DRAKE BULLDOGS (2-1) at VALPARAISO CRUSADERS (2-1)
1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006
Brown Field (5,000), Valparaiso, Ind.

GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake, riding a two-game winning streak, will open the Pioneer Football League season Saturday traveling to upstart Valparaiso which is just one win shy from matching its entire victory output last year.

Valparaiso, picked to finish seventh in the preseason PFL coaches poll, opened its league schedule last Saturday with an impressive come-from-behind victory at Morehead State, 42-35. Morehead State had advanced to the 2005 PFL Championship game before bowing to San Diego, 47-40.

RADIO: Saturday's game at Valparaiso will be broadcast on KRNT Radio (1350 AM) with Scott Pierce handling the play by play and Drake sports information director Mike Mahon providing commentary.

DRAKE IN PFL OPENERS: Since the first year of the Pioneer Football League in 1993, Drake has posted an 8-5 record (2-4 road/6-1 home) in its conference openers. This will mark the first time the Bulldogs have opened PFL play on the road since dropping a 41-35 verdict at San Diego to open the 2003 PFL campaign.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Junior quarterback Ryan Doerffler, who is one of 15 returning starters from last year's team which posted a 3-8 record, ranks third in NCAA I-AA in passing efficiency with 173.83 rating points. He has completed 32 of 64 passes for 653 yards, including eight touchdowns.

Redshirt sophomore Steve Ogden ranks second in the NCAA I-AA in receiving yards per game (143.0) while catching 15 passes for 429 yards, including six touchdowns.

Doerffler threw a 79-yard game winning touchdown pass to Ogden with 31 seconds left at Morehead State.

Valparaiso rolled up 419 yards total offense at Morehead State with Doerffler throwing three touchdown passes, including two to Ogden.

What was even more impressive is that Valparaiso won the game without the services of senior Jeff Horton, a The Sports Network and Football Gazette preseason All-American, who is the school's career rushing leader with 2,326 yards. Horton, who has a foot injury and is probably done for the year, set Valparaiso's single-season rushing record with 1,358 yards last year. He had rushed for 261 yards in 40 carries (6.5 avg.) this fall, while tying a school record with four touchdowns in a season opening 54-0 victory at Wisconsin Lutheran.

Sophomore outside linebacker Ryan Koepke, one of six returning defensive starters, leads the Crusaders with 25 tackles, including three tackles for 10 yards in losses, along with a seven-yard quarterback sack.

THE SERIES: Drake owns a 10-3 series lead against Valparaiso but last year's 49-24 road victory was the first by the Bulldogs in Valparaiso since the 1997 campaign. Drake has won just one of its last four trips to Valparaiso dating back to 1999.Drake dropped a 51-45 overtime setback at Valparaiso in 2003. The two teams combined to gain 1,262 yards total offense with Drake collecting a league season-high 691 yards, including 389 yards passing.

LAST YEAR: Drake 49, Valparaiso 24 (Nov. 5, 2005, Valparaiso, Ind.) Senior quarterback Connor Jostes threw two touchdown passes and scored on a two-yard plunge to key Drake in its 2005 Pioneer Football League finale.

Running back Scott Phaydavong and wide receiver Tyler Putnam also added touchdowns apiece. For the third time this season, senior kicker Ryan Horvath was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging a season best 47.4 yards on five punts, including a long of 54 yards. He also landed four punts inside Valparaiso's 20 yardline.

Phaydavong enjoyed his seventh straight 100-yard plus rushing game, by galloping for 175 yards in 22 carries. Touchdown runs of 24 and 27 yards from Phaydavong staked Drake to a 14-7 lead with 3:25 left in the first quarter.

Drake rolled up 497 yards total offense with Jostes passing for 217 yards. Jostes was at his best in directing a 14-play, 98-yard scoring drive in the second quarter that extended Drake's lead to
21-7. He rushed twice for 13 yards in the march, while completing three passes for 54 yards and converting three third-down situations.

Jostes added a two-yard touchdown plunge in the third quarter and connected on a 35-yard touchdown pass to reserve Bryan Belville with 7:59 left in the game.

Putnam scored his first two touchdowns of the season at Valparaiso, completed a 17-yard pass and even recorded a tackle on punt return coverage. Jostes rifled a five-yard touchdown pass to Putnam with 8:23 left in the second quarter.

Putnam rounded out Drake's first-half fireworks with a 43-yard end around reverse for a touchdown that extended the Bulldogs' lead to 28-17.

