2023 Drake Bulldogs football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 2023
| team = Drake Bulldogs
| sport = football
| image = Drake Bulldogs "D" logo.svg
| image_size = 150
| conference = Pioneer Football League
| short_conf = PFL
| record = 8–4
| conf_record = 8–0
| head_coach = Todd Stepsis
| hc_year = 5th
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| def_coach = Allen Smith
| dc_year = 5th
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Drake Stadium
| champion = PFL champion
| bowl= NCAA Division I First Round
| bowl_result = L 3–66 at North Dakota State
}}
{{2023 Pioneer Football League standings}}
The 2023 Drake Bulldogs football team represented Drake University as a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bulldogs were led by fifth-year head coach Todd Stepsis and played home games at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 2023
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I FCS
| poll = STATS
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 2
| time = 3:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = North Dakota
| opprank = 17
| site_stadium = Alerus Center
| site_cityst = Grand Forks, ND
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 7–55
| attend = 8,503
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 9
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Northwestern (IA)
| opprank = 1 (NAIA)
| site_stadium = Drake Stadium
| site_cityst = Des Moines, IA
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 24–27
| overtime = OT
| attend = 3,526
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 16
| time = 2:30 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| opponent = South Dakota State
| opprank = 1
| site_stadium = Target Field
| site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 7–70
| attend = 18,174
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| time = 1:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Morehead State
| site_stadium = Jayne Stadium
| site_cityst = Morehead, KY
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 16–9
| attend = 6,876
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| time = 1:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = Valparaiso
| site_stadium = Drake Stadium
| site_cityst = Des Moines, IA
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 20–14
| attend = 3,075
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 14
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = St. Thomas (MN)
| site_stadium = Drake Stadium
| site_cityst = Des Moines, IA
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 52–21
| attend = 1,902
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| time = 4:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = San Diego
| site_stadium = Torero Stadium
| site_cityst = San Diego, CA
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 25–20
| attend = 791
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 28
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = Stetson
| site_stadium = Drake Stadium
| site_cityst = Des Moines, IA
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 33–7
| attend = 1,625
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| time = 11:00 a.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Marist
| site_stadium = Leonidoff Field
| site_cityst = Poughkeepsie, NY
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 10–3
| attend = 1,594
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| time = 1:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = Presbyterian
| site_stadium = Drake Stadium
| site_cityst = Des Moines, IA
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 16–14
| attend = 2,278
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| time = 11:00 a.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Butler
| site_stadium = Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl
| site_cityst = Indianapolis, IN
| tv = FloSports
| score = 13–9
| attend = 2,788
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 25
| time = 2:30 p.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = North Dakota State
| opprank = 8
| site_stadium = Fargodome
| site_cityst = Fargo, ND
| gamename = NCAA Division I First Round
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 3–66
| attend = 7,798
}}
}}
Game summaries
=At No. 17 North Dakota=
{{see also|2023 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road=Bulldogs
|R1=0
|R2=0
|R3=0
|R4=7
|Home=No. 17 Fighting Hawks
|H1=0
|H2=14
|H3=27
|H4=14
}}
{{Clear}}
=Northwestern (IA)=
{{see also|2023 Northwestern Red Raiders football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road=Red Raiders
|R1= 3
|R2= 7
|R3= 3
|R4= 8
|R5= 6
|Home=Bulldogs
|H1= 0
|H2= 14
|H3= 0
|H4= 7
|H5= 3
}}
{{Clear}}
=vs. No. 1 South Dakota State=
{{see also| 2023 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road= Bulldogs
|R1= 7
|R2= 0
|R3= 0
|R4= 0
|Home= No. 1 Jackrabbits
|H1= 14
|H2= 21
|H3= 21
|H4= 14
}}
{{Clear}}
=At Morehead State=
{{see also|2023 Morehead State Eagles football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road=Bulldogs
|R1=7
|R2=6
|R3=0
|R4=3
|Home=Eagles
|H1=0
|H2=6
|H3=3
|H4=0
}}
{{Clear}}
=Valparaiso=
{{see also|2023 Valparaiso Beacons football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road=Beacons
|R1=0
|R2=0
|R3=0
|R4=14
|Home= Bulldogs
|H1=7
|H2=3
|H3=7
|H4=3
}}
{{Clear}}
=St. Thomas=
{{see also|2023 St. Thomas Tommies football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road=Tommies
|R1=7
|R2=14
|R3=0
|R4=0
|Home= Bulldogs
|H1=7
|H2=17
|H3=21
|H4=7
}}
{{Clear}}
=at San Diego=
{{see also|2023 San Diego Toreros football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road= Bulldogs
|R1=3
|R2=6
|R3=10
|R4=6
|Home= Torreros
|H1=0
|H2=7
|H3=3
|H4=10
}}
{{Clear}}
=Stetson=
{{see also|2023 Stetson Hatters football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road= Hatters
|R1=0
|R2=7
|R3=0
|R4=0
|Home= Bulldogs
|H1=3
|H2=10
|H3=7
|H4=13
}}
{{Clear}}
=at Marist=
{{see also|2023 Marist Red Foxes football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road= Bulldogs
|R1=0
|R2=7
|R3=0
|R4=3
|Home= Red Foxes
|H1=0
|H2=0
|H3=3
|H4=0
}}
{{Clear}}
=Presbyterian =
{{see also|2023 Presbyterian Blue Hose football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road= Blue Hose
|R1=7
|R2=0
|R3=0
|R4=7
|Home= Bulldogs
|H1=7
|H2=3
|H3=6
|H4=0
}}
{{Clear}}
=at Butler =
{{see also|2023 Butler Bulldogs football team}}
{{Linescore Amfootball
|Road= DU Bulldogs
|R1=0
|R2=7
|R3=0
|R4=6
|Home= BU Bulldogs
|H1=3
|H2=0
|H3=6
|H4=0
}}
{{Clear}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Drake Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{Pioneer Football League champions}}
Category:Drake Bulldogs football seasons