With their first win on the board for Drake football the week before against Morehead State University, on Saturday, Oct. 7, morale was high in the Drake Stadium this past weekend. Families from all over the country came to cheer on the Bulldogs on their home turf during Parents and Family Weekend.
This game would present a chance for Drake to gain a second win in conference play for the season, and the team did not disappoint.
“Honestly, we knew we had to come out with a win today, not only for conference standings but because it was rivalry week. We can’t stand them, and we know they can’t stand us, so we played with a ton of passion and grit today,” running back Javon Murry said.
The first half of the game was full of energy. Both teams started off with a round of hot potato before anyone made strides for a score. Luckily for Drake, the offense wasted no time getting to work when running back Jun Ahn bulldozed his way into the end zone with four seconds left on the clock in the first quarter.
Scoring was at a premium in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs were able to get a last-second field goal after a fumble recovery from defensive linemen Jacob Auen with 16 seconds left in the half. Quarterback Luke Bailey completed a deep pass to wide receiver Trey Radocha seconds later, setting up a go-ahead field goal to end the first half. The half ended 10-0 in favor of the Bulldogs, which boosted morale going into what would be a nerve racking second half.
Early in the third quarter, the Bulldogs bumped their lead up to 17-0 with a Bailey to Gage Vander Leest passing touchdown. With this strong start to the second half, Drake’s lead seemed insurmountable, but the Bulldogs would soon learn that their opponent was ready to fight.
The Beacons scored their first touchdown in the fourth quarter with 12 minutes left in the game. With four minutes left, Drake managed to put another field goal on the board to bolster their lead. This put the team up 20-7 with only a few minutes remaining in the game.
With one minute and fifty seconds on the clock, the Beacons scored their second touchdown, shifting the score to 20-14. This would be the final score of the game, and this win gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 standing in the conference.
“This win felt great. Defense had a great day and set the tone for the entire game,” defensive lineman Duke Frye said. “We love the win but definitely are not satisfied yet.”
With a 2-3 overall record, the Bulldogs have another home game this coming week, where they will be looking to secure their third win of the season.
“For next week, we know St. Thomas is going to be an opponent that’s going to try and do whatever possible to win,” Murry said. “But we also know we have the better athletes, coaches and support staff to win. We just have to put those pieces together and play a complete game.”
The Bulldogs will return to Drake Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 12:00 p.m., where they will take on the University of St. Thomas Tommies as both teams seek to add a win onto their conference record.
