Drake University NCAA News

This season: Picked for eighth in the preseason poll. Strengths: It starts with Josh Young, the team's only returning double-figure scorer, who has been an all-Missouri Valley Conference selection for two seasons.

With a young roster, there are bound to be growing pains. While breaking in 10 new players, the Drake men's basketball team took a 74-58 exhibition win over Division II Upper Iowa on Saturday night at the Knapp Center.

Mike Piatkowski passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns as Drake defeated Campbell 49-6 Saturday.

Forget the record. As far as Drake's Steve Platek is concerned, Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Campbell is a playoff game.

Yes, the Mounties lost several key starters from that 24-6 team, including Aaron Hawley, who is now playing at Division I Drake University.

Juice Williams broke loose against Michigan again and Illinois stopped the Wolverines on four plays from the 1 before running all over the Wolverines for a 38-13 win Saturday.

Drake 45, Jacksonville 38. DES MOINES, Iowa Peter Badovinac and Stephen Platek each ran for fourth-quarter touchdowns Saturday to pull Drake to a 45-38 win over Jacksonville.

POINT GUARD JOSH YOUNG has been named to the Missouri Valley Conference preseason All-Conference team for the second-straight season.

QUARTERBACK MIKE PIATOWSKI scans the field for an open receiver as he eludes several Valporaiso defenders during the Bulldogsa 34-14 win over the Crusaders Oct.

RUNNING BACK TOM KOSTEK puts the moves on a Valparaiso defender during the Bulldogs' 34-14 win over the Crusaders.

QUARTERBACK MIKE PIATKOWSKI looks to pass the ball downfield in the Bulldogsa 34-14 victory over Valparaiso, Oct.

Stephen Platek rushed for two touchdowns and Michael Lahart ran 58 yards to return a blocked field goal for a score as Drake rallied to defeat Davidson 21-16 on Saturday.Platek had scoring runs of 9 yards in the first quarter and 63 yards with 7:58 left in the third for Drake .

No matter where Drake defensive end Dain Taylor plays, he has fans. Drake continues its coast-to-coast football travels Saturday with a noon game at Davidson in North Carolina.

Old-fashioned doesn't necessarily mean ineffective. The Brady Bulldogs used Friday's Big Country Game of the Week to drive that point home, using their prehistoric wing-T to pound out 321 rushing yards in a 44-30 win at Comanche.

Volunteerism is a popular trend on college campuses across the country, and the Drake University football team is no exception to this trend.

USD red-shirt freshmen Sam Scudellari and Kyle Warren made it seem easy by combining for two long touchdown passes against Drake yesterday, scoring on the Toreros' first possession of each half.

Drake can record a fourth straight winning season, something it hasn't achieved since 1968-71. --Senior guard enters the season third on Drake 's career list for three-pointers and tied for seventh in scoring .

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Junior guard Ryan Wedel is a good three-point shooter who can take pressure off senior if he adjusts to the physical MVC brand of ball quickly.

Drake basketball coach Mark Phelps knows exactly what he's getting from freshman Ben Simons.

WIDE RECEIVER JOEY ORLANDO heads downfield with the ball against Missouri S&T during the Bulldogsa 19-0 homecoming victory over the Miners on Saturday.