Box Score

Box Score

The Wildcats of Wayne State College outlasted the Peacocks in Wayne, Nebraska this afternoon in a wild shootout that wasn’t decided until a 22-yard field goal found its way through the uprights.  The teams combined for over 1,100 yards led by their rushing attacks.  Each team had a running back surpass the 200-yard mark and both teams totaled more than 350 yards on the ground. 
 
Chris Smith ran for 287 yards on the day including runs of 75, 80 and 56 yards to eclipse the Peacocks’ all-time record for rushing yards in a game previously held by Dave Sanger (248).  The huge day followed Smith’s 230 yards last week (now the fourth most yards in a game in UIU history).  In his last two weeks, Smith has tallied 517 yards and 3 touchdowns on 53 carries and a 9.75 yard average per rush.
 
The Wildcats’ Bryce Hawthorne led the Wildcat offense with 239 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.
 
The game featured six lead changes and three ties and ended with a short field goal from Max Martin, his third of the afternoon to close out overtime and give the home team a 44-41 win.
 
The Peacocks took a 21-17 lead into the locker rooms at halftime thanks to touchdowns by Smith on a two-yard dive, Jessie Hubbard on a 16-yard middle screen from Cole Jaeschke, and Jordan Otdoerfer on a 25-yard sprint to the pylon.
 
The offenses dominated the third quarter combining for 38 points and leaving the quarter tied at 38-38.  UIU scored their 17 points thanks to a Smith 80-yard run on the first play of the second half, a second run to the endzone (40 yards) by Otdoerfer and a Steven Sandoval 35-yard field goal. 
 
The Peacock and Wildcat defenses found their stride again in the fourth quarter allowing just a field goal by each offense.  Tied at 41-41, the Peacocks were forced to punt with just over a minute to play.  Wayne State took over at their own 36-yard line and instantly got into field goal position on a 48-yard pass to Kevin Paulsen from Nate Most.  The Wildcats looked as if they were in position to kick a field goal and win the ball game in regulation, but a muffed snap on third down saw UIU linebacker Ethan Douglas pounce on the ball and send the game into overtime.
 
UIU picked up a first down on their possession, but were forced into a field goal attempt which flew just left from 26 yards away.  The home team took over on their possession and pushed the ball to the 6-yard line before knocking the 22-yard trifecta through the uprights to post the win.
 
In addition to Smith’s big day on the ground, Otdoerfer had 103 yards and two scores on 14 carries.  Shay Gutman led the receivers with 5 catches for 85 yards, while Hubbard pulled in 4 balls for 62 yards and a score.  Jaeschke threw for 193 yards on 13 completions, but was sacked three times on the day.
 
Tony Leggett picked up 17 tackles on the day, while Casey Popenfoose recorded 14 tackles and a forced fumble.  The Peacocks combined for 8 tackles for loss in the game including 2.5 by DaeJohn Love, who made 10 tackles on the day.
 
The Peacocks (3-6, 2-6 NSIC) will return to northeast Iowa next Saturday, but will play their game against the Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul in West Union, Iowa, just eight miles north of Fayette.  Upper Iowa and Concordia will kickoff at 2 p.m. from North Fayette High School.  The game time has been pushed back to 2 p.m. after originally being scheduled for 1 p.m.