DRAKE BULLDOGS (6-2, 3-1 PFL)
at DAYTON FLYERS (3-4, 0-4 PFL)
12 p.m. (Central Time), Saturday, Oct. 28
Welcome Stadium (11,000), Dayton, Ohio

GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake hopes to rebound from a disappointing 37-0 home loss to league leader San Diego when it resumes Pioneer Football League action traveling to perennial conference powerhouse Dayton.

Dayton, which has won more PFL titles than any other school at eight, is mired in a four-game losing streak which is the longest at the school since the 1974 campaign.

All four losses have been decided by a touchdown or less, including the latest a 37-36 setback at Davidson in which a two-point conversion attempt with 1:01 left failed.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Entering the season with 16 starters back from its 2005 team that posted a 9-1 record, Dayton expected to contend for the Pioneer Football League title. But injuries and costly turnovers have plagued the Flyers.

Junior quarterback Kevin Hoyng, who did not play in the Flyers' 28-21 loss at Jacksonville Oct. 14 because of a knee injury, returned to the lineup at Davidson passing for 307 yards to become the school's career passing yardage leader at 4,041.

Redshirt junior Nick Ruhe leads the NCAA I-AA in receiving yards per game (112.4). Ruhe has enjoyed three straight games with more than 100 yards in receptions. Ruhe also leads the PFL in punt returns, averaging 11.0 yards.

Junior safety Brandon Cramer and freshman cornerback Scott Horcher each have three interceptions. Cramer was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week in a 28-23 victory against Austin Peay after intercepting two passes, returning one 84 yards for a touchdown. Senior linebacker Brian Kelly also leads the PFL in tackles, averaging 10.7 per game.

NOT SO FRIENDLY STADIUM: Dayton owns a 180-36-2 (.830) record at home in Welcome Stadium, having won 37 of its last 45 home games.

THE SERIES: Dayton owns a 19-3 record against Drake, including a 10-2 mark at home. But the Bulldogs did claim a 13-6 victory during its last trip to Dayton in 2004. Drake has never beaten Dayton in consecutive years.

THE LAST TIME: Dayton 25, Drake 17 (Oct. 8, 2005, Waukee, Iowa) Dayton, ranked No. 1 in all three NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major polls, scored two touchdowns in a four-minute 25-second period late in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory in a game played at Waukee High School

The Flyers jumped to a 12-0 halftime lead, then watched Drake reel off 17 straight points before making their comeback. Quarterback Kevin Hoyng tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt Champa with 5:38 left in the game to give Dayton an 18-17 lead it would not relinquish.

On their ensuing possession, the Bulldogs came up short on a fourth down gamble when quarterback Connor Jostes threw an incomplete pass to Travis Hardgraves at the Dayton 45 yardline.

Dayton took advantage, marching 55 yards in eight plays to increase its lead to 25-17 following a three-yard touchdown run by Matt Mong with 3:16 remaining.

Drake marched from its own 27 yardline to the Dayton 20 in the waning seconds with an opportunity to tie the game. But on the game's final play, Dayton cornerback Casey Klaus broke up a pass from Drake's Jostes to receiver Tyler Putnam at the Flyers' two yardline.

Drake rolled up 388 yards total offense against a Dayton team which entered the game ranking fifth in NCAA I-AA in total defense allowing just 232.6 yards per game. Drake's Scott Phaydavong enjoyed his fourth straight 100-yard plus rushing game by totaling 151 yards in 29 carries. Phaydavong rushed four times for 30 yards to set up Drake's first touchdown a two-yard touchdown burst by fullback Matt Goodwin with 7:44 left in the third quarter to pull the Bulldogs within 12-7.

Senior Ryan Horvath kicked a 36-yard field goal with 11:53 remaining in the game to pull the Bulldogs within 12-10. Then freshman redshirt safety Andy Green returned an interception thrown by Hoyng 19 yards down to the Dayton eight yardline. On first down, Jostes ran an eight-yard option into the endzone to give Drake its first lead at 17-12 with 11:31 left.

Junior linebacker James Adams led Drake with a game-high 10 tackles including three tackles for 14 yards in losses, along with a 12 yard quarterback sack. Junior linebacker Nick Ross added nine tackles, while senior defensive end Shawn Rodgers had two tackles for 11 yards in losses.

