SAN DIEGO, CALIF. --  Senior Steve Platek scored two touchdowns, including a game-winning pass with 4 minutes 23 seconds left, as Drake rallied for a 21-14 victory at preseason Pioneer Football League favorite San Diego Saturday.

Drake junior Patrick Cashmore, playing in his first game of the season, rushed for a career-high 127 yards, while catching a 20-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs netted a season-high 179 yards rushing with junior reserve Tom Kostek adding a career-high 69 yards on the ground in nine carries.

Drake, which was playing the first leg of a challenging 5,596 mile coast-to-coast trip in consecutive weekends, maintained a share of first place in the league with Butler with a 3-0 record.

The Bulldogs snapped a four-game losing streak to the Toreros, while earning their first victory in San Diego since 2004.

"This was a team win," said second-year Drake coach Chris Creighton whose team avenged a 43-17 home setback to San Diego last year. "There are so many players who wanted this game so badly.

"San Diego was a team that has had the better end of Drake for the last eight years.  We played a great team that wasn't going to go down easy."

Kostek gained 58 yards in the last 9:31 of the game on just five carries, while igniting the game winning touchdown drive.

On Drake's first play from scrimmage with 5:21 left in the game, Kostek broke free for a 36-yard gallop down to the San Diego 17.

Two plays later freshman redshirt quarterback Mike Piatkowski rifled a 20-yard scoring strike to Platek on the left sideline which proved to be the difference in the game.

Kostek also kept San Diego's offense from getting another possession late in the game with consecutive runs of 12 and 11 yards in the waning minutes.

San Diego, which entered the game ranked second in the PFL in rushing offense with a 157.2 yard average, was held to a season-low 19 yards on the ground in 16 carries.

Senior linebacker Ben Morrison and strong safety Skye Buckner-Petty led Drake with nine tackles apiece.

Cashmore, who had missed the first five games of the season while recovering from mononucleosis, became the first Drake player to rush for more than 100 yards this season.

Cashmore gained 92 yards in just 13 carries in the first half, while catching a 20-yard touchdown pass from Piatkowski with 8:36 left in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 second quarter lead.

"Our defense was phenomenal, our special teams made plays and the offense did enough to win," added Creighton.

"Our running game hasn't  shown itself this season but the offensive line did a good job today."

Drake improved its record to 5-1 entering next Saturday's game at Davidson, N.C., to match the best start at the school since the 2006 team went 6-1.

A one-yard touchdown burst by Platek with 6:32 left in the first quarter capped a time consuming 14-play, 63-yard scoring drive that allowed Drake to tie the score at 7-7.

Platek finished with four receptions for 57 yards, while freshman Mike Bilton caught three passes for 16 yards.

Senior Brandon Wubs, the reigning PFL Special Teams Player of the Week, punted eight times for a 41.0 yard average including three punts inside the 20 yardline.

San Diego scored on its first possession of the first half as well as the second half but was nullified the remainder of the game.