GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake, coming off its biggest victory in 22 years as a nonscholarship program, opens its home season, playing host to Waldorf in a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday (Sept. 8) at Drake Stadium. The Bulldogs are riding the momentum of a 27-24 season opening victory at Illinois State, which was ranked No. 7 in The Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision poll.

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.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since the 1992 season, the Bulldogs have accumulated a 62-13-1 home record at Drake Stadium for an 83.8 winning percentage. Drake has six home games this fall.

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 REMAINS NO. 2 IN MID-MAJOR POLL: Despite ts season opening upset at Illinois State, Drake stayed No. 2 in the latest Sports Network Mid-Major poll released Tuesday.

San Diego remained No. 1 with 229 points, including 15 first-place votes. Drake tallied 227 points, including 11 first-place voties. Albany was ranked No. 3 followed by Dayton, Monmouth, Davidson, Central Connecticut State, Duquesne, Stony Brook and Robert Morris which was ranked No. 10.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Waldorf, in just its fifth year as an NAIA independent, has 14 starters back from last year's squad which posted a 2-8 record. The Warriors are 1-1 this season, following a 14-7 victory at Iowa Wesleyan last Saturday. Waldorf opened the season with a 16-9 home loss to William Penn Aug. 25.

A 10-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Scott Gregson with 8:09 left in the game proved to be the difference for Waldorf which mustered only 176 yards total offense.

Senior fullback Marcus Lewis leads Waldorf with 208 yards rushing on 40 carries, including 155 yards in the season opener against William Penn. Junior defensive back Bryan Bjorklund paces the defense with 17 tackles, while senior linebacker JaWann Billingsley has two interceptions. Waldorf had three interceptions against William Penn while allowing only 160 yards total offense.

Greg Youngblood was promoted from assistant head coach to head coach of the school last Dec. 1. He was an assistant coach at Taylor (Ind.) University before coming to Waldorf. He was a three-year letterman at Bates College before graduating in 1994.

THE SERIES: Drake owns a 4-0 lead in the series which began in 2003 when the Bulldogs claimed a 47-17 home victory.

THE LAST MEETING: Drake 35, Waldorf 3 (Oct. 7, 2006, Des Moines, Iowa) ? Willie Cashmore rushed for three touchdowns as Drake closed out the nonconference portion of its schedule at Drake Stadium. Drake's defense held Waldorf to just 188 yards total offense, including 38 yards rushing in 20 attempts, while also forcing the Warriors into three turnovers.

The Bulldogs rolled up 518 yards total offense, including 301 on the ground.Drake's Scott Phaydavong, who entered the game ranked No. 7 in the NCAA I-AA in rushing with a 128.4 yard average, enjoyed his fifth straight 100-yard plus rushing game with 182 yards in 32 carries.

Cashmore, who gained 47 yards on the ground in 11 carries, had scoring runs of three, two and one yards. Waldorf dug itself in a hole in the first quarter as a result of sloppy play by its special teams. After forcing Drake to punt on its opening possession, the Warriors' Erskinte Henderson fumbled the punt return with the Bulldogs' Cale Hunt recovering at the Waldorf 28 yardline.

A 24-yard field goal by Logan Rees gave Drake a 3-0 lead with 12:36 left in the first quarter. The Bulldogs also recorded a safety with 8:58 left in the first quarter when Drake defender Ryan Scott tackled Waldorf punter Aaron Kurowksi in his own endzone after fielding a fumbled snap from center.

Senior linebacker Nick Ross and junior cornerback Tyler Marley each had pass interceptions for Drake. Ben Ostermann, who became the first freshman to start at quarterback for Drake since 1999, passed for 172 yards in his starting debut. Cole Ingle, who had suffered a broken hand during spring practice, made his season debut and capped off Drake's scoring by engineering a six-play, 59-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hardgraves with 5:47 left in the game.Rees added a 28-yard field goal with 54 seconds left in the first half to give Drake a 22-0 intermission lead.

Kurowski accounted for Waldorf's lone points with a season long 49-yard field goal with 7:06 left in the third quarter.

Senior Shea Moroni caught a team-high five passes for 76 yards for Drake. Henderson had a game-high eight receptions for 84 yards.

AMONG LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (538) among the 123 schools which play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The game with Waldorf will be the 1,034th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 538-466-29 for a winning percentage of .532.

PRESEASON PFL POLL: Drake has been 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.

San Diego, which has won the last two PFL Championships, returns 14 starters and 46 players from last season's squad which posted an 11-1 mark, including an undefeated run (7-0) through the PFL schedule. The Toreros, under the guidance of new head coach Ron Caragher, feature senior quarterback Josh Johnson, who enters the campaign second among active quarterbacks in career passing yards (6,711).

Each PFL team will play a complete round-robin conference schedule, beginning Sept. 29. The PFL champion will host the Northeast Conference Champion in the second Gridiron Classic, Dec. 1.

INGLE HONORED: Drake junior quarterback Cole Ingle (Runnels/Southeast Polk) has been named the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week following his heroics in the Bulldogs' victory at Illinois State last Thursday (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 (Maple Grove, Minn.) ? gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game 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 (Aurora, Colo.) with 23.2 seconds left to nab the victory.

LAST-MINUTE TD KEYS UPSET WIN: Junior quarterback 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 (Johnston), 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 found senior fullback Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo.) open 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.

