GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake, riding a two-game winning streak, will try to spoil a homecoming when the Bulldogs travel to Davidson Saturday.

This will be the first meeting between the schools. The teams were originally scheduled to play Sept. 15, 2001 before the game was cancelled due to the events of 9/11 earlier that week.

This also will be the second of six straight games Davidson and Drake are playing against PFL teams. However, like last week the game won't count in the either of the North or South Division standings.

Drake opened an abbreviated four game home schedule with a 54-0 romp past Austin Peay of the PFL South Division. Davidson is coming off a 48-17 victory at Valparaiso which competes in the PFL North Division.

AMONG NCAA I-AA LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (525) among the 123 schools which play NCAA Division I-AA football. Only 24 schools have recorded 500 or more victories.

The game at Davidson will be the 1,017th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 525-462-29 for a winning percentage of .532.

DRAKE MOVES UP IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: Drake is ranked No. 5 in the latest Football Gazette NCAA I-AA Mid-Major poll this week and No. 6 in The Sports Network NCAA I-AA Mid-Major poll. Last week the Bulldogs were ranked No. 7 in The Sports Network Mid-Major poll and No. 8 in the Football Gazette NCAA I-AA Mid-Major poll.

Dayton, receiving 21 first-place votes, is ranked No. 1 in the Sports Network poll. The Flyers also are ranked No. 1 in the Football Gazette Mid-Major poll. San Diego, receiving three first-place votes, is ranked No. 2 in the Sports Network poll, followed by Monmouth, Duquesne, Marist, Drake, Morehead State, Central Connecticut State, Wagner and Robert Morris. Drake did receive one first-place vote.

San Diego is ranked No. 2 in the Football Gazette poll with Duquesne third, followed by Monmouth, Drake, Marist, Robert Morris, Wagner, Central Connecticut State and Morehead State.

Drake was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA I-AA preseason polls conducted by both The Sports Network and Football Gazette.

The Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Top 10 poll includes the 22 programs of the MAAC, NEC, and Pioneer Leagues, which play at a non-scholarship or limited scholarship level.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Davidson is coming off an impressive 48-17 victory at Valparaiso in which sophomore Ryan Alexander threw four first-half touchdowns two of over 70 yards and posted a career-high 343 yards through the air.

Alexander entered the game without a touchdown pass to his credit and just 449 yards via the pass for his career. But by the intermission he had thrown touchdown passes of 53, 79, 73 and 31 yards, while amassing 307 passing yards as the Wildcats built a 31-3 halftime lead.

Freshman Chad Barnes posted 122 yards on the ground on 23 carries, his first career 100-yard game. Davidson racked up 603 yards total offense, the second most for a Wildcat team in the past 20 seasons.

Sophomore Ryan Hubbard led Davidson with five receptions, including a career-high 165 yards, his second straight 100-yard game. Barnes and Purcell each had 41 yards receiving on four and three receptions, respectively. Junior Brad Smith kicked two field goals, including a career-long 41 yarder in the second half.

The Wildcats have 10 starters back from last year's squad which posted a 2-7 record including a 1-2 third-place finish in the South Division of the Pioneer Football League. Graduation claimed running back John Leverett, the 2004 PFL South Division Offensive Player of the Year, along with linebacker Brendan Dete, PFL South Division Defensive Player of the Year.

OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE: Davidson ranks third in the latest NCAA I-AA statistics in turnover margin at plus 2.25. The Wildcats have forced opponents into 14 turnovers including 13 interceptions.

Davidson also ranks 18th nationally in pass efficiency defense. Sophomore free safety Kevin Saunders and sophomore cornerback Pat FitzGerald are tied for 12th nationally with three interceptions apiece.

The Wildcat defense bottled up the PFL's leading rusher in Valparaiso's Jeff Horton by holding him to just eight yards on 11 carries. He came into the game averaging 123.7 yards per game. Davidson held Valparaiso to minus-10 yards on the ground while intercepting four passes.

FitzGerald was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week in a 32-7 victory past Greensboro College Sept. 10 after intercepting three passes.

THE COACHES: Rob Ash, a 1973 graduate of Cornell (Iowa), is in his 17th year as Drake coach and is the school's winningest football coach with a 112-59-2 record (44-42-1 road/68-17-1 home).

