DRAKE (5-2, 2-1 PF) at DAVIDSON (3-3,1-2PFL)

Saturday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m. (Central time), Richardson Stadium, Davidson, N.C.

RADIO: KRNT RADIO (1350)

VIDEO STREAM: Live video of the football game can be seen on //www.davidsonwildcats.com  through the all-access package.

GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake concludes a treacherous coast-to-coast trip, in which it will have traveled more than 5,660 miles in two weeks, when it visits Davidson Saturday night.

Drake will be trying to rebound from a 59-19 setback at two-time defending Pioneer Football League champion San Diego last Saturday. Davidson is trying to snap a two-game losing streak following a 49-21 home loss to Morehead State and a 38-28 loss at Dayton last Saturday.

THE LITTLE ENGINE WHO...: Drake already has opened eyes with a 27-24 season opening victory at Illinois State, a fully-funded scholarship program, which was ranked No. 7 in the preseason Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision poll.

Drake has annually played the nation's strongest mid-major schedule and developments during the last four weeks can serve as testimony.

South Florida (6-0) has vaulted to No. 2 in the both the latest Associated Press and Bowl Championship Series football polls.

Just 10 years ago Drake, while still a nonscholarship team, earned a 23-22 victory against that same South Florida program before a crowd of 33,827 at Tampa Stadium.

On Sept. 15 Florida Atlantic beat Minnesota, 42-39. The Bulldogs beat Florida Atlantic, 31-7, Oct. 6, 2001 in Drake Stadium.

BRANDING 101: Three classifications ? Division I-A, I-AA and I-AAA ? used to differentiate the administration of a school's football program. During the off-season the use of new Division I football labels was introduced. Division I-AA, which Drake competes in, is now called the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

DRAKE SLIPS TO NO. 4 IN MID-MAJOR POLL: Drake slipped to No. 4 in the latest Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision Mid-Major poll with 205 points. The University of San Diego, receiving all 30 first-place votes, remained No. 1 for the fourth straight week. Dayton was ranked No. 2 followed by Central Connecticut State, Drake, Wagner, Albany, Duquesne, Iona, Morehead State and Robert Morris.

Drake was No. 5 in the Don Hansen Football Gazette Mid-Major poll.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Senior quarterback Ryan Alexander needs 314 yards to become Davidson's all-time passing leader at 5,823. He needs 249 yards to become the school's career leader in total offense at 6,069. He set school single-season records in 2006 in passing yardage (2,581) and total offense (2,766). Alexander threw for 293 yards at Dayton, including a five-yard scoring strike to Kirk Konert. Senior Ryan Hubbard had 10 receptions for 138 yards.

Senior left tackle George Zoeckler will be making his 27th straight start on the offensive line. Junior Chad Barnes rushed for a career-high 170 yards, including a two-yard touchdown burst, in a season opening 31-21 victory against UNC Pembroke.

Senior cornerback Pat FitzGerald earned first-team All-PFL honors last year, and has two fumble recoveries this fall. Junior nose guard Will Funderburg is a three-year starter on a defensive line which starts two sophomores.

Davidson is tied with Valparaiso for the PFL lead in turnovers at 17, having committed four miscues at Dayton last Saturday which led to 14 points.

Trip Merritt, a 1990 graduate of Charlotte, is in is third season as head coach at Davidson owning a 13-13 record, including a 7-6 mark in PFL games. He was named the 2006 PFL Co-Coach of the Year after leading Davidson to a 6-4 record, including a 5-2 third-place finish. He served as an assistant coach at Davidson from 1993-99 before becoming assistant coach at St. Mary's (Calif.) from 2000-02 and Bucknell from 2003-04.

THE SERIES: Drake has won both previous encounters against Davidson, including a 58-17 victory in its only visit in 2005. The Bulldogs earned a 35-15 home victory against Davidson last year.

LAST YEAR: Drake 35, Davidson 15 (Nov. 6, 2006, Des Moines, Iowa) ? Then junior cornerback Poul Collins tied a school record with three interceptions as the Drake defense forced Davidson into a season-high six turnovers.

For the second time in the season, junior running backs Willie Cashmore and Scott Phaydavong each rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game. Cashmore gained 130 yards rushing in 20 carries, with scoring runs of one and 16 yards. Phaydavong netted 109 yards on the ground in 22 carries, including touchdown runs of 21 and 39 yards.

Collins, who was a running back in 2005, returned his third interception of the game 26 yards to the Davidson one yardline where Cashmore scored on the first play from scrimmage to stake Drake to a 28-3 lead with 6:08 left in the third quarter.

Drake's Travis Hardgraves, making his first career start, had a career high eight receptions for a career-best 173 yards, including a 74-yard scoring bomb from quarterback Cole Ingle in the second quarter.

Ingle, making his third straight start at quarterback, passed for a career-high 299 yards, completing 19 of 36 passes. Senior Shea Moroni caught seven passes for 64 yards.

Drake rolled up 559 yards total offense, while Davidson had 400 yards total offense. Davidson quarterback Ryan Alexander, who entered the game ranked seventh in the NCAA I-AA in total offense (264.75 yards avg. per game), tied a school record by throwing five interceptions. He had entered the game having thrown just four interceptions the entire season.

