DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University football team engineered a game-tying drive with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter to send the contest to overtime before dropping its home opener to Missouri S&T, 17-14 at Drake Stadium on a rainy Saturday, Sept. 10. The Bulldogs are 0-2 to start the season while Missouri S&T improved its overall record to 1-1.
 
"We left a lot of plays out there," head coach Todd Stepsis said. "It felt like we were a couple of dropped balls away from opening the game up. Our defense did a great job and showed up constantly today. We talked to the team afterward to make sure we stay very detailed during the week. Everything has to be on point and tight."
 
Jackson Williams secured the first interception of the year for the Drake defense at the 10:17 mark of the opening quarter, when he picked off Max Conard's pass at the DU 26-yard line. The first quarter ended in a scoreless deadlock.
 
The Miners had fantastic field position with 12:21 to play in the second quarter at the Drake 28-yard line. The Bulldog defense held strong as Parker Boyce attempted a 42-yard field goal that was blocked by Holden Hughes pouncing on the edge and recovered at the Drake 37-yard line.
 
The offensive stalemate continued until a 63-yard punt by Boyce pinned the Bulldogs to their 1-yard line. Drake quarterback Ian Corwin fumbled the snap, and it was recovered by S&T's Wulfe Retzlaff with 10:02 still to play in the first half. It took three tries, but Cameren Smith rumbled in as the Miners found the end zone first.
 
Drake entered the locker room trailing 7-0 and responded with a 42-yard pass play down the right sideline to Colin Howard. On second down and seven from the S&T 26-yard line, Corwin was sacked by Bentley Hart and lost the football. The fumble was returned 65 yards for a touchdown by Ben Straatman early in the third quarter (12:04 remaining).
 
Later in the third quarter, the Bulldogs resorted to trickery. Nathan De Bruin lined up to punt and immediately tucked the ball in to race to the Miner 32-yard line.
 
From the 14-yard line with 2:54 to go in the third, Corwin laced a pass down the middle to a diving Austin Flax in the end zone for six.
 
The Miners were clinging onto a 14-7 lead with 11:06 left in the fourth quarter when Andrew Stafford jumped the loose ball. The fumble recovery set Drake up at its own 41-yard line, but the Bulldog offense did not take advantage of the turnover.
 
In need of a long drive, the Drake offense went back to work at its own 22-yard line with 4:54 remaining in regulation. Corwin mostly used his legs to put the Bulldogs into Missouri S&T territory before a 16-yard pass to Hartlieb had Drake knocking on the door. A play later, Corwin lofted a touchdown pass in the left corner to Brandon Langdok. The Luke Williams extra point evened the score, 14-14 with only 1:25 left in the fourth quarter.
 
Regulation came to a close when Nick Cagnetto picked off Conard on the near sideline. Cagnetto eyed the end zone for a potential walk-off interception return, but he was pushed out of bounds at the 30-yard line.
 
In overtime, Parker Boyce converted a go-ahead field goal from 26 yards away to put the Miners ahead 17-14. The Bulldogs took over on offense with a chance to win the game with a touchdown. Missouri S&T pushed Drake back a yard back during a three-and-out series. Luke Williams attempted a game-tying 43-yard field goal that was left short and drifted to the right to end the game with Missouri S&T celebrating a 17-14 victory.
 
Drake football will be back on the road next week at Idaho of the Big Sky Conference for a 2 p.m. CT kickoff.
 
NOTES

• Missouri S&T finished 1-for-15 on third down conversions.
• Drake's defense recorded three takeaways.
• The 14-yard reception by Austin Flax was his first collegiate touchdown. Flax's five receptions mark a career-high.
• Brandon Langdok caught his fifth career touchdown.
• Linebacker Tanner Pollock registered a game-high 12 tackles (seven solo, 1.5 tackles for loss).
• Linebacker Ander Johnson added nine tackles (four solo, 1.5 tackles for loss).
• Defensive lineman Jake Shipla notched a pair of tackles for loss.
• Drake football is 10-9 in home openers dating back to 2004.
• Drake football leads Missouri S&T in the all-time series, 7-1.