DRAKE BULLDOGS (2-2) at JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS (0-3)
11:30 a.m. (Central Time), Saturday, Oct. 2 D.B. Milne Field (5,000), Jacksonville, Fla....

KRNT Radio (1350 AM), Des Moines

GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drakes hopes to ride the momentum from a 42-12 home victory against Morehead State when it visits Jacksonville Saturday.

This will mark Drake's second straight game against an opponent from the South Division of the Pioneer Football League. Jacksonville also is playing its second straight North Division opponent in the PFL following a 54-38 loss at Valparaiso.

Drake owns a 4-0 lead in the series which began in 1999. The Bulldogs posted 34-14 and 31-23 victories in Jacksonville in 1999 and 2001, respectively.

EYE OF THE STORM: While the state of Florida is recovering from its fourth hurricane in less than six weeks, the Drake football team will try to end a drought. The Bulldogs have lost nine straight road games dating back to the 2002 campaign. Drake lost all five road games last season.

Jacksonville's season opener at Florida International Sept. 2 was cancelled because of Hurricane Frances.

AMONG NCAA I-AA LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (515) among the 123 schools which play NCAA Division I-AA football. Only 22 schools have recorded 500 or more victories.

The game at Jacksonville will be the 1,005th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 515-460-29 for a winning percentage of .528.

DRAKE MOVES IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: Drake moved from No. 7 to No. 6 in the latest The Sports Network Mid-Major Top 10 poll, while retaining its No. 7 spot in the CollegeSportsReport.com Mid-Major Top 10 and its No. 9 spot in the latest Football Gazette 1-AA Mid-Major Top 20 poll.

Dayton is ranked No. 1 in all three polls, while Central Connecticut State is ranked No. 2 in the Football Gazette and the CollegeSportsReport.com Mid-Major polls. Robert Morris is ranked No. 2 in the lastestThe Sports Network Mid-Major Top 10 poll.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Graduation might have claimed All-American running back Emmett Hunter, who rushed for a school single-season record 1,457 yards last year, but Jacksonville still boasts a prolific rushing attack averaging 245.3 yards to lead the Pioneer Football League

The youthful Dolphins gained 484 yards total offense, including a season-high 374 yards rushing, in a 54-38 loss at Valparaiso. Redshirt sophomore Jerry Brant has gained a team-high 234 yards on the ground including a career-high 114 yards at Valparaiso with a pair of 41-yard touchdown sprints. Freshman Phillip Fields has gained 206 yards rushing.

Junior quarterback Mike Sturgill, an honorable mention All-PFL choice last year, needs one touchdown pass (31) to become the school's career leader. Junior right guard Josue Sanchez was a first-team All-PFL choice last year.

Senior linebacker Tim Hasse, who has started 34 straight games, is one of five returning starters on defense. Hasse earned first-team All-PFL honors last year, while leading the team with 87 tackles.

LAST YEAR: Drake 40, Jacksonville 34 (Oct. 4, Des Moines, Iowa) Connor Jostes threw four touchdown passes, including three to Jason Jones, as Drake snapped Jacksonville's three-game winning streak.

The Bulldogs led 13-0 and 20-7 but could not put Jacksonville away until Jostes hit Jones on a 25-yard touchdown pass to make it 40-27 with 2:02 left. Jacksonville's Richard Gayle caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Mike Sturgill with 12 seconds left to cut the lead to six, but Drake recovered the Dolphins' onside kick to run out the clock.

Drake rolled up 474 yards total offense, including 264 passing. Jones finished with a then career-high 10 passes for 120 yards. He caught first-quarter touchdown strikes of 10 and 14 yards from Jostes and a 25-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass.

Drake senior Jonathan Taylor enjoyed his ninth 100-yard plus rushing game of his career with 105 yards in 22 carries. Allen Ussin added a nine-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, while his 46-yard kickoff return set up a Drake touchdown late in the game.

THE COACHES: Rob Ash, a 1973 graduate of Cornell (Iowa), is in his 16th year as Drake coach and is the school's winningest football coach with a 102-57-2 record (62-17-1 home/40-40-1 road).

Under Ash, Drake has enjoyed 10 winning seasons, including nine years of at least seven wins. Ash, 52, has a 20-year overall collegiate coaching record of 153-93-5 (.620), ranking eighth among NCAA I-AA active football coaches in terms of victories. Ash posted a 51-36-3 mark at Juniata (Pa.) College from 1980-88.

