2020 Drake Bulldogs football team

The 2020 Drake Bulldogs football team represented Drake University as a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The season was suspended in the fall of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and played in the spring of 2021. Led by second-year head coach Todd Stepsis, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 2–3 with an identical mark in conference play, placing fifth in the PFL. The team played its home games at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

2020 Drake Bulldogs football
ConferencePioneer Football League
Record2–3 (2–3 PFL)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorKirk Wherritt (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorAllen Smith (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorWillie Cashmore (2nd season)
Home stadiumDrake Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2019
2021 →
2020 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Davidson $^   4 1     4 2  
Valparaiso   4 2     4 2  
San Diego   4 2     4 2  
Morehead State   4 2     4 3  
Drake   2 3     2 3  
Stetson   0 4     0 4  
Butler   0 6     0 6  
Presbyterian   0 0     4 3  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Notes: Due to COVID-19, the Pioneer Football League suspended the fall 2020 football season.
    Dayton and Marist opted out of the spring season.
    Presbyterian played a full PFL schedule, but was ineligible for the conference title, and its games were not counted in PFL standings.
Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

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Drake had a game scheduled against Hastings on September 3, which was later canceled before the start of the 2020 season.[1][2] A replacement game, scheduled for the same day, was announced against Black Hills State on July 14.[3] On July 27, that replacement game, along with Drake's scheduled games against North Dakota State and Dixie State, were canceled due to the Pioneer Football League's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] In August, the entire schedule was pushed to spring due to the pandemic. On December 17, the PFL announced its revised spring football season schedule, which included Presbyterian, who were originally not scheduled to move into the PFL until the 2021–22 season.[5][6]

Following the decisions by Marist and Dayton to opt out of a spring season, the PFL released another schedule in February 2021.

DateTimeOpponentSiteResult
March 131:00 p.m.San DiegoL 10–13
March 201:00 p.m.at ValparaisoW 17–6
April 31:00 p.m.Valparaiso
  • Drake Stadium
  • Des Moines, IA
L 7–10
April 1011:00 a.m.at ButlerW 33–7
April 172:00 p.m.Presbyterian
  • Drake Stadium
  • Des Moines, IA
L 24–28

[7]

References

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  1. ^ Carpenter, Mark (June 17, 2020). "NAIA issues update on 2020 fall sports". People's Defender. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Kelley, Kevin (June 18, 2020). "Southern cancels 2020 football game against Florida A&M". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  3. ^ Kelley, Kevin (July 14, 2020). "Drake adds Black Hills State to 2020 football schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Kelley, Kevin (July 27, 2020). "Pioneer Football League to play conference-only football schedule in 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  5. ^ "2020 Football Schedule". Drake University Athletics.
  6. ^ "2020 Drake Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "PFL Announces Updated Spring Schedule".