Senior linebacker Brian Conway and sophomore strong safety Andy Green also had interceptions for Drake. Free safety Jacob Craig and senior linebacker Jimmy Adams led Drake with 10 tackles apiece and one forced fumble. Craig also recovered a Davidson fumble at the Drake 17 yardline midway through the first half.
Senior tailback Jonathon Hubbard led Davidson with 89 yards rushing in 16 carries, including a three-yard touchdown run with 12:11 left in the game. Alexander threw for 229 yards including an 11-yard third-quarter touchdown pass to Beaux Jones.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since the 1992 season, the Bulldogs have accumulated a 65-14-1 home record at Drake Stadium for an 83.8 winning percentage. Drake has won 11 of its last 14 Pioneer Football League games played at home since 2003.

AMONG LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (542) among the 123 schools which play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The game at Davidson will be the 1,039th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 541-468-29 for a winning percentage of .532.

HEAD OF THE CLASS: Drake senior running back Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East), is the leading active rusher in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with 5,498 yards in 857 carries for a 6.1 yard average.

Phaydavong has moved into No. 4 on the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision career rushing list, needing 502 yards in his remaining four games to become just the fifth player in the NCAA FCS to rush for more than 6,000 yards in a career.Phaydavong has enjoyed 30 career 100-yard plus rushing games, joining the 5,000-yard club following his 149 yard rushing performance in 30 carries at Wisconsin-Platteville.

Phaydavong's next closest competitor in the Football Championship Subdivision active rushing list is senior Don Champion of Tennessee-Martin who has gained 4,454 yards in 946 carries.

Michigan senior Michael Hart is the active career rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS Division
I) with 4,757 yards in 950 attempts.

FACES IN THE CROWD: Scott Phaydavong was recognized for being the leading active rusher in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision by appearing in the popular Faces in the Crowd section of the Oct. 8 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Juniors Cole Ingle (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) and Derek Retherford (Johnston, Iowa) have shared the quarterback duties in Drake's initial seven games and one look at the statistics proves how equal their talents are. Ingle has completed 76 of 121 passes for 62.8 percent, while Retherford has completed 44 of 78 passes for 56.4 percent. Ingle has passed for 981 yards with seven touchdowns with a passing efficiency rating of 145.04 points. Retherford has passed for 573 yards and a passing rating of 127.35 points.

Drake has a team pass efficiency rating of 133.28 points, with four quarterbacks having completed 129 passes for a .594 completion percentage while throwing only seven interceptions.

TEAM LEADERS: After seven games, senior running back Scott Phaydavong leads Drake in rushing with 796 yards in 142 carries for a 5.6 average per carry.

Junior Zach Brower (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) leads the team with 30 receptions for 414 yards, including three touchdowns. Senior Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City, Iowa/ West) has 29 receptions for 419 yards, while Augustine Agyei (Aurora, Colo.) has 15 receptions for 212 yards. Logan Rees leads the team with 45 points, making seven of 10 field goals. Rees has made five of six field goal attempts inside the 40 yardline and set a career best with a 45 yarder against Valparaiso.

Freshman redshirt linebacker Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) leads Drake with 49 tackles. including one quarterback sack and two interceptions. Senior safety Jacob Craig (Mount Vernon, Iowa) follows with 47 tackles, including 25 solo hits and one fumble recovery. Junior strongside linebacker Jeremy Gehl (Naperville, Ill.) has a team-high three interceptions, while junior safety Andy Green (Atlantic, Iowa) and senior cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) have two thefts.

TURNOVERS PROVE COSTLY: San Diego, ranked No. 1 in the Sports Network Mid-Major poll, took advantage of a season-high seven turnovers by Drake to claim a 59-19 Pioneer Football League home victory last Saturday night.

Drake, which suffered its first league loss of the season, rolled up 401 yards total offense but was its own worst enemy, committing turnovers on its first three possessions The Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 2 in the Sports Network Mid-Major poll, fell to 5-2 overall, including a 2-1 league mark.

On the fourth play of the game linebacker Jordan Sinclair intercepted a pass from Drake's Derek Retherford returning it 43 yards for a touchdown. Retherford also lost fumbles on Drake's next two possessions.

San Diego senior quarterback Josh Johnson, who leads the nation in total offense and passing efficiency, accumulated 370 yards total offense, including 305 yards passing with five touchdown strikes. Johnson threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter with two scoring strikes coming after a lost fumble and pass interception by Drake quarterback Cole Ingle.

Drake threatened to score late in the first half marching from its own 33 yardline down to the San Diego nine yardline. But Retherford had a pass intercepted at the one yardline by cornerback Ben Hannula who sprinted 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Toreros a 35-0 lead with 2:14 left.

Senior Travis Hardgraves led Drake with seven receptions for 91 yards, while senior tight end Dan Marx (Maple Grove, Minn.) caught six passes for 67 yards. Freshman middle linebacker Ben Morrison led Drake with nine tackles, including one quarterback sack.