Steve Gilbert, a 1979 graduate of West Chester State, is in his seventh season as head coach at Jacksonville with a 24-40 record. He owns a 65-88 career coaching record including a 41-48 mark in nine seasons at Ursinus (Pa.) College from 1988-96. He was named the 1996 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year after leading Ursinus College to its first ever NCAA playoff berth and its first outright league championship.

PRESEASON PFL POLL: Drake was picked to finish third in the North Division of the Pioneer Football League preseason poll. Dayton and Morehead State were picked to win the North and South Division, respectively. It was Dayton's fourth consecutive preseason No. 1 since the league added the South Division in 2001. Morehead State takes the top spot for the third time in those four seasons.

Dayton received six of the nine possible first-place votes in the PFL North. San Diego and Drake received the remaining first-place votes and were picked second and third, respectively. Surprisingly, 2003 PFL Champion Valparaiso was picked fourth, but just three votes separated the Crusaders from second-place San Diego. Butler rounded out the five-team PFL North.

The 2004 season marks the 12th year for the Pioneer Football League. Four members Austin Peay, Davidson, Jacksonville, and Morehead State joined the league in 2001 with two divisions being formed, charter members forming the North Division and the newest members becoming the South Division.

TEAM LEADERS: After four games, junior quarterback Connor Jostes (Iowa City High) has passed for 700 yards including seven touchdown strikes. Freshman Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East) paces the team in rushing with 461 yards in 69 carries (6.7 avg.), while freshman Michael Bialas (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) has gained 124 yards in 23 carries (5.4 avg.) with two touchdowns. Matt Goodwin (Cambridge, Ill.) follows with 87 yards in 22 carries (4.0 avg.).

Eleven players have caught passes for the Bulldogs, led by junior tight end James Mickley (Geneseo, Ill.) who has 13 receptions for 164 yards (12.6 avg.). Senior Jason Jones (Kansas City, Mo./Hickman Mills) and sophomore Shea Moroni (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) have 12 receptions apiece. Jones has caught a team-high three touchdowns.

Sophomore outside linebacker Nick Ross (Atlantic) leads the defense with 39 tackles and two interceptions. Senior outside linebacker Eric Papp (Cedar Lake, Ind.) has 37 tackles.while sophomore free safety Ryan Frehse (Denison) follows with 31 tackles. Sophomore Brian Conway (Waukee) also has two interceptions.

Junior end Pat Forliti (Lakeville, Minn.) leads the team with 2.5 quarterback sacks, totaling 14 yards.

PHAYDAVONG HONORED BY PFL: Drake freshman Scott Phaydavong has been named the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week after enjoying his third consecutive 100-yard plus rushing game against Morehead State.

Phaydavong posted a career-high 173 yards in 29 carries as Drake defeated Morehead State, 42-12. His 64-yard, second-quarter touchdown extended Drakes lead to 21-12 from which they would never look back. His 173 yards is the best by any rusher in the PFL this season. He became the second Drake player to earn the honor this season. Earlier, Drake junior quarterback Connor Jostes was named the Pioneer Football League Co-Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 234 yards, including three touchdowns against Southwest Missouri State. Jostes shared the PFL honor with Austin Peay running back Chris Fletcher. Jostes threw touchdown passes of seven and 12 yards to All-American receiver Jason Jones that gave Drake a 20-10 lead in the third quarter. Jostes also rifled a 14-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Tyler Putnam (Oakland/Riverside) that pulled Drake within 31-26 with 4:03 remaining.

BALANCED ATTACK: How balanced are Drake's offensive and defensive units? Well, consider that the Bulldogs rank No. 44 in the latest NCAA I-AA team statistics in total offense, averaging 365.5 yards per game; and No. 46 in total defense, allowing opponents 319 yards per contest.

JUST FOR KICKS: The Bulldogs also display a solid kicking game with juniors Ryan Horvath (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North) and Tyler McGlade (Council Bluffs/St. Albert) ranking among the Pioneer Football League leaders in punting and field goal kicking, respectively.

Horvath, a two-time first-team all-league selection, leads the PFL in punting averaging 37.9 yards, with a long of 51 yards and three punts inside the opponents' 20 yardline. He owns a 40.1 career punting yard average with 13 punts over 50 yards.

McGlade ranks second in the PFL in field goals, making four of seven kicks to double his entire output of two field goals last year. He hit a career-long 46-yard field goal against Wisconsin-Platteville Sept. 18.

Horvath punted six times for a whopping 44.2 yard average in the opener at Southwest Missouri State, including a long punt of 51 yards. He came back with a 41.3 yard average in three attempts against William Penn. Horvath also handled the placekicking chores midway through the 2003 season, converting eight of 13 kicks.

Horvath set Drake single-season nonscholarship records for punting yardage (2,555), while tying a mark for punts in a season (63) last year. McGlade set Drake single season nonscholarship records for extra points (43) and extra points attempts (45) as a freshman in 2002.

THE DOG POUND: With the victory against Morehead State, the Bulldogs improved their record to 53-11-1 record at Drake Stadium dating back to 1992. The Bulldogs have won 19 of their last 25 home games.

FORCING TURNOVERS: Drake's defense already has collected nine interceptions this season, one more than its entire 2003 output of eight pass thefts. The Bulldogs have forced opponents into 14 turnovers this fall. Drake forced opponents into 18 turnovers for the entire 2003 campaign.Drake leads the Pioneer Football League in turnover margin at plus .50

'DOG TAGS: Drake has scored on 11 out of 17 possessions when it has reached inside the opponent's redzone (20-yardline). The Bulldogs converted all four opportunities in its opener at Southwest Missouri State but converted just two of five opportunities against William Penn, followed by scoring on two of three possessions against Wisconsin-Platteville and three of five against Morehead State.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Drake's defense forced Morehead State into four turnovers, including three interceptions. Drake dominated the second half, limiting Morehead State to just 38 yards total offense in 18 plays along with just two first downs.

After Drake linebacker Brian Conway intercepted a pass at the Morehead State 25 yardline midway in the fourth quarter, Drake needed just four plays to increase its margin to 42-12 when Connor Jostes tossed a nine-yard scoring strike to tight end James Mickley (Geneseo, Ill.).

Weakside linebacker Nick Ross and Conway led Drake with six tackles apiece. Freshman Tyler Marley (Kansas City, Mo.) had an interception late in the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs.

FAST START: It took only two plays into the game for Drake to grab a lead it never relinquished.

Linebacker Nick Ross intercepted an errant pass from quarterback Brian Yost, returning it 22 yards for a touchdown with 14:13 left in the first quarter. It was the third quickest touchdown to start a game in Drake football history.

It took Willliam Casey only eight seconds into the game to return a onside kick 45 yards for a touchdown at Southern Illinois Oct. 14, 2000. On the first play from scrimmage, Brant Alley ran 69 yards for a touchdown against Sioux Falls College, Nov. 14, 1987 with just 18 seconds elasped in the game.

ON THE MOVE: Quarterback Connor Jostes threw two touchdown passes, while freshman Scott Phaydavong rushed for a career-high 173 yards in Drake's 42-12 victory past Morehead State Saturday. The Bulldogs piled up a season-high 490 yards total offense, including a Pioneer Football League season-high 334 yards rushing.

Phaydavong sprinted 64 yards for a touchdown with 3:19 left in the second quarter to give Drake a 21-12 lead. Jostes threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./St. Margarets) with 59 seconds left in the third quarter extending Drake's advantage to 28-12.

MORE ON THE YOUTH MOVEMENT: Freshman Michael Bialas might have played in just half of the Morehead State game, but he made his presence known. Bialas had touchdown runs of 11 and 27 yards for Drake. Bialas finished with a career-high 93 yards rushing in 15 carries.

Three freshmen Bialas (124), Scott Phaydavong (461) and Poul Collins (29) have accounted for 80.5 percent (614) of Drake's total rushing yards (762) this fall.

DEFENSE MAKES STATEMENT: Drakes defense forced Wisconsin-Platteville into four turnovers, including three interceptions. The Bulldogs limited the Pioneers to just 56 yards rushing in 34 carries.

Sophomore linebacker Brian Conway collected a career high 11 tackles, including nine solo hits, to pace Drake. Conway and senior linebacker Eric Papp each had an interception. Conway also thwarted a Wisconsin-Platteville drive with a fumble recovery. Papp collected nine tackles, including six solos. Junior cornerback Cory Kopatich (Ottumwa) also had an interception for the Bulldogs.

Junior nose guard Chris Daniels (Overland Park, Kan./Olathe East), senior linebacker Adam Lackey (Chesterfield, Mo.) and senior safety Curtis Martindale (Ottumwa) added seven tackles apiece. Sophomore linebacker James Adams (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) led the Bulldogs with three pass break ups.

