GAME TEN || SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014 || 12:00 PMSIOUX FALLS, S.D. || BOB YOUNG FIELDUPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY AT UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS
LIVE OPTIONS
LIVE STATS | LIVE WEBCAST | NSIC SCORES | AM 950 KOEL
WEEKLY NOTES
UPPER IOWA | SIOUX FALLS | NORTHERN SUN | TWO DEEP
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa is on the road this week in Sioux Falls, S.D. for another NSIC South Division against the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls. Fans should get ready for a matchup of high powered offenses and the potential for a game-deciding onside kick, as both previous games in this series have come down to that all-important kick in the final minute. Upper Iowa exploded for 29 points in the second quarter of their NSIC showdown with Wayne State College on Senior Day in Fayette en route to a 58-29 victory. The Peacocks ran for 226 yards in the game after two straight weeks of less than 40 yards on the ground. The run game allowed Cole Jaeschke and his receivers to dominate in the passing game as UIU racked up 357 yards through the air. The Peacock defense also stood tall with four interceptions and a fumble recovery as they turned the Wildcats over five times. With the win, UIU improved to 6-3 on the season and secured their second straight winning season. The Peacocks are now 2-3 in the NSIC South. Last week, USF fell to Minnesota State 27-14.
THE SERIES... Last year in Fayette, Chris Smith set the new single-season mark for rushing yards in a season. More importantly the yards and his three touchdowns of 3, 18 and 59 yards fueled UIU to their fifth victory of the season, 30-28, over the Cougars. The win evened the series at one win apiece; 2012's wild shootout in South Dakota was the first-ever meeting between Upper Iowa and Sioux Falls. The nationally-ranked Cougars jumped all over the Peacocks early and took a 37-0 lead, UIU quarterback Cole Jaeschke put the team on his right arm and rallied the Peacocks with the greatest passing performance in Upper Iowa history. He threw for 606 yards on 43 completions in 78 attempts, all three setting new Peacock records. The final scoreboard showed Sioux Falls 54 - Upper Iowa 41 in a game that was filled with runs and dominance by each team.
REWRITING THE NSIC RECORD BOOKS... Peacock fans have witnessed an assault on the UIU football record book over the past few years, but now names like Cole Jaeschke, Chris Smith, Shay Gutman, Derek Giesking and Lucas Hefty are being etched into the Northern Sun Conference and the NCAA Division II record books. As this year's senior class begins to put a close on their careers in Peacock blue, their legacy will live on for decades to come. Jaeschke is the Northern Sun's all-time leader in passing yards with 11,056 and total offense with 11,501 yards in 41 NSIC games. Jaeschke passed Phillip Klaphake of St. Cloud State for the NSIC total offense record last week against Wayne State. Smith has rushed for 4,268 in 32 NSIC games, which ranks second all-time behind Winona State's Rayon Simmons (4,805). Gutman became UIU's leader in career receiving yards against Concordia with 2,724. Both Gutman and Derek Giesking are closing in on the all-time receptions lead at Upper Iowa; Giesking is in the lead after pulling down 30 catches in the last two weeks. Dwayne Croker (2004-07) caught 194 passes; Giesking sits with 192, while Gutman has 188. With his 30 grabs over the last two Saturdays, Giesking now holds the single-game record (15) and single-season record (77) for receptions. Both receivers are also chasing the NSIC career record for receptions which is set at 210. Hefty's 167 receptions are the seventh highest total in NSIC history.
