The Drake University football team's defense shut down a dangerous option offense in a dominant 41-9 win at Jacksonville to open Pioneer Football League play Saturday, Sept. 29.
Drake (2-1, 1-0 PFL) allowed just 218 total yards. A third of Jacksonville's (1-2, 0-1 PFL) offense came on a single 73-yard run that was one of the defense's few missteps of the day.
Kieran Severa (Lawrence, Kan.) led the defense with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Severa led a charge of Bulldogs that snuffed out Jacksonville's option offense and registered a total of 11 tackles for loss.
Connor Willis (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) added nine total tackles as well.
"Our defense was awesome today," said head coach Rick Fox. "Their [Jacksonville's] quarterback is electric and we contained him all afternoon and he only got away with one big play. That's big stuff by our defense."
That pressure provided the offense with stellar field position all afternoon and the Bulldogs capitalized on that with quarterback Grant Kraemer (Northridge, Calif.) completing 16-of-24 passes for 176 yards with four touchdowns. Three of those touchdown strikes were to
Steven Doran (Germantown, Wis.) who finished with five catches for 103 yards in addition to his three touchdowns.
"We were making big plays in every phase of the game," Fox added. "That's what we've got to do and Steven Doran, against Jacksonville, he just feels the magic."
Last season against Jacksonville, Doran had 104 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns. He now has five 100-yard games in his last six games dating back to last season.
Drake jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter on its first eight plays from scrimmage as Drake converted on great field position early.
After running the ball on four of its first five plays, Kramer dropped back and found Doran between the hash marks. Doran shed a pair of defenders to complete the 25-yard touchdown strike and give the Bulldogs an early lead.
Drake's defense needed little time to adjust to Jacksonville's vaunted option attack, forcing two quick punts and allowing just 16 yards on Jacksonville's first two possessions. However, the second of those punts was blocked in the backfield by Will Kulick (Aurora, Colo.) and recovered on the Jacksonville 10-yard line. Two plays later,
Cross Robinson (Naperville, Ill.) dove into the endzone from a yard out to take a 14-0 lead.
The Bulldog defense continued to set the table with incredible field position throughout the opening half. Of Drake's five offensive drives in the first half, three started in Jacksonville territory with the other two beginning on the Drake 46 and 49-yard lines.
That field position led to a Danny Donley (Tulsa, Okla.) 33-yard field goal to close the first quarter followed by a 3-play, 54-yard drive capped by a 43-yard Kraemer to Doran touchdown to put Drake up 24-0. Kraemer and Doran connected for a third time to end the first half with a play action pass from the 1-yard line that Doran elevated above a defender to haul in and give the Bulldogs a 31-0 halftime lead.
Jacksonville got on the board in the third quarter by blocking a Drake punt in the endzone for a safety with just under six minutes left in the third quarter. However, Drake ended the quarter with a leaping interception by Jeran Proctor (Johnston, Iowa). Moments later, Kraemer found
Mitch McFarlane (Fond du Lac, Wis.) in the endzone for an 11-yard touchdown to go up 38-2.
Jacksonville had its lone offensive bright spot on the ensuing drive when the dangerous running quarterback Calvin Turner, Jr. got loose for a 73-yard touchdown scamper to account for the Dolphins lone offensive score of the day. That run was one of Drake's few defensive miscues on the day and accounted for more than a third of Jacksonville's total offense.
"We were very fierce in the first half and the defense sustained that well in the second half," Fox added. "That offense had a few little slips, but it's a big win anytime you win on the road."
Drake closed the game with a 31-yard Donley field goal as the offense shifted gears to burn time late in the fourth quarter and account for the final 41-9 score. Donley was also perfect on all five of his PAT attempts.
The Bulldogs continue PFL action at home next weekend when they host Butler at Drake Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
