DRAKE RADIO: Saturday's game with Jacksonville will be broadcast on KRNT Radio (1350 AM) with Scott Pierce handling the play by play. Fans can also listen to the game at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com

DRAKE QUARTERBACK CLUB: The Drake Quarterback Club luncheons, featuring Drake head football coach Chris Creighton, will be held  Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 at All-Play in downtown Des Moines, starting at 11:30 a.m. The public is invited.

GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake, coming off a challenging 5,586-mile coast-to-coast trip in consecutive weekends with victories at San Diego and Davidson, seeks to maintain a share of first place in the Pioneer Football League when the Bulldogs open a three-game homestand this Saturday.
   
But the task won't be easy as Drake faces defending league champion Jacksonville, which is riding a two-game winning streak.
   
Drake rallied to post its fourth straight victory with a 21-16 win at Davidson last Saturday. Drake earned a 21-14 victory at preseason league favorite San Diego Oct. 17.

The victory at Davidson guaranteed Drake of its sixth straight winning season dating back to 2004.

FAST START: This marks the second time in the last four seasons that Drake has opened the season with a 6-1 record. Drake got off to a 6-1 start under head coach Rob Ash in 2006.

STREAKS: Drake's four-game winning streak is the longest under Coach Creighton's two-year tenure at Drake. The Bulldogs won three straight games - all at home - last year against Campbell (45-0), Davidson (20-17) and Morehead State (19-15).
   
This also marks the sixth straight season, dating back to 2004, in which Drake has won at least three straight games.
   
Drake's current five-game Pioneer Football League winning streak is the longest at the school since the Bulldogs won their last three league games of the 2006 campaign and their first two to start the 2007 PFL season.
   
Finally, Drake's three-game PFL road winning streak is the longest at the school since the 2006 Bulldogs won four consecutive league road games at Valparaiso (21-7), Butler (29-0), Dayton (35-15) and Jacksonville (47-28). If one carries over other seasons the PFL road winning streak covered five games including the 2005 PFL finale at Valparaiso (49-24).

AMONG LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (554) among the 123 schools which play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
   
The game against Jacksonville will be the 1,061st game in school history with Drake owning a record of 554-477-29 for a winning percentage of .535.

PRESEASON PFL POLL: Drake was picked to finish sixth in the Pioneer Football League preseason coaches poll, receiving 40 points. Drake won four of its final five games in 2008 to finish fifth in the league standings with a 4-4 mark.
   
For the fourth consecutive season, San Diego was tabbed as the favorite in the PFL Preseason Coaches’ Poll, receiving five of 10 possible first-place votes. Only six points separate the Toreros from Dayton and Jacksonville who were picked to finish tied for second. Dayton picked up three first place votes and 71 points, while 2008 PFL Champion Jacksonville received the other two first place votes and also finished with 71 points.
   
Following Jacksonville and Dayton were Morehead State (51) and Butler (42) to round out the league’s top five. Drake (40) was sixth, followed by Davidson (37), Marist (32), Valparaiso (20) and Campbell (nine).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:  Jacksonville piled up 402 yards of total offense, including 240 on the ground, to earn its first-ever victory at San Diego, 34-16, last Saturday. Junior Rudell Small led the running attack with 151 yards, his third 100-yard effort in the last four games. Sophomore Josh McGregor threw three touchdowns, including 28 and eight-yard scoring strikes to Josh Philpart.
   
Small is Jacksonville's career rushing leader with 3,055 yards and leads the Pioneer Football League in rushing this season with 676 yards, including 96.6 yards per game. McGregor, who owns the school record for career touchdown passes (44), has thrown for 1,688 yards this fall including 20 touchdowns while leading the PFL in passing efficiency with 155.85 rating points. Philpart has caught a team-high 34 passes for 678 yards, including eight touchdowns.
   
Jacksonville leads the nation in quarterback sacks, averaging 4.29 per game. Junior end Shaun Lewis has six quarterback sacks, tying a school record with three sacks in a 39-0 home victory against Morehead State.
   