Under Ash, Drake has enjoyed 12 winning seasons including 11 years of at least seven wins. Ash, 52, has a 25-year overall collegiate record of 163-95-5 (.634) 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.

Tripp Merritt, a 1990 graduate of North Carolina-Charlotte, is in his first year as head coach at Davidson, having served as an assistant coach at the collegiate level for 14 years, half of which came as an assistant at Davidson from 1993-99. He did serve as an assistant coach at St. Mary's (Calif.) from 2000-02 with the Gaels facing Drake at home in 2000 and 2002, claiming 45-43 and 46-28 victories, respectively, in those seasons.

TEAM LEADERS: After four games, Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East) paces Drake in rushing with 468 yards in 66 carries (6.1 avg.), while sophomore Michael Bialas (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) follows with 165 yards in 46 carries (3.6 avg.).

Twelve players have caught passes for the Bulldogs, led by juniors Shea Moroni (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and Tyler Putnam (Oakland/Riverside) who have each caught 13 passes. Sophomore tight end Daniel Marx (Maple Grove, Minn.) has eight receptions for 150 yards, including a team-high three touchdowns.

Junior linebacker James Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) leads the defense with 37 tackles, including 25 solo hits. Junior linebacker Nick Ross (Atlantic) has 33 tackles, including 22 solo hits. Junior middle linebacker Brian Conway (Waukee) has 25 tackles including a team-
high two quarterback sacks for 14 yards in losses.

JOSTES SIZZLES IN HOME OPENER: Senior quarterback Connor Jostes (Iowa City High) completed 16 of 17 passes for 265 yards, including three touchdown strikes in the first half, as Drake overwhelmed Austin Peay, 54-0, in its home opener last Saturday at Valley High School Stadium

The Bulldogs, who rolled up 587 yards total offense, scored on their first four possessions of the game.

Sophomore Scott Phaydavong enjoyed the 10th, 100-yard plus rushing game of his career as the Bulldogs netted 264 yards on the ground. Phaydavong galloped for 110 yards rushing in just 17 carries, including a six-yard scoring dash that gave the Bulldogs a 13-0 first quarter lead.

Jostes completed his first 15 passes of the game to 11 different players before misfiring on the third play of the third quarter.

Jostes rifled a 22-yard touchdown strike to sophomore fullback Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo./Pius X) to cap a five-play, 63 yard scoring drive with 4:11 left in the first quarter.
Jostes increased Drake's lead to 27-0 after tossing a three-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City West) with 13:09 remaining in the second quarter. Reserve tight end Blake Fuller (Cambridge, Iowa) ended the first half scoring with a three-yard touchdown reception from Jostes with 2:10 remaining.

Sophomore fullback Michael Bialas continued Drake's onslaught in the second half by bursting free on a three-yard scoring plunge with 11:36 left in the third quarter. Junior reserve DeCarlos Love (Minneapolis, Minn.) added a 16-yard scoring run with 12:44 left in the game.

Moments later after a fourth down and one yard gamble by Austin Peay fell short at its 23 yardline, sophomore Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids Washington) scored his first career touchdown with a 28-yard sprint. Tyler Putnam led Drake with four receptions for 90 yards.

DEFENSE STOPS AUSTIN PEAY: Drake's defense held Austin Peay to just 113 yards total offense in 54 plays. The Governors crossed midfield in Drake's territory just once in the entire game. Meanwhile, Drake averaged a whopping 8.4 yards per play.

Drake senior nose guard Chris Daniels (Overland Park, Kan.) stuffed Austin Peay quarterback Jesse Kellogg for an eight-yard loss on the game's first play from scrimmage.

Freshman redshirt cornerback Jordan Bontrager and sophomore cornerback Tyler Marley (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) collected interceptions for Drake. Junior linebacker Nick Ross, sophomore cornerback Justin Colbert (Pleasant Hill/Southeast Polk) and defensive end Tim McNamara (Barrington, Ill.) led Drake with five tackles apiece.

BONTRAGER HONORED: Drake redshirt freshman Jordan Bontrager (Iowa City West) has been named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 60 yards for a touchdown against Austin Peay last Saturday. Bontrager's heroics staked the Bulldogs to a 6-0 lead when he returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown with 12:50 left in the first quarter..

PLAYER PLAUDITS; With back to back 100-yard plus rushing games, sophomore Scott Phaydavong has become the ninth player in Drake history to reach the 2,000-yard career rushing mark. He enters the Davidson game with 2,007 career rushing yards...Quarterback Connor Jostes has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 24 of the 26 games he has started in his career, including the last three games of the 2004 campaign. He also has thrown three or more touchdowns in seven games during his career...Last year as a freshman Michael Bialas led Drake with 12 touchdowns. Just four games into this season, Bialas is on pace to surpass that total with a team high five touchdowns all rushing.

PHAYDAVONG KEYS DRAKE TO 1ST VICTORY: Sophomore running back Scott Phaydavong rushed for a career-high 234 yards, while sophomore Michael Bialas scored three touchdowns as Drake earned its first victory of the season with a 37-14 verdict at Wisconsin-Platteville Sept. 17.

It marked Drake's first victory ever in three outings against Wisconsin-Platteville, while avenging its lone home loss of the 2004 campaign.

Phaydavong, who rushed for 41 yards on his Drake's first play from scrimmage, gained 176 yards in just 16 carries in the first half which was the second highest first-half rushing performance in Drake history trailing a 179 yard effort by Phaydavong in the first half against San Diego last year.

Bialas, who rushed for 49 yards in 18 carries, had touchdown runs of one and two yards in the second quarter. He rounded out Drake's scoring with a seven-yard touchdown burst with 38 seconds left in the game.

Quarterback Connor Jostes staked Drake to a 23-7 lead when he tossed a one-yard scoring strike to fullback Matt Goodwin (Cambridge, Ill.) with 30 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs rolled up a 456 yards total offense, despite committing four turnovers and accumulating 111 yards in penalties.

DEFENSE RISES TO OCCASION: Outside linebacker James Adams led a Drake defense that registered four quarterback sacks totaling 29 yards in losses, against Wisconsin-Platteville's Brett Nelson. Adams finished with a game-high 13 tackles, including eight solo hits.

Junior middle linebacker Brian Conway tipped a pass from Nelson into the hands of teammate James Adams who returned the interception 35 yards for a touchdown with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter to give Drake a 30-7 lead. Adams also recovered a fumble and returned it 37 yards to thwart a scoring drive by Wisconsin-Platteville.

Conway and weakside linebacker Nick Ross added eight tackles apiece. Freshman redshirt strong safety Andy Green (Atlantic) also intercepted a pass in the third quarter for Drake.

HORVATH IS HERO: Drake senior kicker Ryan Horvath (Overland Park, Kan.) punted four times for a 50.8 yard average at Wisconsin-Platteville, while making a 20-yard field goal in the first quarter. He had punts of 46, 51, 54, and 52 yards with two coffin corner punts inside the opponent's 20 yardline.

TRIO RECOGNIZED BY PFL, FOOTBALL GAZETTE: Drake swept the Pioneer Football League Player of the Week honors for Sept. 17.

Running back Scott Phaydavong shared the offensive player of the week honors with sophomore quarterback Josh Johnson who engineered San Diego's 17-14 upset victory against Yale.

Drake junior outside linebacker James Adams was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week, while senior kicker Ryan Horvath was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. The trio also were recognized as the Football Gazette National Players of the Week at the NCAA 1-AA Mid-Major level.

Phaydavong didnt record a touchdown, but his 28 carries for 234 yards set up four touchdowns as Drake picked up its first-ever victory against Wisconsin-Platteville, 37-14. The 234 yards rushing are the third-most by a I-AA back in a single game this season. His first-half totals of 17 carries and 176 yards were the 10th best performance in I-AA for a single-game.

Adams was everywhere as the linebacker recording 13 tackles (6 solo), including a tackle for loss, forced a fumble, which he then recovered and ran back 28 yards and then tacked on a 35-yard interception return for touchdown .

Horvath put together the seventh-best punting performance in I-AA this season, booming four punts for a 50.8 yard-per-punt average (203 total yards). All four punts were over 50 yards and two were placed inside the 20-yard line. Horvath added a 20-yard field goal.

