The Drake football team opens the seaason at home tonight (Thursday) against Grand View. The Bulldogs have high hopes after earning a share of the Pioneer Football League title a year ago and coach Chris Creighton says his team is ready for a game. Grand View opened the season ranked 15th in the NAIA and opened last Saturday with a 26-6 victory over Graceland. Drake avoided the upset in last year’s meeting. The Bulldogs tied the game in the waning seconds before edging the Vikings 28-21 in overtime. Grand View coach Mike Woodley says last year’s game should give the Vikings the confidence that they can compete with Drake. Woodley says the key for the Vikings will be to slow down Drake senior quarterback Michael Piatkowski who threw for more than 29 hundred yards and 25 touchdowns last season. It is a seven o’clock kickoff in Drake Stadium.