Kerwin Bell, a former standout quarterback at the University of Florida, owns a 16-15 record in three years as head coach at Jacksonville. He was named the second head coach in the 10-year history of the Jacksonville football program, on Jan. 2, 2007. He started the football program at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Fla., from scratch and built it into a state power, posting a 45-15 record with a 2005 Class 2B state title as well as 2006 Class 2B state runner-up.
   
After coming to Florida as a walk-on in 1983, Bell went on to rewrite the school's passing records en route to being a Heisman Trophy candidate in 1987. He was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1984. He led the SEC in passing in 1984 and 1985. At the time, he set Florida career records for passing yardage (7,585) and touchdown passes (56).

THE SERIES: Drake owns a 7-1 record against Jacksonville in the series which started in 1999. The Bulldogs have won the three previous games played in Des Moines:  42-0, 2000; 40-3, 2004; and 42-14 in 2007.
   
The last time the schools played in Des Moines senior Scott Phaydavong rushed for a season-high 208 yards as Drake earned a 42-14 victory Oct. 27, 2007.
   
Phaydavong, enjoying his 37th career 100-yard plus rushing game, scored on touchdown runs of two and 61 yards, to fuel a school-record 29-point third quarter barrage by Drake. It marked the sixth time that Phaydavong had rushed for more than 200 yards in a game. He gained 216 yards rushing in a 47-28 victory at Jacksonville in 2006.
   
The Bulldog defense forced Jacksonville into five turnovers with freshman reserve defensive back Tim Harvey collecting two interceptions.
   
Drake pulled within 14-6 at halftime following second-quarter field goals of 20 and 32 yards by junior Logan Rees. The Bulldogs scored on their first possession of the second half, marching 63 yards in eight plays, climaxed by Phaydavong's two-yard scoring plunge to pull within 14-13 with 10:54 left in the third period.
   
Drake took its first lead of the game as Phaydavong scored on a 61-yard sprint, zig-zagging his way past a host of Jacksonville defenders. Cole Ingle threw a two-point conversion pass to Willie Cashmore to give Drake a 21-14 lead with 4:24 left in the third quarter.
   
Drake scored less than three minutes later after senior cornerback Poul Collins recovered a Jacksonville fumble at the 18 yardline. Three plays later, Ingle hooked up with senior Travis Hardgraves on an 18-yard touchdown pass to increase Drake's lead to 28-14 with 1:22 remaining in the period.

LAST YEAR: Jacksonville 41, Drake 7 (Nov. 155, 2008, Jacksonville, Fla.) -  Jacksonville broke open a close game with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to post its school-record sixth straight Pioneer Football League victory.
   
The game was a tale of two halves. Drake was able to run effectively in the first half to control the line of scrimmage, piling up 173 yards total offense, while holding Jacksonville to just 105 yards total offense - its lowest first half total of the season.
   
Drake had 22 minutes 42 seconds in time of possession compared to just 7:18 by Jacksonville. The Bulldogs also forced Jacksonville into three turnovers in the first half but couldn't cash in on the opportunities to trail 14-9.
   
Jacksonville scored two touchdowns in an 11-second span early in the fourth quarter to push its lead to 28-9, forcing Drake to abandon its game plan.After a two-yard touchdown run by sophomore Rudell Small gave the Dolphins a 21-9 lead with 12:36 left, Drake freshman Patrick Oliver fumbled the ensuing kickoff in the end zone with Jacksonville's Andy Sainvil recovering to push the advantage to 28-9.
   
Drake scored on its first possession of the game when senior Logan Rees kicked a 32-yard field goal with 9:12 left in the first period to cap a 13-play, 72-yard scoring drive. Trailing 7-3, Drake drove down to the Jacksonville 31 yardline early in the second quarter before Rees had a 48-yard field goal attempt go wide right.
   
