The University of Dayton football team took its first loss of the 2026 season on Saturday, dropping a 30-22 PFL opener to Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. After starting the year a perfect 3-0, UD now sits at 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play. Talk about a gut punch right at the start of conference play.
Drake Came Out Swinging and Never Looked Back
From the jump, Drake just had Dayton’s number. The Bulldogs never even trailed, keeping their foot on the gas all game long. Riley Warzynski was slinging it, connecting for two first-half touchdowns that immediately put Drake up 13-0. Our guys tried to rally though! David Curl III grabbed a crucial pick-six, cutting that deficit down to 13-7. But Drake answered right back, with Griffin Kollhoff nailing a 34-yard field goal to extend their lead to 16-7 by halftime. We needed to come out with more fire in the second half, no doubt.
A Late Push That Fell Short
Dayton definitely showed some fight after the break. Gavin Lochow powered in for a two-yard touchdown run, bringing us closer at 16-14. You could feel the momentum shifting! But then, Drake just crushed it, scoring back-to-back touchdowns to stretch their lead to a commanding 30-14 with only 11:39 left in the fourth quarter. It felt like a mountain to climb at that point. Bryce Schondelmyer did find Michael Mussari for a two-yard touchdown, cutting it to 30-22, but that was as close as UD would get. The numbers don’t lie either: Drake absolutely outgained Dayton, racking up 347 yards to our 223. We just couldn’t get enough going offensively to overcome their early lead.
Dayton has to dust themselves off fast because their next game is already set for October 10. They’ll host Morehead State at Welcome Stadium, with kickoff slated for noon. This is a must-win at home to shake off this PFL opening loss and get back on track. Let’s see how they respond, because every game matters now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply