Box Score
Box Score
Records
Upper Iowa 3-2 (0-1 NSIC South) || Winona State 3-2 (1-0 NSIC South)
Recap
Through the first quarter of play the defenses for both Upper Iowa and Winona State were dictating play. As the game moved to the second quarter, the Warriors held a 7-3 advantage, but over the next three quarters the offenses took over and moved the ball up and down the field at will. Winona State came out on top of the NSIC South Division battle thanks to five touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters to post a 49-32 victory.
Winona State, who has now won all 10 matchups with Upper Iowa, used their play-action passing game to beat the UIU defense deep with big plays, while the Peacock offense chewed up yards with a balanced dose of runs and quick passes.
The Warriors scored three touchdowns of over 30 yards in the passing game, returned an interception for a score and added a blocked punt for a touchdown to post the big number on the scoreboard.
Upper Iowa had 607 yards of total offense in the game including 428 yards in the air and 179 yards on the ground, while Winona State recorded 426 yards of which only 93 yards came on the ground.
The Peacock defense did a good job containing the Warrior running backs including the reigning NSIC Offensive Player of the Week Chichi Ojika, who ran for just 29 yards on 18 carries. However, while the UIU blackshirts were stout against the run, the play-action passing game from WSU quarterback Jack Nelson cut with precision through the air.
Nelson threw for 333 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 15 completions. Alan May went for 108 yards receiving and one touchdown, while Cameron Johnson and Tony Mueller added the other two scores.
Despite the enormous offensive yardage numbers, the Peacocks still came up empty in the most important department... turnovers. UIU turned the ball over four times on a fumble and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and twice more were denied on fourth down attempts. Winona State only gave the ball to UIU once on a turnover on downs.
The Warriors did, however, convert four of the Peacock turnovers into touchdowns and added a special teams score as well when they blocked a punt and returned it into the endzone.
Trailing 7-3 at the beginning of the second quarter, it appeared that the Peacocks had something going as
Chris Smith took a handoff and picked up 20 yards, but a hit jarred the ball loose and gave the Warriors the ball at the UIU 43. Three plays later, the home team had a 14-3 lead less than one minute into the second quarter.
On Upper Iowa's first play on the ensuing drive, Pat Lazzara jumped a quick slant from
Cole Jaeschke and returned it 27 yards for the score. WSU led 21-3 with 14:02 showing on the second quarter clock.
Later in the second quarter, the Peacock offense used 9 plays to cover 49 yards and reach the Winona State 15-yard line. On 2nd and 5, Jaeschke threw a pass into the endzone and Lazzara was there again for a second interception.
After the turnover, Winona State needed just 6 plays to cover 91 yards in just over two minutes highlighted by three straight completions by Nelson to span 85 yards. The score came with just over 5 minutes to play in the half and accounted for the third WSU touchdown in a matter of ten minutes.
Upper Iowa answered with a 13-play, 82-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard pitch to
Evan Dornink on fourth down. UIU got one more chance right before halftime, but a drive stalled at the Winona State 35-yard line as time expired in the half.
The Peacocks owned the first ten minutes of the third quarter scoring 15 points in two drives on offense and holding the Warriors to -5 yards of offense during that span.
The pair of UIU scores came from Dornink on a second 1-yard dive and Jaeschke found
Keaton Hosch for a 21-yard strike. The Peacocks' two-point conversion was good making it just a three-point game, 28-25, with over twenty minutes to play.
Winona State quickly took back their advantage in the final 1:34 of the third quarter. The Warriors took over near midfield and two plays later, Nelson found May in the endzone for the score.
Down ten, 35-25, Upper Iowa took the ball as the teams went into the fourth frame. After a pair of incomplete passes forced fourth down, Mitch Lunder broke through the protection and blocked a punt which Kyle Coon scooped up and returned for a touchdown and a 42-25 lead.
Both teams added a touchdown in the final four minutes of the game setting the final margin at seventeen in favor of the home team, 49-32.
UIU Standouts
Cole Jaeschke (428 yards passing, 2 TDs, 3 INT, 38 yards rushing),
Chris Smith (99 yards rushing, 27 yards receiving),
Keaton Hosch (10 catches, 189 yards receiving, 2 TDs),
Shay Gutman ( 6 catches, 98 yards),
Tyler Fisher (7 tackles, 1 for loss),
Ethan Douglas (6 tackles),
Jordan Andera (6 tackles),
Alex Wahl (3 tackles for loss, 1 sack)
Next Up
Upper Iowa will welcome the Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul on Saturday, Oct. 12 for Homecoming Weekend in Fayette. The Peacocks will look to break the Golden Bears win streak against them and post their first victory over CU. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. under the lights in Fayette.