But Drake got the ball back two plays later when defensive end Sean Kitts (Leawood, Kan.) recovered a fumble on the Jacksonville 16 yardline. The Bulldogs were able to muster eight yards before settling for a 25-yard field goal attempt by Rees which was blocked by Jacksonville's Oscar Johnson.
   
A 69-yard kickoff return by Oliver enabled Drake to cut into a 14-3 deficit. It took the Bulldogs just three plays to score following the return, highlighted by a 12-yard touchdown run by junior Steve Platek with 48 seconds left.
   
Safety Andy Green led Drake with seven tackles, while recording his fifth pass interception of the season in the second quarter. It also was the 16th pass theft of his career.
   
Sophomore Patrick Cashmore led Drake with 65 yards rushing in 13 carries, while Oliver netted 29 yards on the ground in nine attempts. Platek finished with a game-high five receptions for 43 yards.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: Drake has accumulated a record of 65-15-1 at Drake Stadium dating back to 1994. The Bulldogs have won 14 of their last 18  Pioneer Football League home games, including the last four in a row against Campbell, Davidson, Morehead State and Valparaiso.

TEAM LEADERS: After seven games, redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Piatkowski (Wheaton, Ill.) leads Drake in passing with 1,472 yards, completing 133 of 207 passes for 64.3 percent, including seven touchdowns.
   
He is well on his way for passing for the most yards by a Drake quarterback in a season since Connor Jostes threw for 2,196 yards in 2004. Piatkowski's current total is the most yards in a season by a Drake quarterback since Jostes passed for 1,580 yards in 2005.
   
Senior J-Back Steve  Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) has caught a team-high 33 passes for 423 yards, including two touchdowns. Sophomore Drew Blackmon (Florissant, Mo.) and fifth-year senior Spencer Cady (Fort Dodge Iowa) have 20 receptions apiece including one touchdown.
   
Junior Tom Kostek (West Des Moines, Iowa) paces a balanced running attack with 259 yards in 55 carries (4.7 avg.), while freshman Trey Morse (Elmo, Texas) has 163 yards in 59 carries.
   
Brandon Wubs leads Drake in scoring with 52 points, making 11 of 13 field goals.
   
Fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt (Littleton, Colo.) leads the Drake defense with 54 tackles, including 30 solos, one quarterback sack and one interception. Senior linebacker Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) follows with 51 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for 23 yards in losses. Senior safety Skye Buckner Petty (Florissant, Mo.) has 42 tackles, including 21 solo along with a pass interception.
   
Senior end Dain Taylor (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) leads the team with 12.5 tackles for 60 yards in losses and seven quarterback sacks for 49 yards in losses. Senior linebacker Josh Walkup (Littleton, Colo.) has four quarterback sacks totaling 24 yards in losses.

RED ZONE EXPRESS: Drake has converted on 25 of 30 (.830) red-zone opportunities once it has crossed inside the opponents' 20 yardline. The Bulldogs have turned 15 of those opportunities into touchdowns, while also converting 10 into field goals.

KICKING AWAY TO SCHOOL RECORD: Fifth-year senior Brandon Wubs set a Drake school record for career punting yardage at Davidson. Wubs punted six times for 197 yards to push his total to 8,234 yards punting, suprassing the previous school mark of 8,108 yards by Ryan Horvath from 2002-05.
   
In his first year handling the placekicking chores, Wubs also has made 11 field goals - approaching the mark of 14 field goals made by Logan Rees last year - with the season less than halfway over.

3RD QUARTER FLURRY KEYS WIN: Drake scored two touchdowns in a three-minute span midway through the third quarter to earn a come-from-behind 21-16 Pioneer Football League victory at Davidson last Saturday.
   
First-team All-Pioneer Football League performer Steve Platek, running out of the Wildcat offense, scored two touchdowns for Drake while accounting for 139 yards in all-purpose running. The Bulldogs had grabbed a 7-0 lead on a nine-yard touchdown burst up the middle by Platek with 3:24 left in the first quarter to cap a four-play, 77-yard drive. Freshman redshirt quarterback Michael Piatkowski teamed up with Platek on a 64-yard pass on the first play of the touchdown march.
   
