JACKSONVILLE, FLA. -- Lacy McDougald's interception thwarted a potential game winning drive by Drake in the waning minutes as Jacksonville escaped with a 39-34 victory in a battle between undefeated Pioneer Football League co-leaders Saturday.

Drake trailed 30-7 at halftime but rolled up 238 yards total offense in the second half with junior quarterback Mike Piatkowski (Wheaton, Ill.) passing for two touchdowns and running for another.

A one-yard touchdown run by Nathan Paddock (Lee's Summit, Mo.), making his first college start, pulled Drake within 39-34 with 4:18 left.

Drake's defense stopped Jacksonville on a fourth-down conversion attempt on the Drake 30 yardline with 2:34 remaining in the game, allowing the Bulldogs a final attempt to win the game.

A pass interference penalty moved the football to the Drake 45 yardline before McDougald's heroics with two minutes 15 seconds left in the game ended the comeback attempt.

"We came back. We fought hard," said Drake football coach Chris Creighton, whose team had a two-game winning streak snapped. The Bulldogs fell to 3-3 overall, including a 2-1 league mark.

The Dolphins, winning their seventh straight home game, improved to 5-1 including a 3-0 conference record.

"They (Jacksonville) are a very good team," Creighton added. "They had a good game plan on both sides of the ball.

"Three minutes into the game our guys were tired, heavy legged and played sluggish like we were in a trance. But to their credit, despite that, they fought through it and settled down."

The Bulldogs played without the services of two-time first-team all-league J-back Steve Platek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) who was sidelined with an ankle injury.

Nevertheless, Drake came out in the second half, scoring touchdowns on its first two offensive possessions within a span of 1 minute 50 seconds.

Piatkowksi scrambled for a six-yard touchdown run with 10:11 left in the third quarter to cap a 13-play, 81-yard drive.

The Bulldogs capitalized on a 31-yard interception return by linebacker Seth Hedman (Tulsa, Okla.) to score another touchdown.

On the first play from scrimmage at the Jacksonville 10 yardline, following the Dolphins' miscue, Piatkowski rifled a touchdown strike to junior Drew Blackmon (Florissant, Mo.) to pull Drake within 30-21 with 8:29 left in the third quarter.

Piatkowski, who threw a 10-yard scoring pass to sophomore Joey Orlando (Park Ridge, Ill.) in the fourth quarter, eclipsed the 3,000-yard career passing mark by completing 18 passes for 296 yards to push his totals to 3,231 yards.

Blackman caught a career-high nine passes for 156 yards.

Drake's defense recorded five quarterback sacks totaling 41 yards against Josh McGregor who entered the game ranked fourth nationally in passing efficiency.

Drake sophomore linebacker Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa) led both teams with eight tackles, including five solo hits.

Jacksonville scored two touchdowns in a 48-second span early in the second quarter to turn a 9-7 lead into a 23-7 advantage.

After senior Patrick Cashmore's (Kansas City, Mo.) two-yard touchdown plunge capped a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive for Drake with 34 seconds left in the first quarter, the Dolphins answered on their ensuing drive.

J.J. Laster had 17 yards rushing, while catching a 36 yard pass to key a five-play, 68-yard touchdown march. Laster highlighted the drive with a six-yard scoring run on first down with 13:07 in the first quarter.

Three plays later, Jacksonville free safety Jordan Dewhirst intercepted a pass by Piatkowski, returning it 30 yards for a touchdown with 12:19 remaining.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Piatkowski marched Drake from its own five yardline to the Jacksonville 31 yardline. But the drive stalled on three incomplete passes before a 48-yard field goal attempt by Billy Janssen (Round Lake Beach, Ill.) was wide left with seven seconds left in the second quarter.