2024 Drake Bulldogs football team

2024 Drake Bulldogs football
2024 Drake Bulldogs football
Conference	Pioneer Football League
Record	2–1 (1–0 PFL)
Head coach	Todd Stepsis (6th season);
Co-offensive coordinator	Adam Gajo (4th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Nate Thompson (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Allen Smith (6th season)
Home stadium	Drake Stadium
	Seasons ← 2023 2025 →

The 2024 Drake Bulldogs football team represents Drake University as a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bulldogs are led by sixth-year head coach Todd Stepsis and play their home games at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

2024 Pioneer Football League standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Davidson	1	–	0	3	–	1
Dayton	1	–	0	3	–	1
Drake	1	–	0	2	–	1
Morehead State	1	–	0	3	–	2
Butler	0	–	0	4	–	0
Stetson	0	–	0	2	–	2
St. Thomas (MN)*	0	–	0	1	–	3
San Diego	0	–	1	2	–	2
Presbyterian	0	–	1	2	–	3
Valparaiso	0	–	1	2	–	3
Marist	0	–	1	0	–	4

* – St. Thomas (MN) ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division III As of September 30, 2024 Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	6:30 pm	Quincy (IL)*	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	ESPN+	No Contest^[1]
September 7	6:00 p.m.	at Eastern Washington*	Roos Field Cheney, WA	ESPN+	W 35–32 ^OT	4,378
September 21	1:00 pm	at No. 6 South Dakota*	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	L 3–42	6,529
September 28	12:00 pm	San Diego	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	ESPN+	W 30–28	4,568
October 5	12:00 pm	at Valparaiso	Brown Field Valparaiso, IN	ESPN+
October 12	1:00 p.m.	Butler	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	ESPN+
October 19	12:00 pm	at Presbyterian	Bailey Memorial Stadium Clinton, SC	ESPN+
November 2	1:00 p.m.	Marist	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	ESPN+
November 9	1:00 pm	at St. Thomas	O'Shaughnessy Stadium St. Paul, MN	ESPN+
November 16	1:00 p.m.	Morehead State	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	ESPN+
November 23	12:00 pm	at Stetson	Spec Martin Stadium DeLand, FL	ESPN+
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[2]^[3]

Game summaries

at Eastern Washington

Game One – Drake Bulldogs (0–0) at Eastern Washington Eagles (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Drake	0	13	7	9	6	35
Eastern Washington	7	7	7	8	3	32

at Roos Field • Cheney, WA

Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
Game time: 6:00 PM CST
Game weather: 95 °F (35 °C)
Game attendance: 4,378
TV: ESPN+

Game information

First quarter

9:13 EWU – Tuna Altahir 1-yard run (Soren McKee kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:47; EWU 7–0)

Second quarter

12:33 Drake – Luke Woodson 1-yard run (Shane Dunning kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:06; Tied 7–7)
4:06 Drake – Shane Dunning 47-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:29; Drake 10–7)
1:42 EWU – Efton Chism III 1-yard pass from Michael Wortham (Soren McKee kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:24; EWU 14–10)
0:00 Drake – Shane Dunning 44-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 1:42; EWU 14–13)

Third quarter

13:11 Drake – Parker Olthoff 3-yard pass from Luke Bailey (Shane Dunning kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:45; Drake 20–14)
7:42 EWU – Michael Wortham 2-yard run (Soren McKee kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 5:25; EWU 21–20)

Fourth quarter

12:19 Drake – Darian Boyland 1-yard run (Luke Bailey pass failed) (Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 2:42; Drake 26–21)
7:42 EWU – Michael Wortham 6-yard run (Keikoa Visperis run) (Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:23; EWU 29–26)
4:29 Drake – Shane Dunning 41-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:13; Tied 29–29)

Overtime

EWU – Soren McKee 36-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards; EWU 32–29)
Drake – Trey Radocha 14-yard pass from Luke Bailey (no conversion) (Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards; Drake 35–32)

Statistics	DU	EWU
First downs	25	23
Total yards	460	385
Rushing yards	67	206
Passing yards	393	179
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	29–49–0	23–30–0
Time of possession	24:23	35:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Drake	Passing	L. Bailey	28–48, 380 YDS, 2 TD
	Rushing	D. Boyland	8 CAR, 25 YDS, 1 TD
	Receiving	T. Radocha	4 REC, 101 YDS, 1 TD
Eastern Washington	Passing	K. Visperas	21–26, 177 YDS
	Rushing	T. Altahir	12 CAR, 94 YDS, 1 TD
	Receiving	E. Chism III	9 REC, 65 YDS, 1 TD

at No. 6 South Dakota

Game Two – Drake Bulldogs (1–0) at South Dakota Coyotes (1–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Drake	0	3	0	0	3
South Dakota	14	14	7	7	42

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
Game time: 1:00 PM CST
Game weather: Indoor
TV: ESPN+

Game information

First quarter

14:47 USD – Keyondray Jones-Logan 99-yard kickoff return (Will Leyland kick) (USD 7–0)
3:51 USD – Travis Theis 25-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:39; USD 14–0)

Second quarter

12:17 Drake – Shane Dunning 23-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 1:05; USD 14–3)
8:44 USD – Carter Bell 6-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:33; USD 21–3)
3:14 USD – Charles Pierre, Jr. 1-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:53; USD 28–3)

Third quarter

3:14 USD – Travis Theis Jr. 4-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:01; USD 35–3)

Fourth quarter

3:14 USD – Charles Pierre, Jr. 20-yard pass from Aidan Bouman (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:01; USD 42–3)

Statistics	DU	USD
First downs	18	25
Total yards	211	411
Rushing yards	93	192
Passing yards	118	219
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–33–1	18–26–1
Time of possession	32:17	27:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Drake	Passing	L. Bailey	16–29, 107 YDS, 1 INT
	Rushing	D. Boyland	8 CAR, 51 YDS
	Receiving	T. Radocha	7 REC, 56 YDS
South Dakota	Passing	A. Bouman	18–24, 219 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	T. Theis	9 CAR, 94 YDS, 2 TD
	Receiving	C. Bell	4 REC, 56 YDS

San Diego

Game Three – San Diego Toreros (2–1) at Drake Bulldogs (1–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
San Diego	6	3	0	19	28
Drake	3	10	7	10	30

at Drake Stadium • Des Moines, Iowa

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024
Game time: 12:00 PM CST
Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C)
Game attendance: 4,568
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	USD	DU
First downs	23	16
Total yards	390	354
Rushing yards	98	91
Passing yards	292	263
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	25–40–1	29–49–0
Time of possession	33:45	26:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
San Diego	Passing	G. Sergent	25–40, 292 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	I. Smith	6 CAR, 33 YDS
	Receiving	C. Monach	8 REC, 122 YDS
Drake	Passing	L. Bailey	29–49, 263 YDS, 2 TD
	Rushing	B. Ellingson	4 CAR, 69 YDS, 1 TD
	Receiving	M. January	9 REC, 121 YDS, 1 TD

References

^ "Severe Weather Halts Season Opener". godrakebulldogs.com. August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
^ "2024 Drake Football Schedule". fbschedules.com. FBS Schedules. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
^ "2024 Football Schedule". godrakebulldogs.com. Drake Athletics. Retrieved July 2, 2024.

[1] "Severe Weather Halts Season Opener". godrakebulldogs.com. August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.

[2] "2024 Drake Football Schedule". fbschedules.com. FBS Schedules. Retrieved July 2, 2024.

[3] "2024 Football Schedule". godrakebulldogs.com. Drake Athletics. Retrieved July 2, 2024.

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