# 2024 Drake Bulldogs football team

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

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 6:30 pm | Quincy (IL)* | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | ESPN+ | No contest | |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at Eastern Washington* | Roos FieldCheney, WA | ESPN+ | W 35–32 $^{OT}$ | 4,378 |
| September 21 | 1:00 pm | at No. 6 South Dakota* | DakotaDomeVermillion, SD | ESPN+ | L 3–42 | 6,529 |
| September 28 | 12:00 pm | San Diego | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | ESPN+ | W 30–28 | 4,568 |
| October 5 | 12:00 pm | at Valparaiso | Brown FieldValparaiso, IN | ESPN+ | W 27–3 | 2,577 |
| October 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Butler | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | ESPN+ | W 27–17 | 2,571 |
| October 19 | 12:00 pm | at Presbyterian | Bailey Memorial StadiumClinton, SC | ESPN+ | W 19–16 $^{OT}$ | 2,515 |
| November 2 | 1:00 p.m. | Marist | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | ESPN+ | W 19–0 | 2,636 |
| November 9 | 1:00 pm | at St. Thomas | O'Shaughnessy StadiumSt. Paul, MN | ESPN+ | W 22–19 | 5,370 |
| November 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Morehead State | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | ESPN+ | L 20–29 | 2,976 |
| November 23 | 12:00 pm | at Stetson | Spec Martin StadiumDeLand, FL | ESPN+ | W 49–10 | 1,244 |
| November 30 | 2:00 pm | at No. 14 Tarleton State* | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN+ | L 29–43 | 3,583 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Game summaries
### at Eastern Washington

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 35 |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 32 |
at Roos Field • Cheney, WA
* Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 PM CST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 94 °F (34 °C) • Wind: N at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
* Game attendance: 4,378
* Referee: Jim Crowley
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Austin Getz (play-by-play) and Adam Shackleford (analyst)
| Statistics | DRKE | 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 | Luke Bailey | 28/48, 380 yards, 2 TD |
| Drake | Rushing | Dorian Boyland | 8 carries, 25 yards, TD |
| Drake | Receiving | Mitchell January | 5 receptions, 101 yards |
| Eastern Washington | Passing | Kekoa Visperas | 21/26, 177 yards |
| Eastern Washington | Rushing | Tuna Altahir | 12 carries, 94 yards, TD |
| Eastern Washington | Receiving | Efton Chism III | 9 receptions, 65 yards, TD |

### at No. 6 South Dakota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 6 Coyotes | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
* Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 PM CST
* Game weather: Indoor
* Game attendance: 6,529
* Referee: Jason Perkins
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jay Elsen (play-by-play) and Andre Fields (analyst)
| Statistics | DRKE | SDAK |
| 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 | Luke Bailey | 16/29, 107 yards, INT |
| Drake | Rushing | Dorian Boyland | 8 carries, 51 yards |
| Drake | Receiving | Trey Radocha | 7 receptions, 56 yards |
| South Dakota | Passing | Aidan Bouman | 18/24, 219 yards, TD |
| South Dakota | Rushing | Travis Theis | 9 carries, 94 yards, 2 TD |
| South Dakota | Receiving | Carter Bell | 4 receptions, 56 yards |

### San Diego

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Toreros | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 28 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
at Drake Stadium • Des Moines, Iowa
* Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 PM CST
* Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 4,568
* Referee: Jason Berg
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Chuck Reed (play-by-play) and Craig Wederquist (analyst)
| Statistics | USD | DRKE |
| 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 | Grant Sergent | 25/40, 292 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| San Diego | Rushing | Isaiah Smith | 6 carries, 33 yards |
| San Diego | Receiving | Cole Monach | 8 receptions, 122 yards |
| Drake | Passing | Luke Bailey | 29/49, 263 yards, 2 TD |
| Drake | Rushing | Blake Ellingson | 4 carries, 69 yards, TD |
| Drake | Receiving | Mitchell January | 9 receptions, 121 yards, TD |

