GAME ELEVEN || Saturday, November 12 || 1:00 PM
West Union, Iowa || North Fayette High School
Upper Iowa University vs. Augustana College
Game Notes: Upper Iowa || Augustana || Northern Sun Weekly Release
Upper Iowa vs. Augustana Live Options
Radio: AM 950 KOEL - "The Voice" of UIU Football, Joe Stasi, will bring you all the action on northeast Iowa's largest AM radio station.
Live Webcast (provided by New Media Television)
Live Stats
Online Audio Only
This Week in Peacock Football...
Upper Iowa will host the Vikings of Augustana in Saturday’s final match-up of the 2011 season. The Peacocks are celebrating Senior Day and recognizing Kirby Hovden, Jessie Hubbard, Jordan Otdoerfer, Casey Popenfoose, Rob Zaina, Tremane Wren and Nick Lepperd prior to the coin toss. The Peacocks have lost four games in a row, but have had double-digit, second half leads in each of the last three ballgames. Last week, UIU lost a gut-wrenching game to Concordia on a last second hail mary, but will look to bounce back Saturday with a win over the visiting Vikings. Augustana began the year in the top ten nationally, but have hit some bumps in the road. Currently 5-5 overall and 4-5 in the NSIC, Augustana is coming off two straight losses.
The Series...
The Vikings have won all four contests with the Peacocks and posted a 32-0 victory last season in Sioux Falls. Augustana’s smallest margin of victory against UIU is 20 points, while the largest difference is 48 points. In the series, the Vikings have outscored the Peacocks 167-34.
Last Meeting...
UIU closed the book on the 2010 season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last year against #14 Augustana. The Vikings proved their high national ranking by defeating Upper Iowa, 32-0, in the NSIC clash. Augustana grossed 299 yards of total offense for the game with 184 of them coming on the ground while UIU managed just 111 total yards. The home squad also held an 18-6 advantage in first downs.
Mr. Smith making his mark…
Chris Smith currently ranks 8th in the country and 2nd in the NSIC for rushing yards per game (133.1). His 1,198 yards this season are 5th best in a season on the all-time list at UIU. The record is 1,426 yards in a season set by Mike Hatten in 2000. He has also moved into the top 100 in the nation in all purpose yards per game; Smith is tied for 33rd nationally and is 4th in the NSIC with 140.1 yards/game.
Let the Freshman Lead…
Redshirt freshman quarterback Cole Jaeschke is ranked 29th in the country and 3rd in the NSIC in passing efficiency. He has posted a 141.97 rating through the first ten weeks and is leading the Peacock offense that is ranked 35th in the country and 3rd in the NSIC in total offense (428 yards/game). Jaeschke has completed 58.4% of his passes for 2,302 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 55 yards on 49 carries. He ranks 49th in the nation and 4th in the NSIC in total offense at 235.7 yards/game.
The 2,302 yards passing this season rank third all-time behind Jessie Willis’ 2,507 yards in 1998 and Jeff Roth’s total record of 2,709 yards in 1992.
Strong Up the Middle…
Junior Tony Leggett is leading the defense from his middle linebacker position. After missing a game due to injury, Leggett returned to make 38 tackles over the last three weeks. Leggett’s 100 tackles rank him 9th nationally and 2nd in the NSIC with 11.1/game.
Sophomore Ethan Douglas is 13th in the NSIC in tackles per game with a 8.1 average (81 tackles).
Keeping Cole Clean…
The UIU offensive line has kept their young signal caller’s uniform clean this season allowing 10 sacks to rank 11th nationally and 2nd in the NSIC in sacks allowed/game.
Catch him if you can…
Senior wideout Jessie Hubbard is enjoying an outstanding senior season averaging 81.67 receiving yards/game which ranks him 41st in the country and 4th in the NSIC. The two-time All-NSIC performer has 34 catches for 735 yards and 6 touchdowns including three long td catches (76 yds. 75 yds. and 60 yds.). Hubbard also has 11 rushes for 50 yards and 22 kick returns for 461 yards. The West Palm Beach, Florida native is second on the Peacocks in all-purpose yards and is 36th in the nation and 5th in the NSIC with 138.4 yards per game.