STARTERS BY CLASS: Just six seniors are listed in Drake's starting lineup for Davidson. Quarterback Connor Jostes is the lone senior to start for an offense which features seven sophomore starters (LG-Dave Pammer; OC-Matt Huber; RG-Anthony Swope; RT-Matt Haas; TE-Dan Marx; HB-Michael Bialas, HB-Scott Phaydavong) and three junior starters (SE-Shea Moroni; FL-Tyler Putnam; LT-Kevin McVey).

Defensively, Drake will start five seniors (DE-Pat Forliti; DT-Nick Pilling; NG-Chris Daniels; DE-Shawn Rodgers; CB-Jace Denison), four juniors (SLB-James Adams, MLB-Brian Conway, WLB-Nick Ross, FS-Ryan Frehse) along with sophomore Tyler Marley at cornerback and freshman redshirt Andy Green at strong safety. Marley will be making his first start of the season

SECOND HALF DOOMS DRAKE: Quarterback Luke Drone threw a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter as Illinois State broke away from a 29-19 halftime lead en route to a 56-19 victory past Drake Sept. 10.

Drake gave Illinois State all it could handle in the first half, owning leads of 6-0 and 12-9 before trailing 29-19 at intermission.

Drake's Connor Jostes threw three touchdown passes in the first half, including two to sophomore tight end Daniel Marx. It marked the sixth time in Jostes' career that he had thrown for three touchdown passes in a game.

But Illinois State was able to convert two Drake turnovers into touchdowns in the second half, while the Bulldogs also fell short on two fourth down conversions in the second half.Jostes spotted junior Shea Moroni for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 8:10 left in the first half to give Drake a 6-0 lead, while climaxing a seven-play, 52-yard drive.

However, Drake's point after conversion kick was blocked and returned for a two-point conversion by Illinois State's Ramon Barber. The Redbirds grabbed their first lead at 9-6 with 4:35 left in the first quarter on a 13-yard scoring strike from Drone to Jason Horton.

Drake regained the lead after blocking a punt by Illinois State's Ryan Hoffman and recovering at the Redbirds' nine yardline. On the first play from scrimmage Jostes hit Marx for 'a nine-yard touchdown strike to give the Bulldogs a 12-9 lead with 1:14 left in the first half.

A 43-yard kickoff return by Tyler Putnam set up Drake's final touchdown of the game. Following a 10-yard run by sophomore Michael Bialas, Jostes rifled a 42-yard touchdown pass to Marx who outraced two defenders into the endzone to pull Drake with 26-19 with 2:41 left in the half.

Drake couldn't capitalize on Illinois State's first turnover of the game. After being forced to punt on their first possession of the game, a punt by Drake's Ryan Horvath was fumbled by Illinois State's Jason Caeser.

Drake reserve Robert McEwen (Littleton, Colo.) recovered the fumble at the Illinois State 24 yardline. But Drake had to settle for a 13-yard field goal attempt by Horvath which was blocked by Justin Martindale with 11:47 left in the first quarter.

Jostes completed 13 of 24 passes for 130 yards with Putnam and Moroni each snaring four receptions. Scott Phaydavong led Drake with 55 yards rushing in 16 carries. Nick Ross collected a game-high 13 tackles, while linebacker James Adams added 12 tackles.

NORTHERN IOWA SPOILS DRAKE'S OPENER: After being forced to punt on its first possession of the game, Northern Iowa scored on its next eight straight possessions to spoil Drake's season opener, 52-17, before a crowd of 10,385 fans at the UNI-Dome Sept. 1.

It marked the first meeting between the schools since Drake claimed a 24-9 victory in Des Moines in 1985. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in two preseason NCAA I-AA Mid-Major polls.

Drake scored on its first possession of the game to grab a 7-0 lead with 11:14 left in the first quarter following a four-yard touchdown pass from Connor Jostes to Daniel Marx. The scoring strike capped a six-play, 65-yard drive.

Jostes kept the march alive with an impromptu play on third down at the Drake 36 yardline. Lining up in shotgun formation, center Matt Huber (Mount Prospect, Ill.) snapped the ball 10 yards over Jostes who still managed to retrieve the ball, scramble and then rifle a 34-yard pass to Shea Moroni down to the Panthers' 30 yardline.

