DES MOINES, Iowa – The Joe Woodley era of Drake football started with fireworks, both literally and figuratively, as the Bulldogs owned the gridiron in a 41-7 defeat of Upper Iowa. Over 80 native Iowans took the field for both sides, fitting for the first collegiate football game in the state this year, but the home Dogs had the advantage on Thursday night.
 
"There was a lot of anxious energy today," Woodley said. "But I had a lot of confidence in what I thought we would be able to do. A testament to our guys…we played complementary football today"
 
Quarterback Chase Spellman, a transfer from Tennessee State who made his first collegiate start on Thursday, connected with fellow transfer Jackson Voth, a newbie from Kansas State, on the game's first play with a 35-yard pitch-and-catch. That drive ended in a Spellman interception, but the Bulldog offense was able to rebound and put together a 14-point first quarter.
 
Spellman later hooked up with sophomore receiver Hank Foley from 27 yards out for the game's first score, capping a 5-play, 58-yard drive by the Bulldogs. Spellman, who had a remarkable performance in his debut with 233 yards through the air for two TDs another pair of scores on 37 rushing yards, scampered in for six more later in the period.
 
The Bulldogs' scoring spree continued in the second quarter when Spellman and Foley, who led the Drake receiving corps with 127 yards on five grabs, linked up over the top on a deep shot down the middle. The second Spellman-to-Foley score occurred immediately after Drake regained possession at mid-field on a drive that last all of eight seconds.
 
Drake (1-0) added another sprinkle of insurance as the second period wound to a close when transfer kicker Harry Balke drilled a 42-yard field goal to punctuate a drive over six minutes in length. The 3-point addition gave the Bulldogs a 24-0 halftime lead.
 
Upper Iowa, who looked flat for much of the first half, came out of the hiatus with a jolt of life. The Peacocks (0-1) received the second half kickoff and marched down the field in just over two and a half minutes to cross the goal line. UIU quarterback Darryl Overstreet, Jr. lofted a ball down the seam to wideout Mante Morrow who hauled in the offering for six. That score proved to be Upper Iowa's only offensive output of the night.
 
Drake retaliated well, both mentally and physically, after the Peacock surge. The Bulldogs went on to post two more touchdowns including another on the ground from Spellman and one through the air from back-up QB Xavier Washington to NAIA transfer back Jaden Meizinger, as well as another Balke trey. Those second-half scores added to the Bulldogs total to reach the 41-7 final.
 
While the Drake offense showed explosive signs all night, the Bulldog defense was equally sturdy in their effort to stop the Peacocks. The Bulldogs won the turnover battle thanks to a pair of picks by reserve DBs Garrison Codde and Karson Kindred, as well as a fumble recovery by Codde.
 
"The defense came out with an early three-and-out and then got things going from there," Woodley added. "We got some takeaways in the second half, which we challenged the guys on at the half. All-in-all, I feel a lot better to get that first one under the belt. Makes going into the bye week that much sweeter."
 
Three Bulldogs recorded five tackles to lead the team including linebackers Sean Allison and J.R. Flood, and safety Benjamin Wilson. Gene Blalock and Trystan Anderson each had one sack.
 
Meizinger led the Drake rushing attack with 51 carrying yards, followed closely by Luke Woodson's 48. Voth was the Bulldogs' second-leading receiver with 82 yards on four receptions.
 
The win was capped off by a fireworks show over Drake Stadium following the Bulldog triumph. First-year head coach Woodley earned the first victory of his Drake tenure and kept his unbeaten regular season record, which dates to his previous employment at cross-town college Grand View University, alive.
 
The Bulldogs are idle next week before a daunting two-week stretch into the Dakotas. Drake will visit South Dakota State and South Dakota, both listed inside the top five of the FCS rankings, on Sep. 13 and Sep. 20, respectively.