Football 9/12/2011 6:26:00 PM Drake Athletics

Football Seeks Second Straight Win Under The Lights At Drake Stadium

Monday, Sept. 12, 2011

DRAKE BULLDOGS (1-1) vs. MISSOURI S&T MINERS (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011 | 6 p.m. CDT | Drake Stadium (14,557) | Des Moines, Iowa

RADIO: KRNT 1350 AM, Des Moines, Iowa (Play-by-Play: Sean Neugent)
ONLINE VIDEO: True Blue TV at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com

The Drake Bulldogs (1-1) seek to raise their record to 2-1 when the Missouri S&T Miners (1-1) visit Drake Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17 for a 6 p.m. kickoff. It is the Bulldogs' final non-conference contest before opening Pioneer Football League play the following Saturday the 24 at Butler. Drake welcomes Missouri S&T to Des Moines for the third year in a row. The Bulldogs are coming off a dramatic come-from-behind win last Saturday versus Grand View, in which they scored two late touchdowns-one with eight seconds to play in regulation to force overtime, and the winner on the first possession of overtime-to claim a 28-21 victory.

LINKS: 2011 YEARBOOK STATS (2006-11) ONLINE ROSTER

RADIO/TV: The game will be broadcast on radio in Des Moines on KRNT 1350 AM with Sean Neugent handling the play-by-play and former Drake player John Pugh handling the color commentary. Fans can also listen to the game online via the official Drake Athletics website at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com. A video stream of the game is available with a subscription to True Blue TV, at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com.

DRAKE-MISSOURI S&T SERIES: This is the sixth meeting between the two schools in a series that began in 1923. Drake holds a 5-0 edge, and has defeated Missouri S&T each of the past two seasons at home, by scores of 19-0 (10/10/09) and 28-14 (9/11/10).

ABOUT THE MINERS: Missouri University of Science and Technology, from Rolla, Mo., comes to town with a record of 1-1. The Division II Miners won their opener 34-23 at Oklahoma Panhandle State, then lost at home to Midwestern State by a 41-0 margin this past Saturday. Missouri S&T is coached by David Brown (4-9), in his second year at the school. Leading offensive players for the Miners include junior QB Josh Firm, who averages 150.5 passing yards per game (30-62, 1 TD, 1 INT). Junior WR Smook Thomas averages 55 receiving yards per game (13-110), and junior RB Adam Clark averages 27.5 rushing yards per game (20-55) and 2.6 yards per carry.

PREGAME TAILGATE: All fans are invited to participate in pregame tailgate activities at Drake Stadium. The tailgate will open in the west lots of the stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday. A variety of activities and a Kids Zone provide fun for the whole family. Parking on-site is limited, so arrive early. Charcoal grills and glass containers are prohibited.

MEDIA PROCEDURES: To arrange interviews with Drake football players and coaches, please contact Assistant A.D./Athletic Communications Paul Kirk in advance (paul.kirk@drake.edu). Availability can be arranged either before or after practices, which generally run from 3:30-5:30 p.m. during a typical game week. Credential requests should also be directed to Kirk.

GAME 2 HONORS: Drake WR Drew Blackmon tied his career with nine receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Grand View, and was recognized by the College Football Performance Awards with honorable mention consideration for Wide Receiver Performer of the Week.

HEAD COACH CHRIS CREIGHTON: Drake football is in its fourth season under the direction of head coach Chris Creighton, who has compiled a 22-13 record over his first three-plus years, including victories in 20 of the Bulldogs' last 29 contests.

Creighton's 21 wins in his first three seasons are the most by a head coach in school history in his first three seasons at the helm. His total is two greater than that of Warren Gaer (1949-51), who compiled a record of 19-6-2 in his first three seasons.
He ranks No. 20 in career winning percentage (.760) among all head coaches with at least five seasons at four-year colleges, entering this week's game with a record of 117-37 in his 15th season of coaching.
Creighton was named a 2011 winner of the Giant Steps Award presented by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as part of National Student-Athlete Day on April 6, 2011. Creighton, awarded for the Coaching category, was one of just five 2011 winners of the Giant Steps Award, given annually to individuals who use sport to positively affect social change, actualizing the mission of the NCAS. The awards honor student-athletes, athletic administrators, civic leaders, coaches, parents, organizations, and other individuals who demonstrate an outstanding ability to manage life on and off the field, and who demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of society. The award will be presented to October 2011.
His Wabash teams won North Coast Athletic Conference titles in four of his seven seasons at the Division III school in Crawfordsville, Ind.
In four seasons at Ottawa (Kansas) his teams won two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference titles (1997, 2000), its first two since 1972.
An All-America quarterback at Kenyon (Ohio) College, Creighton led the school to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989 and was named conference player of the year. He was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991 and a master's degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993.
Creighton was hired Dec. 22, 2007, as the 25^th head coach in the history of Drake football.