Putnam played a pivotal role in setting up a Drake touchdown in the second half. Facing a punting situation on fourth down and seven at the Valparaiso 37 yardline, Drake converted a fake punt into an eventual touchdown. Putnam, the up back, took the center snap and threw a 17-yard pass to Michael Bialas to the 20 yardline. Five plays later, Bialas scored on a one-yard touchdown burst to give Drake a 42-17 advantage.

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 118-62-2 record (46-43-1 road/ 72-19-1 home).

Under Ash, Drake has enjoyed 12 winning seasons, including 11 years of at least seven wins. Ash, 55, has a 20-year overall collegiate coaching record of 169-98-5 (.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.

Stacy Adams, a 1990 graduate of Northwest Missouri State, is in his second year as head football coach with a 5-9 record. He was promoted to head coach at Valparaiso in late July of 2005 after serving as an assistant coach at the school since 1991. The Gary, Ind., native has served as offensive coordinator for the Crusaders for nine years. He was instrumental in Valparaiso winning the 2003 Pioneer Football League crown with the team ranking sixth nationally in total offense (447.5 yards per game).

DRAKE IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: Drake remained at No. 7 in the latest NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major poll by The Sports Network. But the Bulldogs did jump from No. 11 to No. 8 in Don Hansen's Weekly Football Gazette NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major poll. The Bulldogs entered their season opener, ranking fifth in both preseason polls.

San Diego, the choice to win the Pioneer Football League title in the recent coaches preseason poll, was ranked No. 1 in The Sports Network poll, while Central Connecticut State was ranked No. 1 atop the Football Gazette poll. Valparaiso is ranked No. 9 in both polls.

DRAKE TEAM LEADERS: After three games, junior running back Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East) leads Drake with 384 yards rushing (5.6 avg.) in 69 carries with three touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Derek Retherford (Johnston) has completed 35 of 61 passes for 541 yards, including four touchdowns.

Senior Shea Moroni (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) has caught a team-high 14 passes for 194 yards (13.9 avg.), while senior Tyler Putnam (Oakland/Riverside) has caught seven passes for 119 yards (17.0 avg.). Junior tight end Dan Marx (Maple Grove, Minn.) follows with five receptions for 90 yards (18.0 avg.).

SHELLEY MAKES FIRST START: 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 replaced Josh Duvall (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) who was injured.

GOODWIN RETURNS TO LINEUP: Drake senior fullback Matt Goodwin (Cambridge, Ill.) rejoined the team last week 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.

BALANCED ATTACK KEYS 35-7 VICTORY: In a final tuneup before opening the Pioneer Football League season, the Drake football team rolled up 453 yards total offense en route to an impressive 35-7 home romp past Wisconsin-Platteville last Saturday.

Sophomore quarterback Derek Retherford threw two touchdown passes, while junior redshirt fullback Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo./St. Pius X) had touchdown runs of two and one yards.

Junior running back Scott Phaydavong enjoyed his 18th career 100-yard plus rushing by netting 106 yards on the ground in 26 carries.

The Bulldogs scored on their first possession, marching 80 yards in 12 plays capped by Retherford throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Putnam with 9:24 left in the first quarter.

On the second play of the second quarter Retherford spotted Putnam open for a 53-yard pass to the Wisconsin-Platteville 41. Five plays later Retherford teamed up with senior Shea Moroni on a 13-yard scoring strike.

Retherford completed 15 of 22 passes for a career-high 250 yards, while Moroni caught a career-high seven passes for 112 yards. Putnam snared five passes for 102 yards.

Senior DeCarlos Love (Minneapolis, Minn.) rounded out Drake's scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run with 3:01 left in the game, capping a 13-play, 75-yard scoring march.

THREE AND OUT: Drake had just three offensive possessions in the second half, but made the most by scoring on each drive. The time consuming drives were eight plays, 65 yards; 12 plays, 86 yards and 13 plays, 75 yards. Drake's final scoring drive lasted 7 minutes 44 seconds, while the other second-half scoring drives were 3:18 and 5:34.

DEFENSE FORCES 4 TURNOVERS: For the second straight game, Drake's defense forced an opponent into four turnovers

Drake's defense forced Wisconsin-Platteville into four turnovers with nose guard Jake Ramos (Waterloo, Neb.) and redshirt freshman Augustine Agyei (Aurora, Colo.) intercepting passes.

Sophomore free safety Andy Green (Atlantic, Iowa) collected a career-high 14 tackles, including 11 solo hits, for Drake.

Sophomore defensive back Jacob Craig (Mount Vernon, Iowa) added a career-high 12 tackles, including 10 solo hits, while forcing a fumble. Senior linebacker James Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) had 11 tackles, including seven solo hits, while recovering a fumble. Sophomore Justin Colbert (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk) also recovered a fumble for the Bulldogs.

