SCENE SETTER
In its first-ever appearance in the FCS Playoffs, the Drake Bulldogs will meet the North Dakota State Bison inside the hostile environment of the Fargodome for a first round matchup.
ON THE AIR
Saturday's game will be streamed worldwide on ESPN+ with Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Charles Arbuckle (analyst).
1350/102.1 ESPN Des Moines will carry Saturday's playoff game with the voice of Drake football Chuck Reed and former Bulldog All-American Craig Wederquist.
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE
NDSU has won nine FCS championships since 2011 and 17 total NCAA championships. The Bison bring a 43-4 record in the FCS playoffs into this weekend. NDSU is ranked No. 7/8 in the national polls.
The Bison are in unfamiliar territory playing in a first round playoff game and not securing a first round bye.
Senior quarterback Cam Miller is a dual threat for North Dakota State as the Bison's leading rusher (100 carries, 563 yards, 1 TD) and leading passer (171-229, 2049 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT). Senior wideout Zach Mathis is Miller's top target, hauling in 41 receptions for 580 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Sophomore linebacker Logan Kopp leads a balanced NDSU defense with 68 total tackles (7.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks). Senior safety Cole Wisniewski has been a ball hawk in the secondary, snagging five interceptions and breaking up five passes.
Griffin Crosa has been North Dakota's kicker for five seasons and he is 14-17 on field goal attempts this season, but is 0-2 on attempts over 50 yards this year.
Former NDSU defensive coordinator and Wartburg alumnus Matt Entz is in his fifth season as the head coach in Fargo.
LOOK AT US...WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?
Drake football was picked to finish eighth in the Pioneer Football League preseason coaches' poll. The Bulldogs have won eight games for the first time since 2012, that was also the same year that they claimed their last PFL title. The eight wins are the most during the
Todd Stepsis coaching era. Drake football finished 8-0 in conference play for the first time in program history. The only other time Drake went undefeated in league play was 2004, which saw Drake's last postseason appearance, a win over Morehead State in the PFL Championship Game.
PLAYOFFS?!
A go-ahead two-yard touchdown run by
Dorian Boyland with 2:43 left in the game at Butler gave Drake a 13-9 lead that the Bulldog defense held onto.
Finn Claypool sacked the Butler quarterback on third down during the final drive before
Holden Hughes and
Caleb Bowling broke up the 4th down and 17 pass to seal the victory and perfect PFL season.
DRAKE FOOTBALL POSTSEASON HISTORY
The Bulldogs are making their first postseason appearance since the 2004 PFL Championship win over Morehead State. Drake football has played in five bowl games in school history (1946 Raisin Bowl vs. Fresno State| 13-12 win, 1948 Salad Bowl vs. Arizona | 14-13 win, 1957 Sun Bowl vs. Louisville | 34-20 loss, 1969 Pecan Bowl vs. Arkansas State | 29-21 loss, 1972 Pioneer Bowl vs. Tennessee State | 29-7 loss).
TERRIFIC TURNAROUND
From Oct. 9, 2021-Oct. 22, 2022, Drake football lost 10 consecutive PFL games before directly going on its current 11-game PFL winning streak that started on Oct. 29, 2022 with a 24-17 win at Stetson.
FCS NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
After defeating Butler to clinch its first-ever FCS playoff bid and win the PFL title outright for the first time since 2004, Stats FCS recognized Drake as the FedEx Ground FCS National Team of the Week with Gary Reasons visiting the Bulldogs in Des Moines this past Monday.
EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD FINALIST
In his fifth season at the helm,
Todd Stepsis was announced as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented each season to the FCS National Coach of the Year.
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD FINALIST
A member of the preseason watch list,
Finn Claypool is one of 30 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which presented to each season to the FCS National Defensive Player of the Year.
HERE'S THE KICKER
Senior kicker/punter
Shane Dunning has been named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on two occasions this year for a reason. Dunning has made three or more field goals in a game twice this season. He has made four field goals of 48-yards or more including his career-long 53-yarder at Marist on Nov. 4.
FINN IT TO WIN IT
Redshirt-sophomore defensive end and 2023 Buck Buchanan Award finalist
Finn Claypool has continued to find ways into opposing backfields.
Claypool recorded 3.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble in Drake's 16-14 win over Presbyterian. He added He has notched at least one sack in five consecutive games. The hometown kid is tied for second in the FCS with four forced fumbles (4) and his sack total (12.5) ranks second this season. Claypool is fifth at the FCS level with 19.0 tackles for loss.
GOT YOUR BACK
The Drake offensive line had its five-game streak of not allowing a sack snapped at Butler but last week, but Drake has still surrendered an FCS-low four sacks this season.
FUMBLE!
Drake's defense is tied for second in the FCS with 13 fumble recoveries this season.
JUNKYARD DOGS
The stingy Bulldog defense has stifled opponents to less than 100 yards rushing in five games this season and limited opponents to less than 200 yards passing in four contests including holding Presbyterian to 67 passing yards on Nov. 11. In PFL play, In PFL play, Drake only allowed a PFL-low 12.1 points per game, 256.1 total yards per game and 91.6 rushing yards. In PFL play, Drake only allowed a PFL-low 12.1 points per game, 256.1 total yards per game and 91.6 rushing yards.
CALL IN THE CLOSER
Drake has won six games in 2023 by seven points or fewer (three by five points or less) and has sealed four victories (Morehead State, Valparaiso, Marist and Butler) with final defensive stands.
FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND
As the No. 6 overall seed, Montana State will play host to the winner of Drake versus North Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. (CT).