Chris Creighton's Head Coaching Career:

Drake University                          2008-present                                   22-13 (.629)
Wabash College                          2001-07                                           63-15 (.808)
Ottawa (Kansas) University         1997-2000                                         32-9 (.780)
Totals                                         15th season                                 117-37 (.760)

OFFENSIVE NOTES FROM GAME 2 VS. GRAND VIEW (9/10/11):

QB Mike Piatkowski tied a career high with three touchdown passes and threw for the second-most yards of his career (333). His only interception came on a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half. Two of his three touchdown passes came in the clutch, one with 8 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime, and the other in the extra session for the win.
Piatkowski moved into fifth place on Drake's career passing yardage list (4,527), passing current Drake wide receivers coach Jeff Martin (4,365; 1973-76).
WR Drew Blackmon tied a career high with nine receptions for 118 yards, the third-highest yardage figure of his career.
RB Pat Cashmore topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark for his career in win over Grand View (now 1,006).

DEFENSIVE NOTES FROM GAME 2 VS. GRAND VIEW (9/10/11):

LB Travis Merritt led the team in tackles with 10 (5 solo) and forced a fumble in overtime with Drake leading 28-21 that sealed the win for the Bulldogs. Merritt has led or tied for the team lead in both games this season, in his first year as a starter.
DL David Witkiewicz notched his first sack of the season (-7).
LB Jeff Grovak and DE Anthony Gianaras each posted two tackles-for-loss. Grovak also forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES FROM GAME 2 VS. GRAND VIEW (9/10/11):

K/P Billy Janssen converted all four PAT attempts to run his career record to 39-39, and averaged 43.7 yards on six punts with a long of 69 while placing one punt inside the 20

OVERTIME NOT SO COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR DRAKE: Drake's Sept. 10 overtime win against Grand View was just the third played by the Bulldogs, and the first since Oct. 25, 2003. That game was a 51-45 loss at Valparaiso. Drake's first overtime game came a year earlier, Oct. 12, 2002, when the Bulldogs defeated Albany 49-42 in double overtime at Drake Stadium. Drake is 2-0 at home in overtime games and 0-1 on the road.

NUMBERS TO WATCH:

151--Passing yards needed by Mike Piatkowski to move into fourth on Drake's career list, passing Ron Royer (4,677; 1963-66). The all-time record is 7,868 by Ira Vandever (7,868 from 1999-2002).

61.1%--career completion percentage for Piatkowski (410-671); best in school history. His 62.8% mark in 2009 (203-323) is the best single-season figure ever by a Bulldog.

39--consecutive made PAT attempts for Billy Janssen, dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season. Janssen was 35-35 last year, four short of the single-season record of 39-39 by Henrik Mike-Mayer in 1980.

7--number of receptions needed by Drew Blackmon (91) to amass 100 career catches.

LEADERSHIP FROM THE CAPTAINS: Drake's players voted during the summer to elect one team captain for the entire season, and chose fifth-year senior cornerback/return specialist Michael Lahart to serve in that role. One game captain has joined Lahart each week: Wk. 1, at North Dakota (9/1/11), fifth-year senior kicker Billy Janssen; Wk. 2, vs. Grand View, senior linebacker Tyler Moorehead.

DEPTH AND EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHT 2011 ROSTER: The Bulldogs return 17 starters from the 2010 squad that finished 7-4 (6-2, 3^rd place PFL). In all, 38 lettermen return, and are joined by an incoming freshman class of 38 student-athletes.

BULLDOGS AMONG THE BEST: Drake ranks 20^th in overall victories (564) among the 123 schools that make up the Division I Football Championships Subdivision (FCS). The game versus Missouri S&T will be the 1,078^th in school history, dating back to the initial campaign in 1893. The Bulldogs' all-time record is 564-484-29 (.537).

THE ROSTER BREAKDOWN--BY THE NUMBERS: A group of nine fifth-year seniors provides the leadership for this year's team, along with four more "graduating seniors" playing their final seasons as Bulldogs. Those 13 are joined by 14 seniors who have redshirted, 19 juniors, 23 sophomores and 38 freshmen.

PRESEASON HONORS: Six Bulldogs earned preseason All-PFL projections from Phil Steele's College Football Preview and three have been recognized by the College Football Performance Awards as 2011 "Players to Watch."

PHIL STEELE'S PRESEASON ALL-PFL

1st Team:
T Evan Lawrence (Moline, Ill./Moline)
LB Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa/Newman Catholic)

2nd Team:
WR Drew Blackmon (Florissant, Mo./St. Louis University High)
G Stephen Flynn (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf)
DL John Sawhill (Jefferson, Iowa/Jefferson-Scranton)
CB/RS Michael Lahart (Chariton, Iowa/Chariton)

CFPA "PLAYERS TO WATCH"
K Billy Janssen, CB/RS Michael Lahart, QB Mike Piatkowski

"TUPANDE KILELENI": The theme for the 2011 season is "Tupande Kileleni," a Swahili term that means "Let's climb to the summit." The analogy is borrowed from the team's May 2011 trip to Africa to play in the inaugural Kilimanjaro Bowl, but also applies to the long journey of a college football season. "It's really the theme for the entire 2011 year," said head coach Chris Creighton said. "There is so much to do before the season before you can climb. We are using the analogy of having done that climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in May and relating that to the season. We have come up with six "climbing realities" that have to be embraced before we can climb to the summit. Climbing takes Preparation; Sacrifice; teamwork; going one step at a time; a competitive spirit not to be denied and overcoming adversity. That's our trail map to the season. We know if we're taking care of those six areas, we can get to the summit of the mountain."

