A sense of stability has the Drake football team looking for improvement this season. Coach Chris Creighton returns for his second season at the helm after leading the Bulldogs to a 6-5 mark in 2008.
At that time he was the third different head coach in as many years. Creighton says they are now doing the same things once again and aren’t relearning a new staff all over again, and he says because of that they are having fun.
This will be a much more experienced squad as 16 players with starting experience return. One of the new faces will be at quarterback. Redshirt freshmen Michael Piatkowski and Peter Badovinac are battling for the job.
Creighton says Piatkowski throws a "beautiful" ball and is not a "rah rah" guy, but the team believes in him. He says Badovinac comes from a good high school background and does what you want him to do.
Eight starters are back from a defense that ranked second in the Pioneer Football League last season. Creighton says he’s not going in saying they are not going to be very good on offense and will try to hold on with the defense keep them in games. He says the defense is really good and they will do their best to get the offense to catch up.
The Bulldogs open at home against Grand View on September fifth.