Drake Bulldogs football

Drake Bulldogs football
First season	1893
Head coach	Chris Creighton
	4th year, 31–14  (.689)
Home stadium	Drake Stadium
Stadium capacity	14,557 (Record Home Attendance 28,311 vs. ISU, Nov. 8, 1949)
Stadium surface	Field Turf
Location	Des Moines, Iowa
League	NCAA Division I
Conference	Pioneer Football League
Past conferences	Independent (1893–1906; 1951–1955; 1986–1992) Missouri Valley (1907–1950; 1956–1985)
All-time record	573–485–29 (.540)
Postseason bowl record	FBS Bowl (2–3)–FCS Bowl (1–0)
Claimed national titles	1
Conference titles	13
Heisman winners	0
Consensus All-Americans	15
Colors	Blue and White
Website	GoDrakeBulldogs.com

The Drake Bulldogs football program represents Drake University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. Drake began competing in intercollegiate football in 1893.

History

Historic 1922 season

The team by many to be considered the greatest in Drake history is to date the only undefeated Bulldog team. Drake capped the historic season with a 48–6 triumph over Mississippi State on November 25, 1922. They received votes as the number one team in the College Football Researchers Association poll and were invited to the White House for their accomplishments. The Bulldogs were coached by legend Ossie Solem.^[1]

• See 1922 Drake Bulldogs football team

The "Babe" at the 1926 Drake football scrimmage

During the 1926 Homecoming activities, Babe Ruth visited and suited up for a Drake scrimmage. Head coach Ossie Solem extended the invitation stating "We finally inquired had he ever indulged in the 'dirt eating' pastime known as football. The answer was sort of a woeful 'No.' It was evident that the 'Big Bimbo' had missed something in his boyhood days, and when the invitation to work out with the Bulldogs was extended, it was accepted with glee." Ruth scored a 20 yard touchdown in the mock scrimmage.^[2]

1927 Drake vs. UCLA at the Rose Bowl Stadium

While it was not the official Rose Bowl Game, Drake was the first Iowa school to play in the Rose Bowl Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated UCLA 25–6 in front of a near capacity crown of 40,000 on November 28, 1927.^[3] At the time, UCLA played major games at the Rose Bowl Stadium. The Bruins did not officially move on a permanent basis to the Rose Bowl Stadium until 1982. The game was highlighted as one of the NCAA Football Thanksgiving Special Games that year.

The birth of night football

Drake was the first college football stadium to install lights. On October 6, 1928, the Bulldogs defeated Simpson College 41–6 in the first night game at Drake Stadium.^[3] Two years later, Drake played the first night game at Soldier Field, losing a close contest to the Oregon 14–7 on October 3, 1930. It was an event that was the first intersectional night games played in Chicago, Illinois. The Drake vs. Oregon game was followed by Loyola vs. Georgetown.^[4]

Aloha trip

Following the 1931 season head coach Ossie Solem schedule a game in Honolulu, Hawaii in which the bulldogs squared off against Hawaii. Solem frustrated by the lack of postseason rewards (the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1932, was the only NCAA Bowl Game following 1931 season), called the trip a reward for his team’s fourth straight Missouri Valley Conference championship.

In a close encounter at Honolulu Stadium on December 19, 1931, Hawaii defeated Drake 19–13 in a game dubbed the Aloha Classic. The game was the first by an Iowa school in the state of Hawaii. It was also the last game for Solem as Bulldog coach. He would leave the next season taking the head football coach vacancy at Iowa.^[3]

1938 double-header

On September 23, 1938, Drake became the first college football team to win two games in the same day. The Bulldogs would defeat Central 45–0 in the afternoon game, followed by a 47–0 win over Monmouth in the evening game.