Drake managed two touchdowns in the last four minutes of the game with redshirt freshman Isaiah Ellison (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) scoring on an eight-yard run and freshman quarterback Nate Snead (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) scrambling nine yards for a touchdown.

OUT OF THE BLOCKS: Drake has outscored opponents, 55-34, in the first quarter this fall.

RED ZONE: Both Drake and its opponents have scored on 78 percent of red zone (inside opponents 20) opportunities this fall, converting 21 of 27 chances.

GROWING UP IN HURRY: Drake's front seven on defense has had to grow up in a hurry with graduation losses and unexpected injuries. There are five newcomers in their first year as starters along with sophomore defensive tackle Andrew Asbell (Machesney Park, Ill.) and senior defensive end Cody Shelley (West Des Moines Valley) who are the lone starters back from last year's team.

Graduation claimed all three starting linebackers in James Adams, Brian Conway and Nick Ross who were three-year fixtures. Then junior middle linebacker Cole Douglas (Lawrence, Kan.), who was a two-year letterwinner and top returning veteran, suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason camp. Sophomore Cale Hunt started the first three games at weakside linebacker and was the team's top tackler until suffering a season ending injury last Saturday at Wisconsin-Platteville. That leaves freshmen redshirts Ben Morrison and Stephen Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) starting at strongside and weakside linebacker, respectively. Jon Isgrig, a junior transfer from Iowa, is starting middle linebacker.
Up front freshman redshirts Jason D'Alba (Glencoe, Ill.) and Sean Kitts (Leawood, Kan.) are in their first year as starters at nose guard and defensive end.

OUR MISSION IS TRANSITION: Four Drake players are showing no signs of adapting to new positions. Freshman redshirt Stephen Platek made his first collegiate start at strongside linebacker against Wisconsin-Platteville, collecting nine tackles, including two quarterback sacks for 16 yards in losses. Platek arrived at Drake in 2006 as a quarterback and was named the co-offensive scout team player of the year while being redshirted. He earned all-league and all-area honors as a senior at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill., in 2005.

Senior Greg Smit saw extensive action at tight end against Wisconsin-Platteville, catching the first two passes of his career for 32 yards. Smit was a two-year letterwinner on the defensive line before moving to tight end last spring.

Sophomore redshirt receiver Augustine Agyei caught the game-wining touchdown pass in the season opener at Illinois State. Agyei was a reserve cornerback in 2006 collecting eight tackles along with an interception. Senior Poul Collins is in his second year as starting cornerback after playing running back as a freshman and sophomore. Collins, who rushed for 207 yards, has four career interceptions including one against Waldorf Sept. 8.

PRESEASON PFL POLL: Drake was picked to finish second in the Pioneer Football League Preseason Coaches Poll. San Diego, receiving five of the eight possible first-place votes, was picked to defend its title. The Bulldogs were picked a close second, collecting the remaining three first-place votes, while Davidson got the third-place nod and Dayton was chosen fourth. Morehead State, Jacksonville, Butler and Valparaiso round out the bottom half of the preseason poll. The PFL champion will host the Northeast Conference Champion in the second Gridiron Classic, Dec. 1.

HOMECOMING VICTORY: Senior Scott Phaydavong rushed for 146 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown sprint to open the second half as Drake rolled to a 37-19 homecoming victory past Butler Oct. 6.

Cole Ingle and Derek Retherford combined to throw for three touchdowns as Drake earned its fifth straight victory against Butler. Drake tied the game at 7-7 with 6:43 left in the first quarter when Ingle threw a four-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Dan Marx. After forcing Butler to punt on its ensuing drive, Ingle spotted Zach Brower for a 17-yard touchdown strike to give Drake a 14-7 lead with 1:55 left in the first quarter which it would never relinquish.

Retherford and freshman reserve quarterback Nate Snead helped Drake move its lead to 23-7. The duo engineered a 12-play, 50-yard scoring drive climaxed by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Retherford to senior Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo.) with 4:11 left in the second quarter.

On the third play in the second half, the elusive Phaydavong broke loose on a 70-yard touchdown run, allowing Drake to enjoy a 30-10 advantage.

Ingle completed 12 of 18 passes for 127 yards. Brower led Drake with four receptions for 86 yards, while Marx and sophomore Augustine Agyei caught three passes apiece.

DAILY DOUBLE FINALLY SCORES: Entering the 2007 season senior Willie Cashmore and junior Michael Bialas (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) had combined to score 41 touchdowns. But the duo had combined to score just one touchdown ? by Bialas ? entering an Oct. 6 homecoming game against Butler.

Cashmore, who led the PFL with a school-record 18 touchdowns in 2006, scored his first touchdown this season on a 10-yard pass from Derek Retherford in the second quarter. Bialas blocked a punt by Mike Morgan into the Butler endzone for a safety to increase the lead to 16-7 with 10:19 left in the second quarter. Bialas rounded out Drake's scoring with a four-yard touchdown run with 2:08 left in the third quarter.

GEHL FORCES TWO TURNOVERS: Junior linebacker Jeremy Gehl led Drake's defense against Butler with an interception and fumble recovery in the second half. Redshirt freshman linebacker Stephen Platek had a game-high nine tackles, including seven solo hits, to lead Drake. Senior safety Jacob Craig and redshirt freshman linebacker Ben Morrison added eight tackles apiece for Drake which will travel to league leader San Diego next Saturday in an 8 p.m. Central time kickoff.