FRESHMAN WALKER FINALIST FOR NATIONAL AWARD: Freshman defensive back Stacey Walker (Cedar Rapids Washington) is one of five finalists for the Boys and Girls Club of America National Youth of the Year award, which will be announced Wednesday at a Congressional Breakfast.

Earlier, Walker was named the Boys and Girls Club of America 2006 Midwest Regional Youth of the Year.

Walker, a business law major at Drake, will appear on the 7:30 a.m. segment of Thursday's NBC Today Show. On Friday Walker and the other regional finalists are scheduled to meet President George Bush.

Walker has been in Washington D.C. since Monday. He has been participating in a series of one-on-one interviews with judges, while meeting with senators and congressmen from Iowa.

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.

ATLANTIC DUO SPARK WIN: The Drake defense forced Upper Iowa into four turnovers en route to a 40-7 home victory Sept. 9 with the Atlantic, Iowa, duo of sophomore strong safety Andy Green and senior linebacker Nick Ross each intercepting passes.

Junior free safety Jacob Craig led Drake's defense with nine tackles, including seven solo hits. Green added six solo hits. Sophomore linebacker Jeremy Gehl (Naperville, Ill.) also recovered a fumble. Redshirt linebacker Calen Hunt (Littleton, Colo.) added five tackles, while forcing a fumble.

A fumble recovery by Drake senior strongside linebacker James Adams at the Bulldog 16 yardline stopped an Upper Iowa drive midway through the second half.

Drake took advantage with an 11-play, 84-yard scoring drive climaxed by a 31-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Derek Retherford to redshirt junior Brandon Millard (Mason City) with 2:33 left in the first half.

DEPTH PAYS OFF: Junior redshirt Clay Cleveland (Tinley Park, Ill.) and redshirt freshman Mason Bucklin (Solon) rounded out Drake's scoring against Upper Iowa with touchdown runs of 40 and nine yards, respectively, in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland rushed for a career-high 61 yards in seven carries, while freshman redshirt Will Yocius (Fox River Grove, Ill.) had career high 60 yards on the ground in two carries.

PLAYING THE BEST: When Drake opened the season against Northern Iowa, which finished runner-up in the 2005 NCAA I-AA playoffs, it marked the eighth straight year that Drake, a nonscholarship NCAA I-AA program, played a fully-funded NCAA I-AA scholarship team from the Gateway Football Conference.

Drake played at Western Illinois in 1999 and 2002 and traveled to Southern Illinois in 2000; Missouri State in 2001 and 2004; Illinois State in 2003 and Northern Iowa in 2005. Drake did manage a 31-7 victory against Florida Atlantic, a fully-funded NCAA I-AA program, in 2001.

AMONG NCAA I-AA LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (531) among the 123 schools which play NCAA Division I-AA football. Only 22 schools have recorded 500 or more victories.

The game at Valparaiso will be the 1,026th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 531-465-29 for a winning percentage of .532.

PFL COACHES PICK DRAKE THIRD: Drake was picked to finish third in the Pioneer Football League Preseason Coaches' Poll.

San Diego, receiving five of the eight possible first-place votes, was picked to defend its league title, while tallying 45 points. Dayton was selected a close second with 43 points, while earning two first-place votes. Morehead State was picked for fourth followed by Jacksonville, Davidson, Valparaiso and Butler.

For the first time in league history, all eight Pioneer Football League teams will play one another in a round-robin format, beginning Sept. 16 when Valparaiso visits Morehead State. The league championship will be determined by regular-season play with the champion meeting the Northeast Conference champion in the first Gridiron Classic.

DRAKE STADIUM RENOVATION: After being forced to play four home games on two neutral sites last year, the Bulldogs welcome a return to the friendly confines of Drake Stadium this fall.

The 81-year-old Drake Stadium underwent a $15 million renovation which included repairing the stadium's structure; making improvements in seating, restrooms and concession stands; a new artificial grass field by Field Turf for football and soccer; permanent lighting by Musco; a new scoreboard located on the northeast corner of the stadium; renovation of the press box; a new Mondo track surface and throwing venues for the javelin, discus and hammer throws directly north of the stadium.

Since the 1992 season, the Bulldogs have accumulated a 58-12-1 home record at Drake Stadium for an 83.8 winning percentage. The Bulldogs' seven-game home schedule marks the most games played at Drake Stadium since the 2004 campaign.

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, will hold a 25-year reunion in conjunction with the Bulldogs' homecoming game against Morehead State Sept. 30.

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 Colorado.

