DRAKE BULLDOGS (6-3, 3-2 PFL) vs. DAYTON FLYERS (9-1, 5-1 PFL)

1 p.m. Drake Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 10, Des Moines, Iowa
GAME SIGNIFICANCE: The Drake football team hopes to play the role of the spoiler when it closes out the season playing host to Dayton in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Drake Stadium Saturday.

The Bulldogs, coming off a disappointing 33-0 loss at Morehead State, will try to eliminate Dayton from the Pioneer Football League title picture. Entering the final week of conference play, Dayton is locked in a three-way tie for first place in the Pioneer Football League with San Diego and Morehead State, owning a 5-1 record. At least one team will be knocked from the title when San Diego plays at Morehead State Saturday.

Dayton, which has won more PFL titles than any other school at eight, is riding a five-game winning streak following a 61-0 home victory against Butler last Saturday.

SALUTING MILITARY VETERANS: In honor of the upcoming Veterans Day, all military veterans will gain free admittance to the Drake-Dayton football game by presenting their ID card at the southwest gate to Drake Stadium.

SENIOR SALUTE: Nineteen seniors on the Drake football team will be playing their final home game at Drake Stadium Saturday. The group helped lead Drake to a 10-2 record in 2004, en route to winning the Pioneer Football League title. The following players will be recognized before the game:
?Running back Michael Bialas ?Cornerback Tyler Marley
?Running back Willie Cashmore ?Tight end Dan Marx
?Running back Clay Cleveland ?Offensive tackle Dave Pammer
?Defensive back Justin Colbert ?Running back Scott Phaydavong
?Cornerback Poul Collins ?Quarterback Derek Retherford
?Safety Jacob Craig ?Defensive end Cody Shelley
?Offensive lineman Chris Frank ?Tight end Greg Smit
?Safety Andy Green ?Offensive guard Jeremy Smith
?Receiver Travis Hardgraves ?Offensive guard Anthony Swope
?Offensive tackle Casey Johnson

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: One week after facing the nation's top-ranked defense against the run in Morehead State, Drake's offense will be tested again by Dayton.

The Flyers rank in the top six in the nation in five statistical categories: quarterback sacks, No. 1 with 4.40 avg. per game; rushing defense, No. 2 allowing 19.44 yards per game; total defense, No. 3, yielding just 261.2 yards per game; tackles for loss, No. 5, with 8.90 avg. per game; and scoring defense, No. 6, allowing 13.90 points per game.

Senior defensive end Scott Vossler ranks 11th in the nation in quarterback sacks with eight totaling 58 yards in losses. Dayton's secondary has 13 interceptions, returning three for touchdowns.

VETERAN TEAM: Dayton fields the largest senior class in the Pioneer Football League with 31 players. The veteran group was responsible for the Flyers reversing their fortunes from a 4-6 record last year which was the first sub .500 campaign at the school since 1976.

The group was honored prior to its final regular season home game last Saturday and responded with a 61-0 romp past Butler. Senior quarterback Kevin Hoyng, who is ranked No. 4 in the nation in total offense (317.30 yards), threw touchdown passes of 19 and 29 yards while adding a 28-yard scoring run.

Hoyng has thrown for 2,641 yards, including 25 touchdown passes, while also leading the team in rushing with 532 yards (4.3 avg.), including nine touchdowns.

Hoyng, who set a school record with five touchdown passes in a 42-35 loss at Morehead State, is the school's career leader in passing yardage (7,186), completions (463), touchdown passes (53) and total offense (8,743).

Junior flanker J Michael Jonard already set a school single-season record in receptions with 55 for 702 (12.8 avg.), including six touchdowns.

ELITE COMPANY: Mike Kelly, a 1970 graduate of Manchester (Ind.), is in his 27th year as head coach at Dayton, owning a 244-54-1 record. His winning percentage of .817 is the best of any active coach who has been in the profession 25 years or more and is the fourth best all-time. Florida A&M's legendary Jake Gaither is No. 1 (.844) followed by Nebraska's Tom Osborne (.836) and Michigan's Fielding Yost (.828).

Only two active coaches at the Division I level ? Florida State's Bobby Bowden (366 wins) and Penn State's Joe Paterno (363) ? had more wins heading into the 2007 season.

THE SERIES: Dayton owns a 19-4 record against Drake, including a 9-2 mark in Des Moines. Drake earned a 21-9 victory at Dayton last year. The Bulldogs have never beaten Dayton in consecutive years.

Dayton claimed a 25-17 victory in its last visit to central Iowa on Oct. 8, 2005 with the game being played in Waukee because of the renovation of Drake Stadium. The Flyers scored two touchdowns in a four-minute 25-second period late in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory.