An eight-yard run by Scott Phaydavong coupled with an 11-yard deadball penalty by Northern Iowa moved Drake to the Panthers' 11 yardline. Phaydavong added a seven-yard burst to set up Jostes' touchdown pass.

Phaydavong rushed for a game high 69 yards in 16 carries, despite playing just the first half and Drake's opening drive of the third quarter.

Drake could only muster a field goal on its longest time consuming drive of the game. Ryan Horvath kicked a 13-yard field goal to pull the Bulldogs within 14-10 with 13:05 left in the first half.

Drake drove from its own 30 yardline to the Panthers' four yardline before Jostes fumbled for a six yard loss back to the 10 yardline on a second down play. Jostes, who played just three quarters, completed 11 of 20 passes for 118 yards. Moroni and Marx led Drake with three receptions apiece. Sophomore Mike Bialas rounded out Drake's scoring with a one-yard plunge with 1:06 remaining to cap a 12-play, 13-yard drive. James Adams led Drake with seven tackles, while Nick Ross added 6.5 tackles.

PFL COACHES PICK DRAKE, MOREHEAD STATE: The Pioneer Football League's coaches have tabbed Drake and Morehead State to win their respective divisions in the PFL's preseason poll. Drake is picked first for the first time since divisional play began, while it is the fourth time in five seasons Morehead State has been chosen as the PFL South winner.

Drake, the 2004 PFL champion, received five of the nine possible first-place votes in the PFL North Division. Dayton and San Diego split the four remaining first-place votes and were picked second and third, respectively. Valparaiso and Butler were picked to finish in a fourth-place tie.

Morehead State, the three-time PFL South Division defending champion, received five first-place votes. Second-place Jacksonville picked up three first-place votes while Austin Peay, which was picked third, claimed one first-place vote. Davidson rounds out the four-team PFL South.

PFL TO RETURN TO SINGLE DIVISION: The Pioneer Football League will return to a single-division, round-robin format in 2006. The league voted this summer on the move back to a single-division format, which the league used in its first eight seasons. The change resulted from the leagues reduction to eight members for the 2006 campaign Austin Peay State leaves the conference at the conclusion of the 2005 season. The final round-robin schedule will provide seven league games annually for all teams with alternating seasons of four home/three road and three home/four road.

The league grew to its current nine members in 2001 with the addition of four new schools Austin Peay , Davidson College, Jacksonville University and Morehead State . That expansion also necessitated the formation of two divisions with existing members Butler, the University of Dayton, Drake and Valparaiso, plus the University of San Diego forming the PFL North and the newest members becoming the PFL South.

Additionally, the league created a championship game between the winners of the two divisions. With the change in regular-season scheduling, the PFL Championship will be discontinued after the 2005 championship game hosted by the PFL North champion, Nov. 19. Without a league championship game, the establishment of a NCAA-sponsored post-season opportunity for one or more PFL teams becomes a high priority.

2005 CO-CAPTAINS: Senior quarterback Connor Jostes and junior linebacker Nick Ross have been named co-captains of the 2005 Drake football team. Jostes, who has passed for 4,865 yards including 40 touchdowns in his career, is in his third year as starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. He earned honorable mention All-Pioneer Football League North Division honors last year. He ranked second in the PFL in total offense with 2,265 yards (188.8 per game avg.). Ross is a returning starter at weakside linebacker who earned All-Pioneer Football League North Division honorable mention honors last year. He led Drake with 94 tackles last year, including a team-high 57 solo hits. He ranked fourth in the PFL with 9.5 tackles for losses totaling 37 yards.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN: Drake sophomore running back Scott Phaydavong was selected to The Sports Network 2005 Preseason 1-AA Mid-Major All-America football team.

Phaydavong is coming off a banner rookie campaign in 2004 when he was the only freshman named to The Sports Network 1-AA mid-Major All-America team. He also was the only nonscholarship player named to The Associated Press NCAA I-AA All-American team.

