GAME FIVE || SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014 || 6:00 PM
FAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUM || HOMECOMING 2014
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE AT UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY

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LIVE OPTIONS

WEBCAST || LIVE STATS || NSIC SCORES || AM 950 KOEL

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WEEKLY NOTES

UPPER IOWA || AUGUSTANA || NORTHERN SUN || TWO DEEPS

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THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Peacock football program improved to 9-3 against the NSIC North Division over the last three seasons with their 37-31 win over St. Cloud State last week.  This Saturday, South Division play will begin.  The southern teams finished the cross-division schedule with a 22-8 mark against the northern squads and this week's matchup in Fayette is a battle of two of the NSIC South's best.  Augustana is just an extra point shy versus #4 Minnesota Duluth from being the South's fourth undefeated team joining Upper Iowa, #3 Minnesota State and #21 Sioux Falls.  Both teams will bring high-powered offenses into the game on Saturday night as they attempt to keep the crowd warmed up in the cool temperatures predicted.  UIU is averaging 44.2 points with 505.5 yards per game, while Augie is scoring 44 points thanks to 493.2 yards a contest.  The key to UIU's defense may be getting stops on third down on Saturday as the Vikings are converting 54% of their third down chances.
 
THE SERIES... Augustana has won all seven match ups with Upper Iowa since the series began in 2005. Upper Iowa trailed Augie 14-6 heading into the fourth quarter of last year's game in Sioux Falls, S.D., but three unanswered touchdowns by the home team in the fourth quarter led to a 35-6 win for Augustana on their Homecoming Weekend.  UIU turned the ball over six times in last season's game.  The Vikings have dominated the scoreboard in the series outscoring the Peacocks 306 to 67 over the seven contests.
 
"CHRIS"-TAL CLEAR... It's becoming crystal clear to opposing defensive coordinators that Chris Smith is one of the best running backs in the nation.  The senior was tabbed the NSIC's Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week after back-to-back going over 200-yards and scoring 3 touchdowns in each of the last two games.  The Brown Deer, Wis. native has rushed for 690 yards on 95 carries with 13 touchdowns, the most in NCAA Division II.  Smith leads the nation in rushing touchdowns (13) and scoring per game with 19.5 points each Saturday.  His total rushing yards and 172.5 yards per game average both rank 3rd in the country and 1st in the NSIC.  Smith is also ranked 10th nationally and tops in the conference with 194 all-purpose yards per game.  He is now just 107 yards shy of surpassing the 4,000-yard mark in his storied career in Peacock Blue.
 
CLOSING IN ON 10,000… Senior quarterback Cole Jaeschke is closing in on the 10,000-yard mark as he moves toward the middle of his final season with UIU.  The Moorland, Iowa product has thrown for 9,529 yards in his career including 9,396 in 36 conference games, which vaults him to the top of the Northern Sun Conference all-time passing yards list. With 322 more yards of total offense (passing yards plus rushing yards) he will become the NSIC's all-time leader in that category as well.  Jaeschke has thrown for the 12th most completions in the nation and most among NSIC QB's with 104 and is connecting with his receivers at a completion percentage of 65% (23rd NCAA/1st NSIC).  His 1,165 passing yards are ranked 23rd among NCAA DII signal callers and 3rd in the NSIC, while his 1,190 yards of total offense are 32nd best in the country and 4th in the conference.  His 9 touchdown passes (28 NCAA/4th NSIC) add on to his program record for scores thrown in a career; he now has 75.
 
SEEING RED...  The Peacock offense is among 6 teams across the country, including Augustana, that are perfect in the redzone this season; UIU has scored on all 15 possessions inside the 20-yard line with 14 touchdowns and 1 field goal.  On defense, Upper Iowa is ranked 14th in the country and 2nd in the NSIC in redzone defense holding opponents to a 57.1% success rate.   Upper Iowa has held their opponents to just eight scores (3 FG/5 TD) in fourteen trips into the redzone.  UIU has made stops when it counts as opponents have only converted 5 of 18 fourth down attempts resulting in a thirteen turnovers on downs.
 
DON'T CALL ME JUNIOR... Redshirt juniors Alex Wahl, Tyler Fisher and Jevell Rollins are leading the Peacock defense through the first four games.  The Peacock defense has registered 22 tackles for loss (38th NCAA/2nd NSIC).  Wahl's 51 tackles (9th NCAA/2nd NSIC), 31 solo stops (5th NCAA/1st NCAA) and 3 forced fumbles (2nd NCAA/1st NSIC) lead the team, while Fisher is second on the team in tackles with 35 (14th NSIC) and solo tackles with 17 (23rd NSIC).  Rollins' 7 tackles for loss are the 32nd highest total in the nation and 6th in the NSIC.