The Basics
Drake football will try to get back on track this weekend with a canine clash against rival Butler in Des Moines. The Bulldog bunches will kick things off at noon inside historic Drake Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24.
 
Bulldog Breakdown
Drake returned to Des Moines for another Pioneer Football League contest that did not go its way. The Bulldogs went up early but could not stay in front as Marist won, 27-22.
 
Despite dropping two straight contests, the Bulldogs still lead the PFL in passing offense, averaging nearly 350 yards thorugh the air, mostly on the right arm of Riley Warzynski.
 
Drake and Butler will be one of two games featuring original Pioneer Football League squads this weekend. Rivals San Diego and Dayton are also set to square off in Ohio. Drake is seeking its 11th straight win over rival Butler as the Des Moines-based Bulldogs have won the last 10 meetings.
 
Rookie safety Dax Wiskur was one of two PFL representatives on the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, an honor given to the best freshman player in all of FCS.

Key Players
Riley Warzynski | 201-339, 59.3%, 2279 yds, 14 TD, 10 INT
Willis Nofsinger | 38 rec, 569 yds, 3 TD
Mitchell January | 35 rec, 406 yds, 3 TD
Kavaughn Clark | 37 car, 173 yds, 2 TD
J.R. Flood | 64 tck, 28 solo, 1.5 TFL, 3 QBH
Skylar James | 45 tck, 26 solo, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sck, 2 QBH
Tyson Shivers | 21 tck, 13 solo, 3.5 TFL, 2.0 sck, QBH, FF, FR

Scouting Butler
The Butler Bulldogs entered last week tied atop the PFL standings, but a Marist win and home loss to Dayton dropped them to 2-1 in conference play and 5-2 overall. Butler has also racked up wins over Valpo and San Diego in PFL action plus a trio of non-conference victories.
 
This weekend's meeting will be the 36th all-time meeting between Drake and Butler. Drake owns a wide advantage in the canine rivalry with a 26-8-1 record including wins in the last 10 meetings.
 
Kevin Lynch is in his second season leading Butler's football team. He went an even .500 last year and has posted an 11-8 mark during his tenure.
 
Key Players
Gabe Passini | 89-144, 61.8%, 1048 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT, 94 carries, 444 yards, 5 TD
Nick Munson | 26 receptions, 386 yards, 7 TD
Desmin Jackson | 68 carries, 433 yards, 6 TD
Tommy Diamond | 43 tackles, 23 solo, 2.5 TFL, 2 PBU, FR
Jackson Stratton | 39 tackles, 21 solo, 2.5 TFL, 5 PBU, 3 QBH

Up Next
Drake's PFL slate continues with the Bulldogs' penultimate road game of the 2026 regular season. Drake will visit Morehead State for a spooky showdown on Oct. 31.