Trailing 10-7, Platek gave Drake the lead for good when he took the snap from center on a first-down play and rambled along the left sideline for a 63-yard scoring gallop with 7:58 left in the third quarter.
   
 Piatkowksi completed 17 of 26 passes for 220 yards. Sophomore Drew Blackmon and freshman Joey Orlando (Park Ridge, Ill.) caught five passes apiece for Drake. Platek finished with 75 yards rushing in five carries, while junior Tom Kostek added 39 yards on the ground in 10 carries.

MORRISON KEYS SPECIAL TEAMS, DEFENSE: The Bulldogs relied on special teams plays to preserve a 20-17 home victory against Davidson last year when nose guard David Witkiewicz (Hales Corner, Wis.) blocked a 28-yard field goal by Davidson on the last play of the game.
   
Drake used a similar script in the second half to improve its record to 6-1 overall when senior linebacker Ben Morrison blocked a 42-yard field goal by Davidson's Ben Behrendt with 4:59 left in the third quarter. Drake teammate Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa) scooped up the loose football, rambling 58 yards to give the Bulldogs a 21-10 advantage with 4:53 left.
   
Morrison thwarted Davidson's opening drive of the game with an interception at the Drake 31 yardline.  He finished the game with seven tackles.
   
Senior linebacker Cale Hunt  led Drake with 10 tackles, while senior end Dain Taylor had eight tackles, including a six-yard quarterback sack and 1.5 tackles for nine yards in losses. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa) also had eight tackles, including three for seven yards in losses.

WUBS HONORED AGAIN: For the second consecutive week fifth-year senior Brandon Wubs (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) was named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week  for his effort in the 21-14 victory at San Diego. Wubs punted eight times for a 41.0 average, including a 56-yard punt. He had three punts downed insider the 20-yardline.
   
Wubs was honored Oct. 11 after making four field goals from 36, 33, 45 (career best) and 29 yards in a 19-0 victory past Missouri S&T. He also punted three times, averaging 35.3 yards including a long of 46 yards. Wubs also was recognized by the PFL in Drake's season opener against Grand View Sept. 5.

RUSHING ATTACK POWERS WIN: Senior Steve Platek scored two touchdowns, including a game-winning pass with 4 minutes 23 seconds left, as Drake rallied for a 21-14 victory at preseason Pioneer Football League favorite San Diego Oct. 17. Drake junior Patrick Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo.) playing in his first game of the season, rushed for a career-high 127 yards, while catching a 20-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
   
The Bulldogs snapped a four-game losing streak to the Toreros, while earning their first victory in San Diego since 2004.
   
The Bulldogs netted a season-high 179 yards rushing with junior reserve Tom Kostek adding a career-high 69 yards on the ground in nine carries. Kostek gained 58 yards in the last 9:31 of the game on just five carries, while igniting the game winning touchdown drive. On Drake's first play from scrimmage with 5:21 left in the game, Kostek broke free for a 36-yard gallop down to the San Diego 17.
Two plays later freshman redshirt quarterback Mike Piatkowski rifled a 20-yard scoring strike to Platek on the left sideline which proved to be the difference in the game.
   
Kostek also kept San Diego's offense from getting another possession late in the game with consecutive runs of 12 and 11 yards in the waning minutes.
   
A one-yard touchdown burst by Platek with 6:32 left in the first quarter capped a time consuming 14-play, 63-yard scoring drive that allowed Drake to tie the score at 7-7.Platek finished with four receptions for 57 yards, while freshman Mike Bilton (Lincolnshire, Ill.) caught three passes for 16 yards. 

GETTING DEFENSIVE: San Diego, which entered the game at San Diego ranked second in the PFL in rushing offense with a 157.2 yard average, was held to a season-low 19 yards on the ground in 16 carries against Drake.
   
