DRAKE RADIO: Saturday's gameat Missouri S&T 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

GAME SIGNIFICANCE: Drake begins a treacherous three-game road trip with the first stop scheduled at Missouri S&T. The Bulldogs also travel to Montana State Sept. 18 and play at Valparaiso in their Pioneer Football League opener Sept. 25.

Under head coach Chris Creighton, Drake owns a 3-3 record in nonconference games, including an 0-2 mark on the road.

SEASON OPENERS: Last Saturday's 28-14 home loss to Lehigh marked the first time Drake had dropped its season opener since 2006. The Bulldogs sport a 69-42-6 record (.621) in season openers, having won their last three season openers including a 22-0 home victory against Grand View last year and a 17-13 home triumph against Upper Iowa in 2008.

Drake's 27-24 upset win 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.

AMONG LEADERS: Drake ranks 20th in overall victories (556) among the 123 schools which play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The game at Missouri S&T will be the 1,067th game in school history with Drake owning a record of 556-480-29 for a winning percentage of .537.

PRESEASON PFL POLL: Drake was picked to finish fourth in the Pioneer Football League preseason coaches' poll, receiving 54 points.

Ten-time Pioneer Football League champion Dayton was the favorite in the league's preseason coaches' poll, receiving four of 10 possible first-place votes. Dayton received 76 points while defending league champion Butler was picked second, receiving two first-place votes, with 69 points. Jacksonville received the four remaining first-place votes and finished third in the preseason poll with 68 points.

San Diego, receiving 52 points, was tabbed fifth, followed by, Marist (45), Davidson (30), Campbell (25), Morehead State (22) and Valparaiso (nine).The 2010 PFL slate starts Sept. 18 when Davidson travels to Campbell and Morehead State travels to Dayton.   

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:  Missouri S&T is in its sixth year as an NCAA Division II independent, finishing with winning records in three of the previous five. The Miners are scheduled to be playing as an independent for two more seasons, before joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2012.

Missouri S&T is coming off a 23-7 loss at Emporia State in which the hosts scored all 23 of its points off four Miners' turnovers.

Senior Chad Shockley, one of 13 returning starters from last year's 4-7 team, caught five passes for 56 yards against Emporia State, including a 13-yard scoring reception from freshman redshirt Matt Elliott.

Shockley ranks 10th on the school career reception list at 124, needing 49 yards to tie for 10th on the all-time reception yardage charts at 1,615 yards. Shockley had 25 receptions for 265 yards in the first two weeks of the 2009 season. Redshirt junior quarterback Steve Watson started seven games in 2007 and once last year against Drake. He threw for 1,661 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2007 to earn the Great Lakes Football Conference's “Newcomer of the Year” award.  Senior Jerome Miller has rushed for 961 yards in his career.

Senior defensive tackle Justin Philpy was named to the presason NCAA Division II All-American team selected by Consensus Draft Services. Philpy, a two-year starter, was named to the CDS team as an honorable mention pick. He had 43 tackles last year, including 21 solo stops, one tackle for a loss, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery to earn first team all-league honors from the Great Lakes Football Conference for the second year in succession. He was also a first-team pick and the conference's “Defensive Lineman of the Year” in 2008 after posting 31 tackles, including five quarterback sacks.

Placekicker Joe Drahos earned pre-season All-America status from Lindy's Football after making 13 of 14 field goals last season.

David Brown, a 1997 graduate of Cal Poly, is in his first year as head coach at Missouri S&T. He spent the previous four seasons as defensive backs coach at Ohio. He also served coaching stints at his alma mater, Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Idaho State, Allen Hancock College and Claremont McKenna in California.

THE SERIES: Drake owns a 4-0 lead in the series which began in 1923 when the Bulldogs earned a 54-0 home victory. Drake escaped with a 28-25 victory in its lone visit to Rolla, Mo., in 2002.

LAST YEAR: Drake 19, Missouri S&T 0 (Des Moines, Iowa) — Fifth-year senior Brandon Wubs kicked four field goals and redshirt freshman Michael Piatkowski  passed for a career-high 340 yards as Drake celebrated homecoming with a 19-0 victory.

Drake held Missouri S&T to 120 yards total offense, including 55 on the ground in 31 attempts. The Miners crossed midfield on just two of their 14 possessions. Senior linebacker Ben Morrison led Drake with seven tackles, including two tackles for three yards in losses, while also forcing a fumble. Linebacker Cale Hunt and senior Sean Kitts, making his first start at nose guard, added six tackles apiece.

