8 things to know about UND's Week 1 opponent Drake
Aug. 31—GRAND FORKS — The UND football program opens the 2023 season at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Alerus Center against Drake, a Des Moines, Iowa, program out of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League.
Here are eight things to know about Drake.
Drake defensive lineman Finn Claypool, a Des Moines native, received preseason all-Pioneer Football League honors after earning Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in the league in 2022.
He finished with 14.5 tackles for loss (ranking 20th in the FCS) and 8.0 sacks.
Claypool was named to the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award watch list, an award given annually to the national defensive player of the year in the FCS.
Over the past five years, Drake has played five FCS-ranked opponents in non-conference play with No. 1 North Dakota State in 2022, No. 11 Montana in 2021, No. 11 UND in 2021, No. 3 South Dakota State in 2019 and No. 14 Montana in 2018.
Drake even gave FBS Iowa State a scare in 2018 to end the regular season. The Cyclones trailed 24-20 deep in the third quarter.
A Brock Purdy touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds left in the third quarter proved to the game-winning points.
Iowa State won eight games that season and was ranked No. 24 in the FBS.
Drake quarterback Luke Bailey has played in the Alerus Center. He was thrust into the starting lineup when starting quarterback Ian Corwin was injured before UND's 38-0 win in 2021.
Bailey was 9-for-15 for 58 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions including a near pick-six when Jordan Canady picked off a pass and returned to UND's 1 but tripped on his own convoy.
In 2022, Bailey started the final three games of the year and went 3-0. He completed 55 passes for 637 yards and four touchdowns.
The graduate senior from Tulsa, Okla., was Drake's starting quarterback much of the last four years.
However, Corwin is now listed as a wide receiver, although he isn't listed on the Bulldogs' two-deep depth chart for the UND game.
In 2022, Corwin, who's 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, started eight games at quarterback. He completed 109 passes for 1,348 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran 76 times for 215 yards and a score.
UND played Drake at the Alerus Center in 2015 in Bubba Schweigert's second season back as head coach.
UND had just beaten Wyoming — still the program's lone FBS victory.
UND ran 36 times for 25 yards after running wild against Wyoming the week before.
New running back John Santiago fumbled twice and the team fumbled four times overall and lost three of those.
UND led 21-0 at halftime but gave up 15 fourth-quarter points to Drake.
Drake quarterback Andy Rice threw for 237 yards despite being sacked six times.
UND led 24-0 at halftime but the Fighting Hawks didn't win any style points against Drake.
UND played without star running back Otis Weah, who was suspended for the game. Backup quarterback Quincy Vaughn, new to a running role, fumbled twice, while Garett Maag also fumbled in the red zone.
Isaiah Smith and Luke Skokna both ran for more than 100 yards and Tommy Schuster threw two touchdown passes to pull away.
Reserve running back Austin Clemetson capped the win with a touchdown run.
Drake will travel to Panama in the spring of 2024 from May 20 to May 31 to study abroad and playing a game.
Part of the course involves experiencing cultural activities such as visiting the Panama Canal, touring Casco Viejo, going on excursions and taking salsa dancing lessons.
Drake will practice and hold a youth clinic before playing an all-star team from the Kiwanis League in Panama on May 24.
Drake's projected starting offensive line is completely made up of senior or fifth-year players.
Four of those players have at least two years of starting experience.
Starting right guard Ross Palmer is huge at 6-foot-6, 387 pounds. This will be Palmer's fourth year starting.
Palmer is one of three Drake starting offensive linemen weighing in at more than 300 pounds.
Last year, Drake's offense passed for 190 yards per game and rushed for 110 per game.
