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Drake is looking for another successful outing to follow its win against Grand View this Saturday. The Bulldogs play another game on their home field against the Missouri S&T Miners.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. and is part of Parents and Family Weekend at Drake. Tailgating and activities for the whole family will commence at 4 p.m. in the stadium parking lot.
The men of the Drake football team take no breaks and after the nail-biting win on Saturday they are practicing hard to beat the Miners.
Drake and Missouri S&T have played each other five times since 1923. In the past two years, Drake has beaten the Miners twice at home. In 2009, Drake prevailed 19-0 and again in 2010 the Bulldogs won 28-14.
The come-from-behind win against Grand View was an exciting one, but senior wide receiver Drew Blackmon said there is room for improvement.
“We relished in it, but as soon as we got to the sidelines, we knew it had to be a lot better and we had to get back to business,” he said.
Last Saturday Blackmon tied his career high with nine receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. He only needs seven more receptions to reach 100 catches in his career.
“It’s my job, it’s my position and it’s what I’m supposed to do,” Blackmon said about his performance against Grand View. “I’m just glad when my number’s called, I can step up and be counted on.”
The College Football Performance Awards recognized Blackmon with an honorable mention consideration for Wide Receiver Performer of the Week.
Senior quarterback Mike Piatkowski and Blackmon have a great connection on the field. During the game against Grand View, Piatkowski had 333 total passing yards and moved into fifth place in career passing yardage at Drake.
With 151 more passing yards, he will move into fourth place.
Senior defensive back Lyndon Crawford knows that the game against Missouri S&T is going to be tough.
“They’re a great overall team,” Crawford said. “We’re going to come out and be competitive and do what we do best.”
Missouri S&T has a 1-1 record, just like the Bulldogs. The Miners won their first game against Oklahoma Panhandle State 34-23 and lost to Midwestern State 41-0.
Defensive line coach Casey Carlo is not necessarily worried about the opponent, but he is more concerned with what Drake can do to prepare for them.
“We’re not so concerned about Missouri S&T, we just have to improve our technique and just get better at playing defense within our scheme,” Carlo said.
Carlo has had a great time working with this year’s team and knows that that will figure into the future success of the Bulldogs.
“This is one of the most fun group of guys I’ve ever had,” Carlo said. “It’s a fun group to be around and just a good group of guys.”
After practicing intensely during the week, Blackmon knows the team will be ready for the Miners on Saturday.
“I think it’s going to be a lot better game,” he said.
Meanwhile, the team is hoping for another big crowd, like the one they played for last Saturday.
“We hope for another great home crowd,” Crawford said. “It really helped with the win last week. It was a great atmosphere and we really strive to make a show for the fans.”
