DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Drake University football team opens its road portion of its schedule and will wrap up non-conference play at No. 4 South Dakota State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Dykhouse Stadium.

Saturday's contest is the 12th meeting between Drake and SDSU. The Bulldogs hold a 8-3 all-time series record. Drake and the Jackrabbits renewed the series last year with SDSU coming away with a 56-28 victory. Saturday's game is the second game of the three-game series agreement. The Jackrabbits will visit Drake Stadium during the 2019 season. This is the sixth-straight season Drake has played a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Last season the Bulldogs lost at South Dakota State and fell to South Dakota in 2015, Western Illinois in 2014, Northern Iowa in 2013 and Indiana State in 2012. Drake's last win over a current member of the MVFC came on Aug. 30 2007 when it defeated No. 7 Illinois State. That victory was also the program's last win over a ranked opponent.

Since taking over the starting job in the third week last year, quarterback Grant Kraemer has gotten more and more comfortable with the offense. In his last six games, Kraemer is averaging 226 yards passing, completing 62 percent of his throws and has record 19 touchdowns. Compared to his first five starts, Kraemer only completed 52 percent of his throws with eight touchdowns and 201 yards passing per game. • Fifth-year senior Mack Marrin battled through injury most of last season and is looking like he is getting back to his 2015 form when he posted a league-best 8.5 sacks among 12.5 tackles for a loss and earned firstteam all-PFL honors. Marrin ranks 15th in the nation with 2.5 sacks and has recorded eight tackles.

The fourth-ranked Jackrabbits have one of the highest powered offenses in the nation. SDSU bolsters five preseason STATS All-Americans, including first-team tight end Dallas Goedert, wide receiver Jake Wieneke, and center Jacob Ohnesorge and third-team selections quarterback Taryn Christion and fullback Kane Louscher. Christion is coming off a MVFC Player of the Year campaign and has continued where he left off from last year. He ranks seventh in the nation on completion percentage (71.2%), while throwing for 521 yards with five touchdowns. Christion is also the Jackrabbits' leading rusher with 153 yards and two touchdowns.. Goedert, who is projected to be one of the top NFL draft prospects in the FCS, leads all tight ends in the nation with 13 receptions for 175 yards.