### at Valparaiso

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Beacons | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Brown Field • Valparaiso, Indiana
* Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 PM CST
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,577
* Referee: John Shay
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Chuck Reed (play-by-play) and Craig Wederquist (analyst)
| Statistics | DRKE | VAL |
| First downs | 17 | 10 |
| Total yards | 390 | 80 |
| Rushing yards | 128 | –4 |
| Passing yards | 228 | 84 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19–29–1 | 11–22–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:42 | 28:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Drake | Passing | Luke Bailey | 17/26, 224 yards, INT |
| Drake | Rushing | Davion Cherwin | 10 carries, 72 yards, TD |
| Drake | Receiving | Sam Rodriguez | 3 receptions, 65 yards |
| Valparaiso | Passing | Caron Tyler | 11/21, 84 yards, INT |
| Valparaiso | Rushing | Ryan Mann | 12 carries, 25 yards |
| Valparaiso | Receiving | Gary Givens III | 2 receptions, 23 yards |

### Butler

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Butler | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 |
| Drake | 0 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
at Drake Stadium • Des Moines, Iowa
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: N at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
* Game attendance: 2,571
* Referee: Jason Perkins
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Admire (play-by-play)
| Statistics | BUT | DRKE |
| First downs | 28 | 19 |
| Total yards | 333 | 314 |
| Rushing yards | 119 | 99 |
| Passing yards | 214 | 215 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–38–2 | 18–28–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:21 | 30:39 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Butler | Passing | Andrew Reagan | 22/32, 174 yards, 2 INT |
| Butler | Rushing | Andrew Reagan | 18 carries, 81 yards, TD |
| Butler | Receiving | Ethan Loss | 8 receptions, 86 yards |
| Drake | Passing | Luke Bailey | 16/25, 213 yards, TD, INT |
| Drake | Rushing | Davion Cherwin | 7 carries, 55 yards, TD |
| Drake | Receiving | Taj Hughes | 7 receptions, 127 yards, TD |

### at Presbyterian

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Blue Hose | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Bailey Memorial Stadium • Clinton, South Carolina
* Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C) • Wind: NE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
* Game attendance: 2,515
* Referee: Brian Hilpisch
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | DRKE | PRES |
| First downs | 22 | 17 |
| Total yards | 435 | 346 |
| Rushing yards | 60 | 145 |
| Passing yards | 375 | 201 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–42–2 | 26–35–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:56 | 30:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Drake | Passing | Luke Bailey | 30/41, 375 yards, INT |
| Drake | Rushing | Taj Hughes | 3 carries, 34 yards, TD |
| Drake | Receiving | Trey Radocha | 9 receptions, 125 yards |
| Presbyterian | Passing | Collin Hurst | 26/35, 201 yards, TD |
| Presbyterian | Rushing | Zach Switzer | 7 carries, 87 yards |
| Presbyterian | Receiving | Cincere Gil | 8 receptions, 75 yards |

### Marist

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Red Foxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Iowa
* Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game attendance: 2,636
* Referee: Gregory Gompf
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Admire & Jeff Woody
| Statistics | MRST | DRKE |
| First downs | 16 | 16 |
| Total yards | 239 | 351 |
| Rushing yards | 84 | 135 |
| Passing yards | 155 | 216 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–38–1 | 20–37–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:31 | 27:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marist | Passing | Sonny Mannino | 19/33, 120 yards |
| Marist | Rushing | Tristain Shannon | 7 carries, 26 yards |
| Marist | Receiving | Tristain Shannon | 5 catches, 44 yards |
| Drake | Passing | Luke Bailey | 18/25, 206 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Drake | Rushing | Luke Woodson | 9 carries, 70 yards |
| Drake | Receiving | Taj Hughes | 5 catches, 79 yards |

### at St. Thomas (MN)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at O'Shaughnessy Stadium, St. Paul, Minnesota
* Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* TV: Midco Sports+
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Drake | Passing |
| Drake | Rushing |
| Drake | Receiving |
| St. Thomas (MN) | Passing |
| St. Thomas (MN) | Rushing |
| St. Thomas (MN) | Receiving |

### Morehead State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Iowa
* Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Morehead State | Passing |
| Morehead State | Rushing |
| Morehead State | Receiving |
| Drake | Passing |
| Drake | Rushing |
| Drake | Receiving |

### at Stetson

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hatters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Spec Martin Stadium, DeLand, Florida
* Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* TV: Midco Sports+
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Drake | Passing |
| Drake | Rushing |
| Drake | Receiving |
| Stetson | Passing |
| Stetson | Rushing |
| Stetson | Receiving |

### at. No. 14 Tarleton State (NCAA Division I playoff–first round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
| No. 14 Texans | 3 | 19 | 7 | 14 | 43 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Peter Sousa (play-by-play) and Dave Steckel (analyst)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Drake | Passing |
| Drake | Rushing |
| Drake | Receiving |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |