DELAND, Fla. — In an impressive display on Saturday, Luke Bailey showcased his talents by throwing for 204 yards and three touchdowns, with just five incomplete passes, leading Drake to a decisive 49-10 victory over Stetson. This triumph not only allowed Drake to clinch their second consecutive outright Pioneer Football League (PFL) championship but also marked a successful bounce back following their previous week’s loss.
Davion Cherwin was a standout performer, recording 161 rushing yards on 11 attempts and contributing two touchdowns to the scoreboard for Drake. Both Jun Ahn and Luke Woodson also added to the team’s rushing efforts with scores of their own. Cherwin’s highlight of the game came when he executed a stunning 91-yard touchdown run, marking the longest run in the PFL for the current season, bringing the score to 21-7 early in the second quarter.
The first half saw pivotal moments, including a key interception by Kemani Wilson at the Drake 25-yard line with just over two minutes to go before halftime. After seven plays, Bailey connected with Hunter Johnson for a 24-yard touchdown pass, extending Drake’s lead to 28-10 by intermission.
As the second half commenced, defensive lineman Finn Claypool made a significant impact by forcing a fumble on the third play, which was recovered by a teammate. Following this, Bailey tossed a pass to Jaxon Laminack for yet another touchdown, solidifying a commanding lead of 35-10.
Drake, boasting a season record of 8-2 overall and 7-1 in conference play, aimed to rebound after suffering a 29-20 defeat to Morehead State, which had ended an impressive 17-game PFL winning streak—the longest active streak in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
On the other side, Stetson struggled, with quarterback Brady Meitz facing difficulties as he was intercepted three times, while Matt O’Connor also had one of his four pass attempts picked off. The team’s performance highlighted the challenges they faced throughout the match, leaving them with a record of 2-9 overall and 0-7 in PFL play.