DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Drake University football team returns to action on Saturday at No. 14 Montana. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CST at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Saturday's contest is the first all-time meeting between Drake and Montana. The Bulldogs season opener against William Jewell was cancelled due to severe weather, while Montana, who was then ranked 24th, upset then ranked No. 13 Northern Iowa 26-23. Montana is ranked 14th in the nation in the most recent STATS FCS Media Poll and 16th in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Fifth-year senior
Grant Kraemer is set to begin his third season under center and has his top three receivers returning from last year. Kraemer led the PFL with 261.6 yards passing per game and tossed 20 touchdown passes. Kraemer became the second Bulldog since 1986 to throw 20 or more touchdowns in back-to-back seasons as the tallied 23 in 2016 and 20 last season. Kraemer's top three targets,
Steven Doran,
Mitch McFarlane and
Devin Cates combined for more than 60 percent of the Bulldogs' receiving yards and over 50 percent of the team's receptions last season. Drake's defense is highlighted by preseason all-PFL selections
Nathan Clayberg and
Sean Lynch. Clayberg recorded 44 tackles with five tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks last season. Lynch led Drake last year with 72 tackles and helped the defensive unit lead the PFL in pass defense with 199.7 passing yards per game.
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
Montana's defense is led Josh Buss, who was named Big Sky Conference preseason defensive player of the year and to the Butkus Award preseason watch list, which honors the nation's best linebackers. He was the only FCS player named on the Butkus Award preseason watch list. Last year, Buss was a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist, which is awarded to the top FCS defensive player. Offensively, UNLV transfer, quarterback Dalton Sneed made is debut and completed 26-of-39 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown in the Griz win over UNI. Keenan Curran caught six passes for 62 yards and also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass.