MISCUES PROVE COSTLY: Brent Nelson threw two touchdown passes as Wisconsin-Platteville took advantage of three turnovers to claim a 33-23 victory past Drake Sept. 18.

Drake freshman Scott Phaydavong, enjoying his second straight 100 yard plus rushing game, gained a career-high yard 155 yards rushing in 24 carries. Phaydavong staked Drake to a 7-0 lead on its opening possession with a 31-yard scoring burst with 11:18 left in the first quarter to cap a 10-play, 86-yard scoring drive

The Pioneers took advantage of two pass interference calls in the end zone against Drake. Junior cornerback Jace Denison (Thornburg) was called for pass interference against Brian Gallick on the Pioneers first drive of the game. Two plays later Droessler scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge allowing Wisconsin-Platteville to tie the score at 7-7 with 5:26 left in the first quarter.

Denison was guilty of pass interference against Gallick in the end zone on a third-down play early in the fourth quarter, giving the Pioneers a first-down at the Drake two yard line. Droessler scored from two yards on the ensuing play that enabled Wisconsin-Platteville to stretch its lead to 33-17 with 14:49 left in the game.

Connor Jostes threw touchdown passes of 10 and 18 yards to Jason Jones and Shea Moroni, respectively. But Jostes had a lateral attempt to Jones fall into the hands of defender Don Anderson who raced 23 yards with the fumble recovery for a touchdown to give the Pioneers a 20-10 cushion with 2:23 left in the second quarter. Freshman Michael Bialas, appearing in his first college game, added 32 yards in six carries for Drake. Sophomore Matt Goodwin rushed for 23 yards in seven carries. Goodwin led Drake with four receptions for 30 yards, while Moroni and Jones each caught three passes.

GOODWIN KEYS 1ST VICTORY: Sophomore fullback Matt Goodwin scored on a pair of one-yard runs to key Drake to a 16-6 victory past William Penn Sept. 11 in the first night football game played at Drake Stadium since 1960.

Drake rolled up 316 yards total offense, including 191 rushing. Drake freshman Scott Phayadong rushed for a career-high 107 yards in 11 carries, including a 74-yard scamper in the second quarter, while making his first collegiate start.

Goodwin gave Drake a 6-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown plunge with 9:00 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was set up when quarterback Connor Jostes rifled a 38- yard pass to a diving Jason Jones at the one-yard line. Tyler McGlade rounded out Drake's scoring with a 38-yard field goal with 14:51 left in the game. Goodwin finished with 49 yards rushing. Jostes passed for 125 yards to surpass the 3,000 yard passing plateau in his career. Junior tight end James Mickley caught four passes for 47 yards to lead the Bulldogs.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE FOR DEFENSE: For the second consecutive game, the Drake defense forced its opponent into two or more turnovers. Sophomore free safety Ryan Frehse thwarted a William Penn scoring drive with an interception in the second quarter.

Drakes Brad Peters (Rochelle, Ill.) recovered a fumble on a punt return at the William Penn 17 yardline but Tyler McGlade had a 35-yard field goal attempt go wide right with 2:25 left in the second quarter. Sophomore linebacker Nick Ross led Drake with 14 tackles, including nine solo hits. Senior linebacker Eric Papp added eight tackles.

REVOLVING DOOR AT CENTER: For the fourth time in the last five games dating back to last year, there was new starting center for Drake when the Bulldogs played Wisconsin-Platteville.

Redshirt freshman Dave Pammer (Mokena, Ill.) replaced the sidelined Matt Huber (Mt. Prospect, Ill./St. Viator) who was injured in the first quarter against William Penn. Huber made his first college start replacing Marco Povich (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) who started in the opener at Southwest Missouri State. Povich started the last game of the 2003 season replacing the injured Daniel Hatz.

YEMM AT CORNERBACK: Sophomore Riley Yemm (Fort Collins, Colo.) made his second straight start at cornerback against Wisconsin-Platteville. In his first collegiate start against William Penn, he collected six tackles, including four solo hits. Regular starter K.C. Cadenhead was injured in the opener at Southwest Missouri State. Yemm lettered as a wide receiver in 2003, catching four passes for 47 yards. He moved to cornerback during spring drills.

JONES EARNS PFL HONOR: All-American receiver Jason Jones also was honored as the Pioneer Football League player of the week by CollegeSportsReport.com for his effort at Southwest Missouri State. Jones caught a game-high eight passes including scoring receptions of seven and 12 yards from quarterback Connor Jostes. It marked the fifth time in his career that Jones had caught at least two touchdowns in a game.