REES HONORED BY PFL: Junior Logan Rees was been named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week after making two field goals, while going a perfect six-for-six in PAT conversions during Drake's 48-20 Pioneer Football League opening victory past Valparaiso Sept. 29.

Rees kicked the two longest field goals of his collegiate career with kicks of 45 and 40 yards in the second quarter. He also handled the Bulldogs kickoff duties with nine kickoffs for 574 yards, a 63.8 yard average, including three touchbacks.

DRAKE WINS PFL OPENER: Scott Phaydavong rushed for 133 yards, including touchdown runs of 54, nine and 19 yards, to help Drake roll to a 48-20 victory past Valparaiso in the PFL opener for both teams Sept 29. Drake collected 574 yards total offense, including 333 yards passing. Junior quarterback Derek Retherford passed for 187 yards, including two touchdowns. All three Drake starting receivers ? Travis Hardgraves, Zach Brower and Augustine Agyei ? caught touchdown passes.

The Bulldogs scored on their first two possessions of the game with Phaydavong breaking free for a 54-yard scoring gallop with 12:10 left in the first quarter. He then climaxed a seven-play, 53-yard scoring drive with a nine-yard touchdown burst with 6:44 left to stake Drake to a 14-3 lead.

Retherford spotted senior Hardgraves for a 26-yard touchdown strike with 9:46 left in the second quarter. Retherford rifled an 80-yard touchdown pass to Brower with 13:33 left in the fourth quarter to make it 41-13. Brower caught a game-high five passes for 110 yards. Logan Rees took advantage of a 21 mile per hour wind to kick the longest two field goals of his career from 45 and 40 yards in the second quarter. Rees' 45-yard field was set up after redshirt sophomore Mason Bucklin (Solon, Iowa) blocked a punt by Valparaiso's Mitch Secrest. Drake's Tim Harvey (Evanston, Ill.) returned the blocked punt nine yards to the Valparaiso 15 yardline.

DRAKE IN PFL OPENERS: The victory against Valparaiso allowed Drake to improve its record to 10-5 in Pioneer Football League openers, including a perfect 8-0 mark at home.

GEHL KEYS DEFENSE: Junior linebacker Jeremy Gehl led Drake with 10 tackles against Valparaiso, along with an interception and two pass break ups. Gehl thwarted a Valparaiso scoring drive when he broke up a pass intended for Steve Ogden in the Drake endzone early in the second quarter. Junior safety Andy Green and junior linebacker Jon Isgrig added nine tackles apiece for Drake. Another Valparaiso turnover led to Drake's final score of the first half. Linebacker Ben Morrison intercepted a pass returning to the Valparaiso 45 yardline with 1:45 left before the half. Six plays later junior Cole Ingle threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Augustine Agyei to give Drake a 34-6 halftime lead.

TRIO MAKE DEBUT: Three Drake players made their first college starts against Valparaiso. Redshirt freshman Josh Walkup (Littleton, Colo.) started at middle linebacker, while redshirt sophomore Skye Buckner-Petty (Florissant, Mo.) started at free safety. Redshirt sophomore Frank Pucher (Skokie, Ill.) started at tight end.

UNI HANDS BULLDOGS FIRST LOSS: Northern Iowa took advantage of a season-high four turnovers by Drake to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season, 45-7, Sept. 22 at Drake Stadium. The Panthers, ranked No. 4 in the Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision, rolled up 524 yards total offense with senior quarterback Eric Sanders running for a touchdown and throwing a touchdown.

The Bulldogs opened the season Aug. 30 with a 27-24 come-from-behind victory against another Gateway Conference School in Illinois State, which was ranked No. 7 in the Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision preseason poll.

Sanders rolled out for a two-yard touchdown run on third down to cap a 13-play, 73-yard scoring drive on the Panthers' first possession of the game. Four plays later, linebacker Araf Evans returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown staking Northern Iowa to a 14-0 lead with 2:01 left in the first quarter. Drake quarterback Cole Ingle had completed a four-yard pass to tight end Greg Smit who fumbled after being hit by Evans. Ingle tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Zach Brower with 1:57 left in the third quarter to account for Drake's lone touchdown.

BROWER, SMIT SET CAREER MARKS: Junior Zach Brower caught a career-high nine passes for 92 yards including his first career touchdown against Northern Iowa. Brower equalled his entire season output of nine receptions last year. Brower has caught 21 passes this season, nearly doubling his career output of 12 entering this fall.

Senior Greg Smit, making his first collegiate start at tight end, caught a career-high six passes for 62 yards against Northern Iowa. He replaced senior all-league tight end Dan Marx, who did not play because of an injury. Smit, who played defensive end for Drake last year, caught the first two passes of his career at Wisconsin-Platteville Sept. 15.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS: Drake junior free safety Andy Green collected his 10th career interception, including his second this season, when he picked off a pass by Northern Iowa quarterback Eric Sanders at the Bulldog two yard line with four seconds left in the first half. Freshman redshirt linebacker Josh Walkup and reserve safety Skye Buckner-Petty led Drake with nine tackles apiece against Northern Iowa. Senior safety Jacob Craig added eight tackles while forcing a fumble.

