DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake University football team returns to venerable Drake Stadium Saturday, Sept. 15, to host its first full home game of the 2018 season against Missouri S&T. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Tickets for Saturday's contest are $12 for adults and $6 for youth and available at DrakeTix.com. Additionally, tickets purchased for the Sept. 1 game may be redeemed for Saturday's game or any other Drake football home game.
The Bulldogs true home opener Sept. 1 was canceled due to inclement weather. Last weekend, the Bulldogs fell at No. 14 Montana, 48-16. Despite the final score, the Bulldogs trailed 10-7 at halftime and stayed within a touchdown of the Grizzlies until late in the third quarter.
"We played some good football at Montana, but we did not play mature football from beginning to end," said Drake head coach Rick Fox. "We have to have that to be successful and we need to do that this Saturday. We can't have lapses or go flat."
The Bulldogs posted 365 yards of total offense in that loss and face an unbeaten Missouri S&T team that is averaging more than 400 yards per game while allowing less than 200 yards per contest after surrendering just 130 yards in Saturday's win over Northwood.
The Miners are NCAA Division II members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference who were picked second in the league's preseason poll after leading the league in both total offense and defense in 2017.
"Missouri S&T is a very talented team coming off a nice year who has a quarterback that can really throw it and they have a lot of guys that complement him," Fox said. "Defensively, they have a lot of guys that can run and make plays. We're going to have to be on top of our game and respond well after Saturday's game to be victorious."
The two teams have met six previous times with the Bulldogs winning all six meetings, including the last meeting in 2011 at Drake Stadium, where the Bulldogs have won 41 of their last 51 games.
Following Saturday's contest, the Bulldogs will enjoy a bye week before beginning the gauntlet of Pioneer Football League games that begins Sept. 29 at Jacksonville.