THE COACHES: Rob Ash, a 1973 graduate of Cornell (Iowa), is in his 18th year as Drake head coach and is the school's winningest football coach with a 122-63-2 record (48-43-1 road/ 74-20-1 home).

Under Ash, Drake has enjoyed 13 winning seasons, including 11 years of at least seven wins. Ash, 55, has a 20-year overall collegiate coaching record of 173-99-5 (.634), ranking eighth among NCAA I-AA active football coaches in terms of victories. He ranks No. 17 on the all-time NCAA I-AA coaching victory list. Ash posted a 51-36-3 mark at Juniata (Pa.) College from 1980-88.

Mike Kelly, a 1970 graduate of Manchester, is in his 26th year as head coach at Dayton owning a 234-51-1 record with his winning percentage (.821) the best among any active coach who has been in the profession 20 years or more and is the fourth best all-time (20 years or more experience. Only two active coaches at the Division I level Florida State's Bobby Bowden (359) and Penn State's Joe Paterno (354) entered the 2006 season with more than 200 wins.

LAST TIME IN DAYTON: Drake 13, Dayton 6 (Oct. 30, 2004, Dayton, Ohio) Using a goal line defensive stand on the last play of the game, Drake earned the victory over the No. 1 ranked team in the NCAA 1-AA Mid-Major poll, while also claiming the outright North Division title of the Pioneer Football League.

It marked Drake's second victory in 11 trips to Dayton. Dayton, which had a five-game winning streak snapped, had marched from its own 27 yard line with 1:20 remaining down to the Drake two-yard line before tailback Steve Verthoff fumbled the handoff from quarterback Brandon Staley on the last play of the game. Drake reserve strongside linebacker James Adams recovered the fumble in the endzone.

Drake had 298 yards total offense against a Dayton team that led the NCAA I-AA ranks in total defense, allowing opponents only 211.4 yards per game.

With winds gusting up to more than 50 miles per hour from the south endzone, field position proved crucial. Drake took advantage of the wind in the first and third quarters. A one-yard touchdown plunge by freshman Michael Bialas with 32 seconds left in the first quarter gave Drake a 7-0 lead, while capping a 10-play, 58 yard drive. A 26-yard field goal by junior Tyler McGlade increased the score to 10-0 with 6:23 left in the second quarter. McGlade also made a 25-yard field goal with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

Junior punter Ryan Horvath had five punts for a 42.8 average, including a 67 yarder in the third quarter. Adams, filling in for starter Eric Papp who got injured in the first quarter, had a career-high 13 tackles for Drake, including two tackles for six yards in losses.

Scott Phaydavong became the first freshman in Drake history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season after gaining 87 yards in 16 carries to push his season total to 1,038 yards.

The six points scored by Dayton were the fewest by a Flyers team in a home game since suffering a 42-6 home loss to Yale Sept. 16, 2000.

GRIDIRON CLASSIC DATE MOVED; 2ND PLACE TEAM ELIGIBLE: The Pioneer Football League and Northeast Conference have changed the selection procedures regarding participating teams and the date of the Gridiron Classic.

The Gridiron Classic, an exempted postseason football game that will match the champions of the two I-AA football conferences, originally was scheduled to be played Nov. 18 at the Northeast Conference champion. The date of the game has been moved to Dec. 2, or the second Saturday following Thanksgiving, to provide an opportunity for either leagues regular-season champion to participate in the NCAA I-AA Football Championship as an at-large participant.

Both conferences have agreed in the event the regular-season champion of either conference is selected to participate in the NCAA I-AA Football Championship, the second-place team from the respective conference will be selected to participate in the Gridiron Classic.

The Northeast Conference consists of 11 institutions located throughout five states and is celebrating its 25th year as an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. The NEC began sponsoring football at the I-AA level in 1996, and has since increased its membership from five to eight institutions. Central Connecticut State, Monmouth, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (Penn.) and Wagner are full-time NEC members who sponsor football, and they are joined by associate members Albany and Stony Brook.

DRAKE IN NATIONAL POLLS: Drake fell to No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major poll by The Sports Network, and No. 5 in the Don Hansen's Weekly Football Gazette. The Bulldogs were No. 2 in the Sports Network poll last week and No. 3 in the Football Gazette. San Diego continues to be ranked No. 1 in both polls.

