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09-23-2012, 01:57 PM
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Drake used a 21-0 run over a 10-minute stretch of the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon at Drake Stadium and hung on for a 28-25 win over Morehead State in the Pioneer Football League opener for both schools.
The Bulldogs improve to 2-2 overall, while the Eagles slip to 1-3. The win was Drakeâs third straight in the series and its fourth in four tries between the schools at Drake Stadium.
âThis game had a championship flavor and feel from start to finish,â MSU Head Coach Matt Ballard said. âBoth teams played very hard today. We did some good things in all three phases of the game, but you have to give Drake credit. They made a few more plays in the end.â
It was a record-setting day for both quarterbacks. Senior Mike Piatkowski moved his passing yards total to 8,106 at DU, while senior Zach Lewis collected his 56th touchdown toss at MSU. Piatkowski finished 29-of-41 for 268 yards, while Lewis wrapped up 21-of-28 for 172.
Morehead State built a 17-7 lead with a first-quarter touchdown and 10 more points in the third period, but Drake responded with 21 of the gameâs final 28 points.
Lewis found senior wide receiver Donte Sawyer from 26 yards out on MSUâs first possession. Senior kicker Rainer Duzan added a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter, while sophomore slot receiver Brandon Bornhauser contributed a 27-yard TD out of the wildcat formation.
Piatkowski fired two 16-yard touchdown passes in the final period -- one to sophomore wide receiver J.T. Teague and the other to senior wide receiver Nick Rosa -- while junior running back Gary Scott added a 14-yard sprint to the end zone.
Morehead State sophomore running back Rees Macshara, who finished with a career-best 132 rushing yards on 20 attempts, added a four-yard touchdown with 1:52 remaining.
The Eagles stopped the Bulldogs with less than a minute remaining, but Lewis threw an interception in a 2nd-and-3 situation from the MSU 44-yard line with 36 ticks left.
MSU collected a season-best 236 rushing yards en route to 408 overall, but was penalized a season-high 12 times for 118 yards. The Eagles also had a season-best 29:10 in time of possession.
âI was pleased with our running game today,â Ballard said. âRees performed very well and you have to give a lot of credit to our offensive linemen. They blocked well and contributed to that total.â
Sawyer, who tallied seven catches for 80 yards, was MSUâs top receiver. Sophomore Dillion Blackburn, who entered the affair second in the PFL with 11.3 tackles per game, finished with a team-high 13 stops. Senior Kameron Scott also reached double-figures for the Eagles with 10.
Scott led the Drake rushing attack with 119 yards on 28 carries, while senior flanker Joey Orlando tallied 73 yards on eight receptions. The Bulldogs wrapped up the day 9-for-17 on third down.
Morehead State will enjoy its only bye week of the season next Saturday. The Eagles return to Jayne Stadium on Oct. 6 when they host Jacksonville at 1 p.m. ET.
MSUAthletics.com
The Bulldogs improve to 2-2 overall, while the Eagles slip to 1-3. The win was Drakeâs third straight in the series and its fourth in four tries between the schools at Drake Stadium.
âThis game had a championship flavor and feel from start to finish,â MSU Head Coach Matt Ballard said. âBoth teams played very hard today. We did some good things in all three phases of the game, but you have to give Drake credit. They made a few more plays in the end.â
It was a record-setting day for both quarterbacks. Senior Mike Piatkowski moved his passing yards total to 8,106 at DU, while senior Zach Lewis collected his 56th touchdown toss at MSU. Piatkowski finished 29-of-41 for 268 yards, while Lewis wrapped up 21-of-28 for 172.
Morehead State built a 17-7 lead with a first-quarter touchdown and 10 more points in the third period, but Drake responded with 21 of the gameâs final 28 points.
Lewis found senior wide receiver Donte Sawyer from 26 yards out on MSUâs first possession. Senior kicker Rainer Duzan added a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter, while sophomore slot receiver Brandon Bornhauser contributed a 27-yard TD out of the wildcat formation.
Piatkowski fired two 16-yard touchdown passes in the final period -- one to sophomore wide receiver J.T. Teague and the other to senior wide receiver Nick Rosa -- while junior running back Gary Scott added a 14-yard sprint to the end zone.
Morehead State sophomore running back Rees Macshara, who finished with a career-best 132 rushing yards on 20 attempts, added a four-yard touchdown with 1:52 remaining.
The Eagles stopped the Bulldogs with less than a minute remaining, but Lewis threw an interception in a 2nd-and-3 situation from the MSU 44-yard line with 36 ticks left.
MSU collected a season-best 236 rushing yards en route to 408 overall, but was penalized a season-high 12 times for 118 yards. The Eagles also had a season-best 29:10 in time of possession.
âI was pleased with our running game today,â Ballard said. âRees performed very well and you have to give a lot of credit to our offensive linemen. They blocked well and contributed to that total.â
Sawyer, who tallied seven catches for 80 yards, was MSUâs top receiver. Sophomore Dillion Blackburn, who entered the affair second in the PFL with 11.3 tackles per game, finished with a team-high 13 stops. Senior Kameron Scott also reached double-figures for the Eagles with 10.
Scott led the Drake rushing attack with 119 yards on 28 carries, while senior flanker Joey Orlando tallied 73 yards on eight receptions. The Bulldogs wrapped up the day 9-for-17 on third down.
Morehead State will enjoy its only bye week of the season next Saturday. The Eagles return to Jayne Stadium on Oct. 6 when they host Jacksonville at 1 p.m. ET.
MSUAthletics.com
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