Davidson College
1-6 , 0-3
Drake
3-3 , 2-1
Davidson Falls at Drake
10/11/2014 5:46:00 PM | Football
DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake used a strong offensive attack and solid defense to defeat Davidson, 51-14, in Pioneer Football League action Saturday afternoon in Drake Stadium.
Drake (3-3, 2-1 PFL) was not forced to punt until the fourth quarter and built a 30-0 lead in the first half, totaling 320 yards of offense before the halftime break while holding Davidson (1-6, 0-3 PFL) to just 34. The Bulldogs finished with 606 yards, with 343 coming on the ground.
Conley Wilkins led the Drake ground attack with 110 yards and three touchdowns, while Matthew Denning totaled 125 yards receiving with two touchdowns on four catches. Quarterback Andy Rice totaled 216 yards passing and threw three touchdown passes, completing 11-of-15 attempts.
The Wildcats were without three key starters on offense - quarterback J.P. Douglas, running back David Rogers and wide receiver Tyler Hickey - while continuing miss multiple starters on defense. Jeffrey Keil led the 'Cats with a pair of touchdowns – one rushing and one receiving - while Trey Huelskamp hauled in six catches for 46 yards. William Morris totaled 58 yards on three catches.
Defensively, Ricky Tkac and Matt Casey led Davidson with 11 tackles each.
Wilkins scored the first touchdown of the game from 18-yards out, and Rice connected with Denning on a 29-yard pass for a 14-0 first quarter lead. Wilkins then scored from 4 yards out to cap an 18-play, 96-yard drive early in the second quarter. A 10-yard touchdown reception by Gallery made it 27-0, and Ben Tesson kicked a 25-yard field goal with 2:24 remaining in the half for a 30-0 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs were also very strong on third down, converting their first eight and ultimately converting 11 of 15.
Denning caught a 27-yard pass for a touchdown to open the second half, but a 60-yard return by Austin Wells gave Davidson great field position at Drake's 34, and Jeffrey Keil pulled in a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to put the 'Cats on the board.
Drake added two more touchdowns before Keil found the end zone again in the fourth quarter on a five-yard touchdown run.
Davidson continues on the road next week, taking on Campbell in nearby Buies Creek, N.C., Saturday at 4 p.m.
Notes: Davidson went 3-for-3 on fourth down, improving to 8-for-8 in the past two games … game captains for Davidson were Trevor Smith, Alex Behrend, Caleb Krause and Nelson White … Randy Parker '72 was the honorary captain.
Team Stats
DAV 0, DU 7
DU - Wilkins, Conley 18 yd run (Tesson, Ben kick), 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:34
DAV 0, DU 14
DU - Denning, M. 29 yd pass from Rice, Andy (Tesson, Ben kick) 9 plays, 57 yards, TOP 3:36
DAV 0, DU 21
DU - Wilkins, Conley 4 yd run (Tesson, Ben kick), 18 plays, 96 yards, TOP 7:50
DAV 0, DU 27
DU - Gallery, Keegan 10 yd pass from Rice, Andy (Tesson, Ben kickfailed) 4 plays, 59 yards, TOP 1:22
DAV 0, DU 30
DU - Tesson, Ben 25 yd field goal 11 plays, 48 yards, TOP 5:17
DAV 0, DU 37
DU - Denning, M. 27 yd pass from Rice, Andy (Tesson, Ben kick) 5 plays, 87 yards, TOP 2:28
DAV 7, DU 37
DAV - Jeffrey Keil 4 yd pass from John Cook (Trevor Smith kick) 5 plays, 34 yards, TOP 1:49
DAV 7, DU 44
DU - James, T.J. 3 yd run (Lee, Spencer kick), 9 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:04
DAV 7, DU 51
DU - Wilkins, Conley 33 yd run (Tesson, Ben kick), 8 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:21
DAV 14, DU 51
DAV - Jeffrey Keil 5 yd run (Trevor Smith kick), 11 plays, 56 yards, TOP 2:47