PHAYDAVONG SETS PFL, DRAKE CAREER RECORDS: Junior running back Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East), despite being held to a season low 51 yards rushing by San Diego, did manage to set both a Pioneer Football League and Drake school career rushing mark of 4,206 yards to better the previous record of 4,182 yards held by Drake's Jason Grove from 1995-98

PHAYDAVONG NAMED PFL PLAYER OF WEEK: Drake junior Scott Phaydavong was named the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 16 after rushing for a season-high 242 yards to spur the Bulldogs to a 29-0 victory at Butler.

Phaydavong carried the ball 22 times (11.0 yards per carry). He opened the game with a 67-yard first-quarter touchdown and then set up a fourth-quarter field goal with a 63-yard sprint.He became just the second player in Drake history to rush for more than 4,000 yards in his career, pushing his total to 4,155 yards .

DRAKE IN NCAA STATISTICS RANKINGS: Drake junior Scott Phaydavong is ranked fifth in the nation in rushing in the latest NCAA I-AA football statistics.

Phaydavong, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in six games this fall, has gained 1,117 yards on the ground this season for a 139.6 yard average per game. Senior Justice Hairston of Central Connecticut State leads the nation, averaging 174.7 yards per contest.

Phaydavong also ranks 11th nationally in all-purpose running, averaging 149.3 yards per game. Drake senior defensive end Kevin Jennings (Lockport, Ill.) is ranked fifth in the nation in quarterback sacks, averaging 1.0 per game.

The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 15 in four team categories. Drake is seventh in rushing offense, averaging 226.6 yards per game; 11th in total offense, averaging 400.6 yards; 12th in scoring defense, allowing opponents only 14.5 points per game; and 14th in pass efficiency defense with 102.35 rating points against opponents. The Bulldog defense has held opponents to one touchdown or less in six games.

DRAKE TEAM LEADERS: After seven games, Scott Phaydavong leads Drake with 1,117 yards rushing (5.7 avg.) in 197 carries with six touchdowns. Junior Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo./St. Pius X) has rushed for 358 yards in 55 carries (6.5 avg.), with 10 touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback Derek Retherford (Johnston) had completed 56 of 105 passes for 916 yards, including five touchdowns, in five games before being sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Senior Shea Moroni (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) has caught a team-high 29 passes for 379 yards (13.1 avg.), while senior Tyler Putnam (Oakland/Riverside) has caught 23 passes for 387 yards (16.8 avg.). Junior tight end Dan Marx (Maple Grove, Minn.) follows with 10 receptions for 188 yards (18.8 avg.).

SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED: Junior quarterback Josh Johnson threw two touchdown passes and added an eight-yard scoring run as top-ranked San Diego snapped Drake's six-game winning streak with a 37-0 victory last Saturday.

The Toreros, who are ranked No. 1 in all three NCAA I-AA Mid-Major polls, used a menacing defense to hand Drake its first shutout since 1999 and its first shutout at home since 1991.

The Bulldogs mustered a season low 125 yards total offense. Drake also made just one of 12 third-down conversions. The Toreros had two scoring drives that each took just one play lasting 21 seconds.

After Drake punter BrandonWubs (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) mishandled the snap from center and was thrown for a nine-yard loss back to the Bulldogs' 27 yardline, Johnson rifled an 18-yard touchdown pass to John Matthews on San Diego's first play from scrimmage to push the score to 31-0. Johnson closed out San Diego's scoring with a 64-yard bomb with 5:46 left in the game.

Junior cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) led Drake with eight tackles and sophomore safety Andy Green (Atlantic, Iowa). Senior linebacker Nick Ross (Atlantic) and Brian Conway (Waukee, Iowa) added seven tackles apiece.

The last time Drake had been shutout occurred Nov. 20, 1999 at Western Illinois, 24-0. The last time the Bulldogs had been blanked at home was by Dayton, 13-0, Oct. 12, 1991.

QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE: Sophomore redshirt Cole Ingle (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) became the third player to start at quarterback for Drake this fall, when he played against San Diego. Ingle completed 12 of 27 passes for 125 yards. Sophomore redshirt Derek Retherford (Johnston, Iowa) started the first five games before suffering a season-ending torn ligament in his right elbow during a 33-7 homecoming victory against Morehead State Sept. 30. Retherford was ranked No. 34th in the NCAA I-AA in passing efficiency with 130.90 rating points. He had completed 56 of 105 passes for 916 yards, including five touchdowns.