TALE OF TWO HALVES: Drake overcame a sluggish first half by scoring on its first three possessions in the second half to post a 20-7 nonconference victory at Wisconsin-Platteville Sept. 15.

Drake, held to 160 yards in the first half, more than doubled that output in the third quarter alone with 167 yards, while scoring two touchdowns. Drake senior receiver Travis Hardgraves tied a career high with seven receptions for 100 yards.

Scott Phaydavong surpassed 5,000 career rushing yards on his fourth carry of the game when he burst free for a 24-yard run along the Wisconsin-Platteville sideline midway through the first quarter. That run set up Drake's first scoring drive of the game which resulted in a 29-yard field goal by junior Logan Rees with 6:20 left in the first quarter.

Drake came out of the blocks to open the second half with junior Michael Bialas scoring on a three-yard touchdown run to climax an 11-play, 82-yard drive that gave the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead with 9:46 left in the third quarter.

Quarterback Cole Ingle, who played the second and third quarters, scored on a one-yard touchdown run on Drake's second drive of the third quarter with 6:04 left to increase the lead to 17-7. Ingle threw a 34-yard pass to Hardgraves on the last play of the third quarter which set up Drake's final score ? a 29-yard field goal by Rees.

DEFENSE OVERCOMES ADVERSITY: A young Drake defense rallied around the absence of the team's leading tackler by recording a whopping 10 quarterback sacks totaling 72 yards in losses.

The Bulldogs' defense also stopped Wisconsin-Whitewater on four fourth-down conversion attempts.
Starting linebacker Cale Hunt (Littleton, Colo.), Drake's leading tackler on the season, injured his arm on the second defensive play of the game, causing a 20-minute delay. Hunt was taken to a local hospital for X-rays where he was diagnosed with a compound fracture of his right arm. He underwent surgery and is lost for the season.

Sophomore defensive tackle Andrew Asbell had three quarterback sacks for 30 yards in losses, while freshman redshirt linebacker Stephen Platek and redshirt freshman defensive end Sean Kitts (Leawood, Kan.) added two quarterback sacks apiece.

Hunt's replacement, freshman redshirt Ben Morrison had a career-high 14 tackles, including one quarterback sack and two tackles for losses. He also recovered a fumble. Drake junior linebacker Jon Isgrig added 11 tackles, while safety Jacob Craig had 10 tackles.

DOUBLE CELEBRATION: Following Drake's victory at Wisconsin-Platteville, head coach Steve Loney and assistant head coach Tom Lichtenberg drove to Ames, Iowa, to join in festivities surrounding the 30-year reunion of the 1977 Iowa State football team which played in the Peach Bowl. Lichtenberg was an assistant coach on that Cyclone staff headed by Earle Bruce.

Loney served on Bruce's staff at Colorado State from 1989-92 and calls Bruce his coaching mentor. Iowa State's stunning 15-13 victory against Iowa earlier that afternoon made the visit all the more enjoyable for Loney, who is a 1974 graduate of Iowa State.

AGYEI EARNS PFL HONOR: Drake sophomore Augustine Agyei was named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week following his effort in the Bulldogs' 45-14 home opening victory past Waldorf Sept. 7.

Agyei had just two kickoff returns but amassed 150 yards in returns to help lead Drake. He returned the second half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and then opened the fourth quarter by returning a kickoff 60 yards.

Agyei opened the season by catching the winning touchdown pass with 24.3 seconds left to spur Drake to a 27-24 upset victory at No. 7 ranked Illinois State Aug. 30. This marked the second straight week, a Drake athlete was honored by the PFL.

DRAKE WINS HOME OPENER: Senior All-American Scott Phaydavong, playing less than two quarters, rushed for 172 yards while scoring three touchdowns as Drake opened its home campaign with a 45-14 romp past Waldorf Sept. 7. Drake scored on its first four possessions of the game, while head coach Steve Loney played four quarterbacks in the game Drake rolled up 429 yards total offense, including 323 yards in the first half. The Bulldogs did not have to punt until midway through the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Drake's defense forced five turnovers. On Drake's third play of the game Phaydavong broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown sprint with 11:20 left in the first quarter. Then, Drake senior cornerback Poul Collins intercepted a pass, returning to the Waldorf 40 yardline. The Bulldogs capitalized on the turnover when junior Logan Rees hit a 34-yard field goal with 4:46 left in the opening quarter.

Drake's defense forced another miscue when senior safety Jacob Craig recovered a fumble on Waldorf's ensuing play from scrimmage at the 19 yardline. Three plays later junior quarterback Cole Ingle spotted senior tight end Dan Marx open for an 11-yard touchdown pass to give Drake a 17-0 lead.

Phaydavong closed out the scoring in the first quarter with a 17-yard scoring dart and added a 59-yard touchdown run with 13:43 left in the second quarter pushing the Bulldogs' advantage to 31-0.