PFL COACHES VOTE DRAKE THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL: Just as they finished a year ago, the Bulldogs have been picked to finish third in the Pioneer Football League in 2011, according to preseason voting by the league's coaches. The poll, issued Aug. 8, tabs 2010 co-champions Jacksonville and Dayton as the champion and runner-up, respectively. Jacksonville received eight of 10 possible first-place votes and 80 of a possible 81 points as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Dayton was picked second with 69 points and one first-place vote. The Dolphins and Flyers each finished 2010 with unblemished 8-0 marks but did not face each other during the regular season. However, the two teams will meet in 2011 - an Oct. 8 contest in Jacksonville will be their first meeting since 2008. Drake was picked to finish third with 61 points and nabbed the remaining first-place vote. San Diego was picked to finish fourth with 59 points and Butler rounded out the top half of the preseason poll with 47 points for fifth place. The second half of the poll has Morehead State (38 points), Campbell (33), Marist (31), Davidson (23) and Valparaiso (nine).

NORTH DAKOTA WAS 33rd STATE TO HOST DRAKE BULLDOGS: The 2011 season-opener at North Dakota marked the first time Drake played a game in the state of North Dakota. It made that state the 33rd to play host to a Drake road game in 118 years of football, joining Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, N. Mexico, New York, N. Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn., S. Dakota, Tenn., Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

POSTGAME QUOTES (VS. GRAND VIEW, SEPT. 10, 2011):
Head Coach Chris Creighton:
(On whether a drive like the one QB Mike Piatkowski engineered at the end of the fourth quarter to tie the game sums up his career: a guy who stays poised and can handle anything)
"I don't know how to answer that. I really believe in Mike. I think he's a winner. I credit Grand View and the job they did playing and coaching. They should be very proud and I don't know why it ended up the way it did. I just hope they don't hang their heads because they should be very proud."

"I'd say in terms of our team, after the North Dakota loss I thought that that was going to propel us. But in practice and stuff, not a whole lot changed, to be honest. We prepared well and we liked our plan and the guys always play hard and work hard, but our team inherently didn't change. We didn't go to another level. We didn't go to a new dimension that all championship teams do. So I believe everything happens for a reason and maybe it was a very frustrating night, but in our huddle after the game, words were said and were felt in a way that something is going to change, so I'm excited about that."

(On how last week they couldn't get into the end zone but this week it seemed they couldn't stay out of it...what did they do different?)
"Oh I beg to differ. We struggled mightily getting into the end zone and again I want to credit Grand View for that. For whatever reason... our guys want to be great, badly, and are willing to put in the work 12 months out of the year and what not. And again, we've just kind of been good in the past couple years and right on the brink but I don't know if we've kind of reached that special realm. And I know I'm talking about an intangible here, but I think that's where we're at. We're not going to have fun watching this film, 28 points or whatever. We're not going to enjoy watching this film."

(on his emotions at the end of regulation and into overtime)
"I'm proud of the guys for fighting and finishing. In the off-season the guys talked about finishing everything. Finish every drill, finish every rep, finish the week. And obviously we did that. We finished. There wasn't a lot of emotion for me at the end really because of the frustration of getting to that point. I'm really proud of our guys and how they finished, and again what I'm excited about is I think there's going to be a change."

THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED:
Last time Drake played an overtime game -at Drake 28, Grand View 21 (one overtime), Sept. 10, 2011
Last time Drake played an overtime game on road -Valparaiso 51, Drake 45, (one overtime), Oct. 25, 2003
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 - 16-0 at North Dakota, Sept. 1, 2011
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 - 49 yards, Mike Lahart vs. Marist, Oct. 2, 2010
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 - 95 yards, Ben Morrison vs. San Diego, Oct. 30, 2010
Last Drake fumble return for a touchdown - 22 yards, Mike Piatkowski vs. Davidson, Oct. 23, 2010
Last Drake player to rush for 100 yards - 112 (15 carries) Pat Cashmore vs. San Diego, Oct. 30, 2010
Two Drake players 100+ rush yards same game - 101 yards (19 carries), Willie Cashmore; 216 yards in (27 carries), Scott Phaydavong vs. Jacksonville, Nov. 10, 2006
Last Drake player to pass for more than 300 yards - 333 yards, Mike Piatkowski vs. Grand View, Sept. 10, 2011
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