Freshman redshirt Ben Ostermann (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Schaumburg) started at signal caller against Waldorf and Butler. Ostermann, who was the first freshman to start at quarterback for Drake since 1999, passed for 172 yards in his debut against Waldorf.

Ingle was battling Retherford for the starting position last spring before suffering a broken hand. He was cleared by team physicians to rejoin the team Oct. 2 and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City, Iowa/West) in the fourth quarter against Waldorf.

RED ZONE DEFENSE: Drake's defense has played its best when opponents have marched inside the Bulldogs' 20 yardline. Opponents have converted 55 percent of their opportunities in the redzone, scoring on 11 of 20 possessions. Going a step further opponents have converted just 40 percent of their opportunities in the redzone in the last seven games, scoring on only six of 15 chances.

STARTERS BY CLASS: Just six seniors started for the Bulldogs against San Diego. Receivers Shea Moroni and Tyler Putnam were the lone senior offensive starters. The offense featured eight junior starters (LT-Dave Pammer; LG-Marco Povich; OC-Matt Huber; RG-Anthony Swope; RT-Matt Haas; HB-Scott Phaydavong, FB-Willie Cashmore) while quarterback Cole Ingle and tight end Blake Fuller were sophomore starters.

Defensively, Drake started four seniors (DE-Kevin Jennings; SLB-James Adams, MLB-Brian Conway; WLB-Nick Ross), five juniors (DE-Cody Shelley-DE, Jake Ramos-NG, Tyler Marley-CB, Jacob Craig-FS, Paul Collins-CB), one sophomore (Andy Green-SS) and one freshman (DE-Andrew Asbell).

BALANCED ATTACK KEYS WIN AT BUTLER: Drake used a balanced running attack and a swarming defense to earn a convincing 29-0 victory at Butler Oct. 14

Drake's defense dominated the line of scrimmage, holding Butler to just 49 yards rushing in 23 carries. For the second straight game, Drake's defense recorded a safety when senior linebacker Jimmy Adams (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) sacked Butler quarterback T.J. Brown in his own endzone with 4:51 left in the game.
Behind the running of juniors Scott Phaydavong and Willie Cashmore, Drake totaled 311 yards on the ground against Butler. Drake racked up 445 yards total offense, while Butler could muster only 177 yards.Phaydavong enjoyed his sixth straight 100-yard plus rushing game by netting a season-high 242 yards in just 22 carries. Cashmore gained 67 yards on the ground with scoring runs of seven and four yards in the second quarter. On Drake's seventh offensive play of the game, Phaydavong broke loose on a 67-yard run, sprinting down the left sideline before crossing midfield at the Butler 35 yardline to outrace three defenders into the endzone.

Sophomore Logan Rees (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) rounded out Drake's scoring with field goals of 37 and 38 yards in the fourth quarter. Rees' first field goal was set up following a 63 yard burst by Phaydavong down to the Butler 21 yardline.

Freshman redshirt Ben Ostermann (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) made his second straight start at quarterback, passing for 107 yards in three quarters. Sophomore Cole Ingle played the entire fourth quarter at quarterback, completing two of three passes for 27 yards. Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City, Iowa/West) and Zach Brower (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) each caught three passes for Drake.

Adams finished with a team-high eight tackles, including six solo hits. Linebacker Brian Conway added seven tackles for Drake, including two stops for nine yards in losses along with a three-yard quarterback sack. Defensive tackle Nick Rappa also had a pass interception.

RUNNING DUO, DEFENSE SPUR VICTORY: Willie Cashmore rushed for three touchdowns as Drake romped to a 35-3 victory past Waldorf Oct. 7. The Bulldogs rolled up 518 yards total offense, including 301 on the ground. Drake's Scott Phaydavong enjoyed his fifth straight 100-yard plus rushing game with 182 yards in 32 carries. Cashmore, who gained 47 yards on the ground in 11 carries, had scoring runs of three, two and one yards.

Waldorf dug itself a hole in the first quarter as a result of sloppy play by its special teams. After forcing Drake to punt on its opening possession, the Warriors' Erskinte Henderson fumbled the punt return with the Bulldogs' Calen Hunt (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield) recovering at the Waldorf 28 yardline.