Senior linebacker Ben Morrison and strong safety Skye Buckner-Petty led Drake with nine tackles apiece. San Diego scored on its first possession of the first half as well as the second half but was nullified the remainder of the game.

HE'S B-A-A-A-C-K!: Junior Patrick Cashmore, who had missed the first five games of the season while recovering from mononucleosis, became the first Drake player to rush for more than 100 yards this season.
   
Cashmore gained 92 yards in just 13 carries in the first half, while catching a 20-yard touchdown pass from Mike Piatkowski with 8:36 left in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 second quarter lead.

TEAM EFFORT SPURS HOMECOMING WIN: Fifth-year senior Brandon Wubs kicked four field goals and redshirt freshman Michael Piatkowski passed for a careeiatkowski opened the game by completing 11 of his first 12 passes for 122 yards, but Drake only owned a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter. The 340 yards passing by Piatkowski were the most by a Drake quarterback in a game since Connor Jostes passed for 389 yards at Valparaiso Oct. 25, 2003.
   
Senior J-back Steve Platek caught seven passes for 118 yards, while fifth-year senior Travis Bogaard (Pella, Iowa) caught a career-high five passes for 102 yards. Platek scored Drake's lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge with 1:17 left in the first half to cap a six-play, 49-yard drive. Piatkowski opened the scoring drive by completing passes of 22 and 15 yards to Bogaard and Platek, respectively.
   
The Bulldogs lost fumbles on two of their first three possessions which ended drives. Drake took the opening kickoff, marching to the Missouri S&T four yardline before freshman running back Trey Morse coughed up the football.
   
The Bulldogs marched down to the Miners' 18 yardline on their next series before having to rely on a 36-yard field goal by Wubs with 6:31 left in the first quarter. Wubs added a 33-yard field goal on the last play of the first half and then connected on a career-long 45 yard field goal with 10:52 remaining in the third quarter. He closed out Drake's scoring with a 29-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. Morse and junior Tom Kostek led Drake's rushing attack with 36 yards apiece.

DEFENSE PITCHES SHUTOUT: Drake's defense posted its fifth shutout since the third game of the 2008 campaign. Drake held Missouri S&T to just 120 yards total offense including 55 on the ground in 31 attempts. The Miners crossed midfield on just two of their 14 possessions. Senior linebacker Ben Morrison led Drake with seven tackles, including two tackles for three yards in losses, while also forcing a fumble. Linebacker Cale Hunt and senior Sean Kitts, making his first start at nose guard, added six tackles apiece.

DEFENSE DELIVERS: Drake limited Valparaiso to just 89 yards rushing in 27 carries, while defensive backs Skye Buckner-Petty and Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa) had interceptions. Drake's defense forced Valparaiso into six straight three and out punting situations midway through the game. Drake junior end Dain Taylor thwarted Vaparaiso's opening drive when he recovered a fumble at the Crusaders' 27 yardline.  But the Bulldogs couldn't capitalize and had to wait until their third possession of the game to get on the scoreboard. Buckner-Petty's 13-yard interception return set up a career-long 42-yard field goal by senior Brandon Wubs to push the score to 10-0 with 1:07 left in the first period. Wubs closed out the first half by making a 27-yard field goal with five seconds remaining.
   
He also enjoyed a solid punting performance including a long punt of 58 yards and six kicks inside the Valparaiso 20 yardline.
   
Senior defensive back Lucas Mosier led Drake with 10 tackles, including two pass break ups. Senior linebacker Cale Hunt added nine tackles, including six solo hits. Taylor finished with two quarterback sacks for 13 yards in losses, along with three tackles for 15 yards in losses.

