DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University football team (0-4, 0-1 in Pioneer Football League play) scored 15 unanswered points to erase a two-touchdown second half deficit before surrendering a game-winning drive to Marist (1-2, 1-0) in a 30-25 loss at Drake Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 24).
 
On Drake's second drive, quarterback Ian Corwin completed back-to-back passes to Brandon Langdok down to the Marist 31-yard line. The 12-play, 92-yard drive was capped off by a touchdown pass to the right corner of the end zone to Trey Radocha from nine yards away. The Bulldogs struck first with 4:31 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
The Red Foxes responded with an efficient 5-play, 68-yard drive finished by a nine-yard touchdown pass of their own from Brock Bagozzi to Glenmour Leonard-Osbourne.
 
Tied 7-7, the Bulldogs continued to steadily move the ball down the field. A pass was reeled in on a slide by Jacob McCauley for a gain of 29 yards to the Marist 22-yard line. The Drake drive stalled at the 14-yard line when Luke Williams was brought on to drill a 31-yard field goal attempt. Drake led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Marist began an impressive second quarter with another answer. On second and goal from the four-yard line, Bagozzi connected with Scott Scherzer to regain the lead (14-10) early in the second quarter (12:07).
 
A 7-play, 73-yard touchdown drive in the final three minutes of the first half kept momentum on Marist's side as the Red Foxes took a 21-10 lead into halftime.
 
The Red Foxes extended their advantage to two touchdowns (24-10) on their first drive of the second half when Luke Paladino made a 26-yard field goal as the third quarter clock was run down to 8:45.
 
Just outside mid-field, Corwin rolled out and fired a rocket downfield to Radocha for a 43-yard game inside the 10-yard line. The effective pass turned into three points after Williams knocked a 23-yard attempt through the uprights as the Bulldogs trailed 24-13 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.
 
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Marist was threatening. Bagozzi's pass over the middle was intercepted by Tony Graham II at the one-yard line. The Bulldogs took advantage of the turnover when Corwin launched a deep ball caught near mid-field by Langdok. He dragged defenders all the way to the Marist 26-yard line. After moving the ball forward 14 more yards, Williams trotted back out to promptly nail a 29-yarder as Drake began to creep on the Red Foxes, behind 24-16 with 9:49 to play in the fourth.
 
The Bulldog defense delivered a three-and-out as the offense took over with fantastic field position at the 50-yard line with 8:07 still to go. First and goal was set up from the Marist 10 following a 24-yard strike to tight end Matt Hartlieb. Drake needed four downs to find paydirt, but Dorian Boyland plunged in from two yards out to bring the Bulldogs a two-point conversion away from knotting the score.
 
The two-point conversion was unsuccessful as the Red Foxes clung to a 24-22 lead with 4:29 remaining in regulation.
 
Jack Ierulli floated his kickoff to the near sideline and not many Red Foxes were in the area. CJ Grisar was in the right place at the right time to secure the ball at the Marist 24-yard line. All of a sudden, the Bulldogs were in the driver's seat.
 
Three plays and five yards later with 3:38 up on the clock, Williams jogged onto the field for his fourth field goal attempt of the contest. Williams remained perfect on the day after he kicked the 36-yard field goal attempt down the middle for Drake's first lead since 10-7.
 
Now ahead 25-24, the Bulldogs looked to buckle down and hold the slim edge. The Red Foxes had other plans. Marist marched down the field 80 yards off 13 plays to snag the lead right back, 30-25 with only 43 seconds left ticking when Amin Woods rumbled in from six yards away.
 
The last stand from the Bulldogs started at their own 25-yard line and lasted four plays. Corwin evaded tacklers and tried to scramble from the fourth down conversion but was stopped four yards short to end Drake's chances in the Pioneer Football League opener.
 
Drake football will head to Dayton for its first PFL road matchup this season on Saturday, Oct. 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. (CT).
 
NOTES

• Brandon Langdok finished with four receptions for a career-best 132 yards to mark the first time a Drake player has had over 100 yards receiving in a game since Colin Howard against Presbyterian on April 17, 2021.
• Ian Corwin finished with a career-high 350 passing yards to become the first Drake player to pass for more than 300 yards in a game since Grant Kraemer against Missouri S&T on Sept. 15, 2018.
• Luke Williams was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts to become the first Drake player to make four field goals in one game since Danny Donley at Marist on Oct. 21, 2017.
• The touchdown catch by Radocha in the first quarter was his first touchdown of the season and second of his career.
• Drake entered today ranked third in the FCS for third down defense and limited Marist to a 5-for-13 third down efficiency.
• Tanner Pollock led Drake in tackles for the third time this season (11 tackles, 3 solo).
• Finn Claypool recorded his second sack of the season.
• Drake is 22-8 in PFL openers dating back to the league's creation in 1993.
• Marist has won the last two meetings, but Drake leads the all-time series, 8-2.