All eyes are on the Drake University men’s football team as they continue to prove week after week that they’re strong enough to win the conference title. On Saturday, Nov. 4, the Bulldogs added credibility to this statement once again against the Marist Red Foxes.
Their game against the Red Foxes was in Poughkeepsie, New York. Although no one knew what the outcome of this game would be, both teams were ready to put another win on the board in order to advance themselves further up the conference standings. Knowing that this game would give Drake an undefeated conference record and extend their winning streak to six games, this became an extremely important game.
In the first quarter, both teams struggled to put points on the board. Although both defenses were on fire, both offenses struggled to make any big advancements on the other team, which led to a low-scoring game. Neither team scored in the first quarter, leaving lots of tension as well as potential for what could happen before halftime.
In the second quarter, however, wide receiver Trey Radocha put a touchdown on the board for the Bulldogs, giving them a lead going into halftime.
Going into the third quarter, Drake was up 7-0, but that wouldn’t be the score for long. Marist wasted no time getting their offense back on track to keep up with the Bulldogs. After some slow back-and-forth play on both sides, the Red Foxes put a field goal on the board to cut Drake’s lead down to four in an attempt to stay in the game.
The third quarter would end with a score of 7-3, but the fourth would be the final stretch that Drake needed to keep the lead. With seven minutes left in the game, Shane Dunning would kick a field goal for the Bulldogs to seal the game with a 10-3 score. Although this game was low scoring, it kept both sides on their toes as they had to battle it out up until the closing seconds.
“It’s another boost of confidence knowing we can win close games like that,” quarterback Luke Bailey said. “Offensively, we always want to score more points, but it was just a great defensive force. We want to continue the momentum for next week.”
This game pushed the Bulldogs to a 6-0 record in their conference, which is the first time in years that the Bulldogs have kept such a clean record. This win also keeps the team tied with the Davidson Wildcats for first in the Pioneer Football League, and also shows just how hard Drake has been working to prove themselves.
“The win was great. Our defense set the tone the entire game. We have a ton to build on and are on to next week,” defensive lineman Duke Frye said.
Going into the Bulldogs last home game, the team will be playing the Presbyterian College Toreros at home on Saturday, Nov. 11, in hopes of keeping their perfect record.