ROOKIES KEYS DRAKE TO PFL WIN:  Four freshmen played prominent roles in Drake's 34-14 Pioneer Football League home victory against Valparaiso Oct 3. Freshman redshirt quarterback Mike Piatkowski threw two touchdown passes and ran for another for the Bulldogs, who were playing their first home game since a season-opening 22-0 victory past Grand View Sept. 5. It also marked Drake's sixth straight victory against Valparaiso while keeping its home record against the Crusaders perfect at 8-0.
   
Piatkowski spotted fifth-year senior Frank Pucher (Skokie, Ill.) open for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:26 left in the first quarter to give Drake a 7-0 lead it would never relinquish.
   
Piatkowski accounted for both of Drake's touchdowns in the second quarter. He rifled a 39-yard scoring strike to freshman Joey Orlando (Park Ridge, Ill.)  with 7:05 left and then capped a seven-play, 74-yard scoring march with a three-yard touchdown burst that gave the Bulldogs a 24-7 cushion. Freshman Trey Morse, making his first collegiate start, led a balanced Drake rushing attack with 39 yards in 14 carries. Freshman Hans Broman (Fort Collins, Colo.) added 37 yards on the ground in eight attempts.
   
Piatkowski passed for 207 yards with senior Steve Platek collecting a game-high seven receptions for 58 yards. Sophomore Drew Blackmon caught four passes for 65 yards. Junior Tom Kostek rounded out Drake's scoring with a four-yard touchdown run with 4:29 left in the game.

SOUTH DAKOTA HANDS DRAKE FIRST LOSS: South Dakota scored on its first eight possessions to hand Drake its first loss of the season, 51-21, Sept.. 19 in the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. The Bulldogs mustered up 220 yards total offense, scoring on all three red zone opportunities inside the 20 yardline.
   
Drake fell victim to the excellent field position South Dakota had on its opening drives following kickoff and punt returns. The Coyotes started their first three drives inside Drake territory. Jeremy Blount returned the game's opening kickoff 41 yards to the Drake 49 yardline where the Coyotes then drove 49 yards in 10 plays to grab a 7-0 lead following a one-yard touchdown burst by quarterback Noah Shepard.
   
South Dakota forced Drake to punt on its opening drive with Blount returning the punt  21 yards to the Drake 42. Shepard spotted Dan Skelly open for a 38-yard pass to the Drake four yardline. Two plays later Shepard added a three-yard option run to push the Coyotes' lead to 14-0 with 7:02 left in the first quarter.
   
The Bulldogs responded scoring on their next two drives aided by a pair of pass interference penalties. Tom Kostek was a workhorse in Drake's first scoring drive rushing four times for 29 yards. His five-yard scoring burst with 4:50 left in the first quarter capped a six-play 73-yard touchdown march. The Coyotes were called for a 15-yard face mask penalty as well as a 15-yard pass interference penalty in the drive.
   
Mike Piatkowski engineered a nine-play, 61-yard drive,  highlighted by a five-yard pass to Spencer Cady to pull Drake within 21-14. Kostek led Drake with 44 yards rushing in eight carries. Piatkowski completed 15 of 21 passes for 154 yards. Cady caught a team-high six passes for 53 yards. Sophomore free safety Nick Chenier and senior linebacker Ben Morrison led Drake's defense by each collecting a career-high 15 tackles. Drake took advantage of an interception by cornerback Lucas Mosier at the South Dakota 11 yardline to score its third touchdown, coming on a one-yard plunge by Steve Platek with 14:36 left in the game.

HUNT HONORED BY PFL:  Drake fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt was named the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Week for his effort in the Bulldogs' league opening 34-6 victory at Marist Sept. 12. Hunt led Drake with 10 tackles, including a seven-yard quarterback sack, while also collecting an interception in the fourth quarter that set up a Bulldog touchdown.
   
It marked the second straight week a Drake player was honored by the PFL. Fifth-year senior kicker Brandon Wubs was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week Sept. 7.

