DES MOINES, IOWA -- Two was the common denominator when Drake football coach Chris Creighton spoke to the media during the annual Bulldog Football Media Day.

It is year two under the Creighton regime at Drake and week two of 2009 preseason camp.

So, far Creighton likes what he sees.

"It is obviously a very exciting time of the year for us," said Creighton who has 98 players in camp, including 35 returning lettermen. "I'm really excited about my second year.  I get asked the question a lot about what is different about the second year and I think the number one thing with our program is there is better chemistry.

"With all the change it is really hard to have stability and now that is gone and buried now.  For the first time we aren't doing first-time things for the third year in a row, we're doing things for the second time through and the guys know and trust each other.  The chemistry is really exciting right now and because of that we're having more fun and we'll be better."

With the season opener against Grand View Sept. 4 looming in the horizon, Creighton said no one has emerged as a clear favorite for the starting quarterback.

Redshirt freshmen Peter Badovinac (Inverness, Ill.) and Mike Piatkowski (Wheaton, Ill.) are bracketed together on the depth chart.

"Mike (Piatkowski) has that confidence about him," said Creighton. "He has a high IQ and throws a beautiful spiral. Peter (Badovinac) has an iron-will and is so determined. He has a lot of intangibles, knows the system and is a leader.

"We have seven quarterbacks, that is the positive side, and the challenging side is they're all freshman.  The thing that I look for in quarterbacks is leadership.  If you don't have a guy who is going to take the team by the back of the neck and make them win and be as good as they can be, then you're going to come up short as a football team."

Creighton told the media that the defensive front seven will be the strength of the team.

"That unit is really talented and they will lead our team," said Creighton.

There are 17 lettermen back from a unit which ranked second in the Pioneer Football League in scoring defense last year, allowing 17.9 points.

The Bulldogs featured a balanced defensive line, returning five veterans who started at least one game last season.

Senior Dain Taylor (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) returns after starting 10 games at defensive end and is waged in fierce competition with senior Josh Walkup.

Senior Sean Kitts (Leawood, Kan.) was a fixture at tackle, starting all 11 games last year, while 6-foot 6-inch sophomore Dave Witkiewicz (Hales Corners, Wis.) is a budding star at nose guard.

Returning in their third year as starters are seniors Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) and Cale Hunt (Littleton, Colo.) who form one of the best insider linebacker combinations in the PFL. Morrison led the league in tackles in 2007 and is the team's top returning tackler after collecting 55 last season.

Hunt was Drake's leading tackler through four games last season before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with an elbow injury.

"Within the game of football you have to have 11 players who believe in each other on the same page and go in the same direction, and since we have that I think we're going to be better on the field for it as well," Creighton added.

"We're young in a lot of spots but there is an upside to everything as those guys are going to be around for a long time."