The Basics
The Drake football team travels to Big Sky country to take on the Idaho Vandals inside the Kibbie Dome on Saturday, Sept. 17.
Broadcast Information
The game will be streamed worldwide on ESPN+ and televised in the Spokane, Wash./Idaho panhandle area on SWX.
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. Former Washington State and Iowa State head football coach Jim Walden will join Reed as the radio analyst. Live audio is available on the Varsity Network App.
About Last Week
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.
Regulation came to a close when
Nick Cagnetto picked off S&T quarterback Max 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 the Miners got a piece of as it drifted short to the right to end the game with Missouri S&T celebrating a 17-14 victory.
Missouri S&T Postgame Thoughts from Head Coach Todd Stepsis
"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."
Free Football at Drake Stadium
Last Saturday (Sept. 10) was the first overtime game at Drake Stadium since Sept. 6, 2014, against Truman State (Drake won 13-7).
First Timers
Dorian Boyland (RB) and
Tim Nesslage (TE) both scored their first collegiate touchdowns in the season opener at NDSU.
Austin Flax caught his first collegiate touchdown vs. Missouri S&T on Sept. 10.
Defensive Clinic
The Drake defense limited Missouri S&T to 165 yards of total offense as the Miners finished 1-for-15 on third down conversions. Linebacker
Tanner Pollock led the way with a game-high 12 tackles (seven solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Scouting Idaho
Idaho played back-to-back FBS teams to open up the 2022 season (24-17 loss at Washington State Sept. 3 & 35-22 loss at Indiana Sept. 10). Idaho jumped out to 10-0 leads in the first half of both games. Through two games, Vandal quarterback Gevani McCoy has thrown for 416 yards and four touchdowns. Senior linebacker and Washington State transfer Fa'Avae Fa'Avae has recorded a team-best 23 tackles (15 solo) with one sack.
Idaho was predicted to finish eighth in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches' poll.
After the Vandals finished 4-7 in 2021, Jason Eck takes over as head coach after a six-year stint as an offensive assistant coach at South Dakota State (2016-19 as offensive line coach, 2019-21 as offensive coordinator).
Series History vs. Idaho
Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will return home to Drake Stadium for their PFL opener against Marist on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.