LAST YEAR: Drake 21, Dayton 9, Oct. 27, 2006, Dayton, Ohio) ? Junior Scott Phaydavong had touchdown runs of 12 and 51 yards, while Drake's defense forced three turnovers. It marked the first time in school history that Drake has won consecutive road games at Dayton after beating the Flyers, 13-6, during its last visit in 2004.

Phaydavong gained 171 yards on the ground in 31 carries. Senior linebackers Jimmy Adams and Nick Ross led Drake's defense which limited Dayton to 210 yards total offense.

Adams had a game-high 13 tackles, including seven solo hits, while recovering a fumble. Ross had nine tackles, while recovering two fumbles. He also had a fourth-quarter interception.

The Bulldogs scored on two consecutive possessions in the second quarter to rally for a 14-7 halftime lead. A five-yard touchdown plunge by junior fullback Willie Cashmore with 12:01 left in the second quarter capped an 11-play, 70-yard scoring march that allowed Drake to tie the score at 7-7.

Drake then capitalized on a Dayton turnover to grab a 14-7 lead with 3:22 left in the second half, following a 12-yard scamper by Phaydavong. The drive was set up following a fumble by Flyers' receiver Nick Ruhle at the Dayton 36 yardline that was recovered by Drake's Ross.

THE LITTLE ENGINE WHO...: Drake has annually played the nation's strongest mid-major schedule and developments during the last month can serve as testimony.

South Florida (6-3) has been nationally ranked all season, owning victories against Auburn and West Virginia. 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. 7 IN MID-MAJOR POLL: Drake slipped from No. 6 to No. 7 in the latest Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision Mid-Major poll with 103 points. Dayton, receiving all 34 first-place votes, remained No. 1 followed by San Diego, Albany, Morehead State, Iona, Central Connecticut State, Drake , Wagner, Duquesne and Davidson.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since the 1992 season, the Bulldogs have accumulated a 66-14-1 home record at Drake Stadium for an 83.8 winning percentage. Drake has won 12 of its last 15 Pioneer Football League games played at home since 2003.

AMONG LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (543) among the 123 schools which play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The game against Dayton will be the 1,042nd game in school history with Drake owning a record of 542-470-29 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 5,766 yards in 903 carries for a 6.1 yard average.

Phaydavong ranks No. 4 on the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision career rushing list, needing 234 yards to become just the fifth player in the NCAA FCS to rush for more than 6,000 yards in a career. Phaydavong has enjoyed 31 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 4,710 yards in 988 carries.

Michigan senior Michael Hart is the active career rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS Division I) with 4,867 yards in 965 attempts.

IN THE FACES 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: Junior Cole Ingle (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) and senior Derek Retherford (Johnston, Iowa) have shared the quarterback duties in Drake's 10 games and one look at the statistics proves how equal their talents are. Ingle has completed 102 of 170 passes for 60 percent, while Retherford has completed 64 of 120 passes for 53.3 percent. Ingle has passed for 1,264 yards with 10 touchdowns and a passing efficiency rating of 133.63 points. Retherford has passed for 832 yards, including four touchdowns, with a passing rating of 119.56 points.

Drake has a team pass efficiency rating of 122.15 points, with four quarterbacks having completed 175 passes for a .565 completion percentage.

TEAM LEADERS: After 10 games, senior running back Scott Phaydavong leads Drake in rushing with 1,064 yards in 188 carries for a 5.7 average per carry.

Junior Zach Brower (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) leads the team with 44 receptions for 612 yards, including four touchdowns. Senior Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City, Iowa/ West) has 41 receptions for 583 yards, while senior tight end Dan Marx (Maple Grove, Minn.) has caught 31 passes for 348 yards, including four touchdowns.

Scott Phaydavong leads the team in scoring with 60 points based on 10 touchdowns. Junior Logan Rees has 56 points, making nine of 12 field goals. Rees has made seven of eight 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 76 tackles, including two quarterback sacks and two interceptions. Senior safety Jacob Craig (Mount Vernon, Iowa) follows with 66 tackles, including 42 solo hits and one fumble recovery. Junior strongside linebacker Jeremy Gehl (Naperville, Ill.), senior safety Andy Green (Atlantic, Iowa) and senior cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) have a team-high three interceptions apiece.

GREEN NEARS MARK: Drake's veteran secondary of cornerbacks Tyler Marley (Kansas City, Mo.) and Poul Collins, along with safeties Jacob Craig and Andy Green, have combined to collect 22 interceptions in their careers. Green leads the pack with 11 career interceptions, which is just one shy of tying the school career nonscholarship mark of 12 held by Jim Walker (1987-90). J.E. Williams (1969-72) owns the overall Drake career interception mark of 18. Collins, a converted running back, has six career interceptions and Marley has five thefts.