He ranked sixth in the final NCAA I-AA rushing statistics with a 128.3 yard average per game, while setting a Drake nonscholarship rushing record with 1,539 yards. Phaydavong enjoyed eight 100-yard plus rushing games climaxed by gaining 178 yards in 20 carries, including an 13-yard touchdown run in Drake's 20-17 Pioneer Football League championship victory at Morehead State Nov. 20. Phaydavong was named the 2004 Pioneer Football League North Division Offensive Co-Player of the Year with San Diego quarterback Todd Mortensen.

IOWA FLAVOR: The 2005 Drake roster includes 39 players from Iowa including 12 who have started the first two games this season: quarterback Connor Jostes (Iowa City High), halfback Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East), flanker Tyler Putnam (Oakland/Riverside), offensive tackles Kevin McVey (Bettendorf) and Matt Haas (Iowa City West), defensive tackle Nick Pilling (Denison), middle linebacker Brian Conway (Waukee), weakside linebacker Nick Ross (Atlantic), cornerback Justin Colbert (Pleasant Hill/Southeast Polk), free safety Ryan Frehse (Denison), strong safety Andy Green (Atlantic) and cornerback Jace Denison (Tri County-Thornburg).

SIZING UP THE ROSTER: There are 105 players on the Drake football roster including just seven seniors, 16 juniors, 29 sophomores and 53 freshmen (15 redshirts). There are players from eight states: 39 from Iowa, 31 from Illinois, 13 from Missouri, eight from Kansas, six from Colorado, five from Minnesota, two from Nebraska and one from Florida.

LAOTIAN CONNECTION: Two of Drake's top student-athletes running back Scott Phaydavong and senior point guard Linda Sayavongchanh from the women's basketball team are from close-knit families of Laotian heritage.

Three decades ago, Kou Phaydavong, who is Scott's father, was serving as an officer in the Royal Lao Army. When the Communist government took control in the mid-1970's, he was sent to a concentration camp. After escaping, the Phaydavongs headed for America in 1978. Kou and his wife, Kham, didn't want their son Scott to play football until his junior season at East High School in Des Moines.

When Scott turned 18, he honored his parents by getting Chinese characters tattooed on his chest. Translated, the symbols stand for "Determination."

Linda Sayavongchanh was a first-team Class 4A all-state basketball player at Lincoln High School in Des Moines and has been a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, earning all-Missouri Valley Conference honors the last two years.

MY THREE SONS: Meet the brothers McVey from Bettendorf who are listed on Drake's two-deep depth chart. Kevin, the eldest who is a redshirt junior, made his starting debut at left offensive tackle against Northern Iowa. Redshirt sophomore Sean McVey is battling for the top backup spot at right offensive tackle with redshirt sophomore Brandon Jaeger (Minneapolis, Minn.). First-year freshman Quinn McVey is challenging with redshirt freshman Chris Frank (Urbandale) for the top backup at center

UNTESTED LINE: How quick a young, unproven offensive line can develop will hold a key to Drake's success. Graduation claimed four starters along the offensive line including a trio of three-year starters led by All-American guard Grant Knowles.

Sophomore Dave Pammer, who started at center last year, is the lone returning holdover but he switched to guard during the spring. Sophomore Matt Haas and junior Kevin McVey are the top candidates at the vacated offensive tackle spots. Junior Robbie Larew (Des Moines Roosevelt) also figures to be in the mix for playing time at tackle. Sophomore Matt Huber will challenge for the starting center spot, while sophomores Anthony Swope (Chicago, Ill.) and Marco Povich (St. Louis, Mo.) will fight for the other starting guard position. Povich started at center in the last two games of 2003 , while Huber started in the 2004 season opener.

SIZING UP THE BULLDOGS: Topping the 2004 record-breaking season will be a great challenge for a Drake football program clearly aimed at reloading rather than rebuilding. Head coach Rob Ash welcomes back 45 returning letterwinners, including 15 starters, from last year's squad which posted a 10-2 record en route to winning the Pioneer Football League championship with a 20-17 victory at Morehead State.

Drake has faced its most challenging nonconference schedule during Ash's tenure, opening the season with back-to-back road encounters at Gateway Conference schools Northern Iowa and Illinois State.

There's plenty of talent at the skill positions offensively led by senior quarterback Connor Jostes who is entering his third year as a starter and sophomore All-American running back Scott Phaydavong.

