The Drake Bulldogs open the football season Thursday night with a visit to Illinois State. It will be the first game for interim coach Steve Loney who says the key will be limiting mistakes and playing sound on both sides of the ball. Loney says to have a chance, they have to beat them with fundamentals, and won’t be able to trick them with a win.
Loney says that will be a key for the entire season, as he is not a schemer. Loney says coaches who plan schemes can have a great game, but they can also "get it shoved in their ear." So he says you won’t see something new each week.
At quarterback, Derek Retherford and Cole Ingle both spent part of the 2006 season as the starter. Loney says they hope to have a clear leader at that spot by the time the Pioneer League race begins. He says they’ll use the first four games to be sure they’re hitting on all four cylinders once they get to Pioneer League play. The Bulldogs have a number of starters back from last year’s team that finished with a 9-2 record.