SCENE SETTER
The Drake football team travels to Cali for a Saturday afternoon clash at San Diego kicking off at 4 p.m. (Central Time) seeking its first win over the Toreros since 2012.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
The game will stream live worldwide on ESPN+. 1350/102.1 ESPN Des Moines continues to be the radio home of Drake football with audio streaming on the Varsity Network App as Chuck Reed provides the play-by-play.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO
The Toreros are 1-5 overall and 1-2 in PFL play following a 30-16 loss at Marist last Saturday. San Diego's lone win this season was at home on Sept. 23 in a 40-25 decision over Dayton.
Senior running back Isaiah Williams has 97 rushing attempts for 435 yards and four touchdowns. Former Iowa State quarterback Re-al Mitchell has taken the ball 22 times for a gain of 170 yards and one touchdown. Junior receiver Ja'seem Reed is the primary target through the air with 42 receptions, 501 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Garrett Carney seems to be in the mix about every play for the Toreros as their leading tackler (33 tackles, nine solo). Graduate student linebacker Jayden Wickware paces USD in sacks (five) and tackles for loss (seven).
Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker (2002-07) Brandon Moore is in his first season at the helm of the Torero football program.
Moore was the 2022 AFCA Division II Coach of the Year at Colorado School of Mines following an appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship game.
COOL HAND LUKE
Senior quarterback Luke Bailey was recognized as the FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive Player of the Week and PFL Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts last Saturday in a signature 52-21 win over St. Thomas.
Bailey set career-highs in passing yards (411) and passing touchdowns (five) while commanding the offense going 24-of-32 through the air. His five touchdown passes were one shy of tying the program record for most thrown in a single game. Bailey's 411 passing yards are the most yards thrown by a Drake quarterback and the first time a Drake signal caller has tossed over 400 yards since Grant Kraemer's 445-yard day on Sept. 23, 2017 against Valparaiso.
Bailey ranks in the Top-20 at the FCS level in various individual categories: 18th in passing yards (1,579), 15th in passing yards per game (263.2), T-15th in passing touchdowns (12) and 20th in passing yards per completion (13.4).
JANUARY IN OCTOBER
Mitchell January caught two touchdown passes on Saturday against St. Thomas, his second-straight game with at least one score and 100+ receiving yards. He totaled a career-best nine receptions for a career-high 169 yards.
January's 169 receiving yards are the most in a single game by a Drake player since Steven Doran went for 170 yards in a win over Campbell on Nov. 11, 2017.
FINN IT TO WIN IT
Redshirt-sophomore defensive end Finn Claypool was a menace in the backfield versus St. Thomas with four tackles (all solo), two sacks, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries.
50-BURGER
The 52-point effort against the Tommies is the most points Drake has scored in a game since Sept. 15, 2018 in a 52-12 win against Missouri S&T. St. Thomas hadn't allowed that many points in one game since a 54-28 loss to St. Olaf on Nov. 10, 2007.
52 points are also the most points scored by Drake in a conference game since a 52-7 victory over Jacksonville on Nov. 18, 2017.
IN THE TRENCHES
The Drake offensive line did not allow a sack all game against St. Thomas and has only surrendered a PFL-low three sacks this season. The three sacks allowed are currently tied for the third fewest in the FCS.
STREAKING
Drake's six-game winning streak in PFL play is now the longest active streak in the league. The Bulldogs snapped a 13-game PFL winning streak by St. Thomas.
GIMME DAT
The Bulldogs caused four St. Thomas turnovers on Saturday starting with a Joey Lukrich interception during the opening drive of the game to set the tone.
The Drake defense forced three fumbles, the most since Valparaiso coughed it up three times on Sept. 25, 2021. The Bulldog defense is tied for 14th at the FCS level with six fumble recoveries and sits in a tie for 48th with nine turnovers gained. As a team, Drake's .83 turnover margin is tied for 18th nationally.
OL' PARKER OLTHOFF
Tight end Parker Olthoff (primarily a scout team player in 2022) caught a pair of touchdown passes for his first-career score and first-career multi-TD game.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return home to Drake Stadium for a noon kickoff against Stetson on Saturday, Oct. 28.
