The Basics
The Drake football team returns to Des Moines to play host to Davidson at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
Broadcast Information
The game will be streamed live worldwide on ESPN3 with
Michael Admire providing play-by-play and Jeff Woody providing analysis.
1350/102.1 ESPN Des Moines is back as the radio home of Drake Bulldog football. Chuck Reed will once again be the play-by-play man and will be joined by Drake football alumnus Craig Wederquist.
About Last Week
Last week in St. Paul at St. Thomas, the Bulldogs struck first on a 2-yard touchdown pass from
Ian Corwin to linebacker-turned-fullback
Gage Vander Leest for a 7-0 lead halfway thru the first quarter.
After surrendering three unanswered touchdowns, Drake regained momentum on an impressive drive in the final minutes of the first half resulting in an eight-yard TD pass to tight end
Matt Hartlieb. Defense shined in the second half as there was only one second half score in the 26-14 loss at St. Thomas.
Coach Stepsis' Postgame Thoughts vs. St. Thomas
"Nobody can accuse us of not playing hard. Our biggest issue is that our offense is boom or bust. On some drives, we look efficient and precise while on other drives, we can't gain a yard. I love our team's attitude and they bring energy every single play. I'm a proud Bulldog, even with a record to not be proud of."
Defensive Difference Makers
Sophomore defensive lineman
Finn Claypool ranks ninth in the PFL with 4.0 sacks this season. Senior linebacker
Tanner Pollock leads Drake with 62 total tackles, which is fifth most in the PFL so far this year.
Disciplined
Drake ranks 19th in all of the FCS in fewest penalties per game (4.57) and 11th in fewest penalty yards per game (38.7).
Playing Against the Best
Four of Drake's non-conference opponents over the past two seasons are ranked in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll. North Dakota State (No. 4), Idaho (No. 17), Montana State (No. 3) and North Dakota (No. 20).
Stepping Up on Third Down
Drake ranks seventh in the FCS in third down conversion pct. defense. Opposing offenses are 26-for-94 (.277) on third down this season facing the Bulldog defense.
Johnny Bright Incident Anniversary
On Oct. 20, 1951, at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), Heisman favorite Johnny Bright's jaw was broken on the first play of the game by Wilbanks Smith: even though Bright was not involved in the play.
Bright, a halfback and quarterback for Drake, entered the game as the NCAA leader in rushing and total offense.
A documentary film called
The Bright Path premiered in Des Moines on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Scouting Davidson
A missed field goal by Morehead State at the end of the game helped Davidson hold on at home against the Eagles, 28-16 last Saturday. Davidson's only PFL loss this season was a 27-16 decision at St. Thomas on Oct. 8.
The Wildcats will pound the ball on the ground with the three-headed monster of running back Coy Williams (480 rushing yards, 7 TD), quarterback Jayden Waddell (469 rushing yards, 3 TD) and running back Dylan Sparks (459 rushing yards, 3 TD). Safety Daniel Carter can do a little bit of everything on defense with 42.0 tackles (22 solo) including three for loss, three pass breakups and one interception.
Davidson aims to control the pace of play averaging 34:15 on time of possession.
Scott Abell is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Wildcats with a record of 31-17. Prior to Davidson, Abell was the head coach for six seasons at Division-III powerhouse Washington & Lee.
Series History vs. Davidson
Drake leads the all-time series, 9-2. The Bulldogs won seven consecutive meetings against the Wildcats from 2008-2019 until last season's 45-14 loss on Nov. 20, 2021 in North Carolina.
Drake has never lost to Davidson in Des Moines with a 5-0 home mark against the Wildcats dating back to 2006.
Up Next
The Bulldogs are scheduled to travel to DeLand, Fla., for a 12 p.m. CT kickoff at Stetson on Saturday, Oct. 29.
