GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake, coming off an impressive 34-6 Pioneer Football League victory at Marist last Saturday,  continues a two-game road swing playing at South Dakota this Saturday to renew a series for the first time since 1972.

TELEVISION: Central Iowa fans can see a replay of the Drake-South Dakota game on Mediacom Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on Midcontineent Communications in Sioux Falls, S.D.

DRAKE RADIO: Saturday's game at South Dakota will be broadcast on KRNT Radio (1350 AM) with Scott Pierce handling the play by play. Fans can also listen to the game at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com

DRAKE QUARTERBACK CLUB: The Drake Quarterback Club luncheons, featuring Drake head football coach Chris Creighton, will be held Sept. 29,  Oct. 13, Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 at All-Play in downtown Des Moines, starting at 11:30 a.m. The public is invited.

WELCOME TO THE DOME: South Dakota has compiled a 116-50 home record in the DakotaDome which was opened in 1979. The Coyotes have a 27-2 record at home during Ed Meierkort's six seasons as head coach.
   
This will mark Drake's first football game played indoors since dropping a 52-17 decision in the 2005 season opener at Northern Iowa.

TRAVELING BULLDOGS: Saturday's game at South Dakota marks the end of a two-game road swing for Drake. But the Bulldogs are in the midst of not playing a home game until Oct. 3 against Valparaiso. Drake has an open date on Sept. 26 and won't return home for a game at Drake Stadium until an Oct. 3 league game against Valparaiso.

AMONG LEADERS: Drake ranks 19th in overall victories (550) among the 123 schools which play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
   
The game at South Dakota will be the 1,056th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 550-476-29 for a winning percentage of .535.

PRESEASON PFL POLL: Drake was picked to finish sixth in the Pioneer Football League preseason coaches poll, receiving 40 points. Drake won four of its final five games in 2008 to finish fifth in the league standings with a 4-4 mark.
   
For the fourth consecutive season, San Diego was tabbed as the favorite in the PFL Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving five of 10 possible first-place votes. Only six points separate the Toreros from Dayton and Jacksonville who were picked to finish tied for second. Dayton picked up three first place votes and 71 points, while 2008 PFL Champion Jacksonville received the other two first place votes and also finished with 71 points.
   
Following Jacksonville and Dayton were Morehead State (51) and Butler (42) to round out the league's top five. Drake (40) was sixth, followed by Davidson (37), Marist (32), Valparaiso (20) and Campbell (nine).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: South Dakota is in its second season of transition to Division I FCS status. The Coyotes, who played in the NCAA Division II North Central Conference for 86 years, have 14 starters back from last year's squad which posted a 6-5 record, including a 1-2 mark in the Great West Conference.
   
Senior quarterback Noah Shepard is South Dakota's career leader in total offense (8,613) and passing yardage (6,902). Sophomore Chris Ganious earned second-team all-league honors last year after rushing for a team-high 755 yards including nine touchdowns.
   
The Coyotes have five starters back on defense, led by senior end Wayne Curry, who ranked third on the team with 56 tackles, including 11 tackles for losses.
   
Senior Ben Oberle caught a career-high six passes for 112 yards, including a touchdown, at Northern Iowa last Saturday.
   
Ed Meierkort, a 1982 graduate of Dakota Wesleyan, is in his sixth season as head coach at South Dakota, owning a 40-19 record. Meierkort has an overall college coach mark of 95-74 in 16-plus years, including a 55-55 record at Wisconsin-Stout from 1993-2003.

THE SERIES: Drake owns a 11-5 record against South Dakota but this will be the first time the schools have played since the Coyotes earned a 28-23 come-from-behind victory Oct. 7, 1972 scoring the winning touchdowns with 39 seconds left

ROLE REVERSAL: The last time these teams played occurred in Vermillion in 1972 with Drake entering the game ranked fifth among college-division teams by the Associated Press while leading the Missouri Valley Conference with a 3-0 record including victories past Memphis (23-7) and North Texas (54-8). The Coyotes, a fully funded NCAA Division II team, entered the contest with a 3-1 mark.
   
Nearly 40 years later, Drake is a nonscholarship program while South Dakota is in its second season of transition to Division I FCS status.