DEFENSE KEYS DRAKE IN PFL OPENER: Drake's defense converted six turnovers into scores en route to spoiling the debut of Marist in the Pioneer Football League with a 34-6 victory Sept. 12 The Red Foxes played last season as an FCS independent before becoming the tenth member of the PFL.
   
Drake held the Red Foxes to 181 yards total offense, including just 38 yards on the ground on 36 carries. The Bulldogs recorded six quarterback sacks totaling 55 yards in losses. Linebacker Cale Hunt led Drake with 10 tackles, while senior cornerback Lucas Mosier and senior end Josh Walkup  added eight tackles apiece. Mosier added an 11-yard quarterback sack. Senior linebacker Ben Morrison added six tackles while forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble. Junior defensive back Tyler Moorehead  forced two fumbles while Morrison, senior end John Meehan (St. Louis, Mo.) and sophomore nose guard David Witkiewicz (Hales Corner, Wis.) recovered fumbles.
 
PLATEK SETS MARK: All-conference J-Back Steve Platek set a school nonscholarship record with 13 receptions for 112 yards at Marist, capping the day with a 10-yard touchdown reception from Mike Piatkowski with 7:56 left in the game. Aaron Overton held the previous Drake single-game mark of 12 receptions at Truman State in 2002.

OPPORTUNISTIC OFFENSE: Trailing 6-3, Drake reeled off 31 straight points scoring on all six red zone opportunities inside the 20 yard line. Mike Piatkowski completed 22 of 33 passes for 184 yards, while senior Brandon Wubs kicked field goals of 27 and 29 yards for Drake.
   
On Marist's second play of the game, Drake linebacker Ben Morrison stripped running back O'Neil Anderson of the football at the seven yard line with cornerback Lucas Mosier recovering to set up Wubs' first field goal. Piatkowski teamed up with Platek on consecutive passes of 26 and 15 yards early in the second quarter that set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Tom Kostek which gave Drake a 10-6 lead it never relinquished.
   
A 26-yard interception return by sophomore free safety Nick Chenier (Hinsdale, Ill.) halted the opening drive by Marist to start the second half while setting up Drake's second touchdown. A  six-yard touchdown gallop by sophomore Patrick Oliver with 10:10 left in the third quarter capped an eight-play 34-yard scoring drive. Spencer Cady rounded out Drake's scoring with a two-yard touchdown burst with 3:51 left in the game. The scoring drive was set up after linebacker Cale Hunt intercepted a pass at the Marist 31 yardline.

HE'S NO ROOKIE:  Freshman redshirt quarterback Mike Piatkowski making his first collegiate start, threw a touchdown pass, while senior Brandon Wubs kicked three field goals to lead Drake to a season opening 22-0 victory past Grand View Sept. 3
   
Piatkowski gave Drake a 9-0 lead after throwing a 61-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Drew Blackmon with 52 seconds left in the first quarter. Piatkowski played the entire game completing 23 of 34 passes for 248 yards which marked the most passing yards by a Drake team since the 2007 season finale against Dayton. He completed passes to 10 receivers. Blackmon, freshman Joey Orlando and fifth-year senior Spencer Cady each caught a team-high three passes.

SECOND STRAIGHT SHUTOUT: The Drake defense, posting its second straight shutout dating back to last year, limited Grand View to just 144 yards total offense including 58 yards in the first half. The Bulldogs have posted four shutouts dating back to a 36-0 blanking of William Penn at home Sept. 13, 2008.
   
Drake thwarted a Grand View scoring opportunity late in the second quarter when senior linebacker Ben Morrison  blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Blake Stell. Drake junior Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa) retrieved the loose football, returning it 46 yards. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Moorehead led Drake with nine tackles along with a fourth-quarter interception. Fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt  added eight tackles, while senior linebacker Josh Walkup collected five tackles along with two quarterback sacks for 11 yards in losses, while forcing a fumble.

