The Drake University football team opens the 2016 season against NCAA Division II member Quincy on Saturday evening at Drake Stadium.
Saturday's contest will be the eighth all-time meeting between Drake and Quincy. The Bulldogs hold a 7-0 all-time series record.
Third-year head coach
Rick Fox and his Bulldogs were picked to finish third in the PFL Coaches Preseason Poll as they return three all-PFL performers and 19 student-athletes that started at least one contest in 2015.
The most hotly contested position battle in fall camp for the Bulldogs was at quarterback, where fifth-year senior
Cody Thibault, senior
Andrew Clifford and junior
Grant Kraemer were all vying for the starting job. Early last week, Fox named Thibault as the starter for the season opener. Thibault made three starts last year and threw for 563 yards and led the Bulldogs to a win over PFL-foe Stetson.
Thibault will have plenty options at his disposal with Drake's top three receivers,
Eric Saubert,
Keegan Gallery and
Zach Zlabis, and leading rusher
Conley Wilkins returning. Saubert, who was named a preseason All-American by two different organization, caught 55 passes to lead the nation's tight ends and ranked in the top-three among tight ends with 506 yards and nine touchdowns. Gallery recorded 44 receptions for 536 yards, while Zlabis caught 29 passes for 313 yards. Wilkins rushed for 834 yards in nine games and tallied nine touchdowns.
On defense, the Bulldogs' top returning tacklers are senior defensive lineman
Mack Marrin and safety
Caz Zyks. Marrin earned preseason All-PFL honors after being named first-team All-PFL as he led the conference with 8.5 sacks and finished the 2015 season with 49 tackles. Zyks tallied 45 stops, including 30 solo tackles.
Quincy finished the 2015 season tied for sixth-place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with a 3-7 record and was picked to finish sixth in 2016 by the league coaches. The Hawks bring back 18 starters, including nine All-GLVC players. Senior Eric Poindexter is QU's top returning offensive player as he recorded 930 yards receiving on 57 catches and 11 touchdowns last fall. Defensively, the Hawks welcome back their top tackler from a season ago, T.J. Daniels, who tallied 73 stops.
