DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University football team sent its 15 seniors out on a high note as the Bulldogs defeated Butler, 28-14, in their final home game of the season on Saturday.
Grant Kraemer helped pace Drake's offense, throwing for 246 yards, three touchdowns and completed 19-of-28 passes.
Grant Menard led all receivers with 88 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.
Conley Wilkins recorded a game-high 78 yards rushing with a touchdown and is 59 yards (941) from becoming the fifth Bulldog to rush from 1,000 yards in a single season since 1986.
Defensively,
Michael Roane registered a team-best 11 tackles, while
Tanner Evans recorded eight stops, including two tackles for a loss and a sack.
"It's a tough offense because they are running all kinds of motion and their quarterback is a good athlete. When they get things going they are tough to stop, but our defense did a great job today," said Drake head coach
Rick Fox.
Drake's special teams helped set up the Bulldogs to take a 7-0 lead.
Devin Cates blocked a punt to put the offense on Butler's 29-yard line. Three-plays later, Kraemer found
Eric Saubert for a nine-yard touchdown pass.
A few possession later,
Terry Wallen recorded his fourth interception of the season to give the offense the ball back to start the second-quarter.
The Bulldogs took advantage of the turnover with a 12-play 70-yard drive, capped off by an eight-yard touchdown catch by Menard to give Drake a 14-0 lead.
Butler answered Drake's touchdown with a score of its own as Drake took a 14-7 lead into intermission.
Drake's offense came out of halftime clicking as the Bulldogs scored on their first two possession of the third-quarter, extending their lead to 28-7. Kraemer completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Menard, and then Wilkins put Drake up by 21 points with a six-yard touchdown run.
Butler came right back and put together its longest drive of the game, 75 yards, to cut its deficit to 14 points when Duvante Lane walked into the end zone from one yard out.
In the fourth-quarter, Drake's defense forced Butler to turn the ball over on downs in Drake territory on back-to-back drives.
The Bulldogs' offense sealed the 28-14 victory when Wilkins converted on fourth-and-one to let the final minute run off the clock.
"It's huge to win your last home game, but now we want to finish it out right next week at Stetson," said Fox about sending the seniors out with a win on Senior Day.
Drake will wrap up the 2016 season with a trip to Stetson University on Saturday, Nov. 19. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. CDT.