A 24-yard field goal by Logan Rees (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) gave Drake a 3-0 lead with 12:36 left in the first quarter. Rees added a 28-yard field goal with 54 seconds left in the first half to give Drake a 22-0 intermission lead.

The Bulldogs also recorded a safety with 8:58 left in the first quarter when Drake defender Ryan Scott (Elmhust, Ill./York) tackled Waldorf punter Aaron Kurowksi in his own endzone after fielding a fumbled snap from center.

JUST GETTING DEFENSIVE: Drake's defense held Waldorf to just 188 yards total offense, including 38 yards rushing in 20 attempts, while also forcing the Warriors into three turnovers. Senior linebacker Nick Ross (Atlantic, Iowa) and junior cornerback Tyler Marley (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) each had pass interceptions for Drake.

Senior linebacker Jimmy Adams led Drake with eight tackles, including 2 1/2 tackles for seven yards in losses, while also breaking up a pass. Ross added seven tackles.Keving Jennings had a 12-yard quarterback sack, while freshman Andrew Asbell (Machesney Park, Ill.).

RUSHING DUO, STINGY DEFENSE KEY VICTORY: Running backs Willie Cashmore and Scott Phaydavong each rushed for more than 100 yards, while a stingy defense held an opponent to just one touchdown for the fourth straight game, as Drake rolled to a 33-7 Pioneer Football League victory past Morehead State Sept. 30.

Drake gained 480 yards total offense. It marked the first time since 1949 that Drake has held its opponents to seven points or less during a four-game winning streak.

Cashmore, who had rushed for just 91 yards in Drake's first four games, netted a career-high 139 yards on the ground in just six carries. He had touchdown runs of two and 74 yards. He also broke loose for a 53-yard run on Drake's second possession of the game.

Phaydavong, who entered the game ranked ninth in the NCAA I-AA in rushing, enjoyed his fourth straight 100-yard plus rushing game by galloping for 130 yards in 28 carries. He capped a seven-play, 72-yard scoring march with a 42-yard touchdown jaunt with 7:51 left in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs a 24-0 cushion. It also marked the 20th career 100-yard plus rushing game for Phaydavong.

Logan Rees made his first two field goals of the season from 36 and 34 yards. Derek Retherford rifled a 20-yard touchdown pass to Shea Moroni with 1:09 left in second quarter, giving Drake a 17-0 lead. Retherford passed for 209 yards with Tyler Putnam catching a team high five passes for 144 yards.

LINEBACKERS LEAD DEFENSE: Senior linebackers James Adams and Nick Ross led Drake against Morehead State with 10 tackles apiece. Adams also forced a fumble and had three tackles totaling eight yards in losses.

Senior defensive end Kevin Jennings and senior linebacker Brian Conway (Waukee, Iowa) added two quarterback sacks apiece for Drake. Reserve Cole Douglas (Lawrence, Kan.) thwarted a Morehead State scoring drive with an interception at the Drake 27 yardline late in the fourth quarter.

JOHNNY BRIGHT FIELD DEDICATION: Drake formally dedicated the Johnny Bright Field during special pregame ceremonies in conjunction with Drake's Sept. 30 homecoming.The Field Turf football field at renovated Drake Stadium will be known as "Johnny Bright Field", recognizing the greatest football player in Bulldog history. Bright, who finished fifth in balloting for the 1951 Heisman Trophy, is the only Drake player inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame.

His running and passing wizardry enabled him to lead the NCAA in total offense in 1949 and 1950, setting an NCAA record of 2,400 yards in 1950 for a per game average of 266.7 yards, which also was an NCAA record. He also set the NCAA career total offense record of 5,983 yards. Bright concluded his collegiate career playing in the East-West Shrine All-Star game and the Hula Bowl. Bright, who died of a heart attack in 1983 at the age of 53, set 20 Drake records in football, basketball and track from 1949-51.

IOWA'S BEST CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION: The 1981 Drake football team, which became the first Iowa Division I school to win 10 games in a season, also held a 25-year reunion in conjunction with the Bulldogs' homecoming Sept. 30 game against Morehead State.Drake posted a school-record 10-1 mark under Coach Chuck Shelton and was co-champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake won its first seven games to open the season, including an 18-17 victory at Kansas State.

