NOV. 22, 2008
VALPARAISO, IND. - Freshman Patrick Oliver (Elk Run Heights, Iowa) scored two touchdowns to help Drake extend its string of consecutive winning seasons to five with a 32-0 Pioneer Football League victory past Valparaiso in the season finale for both teams Saturday.

Drake, which snapped a seven-game losing streak on the road, ended the year with a 6-5 record including a 4-4 fourth-place league mark.

With nine seniors closing out their collegiate careers, Drake displayed its most balanced effort of the season, accumulating 437 yards total offense.

The Bulldog defense limited Valparaiso to just 150 yards, while forcing three turnovers.

It also marked the first time since the 1962 season that a Drake football team recorded three shutouts. The Bulldogs earlier claimed home victories against William Penn (36-0) and Campbell (45-0) this fall.

"It was a neat day for a lot of reasons," said first-year Drake head coach Chris Creighton. "The underclassmen wanted so badly for our seniors to do well."

The Bulldogs were so dominating on defense that they limited Valparaiso to just five yards total offense in the entire third quarter.

Valparaiso's Ross Wiemer, who ranked second in the PFL in rushing with a 154.9 yard average per game, was held to a season-low 21 yards on nine carries.

"Our staff ranked Valparaiso as one of the top offensive teams in our league, so hats off to our defense. They played so well," Creighton said. "They have a good stable of multiple backs, but I wasn't surprised by our defense and what they are capable of."

Seniors Cole Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) and Ben Ostermann (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) alternated at quarterback for the Bulldogs.

Ostermann rushed for a game high 82 yards in 15 carries. A 36-yard run by Ostermann early in the fourth quarter ignited Drake on a six-play, 53-yard scoring drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Steve Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) to increase the Bulldogs' lead to 26-0 with 12:26 remaining.

Senior safety Andy Green ended the first half by stopping a Valparaiso drive with his sixth interception of the season. It was his 17th career interception, just one shy of the overall Drake career mark of 18 pass thefts by J.E. WIlliams from 1969-72.

Drake junior defensive back Tim Harvey (Evanston, Ill.) also halted a Valparaiso drive by recording his sixth interception in the second quarter.

Senior Cole Douglas (Lawrence, Kan.) had eight tackles, including a five-yard quarterback sack along with three tackles for seven yards in losses. Junior safety Skye Buckner Petty (Florissant, Mo.) added seven tackles.

Oliver finished with 79 yards rushing including scoring runs of 15 and seven yards.

Ingle completed 15 of 24 passes for 197 yards including a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior Mike Bialas (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) with 1:03 remaining in the second quarter.

"That was Bialas' first touchdown reception so he was smiling ear to ear," Creighton said.

Platek led Drake with six receptions for 72 yards, while Bialas closed out his career by catching five passes for 87 yards.

Drake's special teams came up big in the first half.

But the Bulldogs were able to score on just one of three possessions inside Valparaiso's 20 yardline in the second quarter.

Junior Dain Taylor (Highlands Ranch, Ill.) blocked a punt on Valparaiso's first possession of the game with teammate Andrew Asbell (Machesney Park, Ill.) recovering at the Crusaders' 10 yardline.

After a five-yard delay of game penalty, Oliver gave Drake a 7-0 lead it never relinquished on a 15-yard touchdown burst up the middle with 6:35 left in the first period.

Later in the period Platek recovered a fumble on a punt return by John Popper at the Valparaiso 11 yardline. But the drive stalled and senior Logan Rees (West Des Moines, Iowa) had a 36-yard field goal attempt miss wide left.

"We had a couple frustrating finishes to drives in the first quarter, but we did get it going. Everyone had a good feeling," noted Creighton.

Sophomore Tom Kostek (Clive, Iowa) rounded out Drake's scoring on a 10-yard cutback run going into the end zone untouched with 4:11 left.

"As far as the first season here at Drake, our staff wanted to give our seniors everything we could during the past 10 months," said Creighton.

"We will take this year to teach and establish who we are as a program. We're not a finished product, but I feel good about the direction we're headed."