Drake was the only team to be credited with two games in the same day until October 17, 2009, when Delaware State became the first team to lose two games in a day. The Hornets lost to North Carolina A&T by forfeit and to Michigan 63–6. Delaware State forfeited the game versus North Carolina A&T in order to accept a $500,000 payout to play Michigan.^[5]

Johnny Bright

Main article: Johnny Bright

In 1951, 'Johnny Bright was named a First Team College Football All-American, and was awarded the Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Sportsmanship Award. He was invited to the Heisman Trophy festivities and finished fifth in the voting.

In 1969, Bright was named Drake University's greatest football player of all time. Bright is the only Drake football player to have his jersey number (#43) retired by the school, and in June, 2006, received honorable mention from ESPN.com senior writer Ivan Maisel as one of the best college football players to ever wear #43.^[6] In February 2006, the football field at Drake Stadium, in Des Moines, Iowa, was named in his honor.^[7] In November 2006, Bright was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#19) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.^[8]

Johnny Bright incident

Main article: Johnny Bright Incident

The Johnny Bright Incident was a violent on-field assault against African-American player Johnny Bright by White American player Wilbanks Smith during an American college football game held on October 20, 1951 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The game was significant in itself as it marked the first time that an African American athlete with a national profile and of critical importance to the success of his Drake University team had played against Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) on their home field. Bright's injury also highlighted the racial tensions of the times and assumed notoriety when it was captured in what was later to become both a widely disseminated and eventually Pulitzer Prize winning photo sequence. The event later came to be known as the "Johnny Bright Incident".

Near perfect 1981 season

Main article: 1981 Drake Bulldogs football team

The most successful Drake team in the modern era of college football was the 1981 Bulldogs. Drake finished the season with 10 wins and nearly had an undefeated season. The Bulldogs would fall 59–6 to Tulsa ending their chance at a perfect season. With a 7–4–0 record, Tulsa would clinch the lone Missouri Valley Conference postseason berth due the head-to-head tie-breaker. Both teams finished conference play 7–1–0. The Missouri Valley Conference had tentatively reached an agreement with the Western Athletic Conference in 1981 where the runners-up would play in the Aloha Bowl; however, the Aloha Bowl’s certification by the NCAA Championship Committee was delayed until 1982. The 1981 Aloha Bowl would have featured Drake (10–1) against Hawaii (9–2).^{[citation needed]}

Rob Ash era – the rebirth of Drake football

Following the historic 1981 season, the Bulldogs suffered five straight non-winning seasons. In 1986, the school chose not to award athletic scholarships ("grants-in-aid") to football players. It was unclear if Drake football would survive until Des Moines, Iowa native Rob Ash was introduced as coach in 1989.

Ash rejuvenated the program during his eighteen seasons at Drake and played a crucial role in the founding of the Pioneer Football League, a football-only league, run out of the Missouri Valley Conference offices in Saint Louis, Missouri. In the process, he became Drake's all-time winningest coach with a record of 125–63–2; leading the Bulldogs to four conference titles and five runners-up finishes in the Sports Network Cup. As a result, Ash was named the conference coach of the year three times (1995, 1998, and 2004).^[9]

After the 2006 season, Ash accepted the head football coach position at Montana State. In his final Drake season, he led the team to a runner-up finish in both the Pioneer Football League and the Sports Network Cup. Ironically, San Diego defeated Drake in both, marking the first time two Pioneer Football League teams finished first and second in the Sports Network Cup.^[10]

2007–present

The Bulldogs were coached by long-time NFL assistant Steve Loney in 2007. The team finished 6–5, with a highlight 27–24 victory over #7 Illinois State on August 30. Loney would resign at the end of the season to accept a position as offensive line coach with the Saint Louis Rams.^[11]

On December 22, 2007, the Bulldogs hired Chris Creighton as head coach.^[12] Creighton finished 6–5 in 2008, his first season at Drake. In 2009, the Bulldogs were leading the conference with two games remaining before falling to rivals Dayton 23–6 and Butler 20–17. With one second left in the final regular season game, Butler secured the victory with a field goal, knocking Drake out of first place for he first time during the 2009 campaign. The Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 8–3 (tied for third in the Pioneer Football League), eliminating them from a post-season birth.