Derek Retherford threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior Travis Hardgraves, allowing Drake to enjoy a 38-6 halftime lead. The Bulldogs added insult to injury when sophomore redshirt Augustine Agyei returned the second half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to make it 45-6. Ingle completed six of seven passes for 70 yards, including four to Zach Brower. Junior Mike Bialas added 55 yards rushing in nine carries.

FRESHMEN KEY DEFENSE: Redshirt freshman defensive end Dain Taylor (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) led Drake's defense with a career-high 11 tackles, including seven solo hits. Redshirt freshman tackle Jason D'Alba had eight tackles, including seven solo. Redshirt freshman linebacker Stephen Platek added a career-high eight tackles while forcing a fumble. Redshirt freshman linebacker Ben Morrison, who intercepted a pass, added six tackles, along with Jacob Craig.

INGLE HONORED: Drake junior quarterback Cole Ingle was named the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week following his heroics in the Bulldogs' victory at Illinois State Aug. 30.

Ingle came off the bench to lead Drake to a 27-24 come-from-behind upset victory by throwing two touchdown passes in the last five minutes of the game. He completed 10-of-18 passes for 197 yards. His first touchdown ? a 28-yard strike to senior tight end Daniel Marx ? gave Drake its first lead at 20-17 with 4:54 left.

Then, after Illinois State scored with just 1:28 remaining to take a 24-20 lead, Ingle needed just seven plays to move the ball 90 yards, finishing with a 56-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Augustine Agyei with 23.2 seconds left to nab the victory.

LAST-MINUTE TD KEYS UPSET WIN: Cole Ingle threw a 56-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Augustine Agyei with 23.2 seconds left to power Drake to its biggest victory in its 22-year history of nonscholarship football with a 27-24 upset past Illinois State which was ranked No 7 in The Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision poll.

Facing a second down and 10-yard situation, Agyei grabbed Ingle's pass after it went off the finger tips of Illinois State cornerback Jason Tate and sprinted down the left sideline into the endzone stunning a crowd of 12,167 fans at Hancock Stadium.

It was the first college reception for Agyei, who has been a sprinter on the Drake track and field team the past two seasons.

Ingle alternated at quarterback with junior Derek Retherford, playing the entire second quarter and the fourth quarter. He engineered Drake to a 20-17 lead with 4:54 left in the game when he tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Dan Marx with 4:36 left.

But Illinois State regained the lead at 24-20 following an 11-yard touchdown burst by running back Rafael Rice with 1:28 left.

Drake's winning touchdown march started on its own 10 yardline with 1:23 left. A false start on a third and 10 situation pushed the Bulldogs back to their five yardline.

But Ingle kept the drive alive when he spotted fullback Willie Cashmore on a 23-yard pass to the 28 yardline. Ingle completed 10 of 18 passes for 197 yards, while Retherford completed seven of 13 passes for 67 yards. Senior Scott Phaydavong had 111 yards rushing in 30 carries. Zach Brower led Drake with six receptions for 61 yards, while Travis Hardgraves had five receptions for 62 yards. Marx caught four passes for 62 yards.

YOUNG DEFENSE RISES TO OCCASION: The Bulldogs were a heavy underdog against an Illinois State team which featured first-team All-Gateway Football Conference quarterback Luke Drone. But a young Drake defense came up with three interceptions. Drake thwarted a potential scoring drive by Illinois State when junior linebacker Jeremy Gehl (Naperville, Ill.), in his first collegiate start, intercepted a pass at the Bulldog 37 yardline with 4:18 left in the second quarter. After a 36-yard field goal by Logan Rees pulled Drake within 10-3 with 8:51 left in the third quarter, the Bulldogs tied the score at 10-10 seven seconds later.

Sophomore weakside linebacker Cale Hunt, making his first college start, intercepted a Drone pass on Illinois State's first play from scrimmage, returning it 24 yards for a touchdown. Hunt and senior safety Jacob Craig had 10 tackles apiece. Junior cornerback Poul Collins had seven tackles, while forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass.

VOICE MAIL FROM NATIONAL CHAMPS: The Bulldogs' surprise win at Illinois State brought a flood of congratulatory phone calls and e-mails from across the country to Drake football coach Steve Loney who has 30 years of coaching experience at the pro and collegiate levels. Last fall he was the offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals.

One of his many calls was from Florida coach Urban Meyer, who led the Gators to the 2006 BCS title. "He just left a message saying, 'Awesome win,'" said Loney, the godfather of Meyer's middle child. "But like the typical coach, he said, 'Now you've got to keep 'em focused.' "

THE LONEY ERA: Steve Loney, who has 30 years of coaching experience at the pro and collegiate levels, was named interim head football coach at Drake University, June 18. Loney succeeded Rob Ash, who served as head football coach at Drake for 18 years before being named head coach at Montana State June 11. The Marshalltown, Iowa, native has enjoyed success in developing prolific offensive attacks at both the National Football League and collegiate levels, including Iowa State and Minnesota.

Loney served as offensive line coach with the Arizona Cardinals last season. He came to the Cardinals after serving the previous four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings as their offensive line coach (2002-04) before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005.

