SCENE SETTER
Still undefeated in PFL play, the Drake football team returns home to Drake Stadium for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. to face Presbyterian for the second time in school history.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game will stream live on ESPN+ with Michael Admire (play-by-play) and Jeff Woody (analyst). All season long Drake football can be heard live on 1350/102.1 ESPN Des Moines and The Varsity Network App with Chuck Reed and former Bulldog All-American Craig Wederquist.
SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN
The Blue Hose enter the week 3-6 overall and 1-5 in PFL play this season. San Diego pulled away in the second half to defeat Presbyterian 23-13 last week. Presbyterian has lost three games in a row after its lone league win at Dayton in overtime, 20-17 on Oct. 14.
Quarterback Tyler Wesley does a little bit of everything for Presbyterian, rushing for 401 yards and two scores while throwing for 1,694 yards and 10 more touchdowns.
Linebacker Alex Herriott paces Presbyterian with 103 total tackles including 7.5 for loss. Defensive back Anthony Thornton has impressed during his debut season with 52 tackles including 4.0 for loss.
Kicker Mack Mikko has gotten his opportunities. Mack is 15-of-20 this season on field goal attempts including a career-long of 45 yards.
Steve Englehart is in his second season with a 6-14 overall record in charge of the Blue Hose. Englehart has also been the head coach at Florida Tech (D-II) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (D-III).
SENIOR DAY
Drake football will recognize 21 student-athletes of senior, fifth-year or graduate student standing prior to Saturday's game against Presbyterian.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
The Bulldogs are seeking their first seven-win season since 2018 when Drake had a stretch of three straight seven-win seasons. Drake football has never gone 7-0 in conference play. The Bulldogs won seven PFL games in 2004 but the league was divided into two divisions and the seventh win was the PFL championship game, a victory over Morehead State.
GOT YOUR BACK
The Drake offensive line has not allowed a sack in four consecutive games and has only surrendered a PFL-low three sacks this season. The three sacks allowed are the fewest in the FCS.
CALL IN THE CLOSER
Drake has won four games this season by seven points or fewer and has sealed three games (Morehead State, Valparaiso and Marist) with final defensive stands.
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 three contests. In PFL play, Drake has only allowed 12.3 points per game and 259.2 yards per game.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Senior quarterback Luke Bailey leads the Pioneer Football League in passing yards (2,173), yet Drake does not have a player with more than 22 receptions. 21 different Bulldogs have caught a pass this season, including Bailey himself.
HERE'S THE KICKER
Senior kicker/punter Shane Dunning has made 11 consecutive field goal attempts (all in PFL play). Last week in the 10-3 win at Marist, he made a career-long 53-yard field goal, which tied the Tenney Stadium facility record for longest field goal. Dunning has been named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on two occasions this season.
Dunning is tied for 10th in the FCS in both field goal percentage (85.7%/12-14) and is tied for 14th in field goals per game (1.3).
STREAKING
Drake's nine-game winning streak in PFL play is the longest active streak in the league and fourth-longest in all of the FCS. The streak began with a 24-17 win at Stetson on Oct. 29, 2022. The Bulldogs are 6-0 in PFL play for the first time since 2009.
FINN IT TO WIN IT
Redshirt-sophomore defensive end and 2023 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List member Finn Claypool has continued to find ways into opposing backfields. Claypool has recorded four strip sacks this season and has notched a sack in three consecutive games. The hometown kid has forced the third-most fumbles (4) in the FCS and his sack total (7) is tied for 18th most this year.
FUMBLE!
Drake's defense is tied for third in the FCS with 11 fumble recoveries this season, only trailing Marist and Southern with 12 recovered fumbles for the FCS lead.
UP NEXT
Drake football will close out the regular season at Butler with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.