JOHNNY BRIGHT FIELD: The new 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 wizardy 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. Drake plans to formally dedicate Johnny Bright Field during the Sept. 30 homecoming game against Morehead State.

IF YOU BUILD IT...: A crowd of 10,107 the most to watch a Bulldogs' home game during their 20-year nonscholarship period attended the Aug. 31 season opener at Drake Stadium which underwent a $15 million renovation that included permanent lighting and a new FieldTurf playing surface.

The previous attendance record for a Drake home game during its nonscholarship era of football was 7,908 fans against Dayton Oct. 11, 1997.

The biggest crowd ever to watch Drake play during its nonscholarship era was 33,827 Sept. 20 when the Bulldogs earned a 23-22 victory at South Florida. The game was played in Tampa, Fla.

UNI SPOILS OPENER: Terrell Allen returned the game's opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown as Northern Iowa spoiled Drake's season opener in the newly renovated Drake Stadium last Thursday night with a 48-7 victory.

The Panthers rolled up 448 yards total offense with sophomore Corey Lewis pacing the attack with touchdown runs of two and 12 yards. Lewis finished with a game-high 105 yards on the ground in 11 carries.

Northern Iowa, which finished runner-up in the 2006 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, was making its first appearance at Drake Stadium since 1985.

Northern Iowa scored on its first four possessions to enjoy a 24-0 lead before sophomore quarterback Derek Retherford spotted Shea Moroni open for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 4:01 left in the second quarter to account for Drake's lone touchdown.

Drake did march from its own 20 down to the Northern Iowa 14 yardline to start the second half before sophomore Logan Rees (West Des Moines Valley) missed a 31-yard field goal.

Retherford, making his first collegiate start, passed for 173 yards for Drake. Moroni caught five passes for 61 yards, while junior tight end Daniel Marx had four receptions for 69 yards. Junior All-American Scott Phaydavong rushed for 94 yards in 25 carries against Northern Iowa.

DUO PACE DEFENSE: Senior linebacker James Adams and junior cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids Washington) led Drake with nine and eight tackles, respectively. Collins, a converted running back, was making his first collegiate start at cornerback. Junior free safety Jacob Craig recovered a fumble for the Bulldogs.
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SEASON OPENERS: Following a 48-7 loss to Northern Iowa, the Bulldogs sport a 66-41-6 record (.628) in season openers. Drake owns an 8-8-2 record (5-2-1 home/3-6-1 road) in season openers during Rob Ash's 18-year coaching tenure at the school. Drake has lost its last six season openers all of which were played against scholarship opponents: Truman State, 40-29, 2001; Western Illinois, 64-7, 2002; at Illinois State, 27-13, 2003; at Missouri State, 31-26, 2004; at Northern Iowa, 52-17, 2005; and the 2006 opener against Northern Iowa, 48-7.

LEADERS UNDER THE LIGHTS: Drake will play five of its seven home games under the lights this season.

Did you know that Drake was the first college to install permanent lighting for its football field? The first game was Oct. 6, 1928, with the Bulldogs beating Simpson, 41-6. White footballs were used in the early years before lighting became more intensified.

2006 CO-CAPTAINS: Senior linebacker Nick Ross and senior wide receiver Shea Moronihave been named co-captains of the 2006 Drake football team.Ross, who also served as co-captain in 2005, is entering his third year as a starter at weakside linebacker. He earned All-Pioneer Football League North Division honorable mention honors in 2004, while leading Drake with 94 tackles, including a team-high 57 solo hits. He ranked second on the team in tackles last year with 77, including 50 solo hits, while intercepting one pass and recovering two fumbles.

Moroni has caught 67 passes for 789 yards, including six touchdowns, during his career as a three-year letterwinner. He was Drake's second leading receiver last season, snaring 22 passes for 302 yards including three touchdowns.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Drake senior linebacker James Adams, junior offensive lineman Dave Pammer (Frankfort, Ill.) and junior running back Scott Phaydavong have been named to the Football Gazette NCAA I-AA Mid-Major Preseason All-America team, as well as The Sports Network 2006 I-AA Mid-Major Preseason All-America football team. Adams, Pammer and Phaydavong all earned first-team All-Pioneer Football League North Division playing honors last year.

Phaydavong ranked second in the NCAA I-AA in rushing last year with 1,550 yards with eight touchdowns in just 204 carries (7.6 avg.). Phaydavong led the Pioneer Football League in rushing for the second straight year and enjoyed eight straight 100-yard-plus rushing games to close out the 2005 season. He set the Drake school single-season nonscholarship rushing record despite playing in two fewer games and carrying the ball 30 fewer times.