HOMECOMING: Drake sports information director Mike Mahon, who served as sports information director at South Dakota from 1977-88, will be one of seven people inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame during halftime activities. During his tenure he served as the media coordinator for the 1988 NCAA Division II Indoor Track Championship, promoted 10 football players to earn All-American honors, helped 15 student-athletes attain CoSIDA  Academic All-American honors and was the coordinator for the USD Coyote Sports Hall of Fame.
   
Mahon also served as a press officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 1984, 1992, 1996 and 2004 Olympics. Mahon was the youngest SID ever inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1995 when he was honored at the age of 40. Mahon was also a recipient of the 25-year distinguished service award at the 2003 CoSIDA workshop. Mahon earned a bachelor's degree in communications from USD in 1976.

TEAM LEADERS: After two games, redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Piatkowski (Wheaton, Ill.) leads Drake in passing with 432 yards, completing 45 of 67 passes for 67.2 percent, including two touchdowns. Senior J-Back Steve  Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) has caught a team-high 13 passes for 112 yards, including one touchdown. Fifth-year senior Spencer Cady (Fort Dodge Iowa) has caught six passes for 65 yards.
   
Junior Tom Kostek (West Des Moines, Iowa) paces a balanced running attack with 59 yards in 17 carries (3.5 avg.), while freshman Trey Morse (Elmo, Texas) has 49 yards in 16 carries, followed by sophomore Patrick Oliver (Elk Run Heights, Ill.) with 48 yards on the ground in 17 carries.
   
Fifth-year senior Brandon Wubs (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) leads Drake in scoring with 20 points, making five of six field goals.
   
Fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt (Littleton, Colo.) leads the Drake defense with 18 tackles, including 10 solos, one quarterback sack and one interception. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa) has 16 tackles, including 11 solo hits while forcing two fumbles and recovering a fumble.
   
HUNT HONORED BY PFL:  Drake fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt has been named the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Week for his effort in the Bulldogs' league opening 34-6 victory at Marist last Saturday.
   
Hunt led Drake with 10 tackles, including a seven-yard quarterback sack, while also collecting an interception in the fourth quarter that set up a Bulldog touchdown.
   
It marked the second straight week a Drake player was honored by the PFL. Fifth-year senior kicker Brandon Wubs was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week Sept. 7.

DEFENSE KEYS DRAKE IN PFL OPENER: Drake's defense converted six turnovers into scores en route to spoiling the debut of Marist in the Pioneer Football League with a 34-6 victory last Saturday. The Red Foxes played last season as an FCS independent before becoming the tenth member of the PFL.
   
Drake held the Red Foxes to 181 yards total offense, including just 38 yards on the ground on 36 carries. The Bulldogs recorded six quarterback sacks totaling 55 yards in losses.
   
   
Linebacker Cale Hunt led Drake with 10 tackles, while senior cornerback Lucas Mosier (Lewis, Iowa) and senior end Josh Walkup (Littleton, Colo.) added eight tackles apiece. Mosier added an 11-yard quarterback sack. Senior linebacker Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) added six tackles while forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble.
   
Junior defensive back Tyler Moorehead  forced two fumbles while Morrison, senior end John Meehan (St. Louis, Mo.) and sophomore nose guard David Witkiewicz (Hales Corner, Wis.) recovered fumbles.
 
PLATEK SETS MARK: All-conference J-Back Steve Platek set a school nonscholarship record with 13 receptions for 112 yards at Marist, capping the day with a 10-yard touchdown reception from Mike Piatkowski with 7:56 left in the game. Aaron Overton held the previous Drake single-game mark of 12 receptions at Truman State in 2002.

OPPORTUNISTIC OFFENSE: Trailing 6-3, Drake reeled off 31 straight points scoring on all six red zone opportunities inside the 20 yardline.
   
Quarterback Mike Piatkowski completed 22 of 33 passes for 184 yards, while senior Brandon Wubs kicked field goals of 27 and 29 yards for Drake.
   
On Marist's second play of the game, Drake linebacker Ben Morrison stripped running back O'Neil Anderson of the football at the seven yard line with cornerback Lucas Mosier recovering to set up Wubs' first field goal.
   
Piatkowski teamed up with Platek on consecutive passes of 26 and 15 yards early in the second quarter that set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Tom Kostek which gave Drake a 10-6 lead it never relinquished.
   
