Drake · Next-Season Outcome Band
Fanbase Health Index · Drake · medium confidence
FCS Program Prestige · Drake1922 undefeated season
Drake goes 11–0 and establishes the program's foundational mythology
Drake8-4Hope-Doping·Offseason
Drake is the Des Moines powerhouse that won three straight Pioneer League titles and just crowned its champion — before its head coach resigned after one season for a Big Ten job, leaving the dynasty to rebuild.
Title DroughtSince 2024 · 1 yrs
Fans here believe drake's chip is the outsider's chip — a small Iowa school that built a dynasty the Big Ten ignored. The Woodley-to-Rutgers departure stings precisely because it suggests even Drake's…
offseason · quiet
Approaching
21 days
until kickoff · vs South Dakota Mines · Thu Aug 27 · 23:30 UTC
The experience
Drake is the Des Moines powerhouse that won three straight Pioneer League titles and just crowned its champion — before its head coach resigned after one season for a Big Ten job, leaving the dynasty to rebuild.
The Bulldogs are patient.
Drake · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 6-6
Base 8-4
Ceiling 11-1
floor6-6Competitive but likely outside the at-large field.
base8-4Conference title contender. Playoff bid realistic.
ceiling11-1Conference title + deep playoff run.
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Mixed
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Streak L1Last 5 · 3-2Last 10 · 7-3
The forecast
Opens Aug 27
vs South Dakota Mines · at home
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Drake
—
The Bulldogs are patient.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
Kickoff
Season opener in 16 days
kickoff
"Go Drake"
— Drake fanbase · recurring line
14 mentions · awaiting signal
Fanbase Health Index · Drake · medium confidence
Growing (60)
DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 8-4 (67% win rate)67
Volume — 13 effective signal-N53
Player stats — 2025 season
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
Drake · 2025 schedule & results8-4Balanced slateAverage opponent win rate 51% · 0 AP top-25 opponents on the schedule.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 28 | #180 | #328 | — | Upper Iowa University | W 41–7 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #239 | #97 | +34 | @South Dakota State | L 21–37 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #194 | #132 | +17 | @South Dakota | L 21–42 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #184 | #261 | -25 | Valparaiso | W 41–0 | 2-2 | 1-0 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #163 | #183 | +1.5 | @San Diego | W 19–16 | 3-2 | 2-0 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #164 | #263 | -33.5 | Davidson | W 45–0 | 4-2 | 3-0 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #152 | #231 | -12.5 | @Marist | W 31–17 | 5-2 | 4-0 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #151 | #183 | -6.5 | @Butler | W 24–19 | 6-2 | 5-0 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #147 | #124 | -2.5 | St. Thomas (MN) | L 13–20 | 6-3 | 5-1 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #153 | #172 | -3.5 | @Dayton | W 14–6 | 7-3 | 6-1 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #148 | #231 | -21.5 | Morehead State | W 17–10 | 8-3 | 7-1 |
| Conference Championship | ||||||||
| 14 | Nov 29 | #152 | #129 | +21 | @South Dakota | L 17–38 | 8-4 | 7-1 |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29 | @South Dakota | L 17–38 | — | — | — | +0.034 | 40.3% | 108.9% | |
| Nov 22 | Morehead State | W 17–10 | — | — | — | +0.216 | 52.6% | 94.2% | One-score win |
| Nov 15 | @Dayton | W 14–6 | — | — | — | -0.027 | 33.3% | 144.1% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Nov 8 | St. Thomas (MN) | L 13–20 | — | — | — | +0.054 | 33.9% | 154.3% | Most explosive |
| Nov 1 | @Butler | W 24–19 | — | — | — | +0.255 | 44.8% | 147.1% | One-score win |
| Oct 25 | @Marist | W 31–17 | — | — | — | +0.218 | 45.2% | 124.9% | |
| Oct 18 | Davidson | W 45–0 | — | — | — | +0.601 | 65.7% | 112.4% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Oct 11 | @San Diego | W 19–16 | — | — | — | +0.112 | 33.3% | 135.0% | One-score win |
| Oct 4 | Valparaiso | W 41–0 | — | — | — | +0.198 | 37.3% | 130.7% | Best defensive stand |
| Sep 20 | @South Dakota | L 21–42 | — | — | — | +0.221 | 50.0% | 98.5% | Defense's roughest night |
| Sep 13 | @South Dakota State | L 21–37 | — | — | — | +0.139 | 40.0% | 113.7% | |
| Aug 28 | Upper Iowa University | W 41–7 | — | — | — | +0.350 | 48.5% | 140.8% | Blowout win |
| Season average (12 games) | — | — | +0.198 | 43.7% | 125.4% | ||||
Schedule mirage
How much of Drake's number is the schedule?
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.20; 69th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.05. The widest gap came in week 2: 0.35 raw vs. 0.03 adjusted.
Home-Field Advantage · Drake · 2018-present
Strong
55% home win rate vs 52% on the road. margin runs +13.4 better at home. Drake Stadium seats 14,557, averaging 22% full (3,204 attendance, 8 games reported).
Home19-15Away23-21
Venue texture
63°F average kickoff temp; 4% of games had measurable precipitation; 12 mph average wind.
Based on 25 home games with weather data.
FCS Program Prestige · Drake
Mid-Major Contender
All-Time Record
455-441-26
since 1899 · 109 seasons · .493 win rate
HOME
289-161-10
AWAY
160-273-16
NEUTRAL
6-7
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Pioneer Standing · 2025
1st in the Pioneer
Drake sits at the top of the Pioneer at 7-1. Everyone else is chasing.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake | 7-1 |
| 2 | Presbyterian | 6-2 |
| 3 | San Diego | 6-2 |
| 4 | Dayton | 5-3 |
| 5 | St. Thomas (MN) | 5-3 |
| 6 | Butler | 4-4 |
| 7 | Morehead State | 4-4 |
| 8 | Marist | 3-5 |
| 9 | Stetson | 2-6 |
| 10 | Davidson | 1-7 |
| 11 | Valparaiso | 1-7 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 0-0 |
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
1995–2012 dynasty era (8 titles)
Eight Pioneer League titles over 18 years make Drake the legacy power
2023–2025 three straight titles
Three consecutive championships in the modern era, capping Joe Woodley's dominant 2025 season
Woodley departure (February 2026)
Coach Joe Woodley resigns after one championship-winning season to join Rutgers — a shock that destabilizes the dynasty
Wound
Moment of the Year · Drake · 2025
Moment of the Year · Drake · 2025Won 41-7 vs Upper Iowa University
Week 1 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
Playoff History
Playoff HistoryRecent postseason (2023): 0-1
Most recent: 2023 — loss 66-3 (away). Last 5 postseason: 0-1.
2023
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