2024 Playoffs Round 1: Drake @ #13 Tarleton

[Professor Chaos]

Game kicks off at 2PM CT and will be streamed on ESPN+. Winner goes to #4 South Dakota next week.


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[The Cats]

Tarleton, it's not even close

[Outsider1]

I think Tarleton takes this one.

[JacksFan40]

Drake certainly has a better shot winning this one than they did last year in Fargo. Still taking Tarleton in a blow out.

[SeattleCat]

This looks to be a very solid Drake squad and Tarleton has no defense. Picking Drake in a shootout.

[DetroitFlyer]

The PFL was the most competitive internally in its history this year. Drake won some tough and close games. The league also did better this year against athletic scholarship teams. Drake will need to hit on all cylinders, but certainly not out of the question that they could win this one.

[Puddin Tane]

Tarleton…by a bunch

[Pards Rule]

Never heard of Tarleton before. Had to look them up. Have they been in 1AA playoffs before?

[Outsider1]

Never heard of Tarleton before. Had to look them up. Have they been in 1AA playoffs before?

No, they just completed their transition. They used to compete with us in the Lone Star Conference. They have done a really great job transitioning though and should have been in the playoffs already but weren't eligible. They have always been a really solid program, even at the DII level. I always cringed when we played them, VERY tough rivalry. They are actually part of the Texas A&M system, but founded back in 1899.

[Pards Rule]

No, they just completed their transition. They used to compete with us in the Lone Star Conference. They have done a really great job transitioning though and should have been in the playoffs already but weren't eligible. They have always been a really solid program, even at the DII level. I always cringed when we played them, VERY tough rivalry. They are actually part of the Texas A&M system, but founded back in 1899.

Thanks, YES great to see ACU in here too. Dont recall them being in for many years?? BTW your grad Wilbert Montgomery was a fantastic player for my Eagles team!!

[caribbeanhen]

5’7” Tarleton St RB is second in the nation in rushing yards

Kayvon Britten
1750 yards

tough dude

[RahRahRabbits]

Drake with a surprise, up 14-3 with 3:18 left in the 1st quarter after recovering a muffed punt.

[Outsider1]

Congrats Tarleton.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Drake cemented a place in my Top 25. I had Tarleton as a fringe Top 10 team pretty much all season so the Bulldogs performance on the road is a reflection of one of the best PFL teams ever. Is that hyperbole? I think 2024 Drake is in the ballpark of the best San Diego squads...

[FUBeAR]

Drake cemented a place in my Top 25. I had Tarleton as a fringe Top 10 team pretty much all season so the Bulldogs performance on the road is a reflection of one of the best PFL teams ever. Is that hyperbole? I think 2024 Drake is in the ballpark of the best San Diego squads...
Maybe … but … Drake lost by 2 scores at home to (7-5) Morehead…who lost by 3 scores to (6-5) Davidson…who lost to (4-7) Valpo…who fired their Coach and who Massey has at #121 of 129 FCS Teams that Massey ranks.

That said, Drake did look, to FUBeAR’s eyes, to be about 2 scores better than 6-2 in the Big Sky NAU.

[caribbeanhen]

5’7” Tarleton St RB is second in the nation in rushing yards

Kayvon Britten
1750 yards

tough dude

its not butter ..... it's Kayvon...... pound for pound this RB is the toughest dude in FCS

Also, the little delay that both Tarlton and ACU use with the RB's is a tactic that I don't remember seeing before to that degree...

[KnightoftheRedFlash]

Drake cemented a place in my Top 25. I had Tarleton as a fringe Top 10 team pretty much all season so the Bulldogs performance on the road is a reflection of one of the best PFL teams ever. Is that hyperbole? I think 2024 Drake is in the ballpark of the best San Diego squads...

Yes, it is hyperbole.

Drake's best win was an overtime win against a 4-8 EWU or a two-point win against a 8-3 San Diego whose "best win" was Cal Poly. They were wrecked by 6-6 St. Thomas and 5-7 North Dakota. If you prefer 9-3 Butler, the Bulldogs beat 1-11 Murray State 19-17, a complete awful team nearly devastated by every opponent, and in their only three OOC games played non-Division I foes. They lost three PFL games.

Drake lost to 7-5 Morehead State who barely beat something called Central State (OH) 14-10 and were murdered 59-2 by Montana. EKU dropkicked them 42-13, slammed 40-6 by Butler, defeated 31-14 by Davidson, and routed 37-14 by San Diego. They barely edged St. Thomas and Presbyterian in conference play.

A temporary 14-3 lead over Tarleton State doesn't erase those results. They are not close to top 25 or the equal of the best San Diego squads.

[Baron Sardonicus]

2024 Drake is not the best in PFL history, but they're better than at least one team in the current top 25. If you're excluding Drake from the rankings, then leave out Harvard too.

[KnightoftheRedFlash]

2024 Drake is not the best in PFL history, but they're better than at least one team in the current top 25. If you're excluding Drake from the rankings, then leave out Harvard too.

Works for me.