Under Loney, the Vikings led the NFL in total offense in 2003 and set a team record for yardage in 2004. The Vikings led the NFL in rushing in 2002. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper broke virtually every Vikings' passing record in 2004 and posted the fourth-best passer rating in NFL history.
Loney enjoyed three coaching stints at his alma mater Iowa State as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. During his third stay with the Cyclones, Loney's offense produced back-to-back bowl seasons in 2000 and 2001. In 2001, the Cyclones averaged 423.1 yards total offense per game and 26.9 points per outing. In 2000 his offense averaged 424.4 yards per game, the third-best total in school history.

Loney was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at the University of Minnesota in 1998 and 1999. Under Loney's guidance in 1999, Minnesota was second in the Big Ten Conference and 11th in the nation in rushing offense. The Golden Gophers averaged 415.4 offensive yards and 31.6 points per game. In addition to setting five school records in 1999, Loney's offense produced All-Big Ten first team rusher Thomas Hamer (1,326 yards) and first-team All-American center Ben Hamilton.
From 1995-97, Loney was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Iowa State, where he produced the only tailback in NCAA history to rush for a pair of 2,000-yard seasons in 1995 and 1996, Heisman Trophy finalist Troy Davis. Troy's brother, Darren, followed that feat with 1,005 yards rushing in nine games in 1997.

Loney was assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Connecticut in 1994 and assistant offensive line coach for the NFL Arizona Cardinals in 1993. From 1989-92 he was the assistant head coach/offensive line coach under Earle Bruce at Colorado State. He helped lead the Rams to the school's first bowl appearance in 48 years.

The 55-year-old Loney was the assistant head coach and tutored the offensive line at The Citadel from 1984-86. He was the head coach at Morehead State from 1981-83 after serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach there from 1979-80.

He was the head coach at Leavenworth (Kan.) High School in 1977-78 and the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Missouri Western from 1975-76. A letterwinner on the offensive line for Iowa State during his collegiate career, Loney was a member of head coach Johnny Majors' 1971 Sun Bowl and 1972 Liberty Bowl teams. After earning his bachelor's degree from Iowa State, Loney launched his coaching career in 1974 at his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach under Bruce while earning his master's degree in secondary school administration.

BRAIN TRUST: Along with Steve Loney, Drake's coaching staff features three assistants who have served as collegiate head coaches. Assistant head coach Tom Lichtenberg was head coach at Morehead State (1979-80), Maine (1989) and Ohio (1990-95). Defensive line coach Randy Ball is the winningest coach in Gateway Football Conference history, posting a 98-83-1 record in 16 years as a head coach at Western Illinois (1990-98) and Missouri State (1999-2005). Running backs coach Bill Charles was head coach at Westmar College from 1989-92.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Drake senior running back Scott Phaydavong was named to the Sports Network Preseason Mid-Major All-America team for the third straight year. Phaydavong was joined on the 29-man team by Drake senior tackle Dave Pammer (Frankfort, Ill.) and Drake junior safety Andy Green. Both Green and Phaydavong were named to the Sports Network Mid-Major All-American team following the conclusion of the 2006 season. Pammer was named to the Sports Network Preseason Mid-Major All-American team in 2006.

DROUGHT ENDS: Drake's victory at Illinois State marked the first time the Bulldogs had won their season opener since beating McKendree, 28-11, in 2000. Drake improved to 67-41-6 in season openers. The last six losses in season openers occurred to scholarship programs including four Gateway Conference schools the previous four years.

LAOTIAN CONNECTION: 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."

CO-CAPTAINS: Senior free safety Jacob Craig and junior quarterback Derek Retherford were named co-captains for the Drake. Craig, a first-team All-Pioneer Football League choice last year, will enter his second year as a starter in the secondary. The three-year letterwinner was named the squad's co-defensive player of the year last season. He is the team's top returning tackler after collecting 59 stops last season, including 40 solo hits, while breaking up six passes. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles.

Retherford started the first five games last year before suffering a season ending injury. He passed for 916 yards, including five touchdowns. He threw for a career-high 250 yards against Wisconsin-Platteville, including one touchdown.

SIZING UP THE ROSTER: There are 111 players on the Drake football roster including 12 seniors, 14 juniors, 18 sophomores and 67 freshmen (23 redshirts). The roster features players from nine states: 41 from Illinois, 33 from Iowa, 17 from Missouri, eight from Colorado; four from Kansas and Minnesota, two from Nebraska, and one each from Arizona and Michigan.

WHAT'S IN STORE: The task at hand facing the Drake football team can be likened to the two-minute offense, getting a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. That's the challenge facing Steve Loney who was named interim head football coach at Drake June 18. The Bulldogs have 15 starters back from last year's squad which posted a 9-2 record, including a 6-1 second-place finish in the Pioneer Football League.

Senior Scott Phaydavong, a three-time Sports Network I-A Mid-Major first-team All-American who is the school's career rushing leader with 4,702 yards, headlines Drake's offense. Last year the five-foot 6-inch speedster ranked third in the nation in rushing with a school single-season record 1,613 yards for a 146.6 yard per game average. He led the PFL in rushing for a third straight year.