Drake senior Scott Phaydavong (Des Moines East), who entered the game as the leading active rusher in the Championship Subdivision with 4,572 yards, enjoyed his 26th career 100-yard plus rushing game with 111 yards in 30 carries.

Junior Zach Brower (West Des Moines Valley) led Drake with six receptions for 61 yards, while senior Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City West) 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 junior Logan Rees (West Des Moines Valley) 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 (Littleton, Colo.), 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 (Mount Vernon, Iowa) had 10 tackles apiece. Junior cornerback Poul Collins (Cedar Rapids Washington) 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.

During Loney's four seasons in Minnesota, 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.

SUN BOWL TEAM TO HOLD 50TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION: A 50-year reunion of the 1957 Drake football team which played in the Sun Bowl will be held during homecoming weekend Oct. 5-6.

The 1957 team posted a 7-2 record, under coach Warren Gaer, while earning a trip to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, against Louisville. For more information on the Friday, Oct. 5 banquet contact Jolene Ostbloom in the Drake Athletic Department at 515-271-2889.

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 tackleDave Pammer (Frankfort, Ill.) and Drake junior safety Andy Green (Atlantic, Iowa). 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.

The Pioneer Football League drew 15 of the 29 players on the team with defending league champion San Diego landing five players on the elite squad.

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 (Mount Vernon, Iowa) and junior quarterback Derek Retherford (Johnston, Iowa) have been named co-captains for the Drake football team.

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 112 players on the Drake football roster including 12 seniors, 14 juniors, 18 sophomores and 68 freshmen (23 redshirts). The roster features players from 10 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, Michigan and Oklahoma.

The 55-man travel squad for Illinois State last week included just two true freshmen: defensive lineman Eric Rice (Bellevue, Neb.) and quarterback Nate Snead (Altoona, Iowa).

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.

The five-foot 6-inch speedster is the Championship subdivision active career leader in rushing yards per game (142.5 avg.) and yards per carry (6.58 avg.). Last year Phaydavong 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 Pioneer Football League in rushing for a third straight year.

The running game will be buoyed by three-year letterwinner Willie Cashmore (Kansas City, Kan.) at fullback, along with the return of Michael Bialas (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) 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 (Maple Grove, Minn.) who was a 2005 PFL honorable mention selection, and fifth-year senior Travis Hardgraves (Sioux City West) will 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 look for three new 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 of the season.

SECONDARY LEADS DEFENSE: The strength of Drake's defense will be 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 (Cedar Rapids Washington) 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 (Machesney Park, Ill.) 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 (West Des Moines Valley) does return as a starter at the other defensive end spot.

Key priorities on defense are to fill holes at all three linebacking positions where graduation claimed three-year starters James Adams, Brian Conway and Nick Ross.

Sophomore Cale Hunt (Littleton, Colo.), who shared the league lead with three forced fumbles, is a top candidate at weakside linebacker. He had 32 tackles last season, including 17 solo shots. Redshirt freshmen John Meehan (St. Louis, Mo.) and Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) figure to be in the hunt for play time at linebacker, along with junior Jon Isgrig (Newton), who is a transfer from Iowa.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Drake head coach Steve Loney calls special teams the difference between being an average team and a good team. Every practice session begins with emphasis on the special teams The kicking game features junior Logan Rees (West Des Moines Valley), who made eight field goals, and sophomore punter Brandon Wubs (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.), who ranked third in the PFL with a 37.4 yard average.

FAMILY AFFAIR: First-year 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.

QUOTING DRAKE FOOTBALL COACH STEVE LONEY: Here are comments from Drake head coach Steve Loney: "Never in my wildest dreams did I think about this (upset victory against Illinois State). These guys have made my life wonderful. What can you say, to move the ball 95 yards at the end of game when everyone in the stadium knew we were passing was unbelievable This was a big win for us.I can't say enough for the kids. Our defense played wonderful for the entire game. That (Illinois State) was a team that averaged 30 points a year ago and returned a lot of offensive startes.

"The defense kept us close throughout the first half. We knew if we kept playing hard we would have an opportunity to crawl back into the game.I can't say enough about the job Matt Jeter (defensive coordinator) and the defensive staff did. This is his first coordinator's job and I can't be more proud of Matt. Our kids have set a mark of forcing three turnovers a game and they hit it right on the mark which really helped our team.

"Cole Ingle will start at quarterback but it will be a similar rotation as it has been done. Derek (Retherford) didn't do anything to be upset about. You just need to be fair to kids. They both know they will play and we're going to work on that and see how we go...this may be a season long thing. We will keep looking for hot hand and take a look at things.

"Sometimes you get caught in the euphoria and there are still a lot of things for us to get better at which is good. If you can learn and win it is a lot easier pill to swallow then if you are having to learn due to losing. We have a lot of things to correct. We did some good things and you love the fight in the kids, but there are a lot of things to get corrected before our game with Waldorf.

"We will get Waldorf's best shot, so we have to be ready to counter that and be productive ourselves. They are an option football team which creates problems for the defense. We have to be very assignment sound when you are playing the option which is a challenge for us defensively. Defensive tackle William Stokes will be one of the best defensive lineman we will face this season. He can be a force.

"To this point in time, at the very least, we have created some curiosity as to what this football team is about with the football fans in central Iowa. We're hoping to get a good crowd and show them that Drake football can be fun."