Box Score

Minnesota State University, Mankato broke out of their current three-game slide in a big way today as they defeated Upper Iowa, 48-14. The game was UIU’s second Northern Sun South Division game of the season. With the loss, the Peacock football team falls to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in the NSIC, while the Mavericks improve to 4-3 overall and even their conference mark to 3-3.

 

Minnesota State scored the first 24 points of the game and held Upper Iowa scoreless until the final two and a half minutes of the first half. The Mavericks scored three touchdowns in the first quarter highlighted by a 64-yard run by Chris Echols on a fake punt. Upper Iowa’s defense began to stand up in the second quarter holding the home team to just a field goal with under five minutes to play in the half.

 

Upper Iowa’s first scoring drive came after the field goal. Backup quarterback Ben Curran led the Peacocks on a 6-play, 65-yard drive for a touchdown. The drive was capped off by a Curran to Jessie Hubbard 4-yard scoring pass, but was highlighted by a 33-yard completion to La’Mont Williams down the sideline.

 

Minnesota State’s Taylor Brookins added a pair of rushing touchdowns for the men in purple in the third quarter and Vince Workman pushed a run across the goal line around Sam Brockshus field goal. The scores put Upper Iowa in a 48-7 hole.

 

The Peacocks got one final touchdown on a 9-play, 80-yard drive. The touchdown came on a Curran rush from the 8-yard line, but the drive came thanks to hard running by J.P. McClung. The sophomore from Chicago, Illinois picked up 51 yards on the ground during the drive. The score and extra point moved the score to 48-14. 

 

The final team stats slanted heavily towards Minnesota State including a 28-8 advantage in first downs, a 569 to 245 yard advantage in total offense, and more than twenty minutes in time of possession.

 

Preston Spencer played well for the Peacock defense as he lived in the Maverick back field registering 9 tackles including one and a half for loss. Nate Curran registered a team-high 11 tackles and freshmen Ethan Douglas and Keaton Martin posted 9 and 8 tackles, respectively.