Piatkowski opened the game by completing 11 of his first 12 passes for 122 yards, but Drake only owned a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The 340 yards passing by Piatkowski were the most by a Drake quarterback in a game since Connor Jostes threw for 389 yards at Valparaiso Oct. 25, 2003.

Senior J-back Steve Platek caught seven passes for 118 yards, while fifth-year senior Travis Bogaard caught a career-high five passes for 102 yards.
Platek scored Drake's lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge with 1:17 left in the first half to cap a six-play, 49-yard drive. Piatkowski opened the scoring drive by completing passes of 22 and 15 yards to Bogaard and Platek, respectively.

TALE OF TWO HALVES: It was a tale of two halves for Drake in its season opener against Lehigh last Saturday.

Senior Jay Campbell rushed for three touchdowns as Lehigh jumped to a 21-0 lead before holding off Drake, 28-14. Drake could muster only 37 yards total offense in the first half, while accumulating just three first downs.

But the Bulldogs woke up in the third quarter, more than doubling their total offense output of the first half by accumulating 77 yards. Aided by two pass interference calls, Drake marched 88 yards in 11 plays capped off by a seven-yard touchdown run from senior Tom Kostek (West Des Moines, Iowa) to get on the scoreboard with 4:45 left in the third quarter.

Drake pulled within 21-14 when junior quarterback Mike Piatkowski  (Wheaton, Ill.) rifled a 12-yard scoring pass to junior Drew Blackmon (Florissant, Mo.) in the left corner of the endzone with 7:44 left in the contest.

 The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the score on the ensuing kickoff when a pouch kick landed between two Lehigh players, allowing Drake's Nick Chenier (Hinsdale, Ill.) to recover the free pigskin at the Lehigh 22 yardline.

But Lehigh's defense rose to the occasion, stopping Drake on four straight plays.
Campbell then broke free on Lehigh's next possession for a 28-yard touchdown scamper to push the lead to 28-14 with 4:10 remaining in the game

Piatkowski completed 20 of 34 passes for 148 yards. Blackmon caught a career-high five passes for 40 yards. Kostek rushed for 43 yards in 12 carries.

Drake marched to the Lehigh 15 yardline on its last possession of the first half but had a 32-yard field goal attempt from Billy Janssen (Long Grove, Ill.) go wide left.

MORRISON KEYS DEFENSE: After yielding 277 yards total offense in the first half, Drake's defense held Lehigh in check in the second half, allowing just 143 yards in 32 plays.

Fifth-year senior linebacker Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) paced Drake's defense against Lehigh with a game-high 11 tackles, including seven solo hits.

Sophomore free safety Michael Ratelle (Edina, Minn.), making his first collegiate start, added seven tackles, including six solo hits. Junior cornerback Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa) also had seven tackles for Drake.

DRAKE SQUAD BREAKDOWN: Drake's 98-man roster includes seven fifth-year seniors, 11 seniors, 19 juniors, 20 sophomores and 41 freshmen. There are players from 15 states, with Illinois leading the way with 44, followed by Iowa 16, Missouri and Texas six, Wisconsin five, Colorado and Kansas four, California 3,and one apiece from Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: Drake has accumulated a record of 67-17-1 at Drake Stadium dating back to 1994.
 
THE CREIGHTON ERA: Under the guidance of third-year coach Chris Creighton, Drake enters the 2010 campaign having won 13 of its last 17 games, while moving toward the upper echelon of the Pioneer Football League.

Drake posted an 8-3 mark in 2009, including a 6-2 second-place finish. Only a last-second field goal in the season finale by eventual league champion Butler (20-17) prevented Drake from earning a share of the Pioneer Football League title.

Creighton was named the 25th head football coach at Drake University on Dec. 22, 2007. In his first year at Drake, Creighton guided the Bulldogs to a 6-5 record in 2008 with the team winning four of its last five games.

 Prior to his arrival at Drake, Creighton ranked fourth among all active NCAA Division III football coaches in career winning percentage. He served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., from 2001-2007 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, 41, owns an overall record of 109-33 (.776 winning percentage) in 12 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 was 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, capping both seasons with appearances in the playoffs.

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 league championship in 2000, along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in 1997 and 2000. Creighton was 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 in 1991 and a master's degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993.