Knowlton Finding the Groove...
Punter Evan Knowlton has solidified the Peacock punt team. He is currently 89th in the country in net punting with a 31.7 yard average per punt. He is 74th in the nation and 6th in the NSIC in yards per punt with a 37.5 average.
Radio...
Upper Iowa Peacock football can be heard throughout the 2011 season courtesy of AM 950-KOEL.
Play-by-play announcer Joe Stasi is in his ninth season as the “Voice of the Peacocks.” UIU Athletics Hall of Famer and former Peacock quarterback Jeff Roth will be along to bring color analysis to the broadcast. The pre-game show is scheduled for 12:40 p.m.
Live Stats and Web Cast...
Live stats and a Webcast will be available for Saturday’s contest. Visit www.upperiowaathletics.com for further details.
Notes on Augustana…
Last Saturday’s Loss
Max Martin hit a 49-yard field goal with 13 seconds left to lift Wayne State to a 34-32 victory over Augustana last Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls. Max’s field goal erased a 32-31 late Viking lead. Augustana had scored with 1:06 remaining to go ahead, but the Wildcats went 39 yards before Max split the uprights with the wind to his back. The Vikings were stuffed on the only offensive play of their resulting possession. Bryce Hawthorne rushed for 167 yards and one touchdown in the Wildcat win. Nate Most threw for 152 yards and two scores. Ben Parsley hauled in a career-high 10 catches for a career-high 135 yards and a touchdown. Josh Hanson completed 33 of 52 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The Viking run game struggled, netting just 58 yards.
Close calls
Augustana has been involved in four games this season that have been decided by three or fewer points. On Oct. 10, the Vikings fell 30-27 to Bemidji State in overtime. The Vikings then edged out a 27-24 victory over Northern State on Oct. 8. The past two weeks, however, have seen tight games fall in the opposition’s favor. Minnesota State topped Augustana 27-26 on national television Oct. 27, and Wayne State used a late field goal to beat the Vikings 34-32 last week. Augustana is 1-3 in 2011 in games decided by three or fewer points.
Sure hands
Junior wide receiver Ben Parsley (Flandreau,S.D.) is developing into a fine playmaker. The 6-foot-3 Parsley has made a handful of spectacular catches this season, and he had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career last week against Wayne State. Parsley pulled in nine catches for 130 yards and one touchdown in the Viking loss. His long reception on the afternoon was 41 yards. Parsley has 25 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns this season. He is also averaging 13.2 yards per reception.
Pair of picks
Defensive backs Nick Andreas (Lakeville, Minn.) and Zac Kallas (Eden Prairie, Minn.) both had an interception in last Saturday’s game against Wayne State, bringing their season totals to four each. Andreas managed to turn his into a 25-yard return. As a team, the Vikings have swiped 14 passes this season and have had three games with two or more picks, including a five-interception outing on Oct. 15 at home against Winona State. The Vikings also had three picks against Concordia University, St. Paul on Oct. 1.
Finish strong
A win by Augustana on Saturday would secure the Vikings their fourth-straight winning season with a 6-5 record. The Vikings went 11-2 last season and 8-4 in 2008 and 2009. If Augustana were to fall to Upper Iowa Saturday, it would be the Vikings’ first losing season since the 2007 campaign when they went 4-7 under Brad Salem
Triple-figure season
Austin Luecke (Groton, S.D.) made his 100th tackle of the season last week against Wayne State, becoming the first Viking this season to hit the century mark.
Wouldn’t it be grand?
A big game by Dajon?Newell (Lakeville, Minn.) Saturday against Upper Iowa could get the redshirt freshman to 1,000 yards rushing for the season. Newell is at 832 yards for the year but has been known to rip off games near or past 200 yards on the ground. To put it into persepctive, Newell needs 168 yards to get to 1,000 for the season. He’s had two efforts better than that this year, logging 203 yards against Concordia University, St. Paul on Oct. 1 and 189 yards at Minnesota State on Oct. 27. He would, however, have to better his 104.0 rushing yards per game average to get to a grand.