PEACOCK LEADERS IN THE NCAA DIVISION II AND NSIC... Many of the Peacock players are ranked among the nation's best this season. Here is a quick look at the some of the top marks with NCAA and NSIC ranks in parentheses. Cole Jaeschke... Completions/Game (3rd NCAA/1st NSIC), Completion % (28th/3rd), Passing TD's (35th/5th), Passing Yds. (8th, 2nd), PY/Game (12th, 2nd) and Total Offense (16th, 2nd). Chris Smith... All-Purpose Yds (10th, 1st), Points Responsible For/Game (29rd, 6th), Rushing TD's (4th, 1st), Rushing Yds (16th, 1st), RY/Game (4th, 1st) and Scoring (1st, 1st). Shay Gutman... Receiving TD's (69th, 8th), Receiving Yards (35th, 5th), RY/G (27rd, 4th) and Receptions/Game (23nd, 4th). Alex Wahl... Forced Fumbles (20th, 2nd), Solo Tackles (4th, 1st), Tackles for Loss (55th, 6th) and Total Tackles (18th, 3rd). Derek Giesking... RY/Game (27th, 4th) and Receptions/Game (2nd, 1st). Chayz Holt... Interceptions (4th, 2nd) and Passes Defended (3rd, 2nd). Tyler Fisher... Tackles for Loss (81th, 9th) and Total Tackles (97rd, 9th). Trey MacTaggart... Combined Kick Returns (81th, 11th) and Punt Return TD's (4th, 1st). Zach Gardner... Fumbles Recovered (29th, 1st). Team... Passes Intercepted (3rd, 2nd), Red Zone Defense (27th, 1st), 4th Down Conversion % (14th, 2nd), 4th Down Conversion % Defense (47th, 5th) and Turnovers Gained (8th, 2nd).
ABOUT SIOUX FALLS: The Cougars are 8-1 on the season and 4-1 in the NSIC South (2nd place) following last week's 14-27 loss at Minnesota State. It was a season low for the USF offense, who prior to the loss had scored less than 36 just once all season. With an 8-1 mark, the Cougars are assured of a 21st straight winning season. The loss to #1 Minnesota State-Mankato dropped USF to 403-402-20 record in 96 years of football.
USF ranks sixth in total offense (461.2 yards per game) and third in scoring offense (40.2 ppg) in the NSIC. In addition, the Cougars, which forced three turnovers, rank first in the NISC in turnover margin (31-to-16) at 1.67 per game. In addition, the USF defense is second in scoring defense (16.7 ppg) and third in total defense (329.3 yards per game) in the league. Led by junior cornerback Solomon St. Pierre's league-best 10 interceptions (tied for 1st in NCAA DII), the Cougars have 20 interceptions as a team, which tops the NSIC by two picks. St. Pierre has tied a school record with his 10 picks and stands one away from tying the league mark.
So far this season, USF has allowed just five total TDs in the first and fourth quarter combined. In fact, USF has a 201-to-47 margin in the first and fourth quarters combined. In the fourth quarter, USF owns a 107-to-31 margin with a 94-to-16 ppg edge in the first quarter.
Wayne State has allowed a league-low three sacks, which ranks sixth in NCAA Division II, while the Wildcats lead the NSIC and rank fifth nationally in sacks with 29 for 167 yards. The Wildcats' turnover margin of -4 is tied for ninth in the NSIC.
With a 49-3 mark at Bob Young Field, the Cougars will try and win the 50th game at Bob Young FIeld. The Cougars won the first 32 games and have since taken 17-of-20 at the friendly confines of Young Field. Overall, including play at Howard Wood Field (through 2006), the Cougars have won 69 of the past 72 games and 59-of-61 home conference games, including 47 in the GPAC (NAIA) and 12 as an NSIC member in NCAA DII. Since 2000, USF is 87-8 at home.
In his second season as starter, USF starting quarterback Luke Papillion is 11-4 as a starter, including 8-1 this season. Papilion ranks 11th on USF's career passing chart. After throwing for 250 against #1 Minnesota State, the Denver, Colo., sophomore now has 2,863 career passing yards. He is 288 yards from the top-10 all-time.
Nephi Garcia, who ranks sixth in the league in rushing per game at 86.3 yards per game, has 170 carries for 777 yards and 13 TDs (2nd, NSIC). He now has 370 carries for 1,845 yards and 21 TDs in his career. Garcia has recorded nine 100-yard rushing games in his career at USF.