CREIGHTON RANKS AMONG NATION'S BEST: Chris Creighton enters the 2010 football season ranked 36th among the winningest active college football coaches at all levels with a .784 winning percentage, owning a 109-31 career mark in 13 years.

CO-CAPTAINS: Senior defensive tackle Andrew Asbell (Machesney Park, Ill.), senior linebacker Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.), senior fullback Steve Platek  (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and senior defensive end Dain Taylor (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) have been selected as captains for the Drake football team.

Platek, a two-time first-team All-Pioneer Football League selection, was named a captain for the second straight year. He was the most valuable player for the Bulldogs last fall after leading Drake with a team-high nine touchdowns. He caught a team-best 49 passes for 553 yards, including three touchdowns. He also rushed 30 times for 147 yards, including a team-high six touchdowns.

Taylor also earned first-team all-league honors last year after collecting  48 tackles, including 29 solos. He led Drake with 19.5 tackles for losses totaling 90 yards, while recording a team-high 10.5 quarterback sacks for 73 yards in losses.

Morrison earned honorable mention All-PFL honors last year. He had 75 tackles, including 14.5 tackles totaling 57 yards in losses, while recording 4.5 quarterback sacks and forcing four fumbles.

Asbell, a three-year letterwinner, earned second-team all-league honors in 2007 and was an honorable mention choice in 2008.

START WITH DEFENSE: With 14 starters back, the Drake football team hopes to pick up where it left off last year when the Bulldogs posted an 8-3 record.

There are eight starters returning on defense which ranked in the top 12 in five final NCAA Football Championship Subdivision team statistics in 2009. Drake was second in tackles for losses, averaging 8.73; fifth in quarterback sacks (3.27 avg.), eighth in rushing defense (90.55 yards per game avg.), and 12th in both total defense (276.45 yards per game avg.) and scoring defense (17.07 pts. per game avg.).

TAYLOR LEADS VETERAN DEFENSE: Drake senior defensive end Dain Taylor has been named to a fourth preseason All-American football team. The co-captain was selected to the preseason College Sporting News Football Championship Subdivision All-American third team.

Previously, Taylor was named to the preseason All-American football team by the FCS Senior Scout Bowl selection committee. The FCS Senior Scout Bowl is a post-season all-star game showcasing the talent of senior players from the NCAA FCS Division (formerly 1-AA ) football level. Taylor was selected to the North defense second team. He also was named to The Sports Network Preseason All-America third team and the Consensus Draft Services Preseason Football College Subdivision All-American second team.

He led the PFL with 19.5 tackles for losses totaling 90 yards, while recording a PFL-high 10.5 quarterback sacks for 73 yards in losses.

Junior Dave Witkiewicz (Hales Corner, Wis.) is back for his second year at starting nose guard, while the team welcomes the return of three-year starting defensive tackle Andrew Asbell who was redshirted in 2009. Asbell earned second-team all-league honors in 2007 and was an honorable mention choice in 2008.

Senior end Josh Walkup (Littleton, Colo.) ranked fourth in the PFL last year with eight quarterback sacks, totaling 73 yards in losses.Senior linebacker Ben Morrison was an honorable mention All-PFL choice last year after totaling 75 tackles, including 14.5 tackles for 57 yards in losses, while collecting 4.5 quarterback sacks. Morrison ranked 10th in the PFL in total tackles last year.

Linebacker Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa) was named the 2009 Pioneer Football League Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Moorehead, along with Taylor, tied for second in the PFL in forced fumbles with four. Moorehead had 14.5 tackles for losses totaling 57 yards.

The secondary has three starters returning in junior free safety Nick Chenier and cornerbacks Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa) and Lucas Mosier (Griswold, Iowa). A three-year letterwinner, Mosier ranked fourth in the league with nine pass break ups.

PLATEK KEYS OFFENSE: Senior Steve Platek, a two-time first-team all-league choice at fullback, headlines seven offensive starters.

Platek, a co-captain, led Drake with a team-high nine touchdowns last year. He caught a team-best 49 passes for 553 yards, including three touchdowns. He also rushed 30 times for 147 yards, including a team-high six touchdowns.

“Steve makes big clutch plays for us,” said Creighton. “He does it on the ground and in the air. We are well balanced with several players who now know our system.”

unior offensive tackle Evan Lawrence (Moline, Ill.), an honorable mention All-PFL selection last fall, and senior left guard Stephen Flynn (Davenport, Iowa), a two-year letterwinner, will lead a young offensive line.