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 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 at Wisconsin-Platteville. That left freshmen redshirts Ben Morrison and Stephen Platek starting at strongside and weakside linebacker, respectively. Jon Isgrig, a junior transfer from Iowa, is starting middle linebacker.

Freshman redshirts Jason D'Alba (Glencoe, Ill.) and Sean Kitts 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 (Sioux Center, Iowa) 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 (Aurora, Colo.) caught the game-winning 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 six career interceptions.

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.

TURNOVERS SPOIL HOMECOMING: Morehead State forced Drake into six turnovers as the Eagles' spoiled the homecoming of former head coach Steve Loney with a 33-0 Pioneer Football League home victory Saturday.

Loney served as head coach at Morehead State from 1981-83. Morehead State limited Drake to a season-low 111 yards total offense. Meanwhile, the Eagles rolled up 399 yards total offense, while controlling the line of scrimmage with 38 minutes six seconds in time of possession.

Morehead State, which entered the game leading the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing defense allowing opponents only 22.5 yards per game, held Drake to minus five yards rushing in 22 carries. Drake ball carriers rushed for 41 yards, but the Bulldogs had minus 46 yards in team rushing because of two poor center snaps on punts.

For the second consecutive road game a miscue in Drake's special teams proved critical. On the Bulldogs' first possession of the game punter Brandon Wubs (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) had the snap from center Travis Klatt (Albert Lea, Minn.) at the 26 Drake yard line sail over his head into the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Then the Eagles parlayed a interception thrown by Drake quarterback Derek Retherford into their first touchdown. Behind runs of 13 and seven yards by Scott Phaydavong, the Bulldogs marched to the Morehead State 37 yardline late in the first quarter before safety Bryan Gray halted the drive by picking off a Retherford pass at the 33 yardline.

Six plays later Jerrod Pendleton scored on a one-yard burst to push the Eagles' lead to 9-0 with 14:02 left in the second quarter. Pendleton added a two-yard touchdown run with 1:10 left in the second quarter.

Senior tight end Daniel Marx had a game-high five receptions for 30 yards for Drake, while junior receiver Zach Brower caught four passes for 73 yards.Senior fullback Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo.) led Drake with 31 yards on the ground in five carries. Phaydavong rushed for 23 yards in seven carries. Linebacker Stephen Platek led Drake with 11 tackles, while senior safety Andy Green had 10 tackles. Freshman linebacker Matt Murphy and senior cornerback Tyler Marley had interceptions for Drake.

ON THE ROAD: Drake posted a 2-3 road record, having dropped its last three road games, including coast-to-coast trips to San Diego (59-19) Oct. 13 and Davidson (24-21) Oct. 20.

Drake claimed 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 also earned a 20-7 victory at Wisconsin-Platteville.

PHAYDAVONG KEYS COMEBACK VICTORY: Scott Phaydavong rushed for a season-high 208 yards, including two touchdowns, as Drake snapped a two-game losing streak with a 42-14 victory past Jacksonville Oct. 27.

Phaydavong, enjoying his 31st career 100-yard plus rushing game, scored on touchdown runs of two and 61 yards, to fuel a school-record 29-point third quarter barrage by Drake. It marked the sixth time that Phaydavong had rushed for more than 200 yards in a game. He gained 216 yards rushing in a 47-28 victory at Jacksonville last year.

Phaydavong also became the first Drake player in history to rush for 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, while pushing his 2007 totals to 1,041 yards.Drake rolled up 453 yards total offense, including 255 on the ground. Quarterback Derek Retherford added 179 yards total offense, including 124 passing. Cole Ingle started the game at quarterack and threw two touchdown passes.

The Bulldogs scored on their first possession of the second half, marching 63 yards in eight plays climaxed by Phaydavong's two-yard scoring plunge to pull within 14-13 with 10:54 left in the third period.

Drake took its first lead of the game as Phaydavong scored on a 61-yard sprint, cutting his way past a host of Jacksonville defenders. Ingle threw a two-point conversion pass to senior fullback Willie Cashmore to give Drake a 21-14 lead with 4:24 left in the third quarter.

DEFENSE FORCES FIVE TURNOVERS: The Bulldog defense forced Jacksonville into five turnovers with freshman reserve defensive back Tim Harvey (Evanston, Ill.) collecting two interceptions.

Drake rallied from a 14-0 deficit to pull within 14-6 at halftime following second-quarter field goals of 20 and 32 yards by Logan Rees. Drake scored less than three minutes later after senior cornerback Poul Collins recovered a Jacksonville fumble at the 18 yardline. Three plays later Ingle hooked up with Travis Hardgraves on an 18-yard touchdown pass to increase Drake's lead to 28-14 with 1:22 remaining in the period.