The running attack is loaded with depth. Sophomore Michael Bialas rushed for 516 yards in 116 attempts (4.4 avg.), while leading the team with 12 touchdowns. Sophomore Poul Collins, who rushed for 137 yards in just 23 carries (6.0 avg.). Junior fullback Matt Goodwin (Cambridge, Ill.) was the team's third leading rusher last year with 169 yards in 34 carries (5.0 avg.) despite missing four games. Willie Cashmore , who started at fullback as a freshman in 2003 before being redshirted last year because of an injury, also returns at fullback.

Junior Tory Greiner (Williamsburg), a two-year letterwinner, and sophomore letterwinner Dan Marx, have big shoes to fill at tight end for the graduated James Mickley, who was a first-team All-PFL selection last year. Marx caught 13 passes for 192 yards (14.8 avg.) last year including four touchdowns. Freshman Blake Fuller (Cambridge) a transfer from the University of Iowa, also is expected to play tight end.

Junior Shea Moroni is the team's top returning receiver, snaring 28 receptions for 317 yards last year including one touchdown. Junior Tyler Putnam, another two-year letterwinner who has 37 career receptions, could blossom into the team's top game-breaking threat. Sophomore letterwinners Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City West) and Brandon Millard (Mason City) also should see increased playing time.

TRIO KEY DEFENSE: The nucleus returns from a defensive team which ranked seventh nationally in total defense, 11th in scoring defense and 12th in rushing defense in the final NCAA I-AA statistics.

A trio of honorable mention all-conference performers - cornerback Jace Denison, defensive end Pat Forliti (Lakeville, Minn.), linebacker Nick Ross - headline a defense that boasts eight returning starters.

Ross, a co-captain, led the team with 94 tackles last year, including 57 solo hits. Forliti, who had a team-high four quarterback sacks last year, keys the defensive line which returns senior starters Chris Daniels (Overland Park, Kan.) at nose guard and Shawn Rodgers (Leavenworth, Kan.) at defensive end. Daniels and Rodgers are in their third year as starters. Senior Nick Pilling, a three-year letterwinner, has the inside track at the vacated tackle spot.

The linebacker corps returns intact with junior Brian Conway at middle linebacker and James Adams, who emerged midway through last season at strongside linebacker. Adams ranked second on the team with 83 tackles last year, including a team-high 10 tackles for losses which also ranked third in the PFL. Conway, a transfer from Waldorf, made an immediate impact last year, ranking third on the team with 72 tackles.

Denison and free safety Ryan Frehse, who shared the team lead last year with three interceptions, are in their third years as starters in the secondary. Sophomore Tyler Marley (Kansas City, Mo.), who started the last seven games at right cornerback, also returns. Junior letterwinner Phillip Williams (St. Louis, Mo.) is a top candidate to start at strong safety along with redshirt freshman Andy Green.

DOUBLE DUTY FOR HORVATH: Senior punter Ryan Horvath (Overland Park, Kan.) is in his fourth year as Drake's regular punter. And for the second time in three years Horvath is expected to see action as place kicker.

A three-time first-team All Pioneer Football League North division selection as a punter, Horvath made eight field goals and 24 of 27 point after conversion kicks in 2003. Horvath set a school single-season record for punting yardage (2,555) in 2003 and punting average season (41.0) in 2002, while tying the mark for punts in a season (63). He owns a 40.4 career punting yard average with 18 punts over 50 yards including a 72-yard punt against Valparaiso last year which was the longest punt during Drake's nonscholarship era.

SEASON OPENERS: The Bulldogs now sport a 66-40-6 record (.628) in season openers, having lost its last five 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; 31-26 at Missouri State, 2004; at Northern Iowa Sept. 1, 2005.

Drake owns an 8-7-2 record (3-6-1 road/5-1-1 home) in season openers during Rob Ash's 17-year coaching tenure at the school. Drake has lost its last four season openers which were

The Bulldogs opened the season facing Gateway Football Conference opponents Northern Iowa (52-17) and Illinois State (56-19), marking the first time since becoming a nonscholarship football program in 1986, that Drake has played two Gateway Conference schools in the same season.

Drake has played a f