On September 1, 2010, Drake announced it would forgo its normal postseason tie-ins in order to participate in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, the first American Football game in Africa. The Bulldogs solidified their spot in the game, securing a winning season with their sixth win on October 30, 2010 (a 38–17 defeat of San Diego). ^[13]

• See 2011 Kilimanjaro Bowl

Drake continued their success during the 2011 season after the victory in the Kilimanjaro Bowl. The Bulldogs shared the Pioneer Football League title. Coach Creighton and his team were honored with the NCAS Giant Steps Award for their charity work in Africa. They were also featured in a documentary by CBS Sports for their work in Africa.

Notable Drake teams

Drake was the first university in the state of Iowa to participate in a college football bowl game. In addition, they were the first Iowa school to accept a January 1 bowl invitation. During their Missouri Valley Conference era, Drake competed in five bowl games (three January 1), winning two. In 1981, they were slated to participate in a sixth (the Aloha Bowl); however, the game failed to reach NCAA certification until 1982. Since joining the Pioneer Football League in 1993, the Bulldogs have finished second in the Sports Network Cup (a yearly series between mid-major programs prior to the founding of the Gridiron Classic) which concluded by coaches votes on the first week of December. In 2010, Drake announced it would forgo its normal postseason tie-ins in order to participate in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, the first American Football game in Africa. Drake has yet to compete in the Gridiron Classic which became an annual postseason game between the Northeast Conference and the Pioneer Football League following the 2006 season. ^[1]

In addition, the Bulldogs have won or shared thirteen conference championships throughout their history. The first was in 1922 and the last was 2011. They have won a total of eight Missouri Valley Conference Championships and five Pioneer Football League Championships. Only four Bulldog team's (1981, 2004, 2006 & 2011) have won nine or more games in a season, while the 1922 team is the lone undefeated Drake team. ^[14]

Season	Overall Record	Conference Record	Conference Honor	Other Honor	Coach
1922	7–0–0	5–0–0	Missouri Valley Conference Co-Champions	Received Votes as Nation's Top Team	Ossie Solem
1928	7–1–0	5–0–0	Missouri Valley Conference Champions	None	Ossie Solem
1929	5–3–1	5–0–0	Missouri Valley Conference Champions	None	Ossie Solem
1930	5–4–0	5–0–0	Missouri Valley Conference Co-Champions	None	Ossie Solem
1931	6–5–0	5–0–0	Missouri Valley Conference Champions	None	Ossie Solem
1945	5–4–1	5–1–1	Missouri Valley Conference Runners-Up	1946 Raisin Bowl	Vee Green
1948	7–3–0	6–1–0	Missouri Valley Conference Runners-Up	1949 Salad Bowl	Albert Kawal
1957	7–2–0	7–1–0	Missouri Valley Conference Runners-Up	1958 Sun Bowl	Warren Gaer
1969	7–2–2	7–0–0	Missouri Valley Conference Co-Champions	1969 Pecan Bowl	Jack Wallace
1972	7–5–0	7–1–0	Missouri Valley Conference Co-Champions	1972 Pioneer Bowl	Jack Wallace
1981	10–1–0	7–1–0	Missouri Valley Conference Co-Champions	1981 Aloha Bowl	Chuck Shelton
1995	8–1–1	5–0–0	Pioneer Football League Champions	1995 Sports Network Cup	Rob Ash
1998	7–3–0	4–0–0	Pioneer Football League Champions	1998 Sports Network Cup	Rob Ash
2000	7–4–0	3–1–0	Pioneer Football League Co-Champions	2000 Sports Network Cup	Rob Ash
2004	10–2–0	4–0–0	Pioneer Football League Champions	2004 Sports Network Cup	Rob Ash
2006	9–2–0	6–1–0	Pioneer Football League Runners-up	2006 Sports Network Cup	Rob Ash
2010	8–4–0	6–2–0	Pioneer Football League Third	2011 Kilimanjaro Bowl	Chris Creighton
2011	9–2–0	7–1–0	Pioneer Football League Co-Champions	None	Chris Creighton
Total:	118 Years	573–485–29 (.540) Record	1087 Games	4 Seasons 9+ Wins	13 Conference Championships

• Note: Conference records for 1995, 1998, 2000 & 2004 reflect division records.

Drake vs. opponents

Rivals

The traditional rivals of Drake are Bradley University, Creighton University, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. In football, the Bulldogs are also rivals with Butler University, the University of Dayton, and the University of San Diego.^[1]

Rival	Drake Record	Name
Bradley	15–2–0	Game Between Ole Friends
Butler	14–6–1	Battle of Bulldogs
Creighton	8–8–2	I-80 Rivalry
Dayton	5–23–0	Battle of Pioneer Founders
Iowa	3–12–0	Big Four
Iowa State	17–48–4	Big Four
Northern Iowa	25–20–1	Big Four, DU-UNI Rivalry
San Diego	10–9–0	Bulls-Dogs Rivalry
Total	104–129–8	8 Rivals

• Big Four Series Champions (22): 1898, 1901, 1908, 1909, 1922, 1923, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1957, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1981, 1986

Drake vs. BCS conference teams

Drake has played several teams currently in BCS Conferences. Below are Drake's record vs. teams who reside in BCS Conferences.^[1]

Team	Conference	Drake Record
Arizona	Pacific-12 Conference	1–1–0
Boston College	Atlantic Coast Conference	0–1–0
UCLA	Pacific-12 Conference	1–0–0
Cincinnati	Big East Conference	0–1–0
Colorado	Pacific-12 Conference	2–2–0
Florida	Southeastern Conference	0–1–0
Illinois	Big Ten Conference	0–4–0
Iowa	Big Ten Conference	3–12–0
Iowa State	Big Twelve Conference	17–48–4
Kansas	Big Twelve Conference	6–10–1
Kansas State	Big Twelve Conference	3–2–0
Louisville	Big East Conference	5–10–1
Marquette	Big East Conference	1–3–0
Miami	Atlantic Coast Conference	2–1–0
Michigan	Big Ten Conference	0–3–0
Minnesota	Big Ten Conference	0–1–0
Mississippi	Southeastern Conference	1–0–0
Mississippi State	Southeastern Conference	1–0–0
Missouri	Big Twelve Conference	4–14–0
Nebraska	Big Ten Conference	2–6–0
Northwestern	Big Ten Conference	2–3–0
Notre Dame	Independent	0–8–0
Ohio State	Big Ten Conference	0–1–0
Oklahoma	Big Twelve Conference	2–3–0
Oklahoma State	Big Twelve Conference	2–7–1
Oregon	Pacific-12 Conference	0–1–0
Pittsburgh	Big East Conference	0–1–0
South Florida	Big East Conference	1–0–0
Utah	Pacific-12 Conference	1–1–0
Washington	Pacific-12 Conference	4–0–0
Wisconsin	Big Ten Conference	0–1–0
Total	31 Teams – 6 Conferences	61–147–7

Drake vs. Notre Dame series

Drake and Notre Dame have played eight times in football with the Fighting Irish owing an 8–0–0 record versus the Bulldogs. The series began as a home and away series from 1926 to 1931. After Notre Dame defeated Drake 63–0 in 1931, the 1932 game was moved to a neutral site at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois; however it did not have an effect on the game as it ended in a 62–0 Notre Dame victory. The teams would try to renew the series in 1937, playing one game before it was officially canceled as an annual event. The Fighting Irish were coached by legend Knute Rockne during the games from 1926–1930 and Notre Dame won national titles in 1927, 1929, and 1930.^[14]

Date	Record	Score	Result
November 20, 1926	0–1–0	0–21	Loss
November 19, 1927	0–2–0	0–32	Loss
November 27, 1928	0–3–0	6–32	Loss
November 9, 1929	0–4–0	7–19	Loss
November 15, 1930	0–5–0	7–28	Loss
October 17, 1931	0–6–0	0–63	Loss
October 15, 1932	0–7–0	0–62	Loss
October 2, 1937	0–8–0	0–21	Loss
Total	0–8–0	20–278	8 Games

Record versus conference teams

Below are the records of the Bulldogs versus current members of the Missouri Valley Conference including the affiliate members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Pioneer Football League.^[1]

Team	Drake Record
Bradley	15–2–0
Butler	14–6–1
Campbell	4–0–0
Creighton	8–8–2
Davidson	5–1–0
Dayton	5–23–0
Evansville	10–0–0
Illinois State	6–5–0
Indiana State	2–8–0
Jacksonville	9–2–0
Marist	3–0–0
Minnesota State	3–0–0
Missouri State	1–8–0
Morehead State	5–2–0
North Dakota State	2–0–0
Northern Iowa	25–20–1
San Diego	10–9–0
South Dakota State	8–2–0
Southern Illinois	13–11–0
Valparaiso	16–3–0
Western Illinois	5–6–0
Wichita State	10–25–0
Youngstown State	1–2–0
Total	179–143–4

Drake vs. top ranked teams

Drake has played teams ranked number one in at least one poll during the season on nineteen occasions. The Bulldogs are 8–11–0 overall; however, only three of the nineteen games were played after 1940. Since 1940, Drake holds a 2–1–0 record.^[1]

Date	Opponent	Score	Result
November 12, 1898	#1 Nebraska	6–5	Win
October 28, 1905	#1 Michigan	0–48	Loss
November 13, 1909	#1 Missouri	6–22	Loss
October 2, 1915	#1 Nebraska	13–48	Loss
November 25, 1920	#1 Oklahoma	7–44	Loss
October 21, 1921	#1 Washington	31–7	Win
October 14, 1922	#1 Kansas	6–0	Win
October 21, 1922	#1 Washington	31–7	Win
October 25, 1924	#1 Oklahoma	28–0	Win
October 3, 1925	#1 Washington	5–0	Win
November 20, 1926	#1 Notre Dame	0–21	Loss
November 19, 1927	#1 Notre Dame	0–32	Loss
November 9, 1929	#1 Notre Dame	7–19	Loss
November 13, 1930	#1 Notre Dame	7–28	Loss
October 12, 1935	#1 Ohio State	7–85	Loss
October 2, 1937	#1 Notre Dame	0–21	Loss
November 7, 1959	#1 Washington	7–0	Win
September 22, 1979	#1 Colorado	13–9	Win
September 14, 1985	#1 Iowa	0–58	Loss
Total	19 Games	174–447	8–11–0

NCAA Classic games

Kickoff Classic games

The Bulldogs have played three Kickoff Classic games, compiling a 1–2 record. In 2006, Drake was awarded the Scheels Kickoff Classic in tribute to the re-opening of the newly renovated Drake Stadium.

Season	Game	Site	Opponent	Score	Result
1930	Intersectional Night Games	Soldier Field	Oregon	7–14	Loss
1981	Heritage Kickoff Classic	UNI-Dome	Northern Iowa	39–30	Win
2006	Scheels Kickoff Classic	Drake Stadium	Northern Iowa	7–48	Loss
Total	3 Games	3 Seasons	3 Opponents	53–92	1–2–0

Thanksgiving Classic games

The Bulldogs have played six Thanksgiving Classic games, which were a regular tradition in college football throughout the 1920's and 1930's. The games played on Thanksgiving weekend were normally the final regular season game for each participating school.