A 26-yard interception return by sophomore free safety Nick Chenier (Hinsdale, Ill.) halted the opening drive by Marist to start the second half while setting up Drake's second touchdown. A  six-yard touchdown gallop by sophomore Patrick Oliver with 10:10 left in the third quarter capped an eight-play 34-yard scoring drive.
   
Fifth-year senior Spencer Cady rounded out Drake's scoring with a two-yard touchdown burst with 3:51 left in the game. The scoring drive was set up after linebacker Cale Hunt intercepted a pass at the Marist 31 yardline.

THE EMPIRE STATE: During its 116 years of intercollegiate football, Drake has played games in 31 states. But when the Bulldogs played at Marist last Saturday it marked the first time Drake has played a football game in New York, since dropping a 48-0 verdict to Army in West Point, N.Y., Oct. 13, 1934. Drake also played Fordham in the famed Polo Grounds in New York, N.Y., Oct. 24, 1931.

HE'S NO ROOKIE:  Freshman redshirt quarterback Mike Piatkowski making his first collegiate start, threw a touchdown pass, while senior Brandon Wubs kicked three field goals to lead Drake to a season opening 22-0 victory past Grand View Sept. 3
   
Piatkowski gave Drake a 9-0 lead after throwing a 61-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Drew Blackmon (Florissant, Mo.) with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.
   
Piatkowski played the entire game completing 23 of 34 passes for 248 yards which marked the most passing yards by a Drake team since the 2007 season finale against Dayton. He completed passes to 10 receivers.  Blackmon, freshman Joey Orlando (Park Ridge, Ill.) and fifth-year senior Spencer Cady each caught a team-high three passes.

SEASON OPENERS: The Bulldogs improved their record in season openers at 69-41-6 (.627), having won their last three season openers including a 17-13 home victory against Upper Iowa in 2008.
   
Drake's 27-24 upset victory at Illinois State in 2007 snapped a string of six straight years in which the Bulldogs had dropped their season opener with all the games played against scholarship opponents: Truman State, 40-29, 2001; Western Illinois, 64-7, 2002; at Illinois State, 27-13, 2003; at Missouri State, 31-26, 2004; at Northern Iowa, 52-17, 2005; and Northern Iowa at home, 48-7, 2006.

DEFENSE DELIVERS: The Drake defense, posting its second straight shutout dating back to last year, limited Grand View to just 144 yards total offense including 58 yards in the first half. The Bulldogs have posted four shutouts dating back to a 36-0 blanking of William Penn at home Sept. 13, 2008.
   
Drake thwarted a Grand View scoring opportunity late in the second quarter when senior linebacker Ben Morrison  blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Blake Stell. Drake junior Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa) retrieved the loose football, returning it 46 yards. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Moorehead led Drake with nine tackles along with a fourth-quarter interception. Fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt  added eight tackles, while senior linebacker Josh Walkup collected five tackles along with two quarterback sacks for 11 yards in losses, while forcing a fumble.

BALANCED BACKFIELD: Seven players rushed the ball for Drake in the season opener. Junior Tom Kostek, making his first collegiate start, led Drake with 31 yards rushing in nine carries. Freshman Trey Morse added 28 yards on the ground, while sophomore Patrick Oliver  netted 27 yards rushing in nine carries.
   
A three-yard touchdown burst by sophomore Nathan Paddock (Lee's Summit, Mo.) pushed Drake's lead to 16-0 with 11:47 left in the second quarter.

WUBS EARNS PFL HONOR: Drake senior kicker Brandon Wubs was named the Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in the Bulldogs' 22-0 season opening victory past Grand View .
   
Wubs, who has been the team's regular punter the last three years before also assuming place kicking duties this year, hit all three field goal attempts from  37, 32 and 25 yards. Wubs also enjoyed a solid punting effort by averaging 44.5 yards on four punts, including a long of 51 yards in the second quarter. He also handled kickoff duties where his six kickoffs averaged 57.7 yards.
   
Wubs converted his first field goal - from 37 yards - with 4:37 left in the first quarter after Drake stopped Grand View on its opening drive when the Vikings failed to convert a fourth-down gamble at the Drake 35-yard line. In the second half, Drake relied on field goals from 32 and 25 yards by Wubs.

DRAKE SQUAD BREAKDOWN: Drake's 98-man roster includes 11 fifth-year seniors, 14 seniors, 11 juniors, 28 sophomores and 34 freshmen. There are players from 13 states with Illinois leading the way with 43, followed by Iowa 22, Missouri nine, Colorado 6, Kansas 5, Minnesota 3, Oklahoma 3 and one apiece from Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska and Texas.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: Drake has accumulated a record of 63-15-1 at Drake Stadium dating back to 1994.

CITY SERIES: Grand View marked the sixth team from the city of Des Moines that Drake has played in football.  Drake battled to a scoreless tie with Des Moines High School in the first college football game it ever played in 1893. Drake played Des Moines YMCA three times from 1894 through 1895. The Bulldogs played Des Moines Baptist seven times from 1900 to 1911, winning six games. Drake played Highland Park College (which later became Des Moines University) in 1915 and 1918, splitting the series. Drake closed out the 1918 campaign trimming Fort Des Moines Army Post, 35-7.

THE CREIGHTON ERA: Chris Creighton, who was named the 25th head football coach at Drake University Dec. 22, 2007, has an 8-5 year in one-plus year with the Bulldogs.
 
He served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., from 2001-07 where he constructed a 63-15 record with teams winning four North Coast Athletic Conference championships, while competing in three NCAA Division III playoffs.
   
Creighton, 40, owns an overall record of 103-29 (.781 winning percentage) in 11 years as a college head coach, including a 32-9 mark as head coach at Ottawa (Kan.) University from 1997-2000.
   
During his last three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record, including three straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs.
   
Wabash posted an 11-2 record in 2007, competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs while being ranked No. 8 in the final NCAA Division III coaches poll. Wabash went 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, cap

As offensive coordinator at Wabash, Creighton's teams averaged 35 points per game with the multiple offense producing the school's all-time leading rusher and passer. Three starting quarterbacks received All-American honors.
   
Under Creighton, Wabash won conference championships in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He coached 83 all-conference players, including seven who earned conference player of the year honors, along with 13 All-Americans.
   
He was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1997.
   
The Seattle, Wash., native produced one of the greatest single season turnarounds in NAIA history during his first year at Ottawa in 1997. He inherited a team that posted a 1-8 record the previous season, then finished 9-2 en route to capturing its first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title since 1972. 
   
He also led Ottawa to a conference championship in 2000, along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in 1997 and 2000. Creighton served as offensive coordinator at Concordia (Ill.) from 1991-92 and Manchester (Ind.) from 1993-96 before becoming head coach at Ottawa.
   
As an All-American quarterback, Creighton led Kenyon (Ohio) College to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989. He was named the league's player of the year after setting single-season conference records for passing yardage (2,843) and touchdowns (29). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1991 and a master's degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993.

CREIGHTON RANKS AMONG NATION'S BEST: Chris Creighton is ranked 14th among the winningest active college football coaches at all levels with a .791 winning percentage, owning a 103-27 career mark in 12 years.

CO-CAPTAINS: Fifth-year senior linebacker Cale Hunt and fifth-year  senior offensive lineman Eric Mora (Roselle, Ill.) and senior fullback Steve Platek have been named captains for the 2009 Drake football team. Hunt was a co-captain last year, starting the first four games before suffering a season-ending elbow injury against San Diego. At the time he led the Drake defense in tackles with 35.
   
Platek earned first-team All-Pioneer Football League honors after moving from starting linebacker to J-Back in Drake's new offense during the 2008 preseason camp. He was Drake's second leading receiver with 41 catches for 468 yards (11.4 avg.), including four touchdowns. Mora will enter his third season as starting offensive guard.

WHAT'S IN STORE: The Drake football team looks to ride the momentum of a strong finish from the 2008 campaign when it won four of its last five games with the only blemish occurring at league champion Jacksonville.
   
The optimism is generated by the return of 35 lettermen, including 15 starters from last year's squad, which posted a 6-5 record.
   
Head coach Chris Creighton feels leadership from a 12-man senior class, including 11 fifth-year players, has the Drake program charted on the right course.
   
On the field, Drake's strength will lie on defense, with 16 lettermen back from a unit which ranked second in the Pioneer Football League in scoring defense last year, allowing 17.9 points.
   
