The Drake Bulldogs defeated the Butler Bulldogs 27-17 on Saturday afternoon, handing BU their first loss of the season. Butler outgained Drake in total yardage (333-314) and picked up more first downs in the contest, but the home team created a few turnovers and were great on third down to pull out the win.
 
Butler's defense set the tone for the game over the opening 30 minutes. They held Drake to just 84 yards, limiting the other Bulldogs to just three points. Jack Burch had two first half sacks, one was a 13-yard loss on third down, the other was a stop on second and goal.
 
The highlight of the first half for the Butler offense was a 14-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. Reagan Andrew capped off the series with a 4-yard rushing TD. The extra point was no good, but BU would hold a 6-3 advantage at halftime.
 
Drake took control of the action in the second half by scoring three touchdowns on their first four drives. They also added a 44-yard field goal during that span.
 
Butler continued to fight and would post 11 points over the final 30 minutes. Ryan Short nailed a 39-yard field goal late in the third quarter, then Joey Suchy scored a 2-yard TD to end an 11-play 75-yard drive. 
 
Andrew ended the game completing 22 of his 32 pass attempts for 174 yards. He added a game-high 81 yards rushing and was responsible for the only TD of the first half. His top target was Ethan Loss on the outside. Loss caught a game-high eight passes and accounted for 86 yards.
 
The defensive effort was sparked by Adam Sturtz and his team-high 10 tackles. Burch had two tackles for loss, helping BU reach five on the day. The BU defense also got a lift from Devaon Holman with his first interception of the season.
 
The Dawgs are back at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl next weekend. They will take on Dayton at 1 p.m. ET.