Season	Game	Site	Opponent	Score	Result
1922	NCAA Football Thanksgiving Classic	Scott Field	Mississippi State	48–6	Win
1924	NCAA Football Thanksgiving Classic	Fleming Field	Florida	0–10	Loss
1925	NCAA Football Thanksgiving Classic	Ownby Stadium	Southern Methodist	8–21	Loss
1927	NCAA Football Thanksgiving Classic	Rose Bowl	UCLA	25–6	Win
1929	NCAA Football Thanksgiving Classic	Temple Stadium	Temple	14–16	Loss
1930	NCAA Football Thanksgiving Classic	Temple Stadium	Temple	49–20	Win
Total	6 Games	6 Seasons	6 Opponents	144–79	3–3–0

Yearly records

• See List of Drake Bulldogs football seasons

Individual awards

• See List of Drake Bulldogs football awards

Bulldogs in pros

• See List of Drake Bulldogs to play football professionally

Retired numbers

Retired numbers
Number	Player	Year
#43	Johnny Bright	2006

National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Famers

Hall of Famers
Number	Player	Year
#43	Johnny Bright	1984

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Drake Bulldogs Football". www.drakebulldogs.org. 2008-01-01. http://www.drakebulldogs.org. Retrieved 2008-01-01. 
2. ^ Brock, Ted (1990-21-09). "The Day Babe Ruth Played Some Football". latimes.com. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-21/sports/sp-523_1_day-babe-ruth. Retrieved 1990-21-09. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "The Drake Experience". www.drake.edu. 2009-02-15. http://issuu.com/drakebulldogs/docs/09fb_drakeexperences2-15. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
4. ^ "The Milwaukee Journal – Drake vs. Oregon Tonight". www.jsonline.com. 1930-03-10. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19301003&id=L7EWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tCEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6651,4933056. Retrieved 1998-03-08. 
5. ^ "No Good Comes From This Game". www.espn.com. 2009-05-26. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=4199819&sportCat=ncf. Retrieved 2009-05-26. 
6. ^ "Johnny Bright's Football Jersey Number Recognized". DrakeBulldogs.org. 2006-06-30. Archived from the original on 2006-07-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20060711061727/http://www.drakebulldogs.org/football/newsstory.php?nid=1151679923. Retrieved 2006-07-08. 
7. ^ "KCCI-TV8 Des Moines, Iowa – Drake Names Football Field After Johnny Bright: OSU Apologizes For Player's Actions". KCCI.com. 2006-02-23. http://www.kcci.com/sports/7374962/detail.html?rss=des&psp=sports. Retrieved 2006-08-12. 
8. ^ "TSN Top 50 CFL Players". TSN.ca. 2006-11-28. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?fid=10866. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
9. ^ "Rob Ash Blog – About Coach Ash". www.robashfootball.com/w. 2008. http://www.robashfootball.com/about-coach-ash.cfm. Retrieved 2008. 
10. ^ "Two former athletes allegedly murder a drug dealer. An ex-football player is charged with heading a cocaine ring. Montana State is coping with a crime wave". CNN. August 7, 2007. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/george_dohrmann/08/07/trouble.in.paradise0813/. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 
11. ^ "Steve Loney Coach's Bio". godrakebulldogs.com. http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15700&ATCLID=925810. Retrieved 2008-06-04. 
12. ^ "Drake hires Wabash coach Creighton as football coach". www.sportingnews.com. http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2007-12-20/wabash-drake-hires-wabash-coach-creighton-football-coach. Retrieved 2007-12-20. 
13. ^ "Drake To Play First American Football Game In Africa". GoDrakeBulldogs.com. 2010-09-01. http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=71156&SPID=8123&DB_OEM_ID=15700&ATCLID=204986351. Retrieved 2010-09-01. 
14. ^ ^{a b} |accessdate=2009-01-01 |title=Drake Bulldog Football Official Site |publisher=www.drakebulldogs.org|date=2009-01-01

External links

• Official site