"He was the one player that Southwest Missouri State knew about and they paid more attention to him as the game went along," added Drake Football Coach Rob Ash. "They finally started double-teaming him and Connor (Jostes) was able to find other receivers."

UPSET BID FALLS SHORT: Southwest Missouri State scored 21 unanswered points to spoil an upset bid by Drake en route to a 31-26 victory in the season opener for both teams Sept. 2. The Bulldogs, a nonscholarship program, gave the fully funded NCAA I-AA Bears all they could handle mounting a 20-10 lead. But tailback Cody Pratt, who rushed for a career-high 217 yards rushing, led the Bears' comeback with a pair of four-yard touchdown runs that gave Southwest Missouri State a 24-20 lead it would never relinquish.

Connor Jostes passed for 234 yards including three touchdowns. He marched the Bulldogs down to the Bears' 30 yardline before having a fourth-down pass intercepted with 52 seconds remaining in the game.

DEFENSE FORCES THREE TURNOVERS: Opportunistic Drake took advantage of three turnovers forced by its defense to enjoy a 13-10 halftime lead. Sophomore weakside linebacker Nick Ross led Drake with 13 tackles. Sophomore safety Ryan Frehse had 12 tackles, while senior linebacker Eric Papp added 10. Papp, making his first start at linebacker after starting the last two years at cornerback, recovered a fumble by Pratt on the Bears' second offensive play of the game.

The Bulldogs marched 43 yards in seven plays to grab a 7-0 lead following a seven-yard pass from Connor Jostes to Jason Jones with 9:49 left in the first quarter. Jostes completed all five passes, accounting for 40 yards, in the scoring drive. Jostes keyed Drake's second scoring drive which resulted in a career-long 39 yard field goal by junior Tyler McGlade that pushed the lead to 10-3 with 10:29 left. The junior came up with third-down runs of three and 10 yards that netted first downs to keep the drive alive.

Drake had to settle for a second field goal by McGlade after safety Curtis Martindale returned a fumble 32 yards to the Bears' two yardline. Drake was unable to score a touchdown with Jostes throwing two incomplete passes, while DeCarlos Love (Minneapolis, Minn.) was stopped for no gain on a run. McGlade increased Drake's margin to 13-3 connecting on a 19-yard field goal with 9:03 left in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs were able to hold on to a 13-10 lead at halftime after thwarting a Bears' drive to close out the half when Ross intercepted a pass at the Drake four yardline. Love led Drake with 32 yards rushing in 14 carries.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN: Drake senior offensive guard Grant Knowles (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North) was among 26 players selected for the 2004 Sports Network Preseason I-AA Mid-Major All-America team.

Knowles, who is entering his third year as a starter, is one of 18 returning starters back for the Bulldogs. Knowles, who stands 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 298 pounds, was a key figure on Drake's offensive line that allowed the Bulldogs to average 440.1 yards per game last season.

"Grant Knowles is a powerful, agile, intelligent lineman," said Drake Football Coach Rob Ash. "He is a devastating run blocker, both straight ahead and when he pulls on traps and kickouts. He also is a skilled pass protector. Grant is one of the best linemen I have coached since Felix Gallagher was an All-American (1997) here.

"He is very deserving of All-American recognition, not only because of his skill as a player, but because of his tremendous work habits, which have helped him get bigger and stronger, and more dominating, every season."

MORE ON THE OPENER: Drake, a nonscholarship NCAA I-AA program, now has played a fully-funded NCAA I-AA scholarship team from the Gateway Football Conference six straight years. Drake played at Western Illinois in 1999 and 2002 and traveled to Southern Illinois in 2000, Southwest Missouri State in 2001 and Illinois State in 2003. Drake did manage a 31-7 victory against Florida Atlantic, a fully-funded NCAA I-AA program, in 2001.

The Bulldogs sport a 66-39-6 record (.654) in season openers. Drake owns an 8-6-2 record (3-5-1 road/5-1-1 home) in season openers during Rob Ash's 15-year coaching tenure at the school. Drake has lost its last four season openers which were played on the road at scholarship opponents: Truman State, 40-29, 2001; Western Illinois, 64-7, 2002; at Illinois State, 27-13, 2003; and at Southwest Missouri State, 31-26, 2004.

2004 CO-CAPTAINS: Senior linebacker Eric Papp, senior linebacker Adam Lackey and senior guard Chris McDonnell (Midlothian, Ill.) have been elected to serve as co-captains for the upcoming season.

