DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake football team stayed within striking distance, but ultimately fell 22-10 to San Diego at Drake Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 8). The Bulldogs are now 0-6 overall (0-3 in Pioneer Football League play) while the Toreros (2-3, 1-1) picked up their first PFL win of the season.
 
Both teams came up empty on their first drive. The Toreros set up shop at their own 43-yard line and moved the ball efficiently. Ja'seem Reed broke loose for a gain of 27 yards to the Drake four-yard line. Chris Childers punched it in from three yards away for an early 7-0 San Diego lead with 4:18 to play in the first quarter.
 
Dorian Boyland brought the first quarter to a close with an explosive gallop down the right sideline picking up 49 yards to the San Diego 26-yard line. The big gain led to a 27-yard field goal attempt drilled through the uprights by Luke Williams to trim the deficit to 7-3 at the 12:38 mark of the second quarter.
 
The Bulldogs forced a turnover on the ensuing Torero drive. Judd Erickson's pass was batted up in the air by Riley Theobald to linebacker Sebastian Adamski for his first career interception setting up Drake at the USD 36-yard line, however, the Bulldogs did not take advantage.
 
The San Diego special teams unit pinned Drake to the 1-yard line as a few plays later, quarterback Ian Corwin was sacked by Jagger Pagano for a safety with 6:50 remaining in the first half.
 
Passes from Corwin to Boyland (24 yards) and Michael Markett (16 yards) followed by a USD personal foul put the Bulldogs in business at the 22-yard line as halftime neared. Drake went for it on fourth down-and-one at the 13-yard line as Corwin's pass fell incomplete to Colin Howard. San Diego caught a break in the final moments of the first half to lead 9-3 at the break.
 
An interception got things started in the third quarter when Corwin was picked off by Eric Haney at the DU 26-yard line. The Drake defense buckled down to force a 29-yard field goal by Aidan Lehman.
 
Almost halfway through the third, the Toreros had great starting field position again at the 29-yard line. Once again, the Bulldog defense stood tall as it appeared USD was settling for a 46-yard field goal. It was a fake that resulted in a first down when the holder Grant Sergent hit Vance Jefferso in stride to move the chains. Ultimately, the Toreros still added three points on a 24-yard field goal from Lehman.
 
The Bulldogs have yet to give up and go down easily this season. A muffed punt at the beginning of the fourth quarter recovered by Zach Drummond opened the door to a potential comeback.
 
Corwin scampered in for a 14-yard touchdown run as Drake snuck up on the Toreros trailing 15-10 with 13:43 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldog momentum did not last long. Hunter Nichols returned the following kickoff 98 yards for the touchdown as the Toreros took control again, up 22-10. San Diego did not look back in the 22-10 decision.  
 
Drake football will make a relatively short trip north to the Twin Cities to face St. Thomas on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m.
 
NOTES

• Luke Williams made his fifth field goal of the season (5-for-8 in 2022).
• The Drake defense limited San Diego to 3-of-17 on third down conversions.
• Sebastian Adamski secured his first career interception.
• Ryan Kriceri led Drake with 10 total tackles (eight solo).
• Finn Claypool had 2.0 tackles for loss (total loss of 12 yards).
• The Dorian Boyland run of 49 yards is the longest rushing play this season for the Drake offense.  
• San Diego leads the all-time series, 20-10 including 10 consecutive victories.