CHENEY, Wash. – The Drake University football team traveled west for a matchup with the Eagles of Eastern Washington on Saturday in their de facto season opener. With thermometers reading 95 degrees at kickoff, Saturday's tilt marked the hottest home game in EWU history, but that did not deter the Dogs as Drake left Cheney with a 35-32 upset victory.
 
The host Eagles started as hot as the temperature after winning the coin toss and taking the ball. Eastern Washington leaned on halfback Tuna Altahir on the opening drive with a 13-play, 75-yard scoring charge, capped off by an Altahir touchdown run from a yard out. The Eagles seemed to be in business again, but Sebastian Adamski and the Drake defense had other ideas. The Bulldogs nearly recovered a fumble, but the ball rolled out of bounds before any Dogs got their paws on it. A play later, Adamski leaked through the line to sack EWU quarterback Kekoa Visperas on fourth down and put the Drake offense in solid field position.
 
The Bulldogs started putting together a drive as the first quarter came to a close with Eastern leading, 7-0. The Drake drive continued into the second period and featured a slick throw and catch from Luke Bailey to Luke Woodson out of the backfield to set the Dogs up inside the EWU five-yard line. Woodson cashed in on the next play with a one-yard run for his first career touchdown.
 
Michael Wortham immediately swung momentum back in EWU's direction on the next kickoff. The Eagle returner fielded the Shane Dunning boot five yards into his own endzone and sprinted past most of the Drake coverage squad for a 55-yard return, setting the Eagles up in Drake territory. A fired-up Drake defense forced Eastern to squander their excellent starting spot, however, as EWU punted it away.
 
The teams swapped possessions until Drake got a little rhythm back later in the quarter. Shane Dunning punctuated a six-play, 23-yard drive with a 47-yard field goal. The three-pointer put the Bulldogs on top, 10-7, and put Eastern Washington in a deficit for the first time this season.
 
After a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive ending in an Efton Chism III snag, Luke Bailey led the Bulldogs back down the field on an 11-play drive culminating in another three-point kick from Shane Dunning, this one from 44 yards. The Eagles took their narrow 14-13 lead into the half.
 
The Bulldogs took possession after the break and got right back at it. A 10-yard pass to Taj Hughes followed by a 64-yard bomb from Bailey to Trey Radocha set the Bulldogs back up deep in EWU territory. After burning a timeout, Bailey rolled out to his right and flipped one to Parker Olthoff for his first career touchdown. The score catapulted Drake back on top, 20-14.
 
Eastern Washington answered again in the form a two-yard scramble by Wortham to rip the advantage right back. The Eagle score came on an 11-play, 83-yard drive. The third quarter clock hit zeroes with EWU leading, 21-20.
 
The ball belonged to Drake to start the fourth quarter. Bailey dished out a couple positive passes including a 33-yarder to Mitchell January that was threaded between a trio of Eagle defenders. That long catch-and-run got the Dogs back within the EWU 10-yard line where the Eagles did their best to put up a defensive stand. The drive culminated in a pivotal fourth down play from inside the one-yard line. Dorian Boyland got the handoff in a loaded backfield and took off over top of both lines for six. Boyland's touchdown gave Drake a 26-21 lead.
 
Eastern Washington turned around and put together another methodical drive spanning 10 plays and 63 yards highlighted by the feet of Wortham. He flittered out of the pocket and outran Sean Allison to the pylon to give EWU a 27-26 advantage. Starting QB Visperas then ran another in for a successful two-point conversion to make it 29-26 in favor of the Eagles.
 
Drake was not done yet, though. Bailey and the offense picked their way down the field and into EWU's half of red turf. The Drake drive eventually stalled but Dunning was nails on a 41-yard field goal to tie the game. The Bulldogs kicked it away with 4:26 remaining in regulation.
 
Momentum looked to be fully on the side of the Bulldogs as the Drake defense stepped up and forced an Eastern Washington punt. Drake's upset bid took a major hit, though, as the Bulldogs had too many men on the field for the fourth-down play, giving the Eagles an automatic first down, pushing them across the 50-yard line. Drake's defensive mojo returned in a major way just a few snaps later as Adamski forced Wortham to cough it up. Finn Claypool jumped on the loose ball, giving Drake the ball back with under two minutes to play. The Drake drive was stopped just across the midfield stripe and Dunning trotted off the sideline with an opportunity to retake the lead. His 53-yard kick was just short as EWU retook control.
 
The Bulldog D rose to the occasion again and forced the Eagle punt unit onto the field. Landon Ogles, the EWU punter, mishandled the snap on the next play, setting Drake back up in plus position on the Eastern 35-yard line. A Bailey heave to the endzone fell incomplete as regulation time expired with the score tied at 29.
 
Eastern Washington started overtime with the ball and took a 32-29 lead with a field goal after the Drake defense firmed up again on third down.
 
Drake's first overtime possession started with quick pitch to Taj Hughes who turned the corner for 11 yards and a first down. Bailey then rolled left on the next snap but could not find an open target and skied it out of the back of the endzone. On the next down, the Bulldogs dialed up another rollout for Bailey as he faded out of the pocket. The Drake signal caller lofted the ball towards the corner of the endzone where it was corralled by a diving Trey Radocha for the game-winning score. Drake escaped Roos Field with a 35-32 overtime victory.
 
Bailey finished the night with 380 passing yards with two touchdowns on 28-48 throwing. Mitchell January and Trey Radocha each had a team-high 101 receiving yards while the latter and Parker Olthoff caught scores. On the ground, Dorian Boyland and Luke Woodson crossed the goal line.
 
Defensively, Sean Allison led the way for Drake with 15 tackles along with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Fellow linebacker had 11 stops plus a forced fumble while Tyler Radocha posted 13 tackles. Shane Dunning was 3-for-5 in field goals on the night with all three makes from 41+ yards out and both misses from over 50.
 
After the cancellation to start the year, Drake is now 1-0 on the season. The Bulldogs are on bye next week before traveling to nationally ranked South Dakota on Sep. 21.
 
 
NOTES

• Saturday's game was the hottest home contest in Eastern Washington history with thermometers reading 95 degrees at kickoff.
• It was Drake's first overtime game since taking on Northwestern (Iowa) to open the 2023 season, and first overtime game on the road since a 2015 trip to Morehead State.
• Drake outgained Eastern Washington 460 to 385.
• The Bulldogs owned a 393-179 advantage in passing yards but trailed EWU 206-67 on the ground.
• The two teams combined for 21 penalties and 190 penalty yards.
• Drake forced two turnovers and did not give it away themselves.
• Luke Bailey threw for over 300 yards for the first time since tossing for 411 vs. St. Thomas last season.
• Shane Dunning's three field goals marked the first time since last year's contest in San Diego that a Drake kicker connected on three or more field goals in a single game.
• Drake is now 1-0 vs. Eastern Washington all-time after Saturday's inaugural meeting.
• The Bulldog win snapped an eight-game non-conference losing streak.