UNSUNG HERO SEALS PFL OPENING VICTORY: A 14-yard interception return for a touchdown by reserve linebacker Phillip Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran) with 26 seconds left sealed Drake's 21-7 Pioneer Football League opening victory at Valparaiso Sept. 23.Williams' heroics were part of a defensive unit that held Valparaiso to just one touchdown after the Crusaders had opened their PFL season with a 42-35 victory at Morehead State Sept. 16.

Clinging to a 14-7 lead with 48 seconds left, Drake was forced to punt giving Valparaiso one final opportunity to tie the game. But on a third-down situation, quarterback Ryan Doerffler's pass was intercepted by Williams, a fifth-year senior who only plays nickel back in pass defense situations.

Drake's Scott Phaydavong had a game-high 128 yards on the ground in 27 carries.Drake grabbed a 7-0 lead, marching 66 yards in just six plays on its opening drive climaxed by Phaydavong sprinting 16 yards along the right sideline for a touchdown with 12:34 left in the first quarter.

After Valparaiso tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter, Drake responded with a six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. A seven-yard scoring run by junior Willie Cashmore with 1:47 left in the second quarter gave Drake a 14-7 advantage it would never relinquish. Derek Retherford completed 12 of 22 passes for 166 yards with tight end Daniel Marx and receiver Tyler Putnam each snaring four receptions.

THE DEFENSE RESTS: Drake's defense recorded three quarterback sacks against Valparaiso's Ryan Doerffler, who entered the game ranked third in the NCAA I-AA in passing efficiency. Drake's secondary also broke up a season-high nine passes.

Drake sophomore strong safety Andy Green (Atlantic, Iowa) also thwarted a Valparaiso scoring drive by Doerffler at the Bulldogs' seven yardline early in the third quarter. Junior cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) led Drake with 10 tackles, including nine solo hits. Senior linebacker Nick Ross collected nine tackles, including five solo hits. Senior linebacker Jimmy Adams had eight tackles, including seven solo hits.

DRAKE IN PFL OPENERS: Since the first year of the Pioneer Football League in 1993, Drake has posted a 9-5 record (3-4 road/6-1 home) in its league openers.

FRESHMAN WALKER WINS NATIONAL AWARD: Freshman defensive back Stacey Walker (Cedar Rapids Washington) won the Boys and Girls Club of America National Youth of the Year award, which was announced Sept. 20 at a Congressional Breakfast in Washington D.C.

Walker, a business law major at Drake, appeared on the Sept. 21 NBC Today Show. Walker and the other regional finalists met President George W. Bush Sept. 22.

Earlier, Walker was named the Boys and Girls Club of America 2006 Midwest Regional Youth of the Year. The Youth of the Year program, nationally sponsored by the Reader's Digest Foundation since its inception, is in its 59th year. The program recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, academic excellence, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome. In order to reach the national level of the competition, all five teens garnered the Youth of the Year title at their respective local, state and regional levels. The Reader's Digest Foundation awarded each state finalist with a $1,000 college scholarship and each regional finalist a $10,000 college scholarship.

SHELLEY ON ROLL: Junior defensive end Cody Shelley (West Des Moines/Valley) made his first college start against Wisconsin-Platteville, collecting five tackles, including three solo hits, while also breaking up a pass.

Shelley led Drake with two quarterback sacks, totaling 15 yards in losses, at Valparaiso. Shelley, who has replaced the injured Josh Duvall (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest), in the lineup, finished with four tackles at Valparaiso.

GOODWIN RETURNS TO LINEUP: Drake senior fullback Matt Goodwin (Cambridge, Ill.) rejoined the team prior to the Sept. 16 game against Wisconsin-Platteville after missing the first two games because of mononucleosis. In his 2006 debut Goodwin gained 39 yards rushing in seven carries, while also catching two passes for 28 yards. He has rushed for 356 yards during his career with three touchdowns. His return allowed redshirt sophomore Blake Fuller (Cambridge, Iowa) to move back to his normal tight end position.

AMONG NCAA I-AA LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (535) among the 123 schools which play NCAA Division I-AA football. Only 22 schools have recorded 500 or more victories. The game with San Diego will be the 1,031st game in school history with Drake owning a record of 535-466-29 for a winning percentage of .532.