The Bulldogs feature a balanced defensive line, returning five veterans who started at least one game last year.
   
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 Corner, Wis.) should continue to improve at nose guard.
   
Returning in their third year as starters are seniors Ben Morrison and Cale Hunt who form one of the best inside linebacker combinations in the PFL. Morrison led the Pioneer Football League in tackles in 2007 and is the team's top returning tackler after collecting 55 tackles 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. Fifth-year senior safety Skye Buckner-Petty (Florissant, Mo.), a three-year letterwinner, and junior cornerbacks Matt Hancock (Kansas City, Kan.) and Lucas Mosier lead the secondary. Hancock started in three games last year, while Mosier is a two-year letterwinner.

GROWING PAINS?: Drake will encounter growing pains early in the season at quarterback where a trio with no previous college experience is in competition for the starting role. Freshman redshirt  Mike Piatkowski made his collegiate starting debut against Grand View, emerging ahead of freshmen redshirts Peter Badovinac (Inverness, Ill.) and  Pawel Zurkowski (Round Lake Heights, Ill.) at the conclusion of preseason camp.
   
BALANCED BACKFIELD: Drake head coach Chris Creighton looks for the continuing emergence of senior j-back Steve Platek and an offensive line, led by fifth-year seniors Eric Mora and Quinn McVey (Bettendorf, Iowa), to ease the transition at quarterback.
   
Platek was the lone Drake player to earn first-team All-Pioneer Football League honors last year after scoring seven touchdowns. He is the team's top returning receiver after catching 41 passes for 468 yards last year, including four touchdowns.
   
Mora is in his third year as starting right guard, while McVey is a fixture at center. Junior Stephen Flynn (Davenport, Iowa), who started four games last year, will return at left guard.  Senior John Pugh (Des Moines, Iowa)  and junior Dan Clinton (Gurnee, Ill.), who each started four games last year, are in a battle with sophomore Evan Lawrence (Moline, Ill.) for starting berths at both right and left tackle.
   
Sophomore Patrick Oliver and juniors Pat Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo.) and Tom Kostek return at running back. Oliver led Drake in rushing with 332 yards in 74 carries (4.5 avg.) with three touchdowns. Cashmore galloped for 290 yards in eight games. Kostek had the best rushing average at 5.4 yards with 141 yards in 26 carries.
   
Fifth-year seniors Spencer Cady and Travis Bogaard (Pella, Iowa) will share split end duties. Cady caught 26 passes for 447 yards (17.2 avg.). Tight end also will be solid with the return of fifth-year seniors Frank Pucher (Skokie, Ill.), Will Yocius (Fox River Grove, Ill.) and Travis Klatt (Albert Lea, Minn.).  Sophomore Drew Blackmon emerged in spring drills as the heir apparent at flanker where graduation claimed Zach Brower, the team's top receiver last year.

WUBS LEADS KICKERS: Drake special teams will be headed by fifth-year senior punter Brandon Wubs, who earned second-team all-league honors last year after averaging a career best 40.4 yards punting. Wubs also won the placekicking chores vacated by the graduation of all-league perfromer Logan Rees. Wubs won the battle, beating out  senior Mitch Rasmussen (Long Grove, Ill.), junior Bill Janssen (Round Lake Beach, Ill.) and freshman Michael Pelikan (Rosemount, Minn.) for the place kicking chores.
                                           
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 — 22-0 vs. Grand View, Sept. 5, 2009
Last shutout by Drake at home —22-0 vs. Grand View, Sept. 5, 2009
Last time Drake shut out — 19-0 at Lehigh, Sept. 6, 2008
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 — 46 yards, Andy Green, vs. Davidson, Oct. 25, 2008
Last Drake fumble return for a touchdown —  12 yards, Andrew Asbell vs. Upper Iowa, Aug. 28, 2008
Last Drake player to rush for 100 yards — 103 (21 carries) Pat Cashmore vs. Davidson, Oct. 25, 2008
Two Drake player rush for 100 yards in same game — 101 yards in 19 carries, Willie Cashmore; and 216 yards in 27 carries,
Scott Phaydavong vs. Jacksonville, Nov. 10, 2006
Last Drake player to collect 10 receptions in game — 13, Stephen Platek (112 yards) at Marist, Sept. 19, 2009
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 —  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