SCENE SETTER
The Drake football team will open Pioneer Football League play on the road at Jayne Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30 to take on Morehead State at 1 p.m. (CT). It will be Drake's first matchup against the Eagles since 2019 and first trip to Morehead, Ky., since Nov. 17, 2018.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Jared Stacy (play-by-play) and Hunter Hurst (analyst) on the call.
Every Drake football game can be heard live on 1350/102.1 ESPN Des Moines and the Varsity Network app with Chuck Reed (play-by-play) and former Bulldog Craig Wederquist (analyst) describing the action.
WEEK THREE RECAP
The Drake football team swung for the fences and scored on its opening drive against No. 1 South Dakota State in a 70-7 loss on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. The Bulldogs came out swinging. Bailey connected with Colin Howard in the back right corner of the end zone. Howard got dirty in the warning track to hang on to the ball for the 35-yard score to lead the top team in FCS by an early score of 7-0. It was Drake's first game in a Ballpark since 1978 at Anaheim Stadium against Long Beach State.
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE
Coming off of a 2-9 season in 2022, Morehead State is currently 1-2 overall. The Eagles won a 37-35 shootout over West Virginia State (D-II, Mountain East Conference) in their season opener and lost their other non-conference matchup to Mercer (SoCon) 48-22. Morehead State tied the game late at St. Thomas in its PFL opener last week, but the Tommies found the end zone again with only nine seconds left in the 35-28 decision. The Eagles' offensive attack averages an impressive 29 points per game in 2023. Their defense, however, has allowed 39.3 points per game.
Quarterback Carter Cravens averages 239.3 passing yards per game, has thrown for seven touchdowns and has two interceptions in 2023. After his impressive week one performance, Cravens was named the PFL player of the week. Cravens' eagle eye has spotted wide receiver Kyle Daly for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 14 connections.
Ryan Upp has also been a steady target, accumulating 158 receiving yards AND two touchdowns. Caleb Ramseur has carried the load on the ground for the Eagles, rushing for 168 yards and three touchdowns.
CONFERENCE OPENERS
Since 2004, Drake is 14-5 in PFL openers, but the Bulldogs haven't won a conference opening game since Sept. 28, 2019 (41-17 at Marist).
PFL PLAY
Since 2019 when Todd Stepsis became head coach, the Bulldogs are 12-16 in PFL contests. Drake won its final three games of the PFL schedule to close out the 2022 season.
TOUGH COMPETITION
Since 2018, Drake has played seven FCS Top-25 opponents. Drake is the only program in the country to play defending national champions in back-to-back weeks this season. After hosting 2022 NAIA champ Northwestern (Iowa), the Bulldogs took on 2022 FCS champion South Dakota State.
HOWARD'S IMPRESSIVE START
Against two of the best teams at the FCS level (North Dakota and South Dakota State), Colin Howard has hauled in eight passes for 203 yards. Two of his three career 100-yard receiving performances have already occurred in 2023. He totaled 366 receiving yards in 2022, 549 yards during the 2022 campaign and 256 yards in the five-game spring 2021 season. In his fifth year, Howard is on pace for his best statistical season yet.
UP NEXT
Drake football will return home to play in Drake Stadium for the first time in nearly a month on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. against Valparaiso in a game presented by Broadlawns Medical Center.
