Family Weekend win propels Drake football to a 2-0 conference record

Family Weekend win propels Drake football to a 2-0 conference record Categories: Mens Sports Sports Family Weekend win propels Drake football to a 2-0 conference record Serena Thiede, Staff Writer • Oct 9, 2026 Drake football picked up their second win of the season in Drake Stadium against the University of Dayton. Sarah Fey Just two weeks into conference play, the Drake University men’s football team has managed to flip the switch after three tough non-conference opponents. On Oct. 3, the Drake  football team hosted the University of Dayton during Family Weekend for a 30-22 conference win, advancing the Bulldogs  2-0 in the Pioneer Football League.  “It feels pretty sweet [to win] in front of the home crowd,” Drake head coach Matt Walker said. “We talked all bye week about using our pain and turning it into our power. You’re really seeing that development now. Dayton has a good football team, good quarterback and skilled players, and we knew it would be a battle.” Going into this game, the Bulldogs sat 1-3 with a rough start to the season both at home and on the road before taking a conference win against Davidson College. “I believe the biggest strength has been the way we were able to bounce back from some adversity,” graduate quarterback Riley Warzynski said in an email interview. “Starting the season 0-3 in non-conference play was frustrating as a team, but we knew we were close to putting it together. So, the fact we have faced adversity this early in the season will help us throughout the rest of the year.”  The Bulldogs took control of the field early on with a 16-7 lead in the first half. Drake’s scores came after an 83-yard drive and a 99-yard play sequence, along with a 34-yard field goal with four minutes before halftime. The Bulldogs gave up an interception and seven points, but came back in the second half with full dominance. During the second half, both Dayton and Drake scored two touchdowns apiece. By the end of the game, Warzynski had three touchdowns and 347 passing yards just a week after winning the PFL Offensive Player of the Week. “The home win on Parents Weekend felt great,” Warzynski said. “That was a good team we played and to come out of that game with a win was awesome for the team.” The team will take on Valparaiso University in Indiana on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. CST as the Bulldogs search for their third win.  “The energy is going to keep remaining high,” Warzynski said. “If we hold our standard and take each week one game at a time it will be important to our success going forward.” View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Donate to The Times-Delphic Your donation will support the student journalists of Drake University and help us maintain our website. Donate More to Discover More in Mens Sports Men’s club hockey prepares for season opener Drake football shut out in second half, falls to UNI 56-14 Drake football falls to Hardrockers in home opener Drake football kicks off season under new head coach Drake Club Baseball goes 1-1 with DePaul in Chicago Drake University men’s basketball team advances in Arch Madness More in Sports Drake’s greatest athlete continues to break new ground New coaches bring new beginning for Drake rowing Chicago Sky defeat Toronto Tempo on Fan Appreciation Night Cheer captains step into coach role over the summer Drake volleyball opens MVC play with grit against UNI Drake volleyball’s Bliss Beck earns all-tournament honors About the Contributor Serena Thiede, Staff Writer Serena is in her last semester at Drake and is majoring in Multimedia Journalism before starting her masters in International Communication in January at Michigan State University. She was the sports editor for the Times-Delphic for two years and has worked for the NFL, NBA, WNBA, LPGA and NBC in her work outside of Drake. When she is not writing, she is attending sporting events, watching movies, working out or listening to music.