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993.
- Creighton was hired Dec. 22, 2007, as the 25th head coach in the history of Drake football.
Chris Creighton's Head Coaching Career:
Drake University 2008-present 21-13 (.618)
Wabash College 2001-07 63-15 (.808)
Ottawa (Kansas) University 1997-2000 32-9 (.780)
Totals 14 seasons 116-37 (.758)
OFFENSIVE NOTES FROM GAME 1:
- QB Mike Piatkowski notched his 11th career game with at least 200 passing yards in Game 1, throwing for 201 at North Dakota.
- Piatkowski completed 70.0 of his passes (21-30), marking his fifth career game with 70% or better accuracy.
- WR Drew Blackmon caught six passes for 67 yards, his third-most catches in a single game. (9 vs. Jacksonville and 8 vs. Campbell, both in 2010).
- RB Nathan Paddock set career highs in the receiving game with six receptions for 70 yards.
- TE Kevin Marshall's three receptions represented a career high.
DEFENSIVE NOTES FROM GAME 1:
- DE Brandon Coleman recorded a career-high 3.0 sacks. He entered the season with two in his career.
- MLB Travis Merritt, in his first career start, tied for the team lead with seven tackles (6 solo).
- SLB Tyler Moorehead led the team with seven solo tackles, including a sack and a forced fumble.
- LB Seth Hedman recorded the first two sacks of his career.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES FROM GAME 1:
- PR/CB Cody Seeger filled in nicely for injured PR Michael Lahart (knee), PFL leader in PR avg. last two years. Davis returned one punt for 13 yds.
NUMBERS TO WATCH:
4,194-career passing yards for Mike Piatkowski; ranks 6th all-time. Next in sight (171 yards away) is current Drake wide receivers coach Jeff Martin (4,365 from 1973-76) in 5th place. Record is 7,868 by Ira Vandever (7,868 from 1999-2002).
61.0%- career completion percentage for Piatkowski (385-631); best in school history. His 62.8% mark in 2009 (203-323) is the best single-season figure ever by a Bulldog.
35-consecutive made PAT attempts for Billy Janssen entering season. Janssen was 35-35 last year, four short of the record of 39-39 by Henrik Mike-Mayer in 1980.
39-number of rushing yards needed by Pat Cashmore (961) to reach 1,000 for his career.
16-number of receptions needed by Drew Blackmon (84) to amass 100 career catches.
LEADERSHIP FROM THE CAPTAINS: Drake's players voted during the summer to select on team captain for the entire season and chose fifth-year senior cornerback/return specialist Michael Lahart to serve in that role. For the opening game at North Dakota (9/1/11), fifth-year senior kicker Billy Janssen joined Lahart as a game captain.
DEPTH AND EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHT 2011 ROSTER: The Bulldogs return 17 starters from the 2010 squad that finished 7-4 (6-2, 3rd place PFL). In all, 38 lettermen return, and are joined by an incoming freshman class of 38 student-athletes.
BULLDOGS AMONG THE BEST: Drake ranks 20th in overall victories (563) among the 123 schools that make up the Division I Football Championships Subdivision (FCS). The game versus Grand View will be the 1,077th in school history, dating back to the initial campaign in 1893. The Bulldogs' all-time record is 563-484-29 (.537).
PRESEASON HONORS: Six Bulldogs have earned preseason All-PFL projections from Phil Steele's College Football Preview and three have been recognized by the College Football Performance Awards as 2011 "Players to Watch."
PHIL STEELE'S PRESEASON ALL-PFL
1st Team:
T Evan Lawrence (Moline, Ill./Moline)
LB Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa/Newman Catholic)
2nd Team:
WR Drew Blackmon (Florissant, Mo./St. Louis University High)
G Stephen Flynn (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf)
DL John Sawhill (Jefferson, Iowa/Jefferson-Scranton)
CB/RS Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa/Chariton)
CFPA "PLAYERS TO WATCH"
K Billy Janssen, CB/RS Michael Lahart, QB Mike Piatkowski
"TUPANDE KILELENI": The theme for the 2011 season is "Tupande Kileleni," a Swahili term that means "Let's climb to the summit." The analogy is borrowed from the team's May 2011 trip to Africa to play in the inaugural Kilimanjaro Bowl, but also applies to the long journey of a college football season. "It's really the theme for the entire 2011 year," said head coach Chris Creighton said. "There is so much to do before the season before you can climb. We are using the analogy of having done that climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in May and relating that to the season. We have come up with six "climbing realities" that have to be embraced before we can climb to the summit. Climbing takes Preparation; Sacrifice; teamwork; going one step at a time; a competitive spirit not to be denied and overcoming adversity. That's our trail map to the season. We know if we're taking care of those six areas, we can get to the summit of the mountain."