Drake senior cornerback Tyler Marley set up Drake's final touchdown of the third quarter. He returned an interception 31 yards to the Jacksonville two yardline where senior Michael Bialas (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) scored on a two-yard run to push Drake's advantage to 35-14 with 44 seconds left.

Harvey's first interception led to Drake's final touchdown. Harvey returned a pass theft 28 yards to the Jacksonville 28 yardline with 14:36 left in the game. After Phaydavong rushed five straight times down to the 10 yardline, Ingle spotted Zach Brower open in the right corner of the endzone with 11:38 remaining to account for the final score.

Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Ben Morrison led Drake with eight tackles. Freshman redshirt linebacker Stephen Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) added six tackles, while forcing a fumble and returning an interception 19 yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS MISCUES PROVE COSTLY: Cody Elder kicked a 20-yard field goal with 1 minute 24 seconds left to lift Davidson to a 24-21 victory against Drake Oct. 20. Junior cornerback Matt Mikrut picked off a pass by Drake quarterback Derek Retherford at the Davidson 29 yardline with 57 seconds left to seal the victory.

Drake saw breakdowns in their special teams contribute to their second straight loss. Davidson relied on miscues by Drake's special teams to score six points in the second quarter. Drake punter Brandon Wubs had three consecutive snaps from center Travis Klatt sail over his head, resulting in safeties. The three safeties tied an NCAA single-game record.

With Drake trailing 15-13 midway in the fourth quarter, Wubs also had a punt blocked by Davidson's Ben Sarver who recovered the ball at the Bulldog two yardline. On the next play Kirk Benedict scored on a two-yard touchdown run to gave Davidson a 21-13 advantage with 7:50 left.

Travis Hardgraves caught six passes for 93 yards, while Dan Marx had six receptions for 76 yards. Cole Ingle completed 13 of 23 passes for 156 yards, while Retherford passed for 72 yards.

DEFENSE FORCES 5 TURNOVERS: Drake's defense forced five turnovers at Davidson, including a fumble recovery by junior cornerback Tyler Marley which allowed the Bulldogs to tie the score at 21-21. Marley recovered a Kenny Mantuo fumble at the Davidson 27 yardline. After Derek Retherford picked up a first down on a fourth-and-one situation, senior running back Scott Phaydavong scampered 17 yards for a touchdown, allowing Drake to pull within 21-19 with 5:14 left in the game. Retherford rolled out to the right and found Greg Smit in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion to tie the score at 21-21.

Junior safety Andy Green thwarted a Davidson scoring drive with an interception at the 18 yardline late in the second quarter. He also forced a fumble on Davidson's opening drive of the game which was recovered by teammate Jeremy Gehl.

Senior cornerback Poul Collins collected his fourth career interception against Davidson with a theft in the Drake endzone to halt a drive early in the fourth quarter. Collins tied a Drake school record with three interceptions against Davidson in 2006.

Drake junior Augustine Agyei (Aurora, Colo.) returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Davidson 37-yard line. Junior quarterback Cole Ingle hit senior Travis Hardgraves with a 31-yard pass to set up a three-yard touchdown run by Michael Bialas with 4:23 left in the third quarter. Drake senior defensive end Cody Shelly (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) recovered a fumble on Davidson's next possession. Cole Ingle then engineered an eight-play 70-yard scoring drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Dan Marx which pulled Drake within 15-13. Linebacker Ben Morrison led Drake's defense with a game-high 13 tackles, including eight solo hits, and forcing two fumbles. Linebacker Stephen Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) added 10 tackles.

HARDGRAVES CONTINUES SUCCESS: Like a baseball hitter who enjoys success against a certain pitcher, Drake senior wide receiver Travis Hardgraves owns some impressive numbers against Davidson.

As a sophomore in 2005, Hardgraves caught a then career-high seven passes at Davidson, including touchdown receptions of four and 17 yards. Last year he had eight receptions for 173 yards against Davidson, including a 74-yard scoring strike from Cole Ingle.He caught six passes for 93 yards at Davidson Saturday, pushing his career mark to 21 receptions for 341 yards ? a 16.2 average per catch.

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 Oct. 13.

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 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 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) adding a nine-yard touchdown run.

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 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 seniors Willie Cashmore and Michael Bialas 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 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 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 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-Platteville 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 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 Jacob Craig recovered a fumble on Waldorf's ensuing play from scrimmage at the 19 yardline. Three plays later quarterback Cole Ingle spotted 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. 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's 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 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 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. 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. 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: 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 senior quarterback Derek Retherford are 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.

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 ? 33-0 at Morehead State, Nov. 3, 2007
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 ? 208 yards (23 carries) Scott Phaydavong vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 27, 2007
Last Drake player to rush for 200 yards ? 208 (23 carries) Scott Phaydavong at Jacksonville, Oct. 27, 2007
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��