Lackey and McDonnell served as captains last year. Lackey earned honorable mention All-Pioneer Football League honors in 2002 and was redshirted last season. McDonnell also earned honorable mention all-PFL honors in 2002, while playing offensive tackle. Papp also was an honorable mention all-PFL choice in 2002.

Papp will be entering his third year as a starter but he has switched positions, moving from cornerback to linebacker during spring drills. He was named Drake's co-defensive player of the year in 2002 after leading the team with 101 tackles, including 81 solo hits. He enters his senior campaign with four career interceptions.

SIZING UP THE ROSTER: There are 110 players on the Drake football roster including 12 seniors, 15 juniors, 23 sophomores and 60 freshmen (31 redshirts). There are players from nine states: 44 from Iowa, 24 from Illinois, 16 from Missouri, eight from Minnesota, eight from Colorado, seven from Kansas and one each from Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The 60-man travel squad to Southwest Missouri State included just three true freshmen: running backs Michael Bialas and Jacob Craig (Mount Vernon, Iowa) and defensive lineman Robert McEwen (Littleton, Colo.).

WHAT'S IN STORE: Buoyed by 42 returning lettermen, including 20 starters, head coach Rob Ash is counting on experience and depth to lead Drake back into contention for the Pioneer Football League championship.

The experience is no more evident than up front on the offensive line where there are five returning starters headed by senior offensive guard Grant Knowles, who was named to the Sports Network preseason 1-AA Mid-Major All-America first-team.

Knowles (6-3, 310), along with senior guard Chris McDonnell (6-3, 305) and senior tackle Mark Wilke (Naperville, Ill.) (6-2, 321) are entering their third year as starters on the inside unit which has the potential to develop into the best offensive line during Drakes 18 years of nonscholarship football.

The trio, along with holdovers Chris Parrish (Ames) (6-4, 275) at tackle and James Mickley (6-2, 229) at tight end, were instrumental in allowing Drake to rank eighth nationally in total offense, averaging 440.1 yards per game last year. Keying the offensive attack will be junior quarterback Connor Jostes, who ranked 11th in the NCAA I-AA in total offense, averaging 279.5 yards per game. Jostes blossomed in his first full year as starter, passing for 2,646 yards while throwing 21 touchdowns.

Senior Jason Jones, who also earned first-team All-American honors by The Sports Network, headlines a talented corps of receivers. The speedster emerged as one of the top pass catching threats at the Mid-Major level last season after setting a PFL record with 75 receptions, while also setting school nonscholarship single-season marks in reception yardage (1,267) and touchdown receptions (14).

Sophomore DeCarlos Love entered the season as heir apparent at running back. Freshman Scott Phaydavong,, a transfer from the Air Force Academy, will be in the mix along with senior Allen Ussin (Wildwood, Mo.) who collected 902 yards in all-purpose running last year.

LACKEY, PAPP SPARK DEFENSE: Nine starters return on defense for Drake. Senior co-captain Eric Papp, who was the teams third leading tackler last season with 60 stops, moved from starting cornerback to strongside linebacker to give the Bulldogs more speed around the perimeter. Sophomore redshirt James Adams also moved from the secondary to strongside linebacker.

Fifth-year senior Adam Lackey, another co-captain, is back at middle linebacker after a redshirt season. Lackey was an honorable mention all-league choice in 2002. Drakes defensive line is battle tested with returning starters Chris Daniels at nose guard; Pat Forliti who moves from tackle to defensive end; Shawn Rodgers, a junior, at defensive end; and Brant Parriott (Newton) and Nick Pilling (Denison) at tackle.

Safety Curtis Martindale, an honorable mention all-league choice who led Drake with 82 tackles last year, will lead the secondary. Sophomore Ryan Frehse is a returning starter at free safety, while junior Jace Denison is back at cornerback after tying for fourth in the PFL with three interceptions last year.

WHERE'S THE BEEF: There are eight players on the Drake roster who tip the scale at over 300 pounds. The veteran trio of tackle Mark Wilke (6-2, 310), guard Grant Knowles (6-3, 304) and guard Chris McDonnell (6-3, 317) start on the offensive line. Others include Anthony Swope (Chicago, Ill.) (6-1, 300); Brandon Jaeger (Minneapolis, Minn.) (6-1, 302); Joe Cerullo (Tinley Park, Ill.) (6-2, 312); Dave Pammer (6-3, 300); and Mike Dale (Davenport) (6-4, 315).