Other returning letterwinners on the line who are expected to contribute include senior Dan Clinton (Gurnee, Ill.) and junior Chris Wilson (Homer Glen, Ill.).

Drake will head into the fall with more certainty at the quarterback position after junior Michael Piatkowski assumed the role last year.  Piatkowski passed for 2,139 yards — the most by a Drake quarterback since Connor Jostes threw for 2,196 yards in 2004 —  including 14 touchdowns.

“Last season none of our quarterbacks had experience headed into the opening game.  With one year under his belt, I think Michael (Piatkowski) will be better this fall. The greatest improvement is often from year one to year two,” added Creighton.

Senior Tom Kostek and Patrick Cashmore (Kansas City, Mo.) will return to share the slot-back duties. Kostek led the Bulldogs with 347 yards rushing in 88 carries (3.9 avg.) including four touchdowns. Cashmore rushed for 251 yards in just five games.  Sophomore Trey Morse (Elmo, Texas), who rushed for 278 yards (3.5 avg.), provides depth in the backfield.

Returning receivers junior Drew Blackmon and sophomore Joey Orlando (Park Ridge, Ill.) caught 31 and 20 passes, respectively, last year. Junior letterwinner Ben Sabal (Arlington Heights, Ill.) is back at tight end.
   
SPECIAL TEAMS: One of the priorities in the spring was finding a replacement for first-team all-league kicker Brandon Wubs, who also was a four-year starter as punter and made 13 of 15 field goals in his first year as the team's regular placekicker in 2009.

Fifth-year senior Mitch Rasmussen (Long Grove, Ill.)  and senior Billy Janssen (Round Lake Beach, Ill.) have been neck and neck in competition for both the punting and place-kicking chores. Rasmussen did make two point after conversion kicks, along with a 41-yard punt against Campbell last year.

The special teams also features Michael Lahart, who led the league in punt returns, averaging 10.6 yards.  Lucas Mosier ranked fifth in the conference in kickoff returns, averaging 21.4 yards. Senior Stoy Hall (Omaha, Neb.) returns for his third year as the long snapper.     

                                      
BRAIN TRUST: The Drake coaching staff welcomes three additions headed by  new defensive coordinator Tom Allen who succeeded Neal Neathery who left to become the defensive coordinator at Texas-San Antonio. Allen had spent the previous two years as defensive coordinator at Lambuth (Tenn.) University. He also was special teams coordinator and defensive back coach at Wabash College under Chris Creighton in 2007.

Casey Carlo, who served as defensive line coach at Southwest Minnesota State last year, joins the Drake staff in a similar capacity. Mark Watson, a 2010 graduate of McPherson College where he was a two-year starter, is in his first year as cornerbacks coach.

Rick Fox, who had served as offensive coordinator at Centre (Ky.) College since 1999, is in his third year as Drake's special teams coordinator and offensive line coach. Aaron Selby also is back for his third year as tight ends coach. Kyle York returning for his second year as cornerbacks coach, was promoted to recruiting coordinator this past spring.

FAMILIAR TRIO: Part-time coaches Bill Charles and Jeff Martin, who have been fixtures on the Drake coaching staff for more than two decades, also return along with defensive line coach George Sypniewski who comes back after a two-year absence.

Charles, who is the running backs coach, began coaching at Drake under coach Chuck Shelton when the program was Division I from 1980-85.  He also served on the coaching staffs of Nick Quartaro in 1987-88, Rob Ash (1992-2006) and Steve Loney (2007). Martin, who is the receivers coach, is in his 15th year as an assistant at Drake. The Des Moines native graduated from Drake in 1977 as owner of five school records, including career pass completions (370) and total offensive plays (982). Sypniewski, who was a three-year starting linebacker at Drake from 1969-71, was an assistant coach for the Bulldogs from 1990-2007.



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 — 19-0 vs. Missouri S&T, Oct. 10, 2009
Last shutout by Drake at home —19-0 vs. Missouri S&T, Oct. 10, 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 —  58 yards, Michael Lahart at Davidson, Oct. 24, 2009
Last Drake player to rush for 100 yards — 100 (13 carries) Trey Morse vs. Campbell, Nov. 7, 2009
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 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
Last Drake player to make four field goals — 4, Brandon Wubs vs. Missouri S&T, Oct. 10, 2009