Adams, who is in his third year as a starter, was named Drake's defensive player of the year last season. He led the Bulldogs with 88 tackles last year, including 66 solo hits, three quarterback sacks for 32 yards in losses, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Pammer is in his third season as a starter on the offensive line. He started at center in 2004 before moving to guard last year. He will start at tackle this fall.

IOWA FLAVOR: The 2006 Drake roster includes 38 players from Iowa, including nine who will start against Northern Iowa: quarterback Derek Retherford (Johnston), halfback Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East), flanker Tyler Putnam (Oakland/Riverside), offensive tackle Matt Haas (Iowa City West), middle linebacker Brian Conway (Waukee), weakside linebacker Nick Ross (Atlantic), free safety Jacob Craig (Mount Vernon), strong safety Andy Green (Atlantic) and cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids Washington).

SIZING UP THE ROSTER: There are 101 players on the Drake football roster, including just 10 seniors, 24 juniors, 13 sophomores and 54 freshmen (20 redshirts). There are players from eight states: 38 from Iowa, 30 from Illinois, 18 from Missouri, six from Colorado, four from Minnesota, three from Kansas, and one each from Maryland and Nebraska.

STARTERS BY CLASS: Just six seniors started for the Bulldogs against Wisconsin-Platteville. 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; TE-Dan Marx; HB-Scott Phaydavong, FB-Willie Cashmore) while quarterback Derek Retherford was the lone sophomore starter.

Defensively, Drake started four seniors (DE-Kevin Jennings; SLB-James Adams, MLB-Brian Conway; WLB-Nick Ross), five juniors (DE-Cody Shelley, DT-Jake Ramos, CB-Tyler Marley, CB-Poul Collins, FS-Jacob Craig) along with sophomore Andy Green at free safety and freshman Andrew Asbell at defensive end.

LAOTIAN CONNECTION: Junior running back Scott Phaydavong is from a close-knit family 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."

WHAT'S IN STORE: Head Football Coach Rob Ash is counting on the return to familiar, but upgraded surroundings, to ignite Drake in the Pioneer Football League which will play a round-robin seven-game schedule for the first time in the 14-year history of the league.Two of Drake's three league home games will be against San Diego and Morehead State which battled in the Pioneer Football League championship game last year.

Thirty-eight letterwinners, including 14 starters, will try to help Drake regain the fortunes it encountered during the 2004 season when the Bulldogs posted a 10-2 record en route to winning the PFL championship.

Graduation claimed just two starters on offense but one hole will hold the key toward the Bulldogs' progress this fall.All attention will be focused on finding a replacement for departed three-year starting quarterback Connor Jostes, who passed for 6,445 yards in his career, including 59 touchdowns.Sophomore Derek Retherford is in his first year as starting quarterback.

The return of four starters on the offensive line, headed by junior Dave Pammer, a first-team All-Pioneer Football League choice who has moved from guard to tackle, should make the transition for the first-year signal caller go smooth. Other returning veterans up front are juniors Matt Huber (center), Matt Haas (tackle) and Anthony Swope (guard), while junior Daniel Marx should continue to blossom at tight end after catching six touchdowns last season.

That group will pave the way for a potent offense headed by junior Scott Phaydavong, who led the PFL for the second straight year with 1,550 yards rushing, including eight touchdowns in just 204 carries for a whopping 7.6 avg. He set the Drake nonscholarship single-season rushing mark despite playing in two fewer games.For the second consecutive year the speedster enjoyed eight 100-yard plus rushing games, highlight by a pair of 200-yard rushing efforts against Wisconsin-Platteville (234) and league champion San Diego (a career-high 244). Senior Matt Goodwin returns at fullback, along with junior Willie Cashmore who also will see action at tight end.

The 6-foot 3-inch Marx has developed into one of the top tight ends in the PFL, averaging 21.3 yards per reception, with his role expanding even more this fall in Drake's offensive attack.The team's top eight receivers from a year ago are back, led by senior Tyler Putnam, a two-year starter who caught a team-high 28 passes last year, and senior co-captain Shea Moroni who snared 22 receptions.

TRIO KEYS DEFENSE: Senior linebacker Jimmy Adams, who led the team with 88 tackles en route to earning first-team All-PFL honors last year, spearheads a defense which has five starters back. Drake coach Rob Ash calls Adams, middle linebacker Brian Conway, and weakside linebacker Nick Ross, the best balanced trio that he has encountered during his tenure at Drake. Ross, a co-captain, and Conway, also are entering their third year as starters.Junior cornerback Tyler Marley and sophomore strong safety Andy Green are holdovers in the secondary.