BALANCED BACKFIELD: Seven players rushed the ball for Drake in the season opener. Junior Tom Kostek, making his first collegiate start, led Drake with 31 yards rushing in nine carries. Freshman Trey Morse added 28 yards on the ground, while sophomore Patrick Oliver  netted 27 yards rushing in nine carries. A three-yard touchdown burst by sophomore Nathan Paddock (Lee's Summit, Mo.) pushed Drake's lead to 16-0 with 11:47 left in the second quarter.

WUBS EARNS PFL HONOR: Drake senior kicker Brandon Wubs was named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in the Bulldogs' 22-0 season opening victory past Grand View. Wubs, who has been the team's regular punter the last three years before also assuming place kicking duties this year, hit all three field goal attempts from  37, 32 and 25 yards. Wubs also enjoyed a solid punting effort by averaging 44.5 yards on four punts, including a long of 51 yards in the second quarter. He also handled kickoff duties where his six kickoffs averaged 57.7 yards. Wubs converted his first field goal - from 37 yards - with 4:37 left in the first quarter after Drake stopped Grand View on its opening drive when the Vikings failed to convert a fourth-down gamble at the Drake 35-yard line. In the second half, Drake relied on field goals from 32 and 25 yards by Wubs.

DRAKE SQUAD BREAKDOWN: Drake's 97-man roster includes 11 fifth-year seniors, 14 seniors, 11 juniors, 27 sophomores and 34 freshmen. There are players from 13 states with Illinois leading the way with 42, followed by Iowa 22, Missouri nine, Colorado 6, Kansas 5, Minnesota 3, Oklahoma 3 and one apiece from Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska and Texas.

THE CREIGHTON ERA: Chris Creighton, who was named the 25th head football coach at Drake University Dec. 22, 2007, has a 12-6 year in two years with the Bulldogs. Creighton, 40, owns an overall record of 107-30 (.778 winning percentage) in 13 years as a college head coach to rank 14th among all time winnnigest percentage coaches at any college level.

He served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., from 2001-07 where he constructed a 63-15 record with teams winning four North Coast Athletic Conference championships, while competing in three NCAA Division III playoffs. He was 32-9 as head coach at Ottawa (Kan.) University from 1997-200.

During his last three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record, including three straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs. Wabash posted an 11-2 record in 2007, competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs while being ranked No. 8 in the final NCAA Division III coaches poll. Wabash went 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, capping both seasons with appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

As offensive coordinator at Wabash, Creighton’s teams averaged 35 points per game with the multiple offense producing the school’s all-time leading rusher and passer. Three starting quarterbacks received All-American honors.

Under Creighton, Wabash won conference championships in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He coached 83 all-conference players, including seven who earned conference player of the year honors, along with 13 All-Americans. He was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1997.

The Seattle, Wash., native produced one of the greatest single season turnarounds in NAIA history during his first year at Ottawa in 1997. He inherited a team that posted a 1-8 record the previous season, then finished 9-2 en route to capturing its first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title since 1972. He also led Ottawa to a conference championship in 2000, along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in 1997 and 2000. Creighton served as offensive coordinator at Concordia (Ill.) from 1991-92 and Manchester (Ind.) from 1993-96 before becoming head coach at Ottawa.
       
As an All-American quarterback, Creighton led Kenyon (Ohio) College to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989. He was named the league’s player of the year after setting single-season conference records for passing yardage (2,843) and touchdowns (29). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1991 and a master’s degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993.

CO-CAPTAINS: Fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt and fifth-year  senior offensive lineman Eric Mora (Roselle, Ill.) and senior fullack Steve Platek have been named captains for the 2009 Drake football team. Hunt was a co-captain last year, starting the first four games before suffering a season-ending elbow injury against San Diego. At the time he led the Drake defense in tackles with 35.
   
Platek earned first-team All-Pioneer Football League honors after moving from starting linebacker to J-Back in Drake's new offense during the 2008 preseason camp. He was Drake's second leading receiver with 41 catches for 468 yards (11.4 avg.), including four touchdowns. Mora will enter his third season as starting offensive guard.