Box Score
Records
Minnesota Duluth 2-0 || Upper Iowa 1-1
Recap
The #7 Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota Duluth jumped out to a 28-0 lead at Upper Iowa on Saturday night en route to a 37-19 NSIC cross division victory. The Peacocks outgained the nationally-ranked team in total offense (453 – 407), but turnovers proved costly as UIU coughed up two interceptions and a fumble. The two interceptions were converted instantly as defensive scores.
UMD took the game's opening drive 72 yards in just three plays highlighted by a 52-yard quarterback keeper on a zone-option read. Upper Iowa looked to answer on their first drive pushing the ball 63 yards down the field to the three-yard line. After three downs near the goal line, UIU missed a short field goal.
The Bulldogs added two more touchdowns in the first quarter including one on an interception that was returned 48 yards.
Down 21-0, the Peacocks got a spark when
Zach Ries broke through the line to block a field goal attempt. Upper Iowa then put together a nice drive that saw the home team move from their own 21-yard line to the UMD 10. On fourth down, UIU's pass play came up one yard shy of the first down marker as the Bulldogs took over possession.
After the Bulldogs scored their fourth touchdown, the Peacocks were able to get on the board thanks to a 5-play, 42-yard drive that only took 35 seconds. Quarterback
Cole Jaeschke completed three passes on the drive including a 9-yard strike to
Lucas Hefty.
UIU came out of the halftime break and scored on a second straight three-play drive. The score once again came on a hookup between Jaeschke and Hefty; the Peacock tight end now has four touchdowns in two games. Hefty brought in the pass on a quick out and then raced to endzone.
The Peacock defense, which pitched their first shutout since 1994 last week, made a stand led by middle linebacker
Ethan Douglas on UMD's ensuing possession. Douglas made a stop on a Bulldog fourth-down rush giving UIU the ball back.
Upper Iowa drove the ball to UMD 24-yard line looking to pull within one score, but Jaeschke's pass attempt was batted into the air and brought in by Buma Foncham, who then rumbled 60 yards to the endzone to push the UMD lead to 34-13. The Bulldogs added a final field goal at the end of the third quarter to extend their lead to 37-13.
In the fourth quarter, UIU put the only points on the scoreboard on a 14-play, 77-yard drive that saw the home team move the chains five times before pushing the ball over the goal line on fourth down from the 1-yard line.
Chris Smith rushed for his third touchdown of the season on a quick pitch to the left pylon. After a two-point conversion failed, neither team scratched the scoreboard again.
Standouts
Passing: Jaeschke (28-54 for 360 yards and 2 TD's/2 INT's
Rushing: Smith (22 for 86 yards and 1 TD)
Receiving: Hefty (8 for 150 yards and 2 TD's),
Keaton Hosch (7 for 100) and
Shay Gutman (7 for 89 yards)
Defense:
Keaton Martin (9 tackles, 1 for loss),
Jeff Arends (9 tackles, 1.5 for loss),
Jordan Andera (8 tackles) and Douglas (8 tackles)
Next Up
Upper Iowa will head to South Dakota next Saturday, Sept. 21, for their final NSIC cross division game on the road this season. The Peacocks will line up against the Wolves of Northern State University for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Aberdeen.