The running game is buoyed by three-year letterwinner Willie Cashmore at fullback, along with the return of Michael Bialas, who was redshirted last year, after rushing for 413 yards with 11 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2005. The bruising Cashmore earned first-team all-league honors after rushing for a career-high 645 yards while leading the league in scoring with a school single-season record 18 touchdowns.

Senior tight end Daniel Marx, who was a 2005 PFL honorable mention selection, and fifth-year senior Travis Hardgraves lead a young receiving corps, trying to replace four-year starters Shea Moroni and Tyler Putnam.

Senior tackle Dave Pammer, a three-year starter, and two-year starting senior guard Anthony Swope (Chicago, Ill.), are the lone holdovers on the offensive line which must replace three starters. Pammer was a first-team all-league lineman as a sophomore in 2005.

Top contenders who will challenge for playing time on the line include sophomores Jonathan Jones (Bolingbrook, Ill.), Quinn McVey (Bettendorf) and Nick Scott (St. Louis, Mo.), along with veterans Chris Frank (Urbandale) and Jeremy Smith (Altoona).

Junior Derek Retherford, junior Cole Ingle and sophomore Ben Ostermann (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) all started at quarterback last year. Retherford started the first five games before suffering a torn ligament in his right elbow against Morehead State. Retherford did not participate in spring practice. Ostermann started at signal caller against Waldorf and Butler before Ingle started the final four games.

SECONDARY LEADS DEFENSE: The strength of Drake's defense is a rock solid secondary which returns all four starters, headed by junior first team All-PFL performers Andy Green at strong safety and Jacob Craig at free safety. Seniors Poul Collins and Tyler Marley (Kansas City, Mo.) return at cornerback.

Green, another Sports Network NCAA I-AA Mid-Major All-America first-team choice, ranked ninth in the nation in interceptions last year with five. He also had 52 tackles, including 41 solo hits. Craig, the team's co-defensive player of the year last fall, is the top returning tackler on defense with 59 stops, including 40 solo hits. Marley, who enters his third year as a starter, shared the team lead with Craig in pass break ups last season with seven. Collins tied a school record with three pass thefts at Jacksonville last year. Andrew Asbell was the lone freshman to start for Drake last season, becoming a fixture at defensive tackle. Now he ranks as one of the veterans of a unit where graduation claimed starters Jake Ramos at defensive tackle and Kevin Jennings, a first-team All-PFL choice, at defensive end. Senior Cody Shelley does return as a starter at the other defensive end spot.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Freshmen Dan Byers (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Chris Hansen (Urbandale, Iowa) are following in their father's steps at Drake. Dan Byers, a linebacker, is the son of Al Byers, who was a two-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference center on the 1976 and 1977 Drake football teams. Chris Hansen, a kicker, is the son of Dave Hansen, who lettered in basketball at Drake from 1962-65.

THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED
Last time Drake played an overtime game ?Valparaiso 51, Drake 45 (one overtime), Oct. 25, 2003, Valparaiso, Ind.
Last shutout by Drake ? 29-0 at Butler, Oct. 14, 2006
Last shutout by Drake at home ?54-0 vs. Austin Peay, Sept. 24, 2005
Last time Drake shut out ? 37-0 by San Diego, Oct. 21, 2006
Last time Drake shut out at home ? 37-0 by San Diego, Oct. 21, 2006
Last Drake kickoff return for touchdown ? 90 yards, Augustine Agyei vs. Waldorf, Sept. 8, 2007
Last Drake punt return for a touchdown ? 60 yards, Jordan Bontrager vs. Austin Peay, Sept. 24, 2005
Last time Drake blocked a punt for a touchdown ? 39 yards, Clint Martindale vs. San Diego, Sept. 30, 2000
Last time Drake blocked a punt for a safety ? Mike Bialas vs. Butler, Oct. 6, 2007
Last Drake pass interception for a touchdown ? 24 yards, Cale Hunt at Illinois State, Aug. 30, 2007
Last Drake fumble return for a touchdown ? 29 yards, Brian Conway at Davidson, Oct. 1, 2005
Two Drake players rush for 100 yards in same game ? 130 yards in 20 carries, Willie Cashmore; and 109 yards in 22 carries, Scott Phaydavong vs. Davidson, Nov. 4, 2006
Last Drake player to rush for 100 yards ? 146 yards (21 carries) Scott Phaydavong vs. Butler, Oct. 6, 2007
Last Drake player to rush for 200 yards ? 216 (27 carries) Scott Phaydavong at Jacksonville, Nov. 10, 2006
Last Drake player to pass for over 300 yards ?389 yards, Connor Jostes at Valparaiso, Oct. 25, 2003
Last Drake player to rush for three touchdowns ? 3, Scott Phaydavong vs. Valparaiso, Sept. 29, 2007
Last Drake player to catch three touchdowns passes ? 3, Jason Jones vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 4, 2003
Last Drake player to pass for four touchdowns ? 5, Connor Jostes vs. Upper Iowa, Nov. 6, 2004
Last Drake player to score three touchdowns ? 3, Scott Phaydavong vs. Valparaiso, Sept. 29, 2007��