Every conference has its marquee matchup and for the Pioneer Football League that is Drake versus Dayton. In the first 12 years of the P-F-L one of these teams has claimed the title in all but one of the seasons and they will meet for Drake’s homecoming in a key North Division matchup.
Bulldog coach Rob Ash says there’s a different feeling this week and he says that’s been true in the 17 years he’s been at Drake. He says the game has decided the P-F-L championship in 11 of the past 12 years. After losing to U-N-I and Illinois State to open the season the Bulldogs have been on a roll and last week piled up 58 points on the road against Davidson out of the P-F-L South.
Drake is one of three teams that appear to be much better than the rest of the league, the problem is the other two are in their division. Ash says this could be a year where three different teams have the best team they’ve had in years, and he says it’s going to be a “Battle of the Titans.” The Dayton defense is opportunistic and Ash says it is important to know what you cannot do against the Flyers. He says you can’t let their defense change the course of the game. Drake won last year’s matchup 13-6 in Dayton with a goal line stand on the final play of the game.