THE ROSTER BREAKDOWN-BY THE NUMBERS: A group of nine fifth-year seniors provides the leadership for this year's team, along with four more "graduating seniors" playing their final seasons as Bulldogs. Those 13 are joined by 14 seniors who have redshirted, 19 juniors, 23 sophomores and 38 freshmen.
PFL COACHES VOTE DRAKE THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL: Just as they finished a year ago, the Bulldogs have been picked to finish third in the Pioneer Football League in 2011, according to preseason voting by the league's coaches. The poll, issued Aug. 8, tabs 2010 co-champions Jacksonville and Dayton as the champion and runner-up, respectively. Jacksonville received eight of 10 possible first-place votes and 80 of a possible 81 points as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Dayton was picked second with 69 points and one first-place vote. The Dolphins and Flyers each finished 2010 with unblemished 8-0 marks but did not face each other during the regular season. However, the two teams will meet in 2011 - an Oct. 8 contest in Jacksonville will be their first meeting since 2008. Drake was picked to finish third with 61 points and nabbed the remaining first-place vote. San Diego was picked to finish fourth with 59 points and Butler rounded out the top half of the preseason poll with 47 points for fifth place. The second half of the poll has Morehead State (38 points), Campbell (33), Marist (31), Davidson (23) and Valparaiso (nine).
NORTH DAKOTA WAS 33RD STATE TO HOST DRAKE BULLDOGS: The 2011 season-opener at North Dakota marked the first time Drake played a game in the state of North Dakota. It made that state the 33rd to play host to a Drake road game in 118 years of football, joining Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, N. Mexico, New York, N. Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn., S. Dakota, Tenn., Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED:
Last time Drake played an overtime game -Valparaiso 51, Drake 45 (one overtime), Oct. 25, 2003, Valparaiso, Ind.
Last shutout by Drake - 19-0 vs. Missouri S&T, Oct. 10, 2009
Last shutout by Drake at home - 19-0 vs. Missouri S&T, Oct. 10, 2009
Last time Drake shut out - 16-0 at North Dakota, Sept. 1, 2011
Last time Drake shut out at home - 37-0 by San Diego, Oct. 21, 2006
Last Drake kickoff return for touchdown - 90 yards, Augustine Agyei vs. Waldorf, Sept. 8, 2007
Last Drake punt return for a touchdown - 49 yards, Mike Lahart vs. Marist, Oct. 2, 2010
Last time Drake blocked a punt for a touchdown - 39 yards, Clint Martindale vs. San Diego, Sept. 30, 2000
Last time Drake blocked a punt for a safety - Mike Bialas vs. Butler, Oct. 6, 2007
Last Drake pass interception for a touchdown - 95 yards, Ben Morrison vs. San Diego, Oct. 30, 2010
Last Drake fumble return for a touchdown - 22 yards, Mike Piatkowski vs. Davidson, Oct. 23, 2010
Last Drake player to rush for 100 yards - 112 (15 carries) Pat Cashmore vs. San Diego, Oct. 30, 2010
Two Drake players 100+ rush yards same game - 101 yards (19 carries), Willie Cashmore; 216 yards in (27 carries), Scott Phaydavong vs. Jacksonville, Nov. 10, 2006
Last Drake player to pass for more than 300 yards - 389 yards, Connor Jostes at Valparaiso, Oct. 25, 2003
Last Drake player to rush for three touchdowns - 3, Scott Phaydavong vs. Valparaiso Sept. 29, 2007
Last Drake player to catch three touchdowns - 3, Jason Jones vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 4, 2003
Last Drake player to pass for four touchdowns - 5, Connor Jostes vs. Upper Iowa, Nov. 6, 2004
Last Drake player to score three touchdowns - 3, Scott Phaydavong vs. Valparaiso, Sept. 29, 2007
Last Drake player to make four field goals - 4, Brandon Wubs vs. Missouri S&T, Oct. 10, 2009
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