SAN DIEGO - The Drake University football team travels to San Diego Saturday for a first-place Pioneer Football League matchup. The game between Drake (4-3, 4-0 PFL) and San Diego (5-2, 4-0 PFL) will be critical in determining the 2019 PFL champion as no other PFL team is closer than a 2-2 league record. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CST. with Chuck Reed and Cole Neary on the radio broadcast on 1350 ESPN Des Moines. Fans can also watch a free stream via watchstadium.com here.
 
Following Saturday's game, Drake returns to Drake Stadium to host Jacksonville Nov. 9 in the first of two-straight PFL home games. Kickoff with the Dolphins is set for 1 p.m.
 
Preview
Drake is riding a four-game winning streak while San Diego a five-game winning streak after both teams played challenging non-conference schedules. The Bulldogs are looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Toreros, who have won an impressive 33 consecutive PFL games.
 
Saturday's game on the west coast features a battle of offense vs. defense. The Toreros have the league's No. 1 offense in both scoring (40.0 ppg) and yardage (501.2 ypg) through four PFL game. The Bulldogs are the league's No. 1 defense in both scoring (11.8 ppg) and yardage (297.0 ypg) in four PFL contests. Both teams have faced similar strengths of schedules in PFL action as Drake's opposition have a combined 6-10 record while San Diego's are 7-9 after four weeks. San Diego is averaging a league-high 40.0 points per PFL game with a league-best 501.2 yards of offense per game. Drake has scored 35 or more points in each of its four PFL games while its defense has held PFL opponents to 11.8 points per game, allowing only six red zone chances in the four games with just three scores. This has helped the Bulldogs outscore PFL competition by an average of 26 points as Marist and Morehead State each scored 17 points while Butler and Valparaiso scored just seven and six points, respectively.
 
Rewind
Led by a career-high 242 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Drew Lauer, the Drake University football team defeated Morehead State, 36-17, Saturday, Oct. 26 at Drake Stadium.
 
Lauer's 242-yard day was the first 200-yard performance by a Drake running back in more than three years and his long of 53 yards late in the fourth quarter set up the Bulldogs' final score of the day to ice the game.
 
Drake held a 303-74 yard advantage in rushing as the Bulldogs' defense turned in another noteworthy performance. Danny Morales led the defense with 11 tackles and three passes defended while Will Warner hauled in two interceptions two go along with nine tackles. Those interceptions, combined with two fumble recoveries and a pick from Collin Seymour helped the Bulldogs to a plus-3 advantage in turnovers. Victor Jurgens and Will Kulick helped force those fumbles, one of which occurred inside the Bulldogs' 5-yard line to end an MSU scoring threat.
 
Morehead State was led by quarterback Mark Pappas who completed 28 of his 44 passes for 288 yards, but was sacked four times by the Bulldogs. Receiver Landon Hurst hauled in 11 of those passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.
 
Holding a 15-10 lead at halftime, the Bulldog defense shined in the second half, allowing just one second-half score while giving the offense the ball back in MSU territory three times in the second half.
 
Drake's offense took advantage of those opportunities quickly late in the third quarter when following a fumble recovery on the MSU 39-yard line; quarterback Ian Corwin threw a 15-yard pass to Devin Cates to put the Bulldogs on top 22-10.
 
Morehead State answered with a score early in the fourth quarter, but Drake scored on its next two drive with a pair of 70-plus yard drives that ended with Lauer and Cross Robinson finding the end zone to thwart any chance of an MSU comeback.
 
The first half was much more trying for Bulldog fans as the Eagles took an early lead after an MSU interception resulted in a 70-yard Eagle drive that ended with DeAndre Clayton 5-yard touchdown.
 
Drake countered on its next possession with a 41-yard field goal from Nathan De Bruin, his second make of the season, and followed that with a 13-yard Lauer score on the Bulldogs' next possession. That touchdown capped a nine-play, 73-yard drive to open the second quarter.
 
Just two minutes later, Drake found the end zone again as Mitch McFarlane hauled in a 25-yard Corwin pass to make the score 15-7. That drive was set up by Warner's first interception of the day.
 
Morehead closed the first half with a 41-yard field goal from Andrew Foster to send the teams into the locker room with Drake leading 15-10 before the Bulldogs pulled away for good in the second half.