GAME TWO || SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 || 6:00 PM
MINOT, N.D. || HERB PARKER STADIUM
UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY AT MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY
 
Live Options
Webcast || Live Stats || Listen Live on KOEL AM 950
 
Notes
Upper Iowa || Minot State || Northern Sun Conference || Two Deeps

THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Peacock football program improved to 7-2 against the NSIC North Division since the 2012 season with a come-from-behind win over MSU Moorhead, 44-36, last Saturday.  The Peacocks will travel to Minot, N.D. for a game under the lights at Minot State University.  Upper Iowa won the first meeting of these two teams in the Peacocks' first victory at the transformed Harms-Eischeid Stadium, 26-20.  The Beavers come into the game having lost at Sioux Falls, 41-14.  Minot State's defense is led by Thomas Bryson, who registered 8 tackles including 2 for loss and 1.5 sacks while returning a fumble 63 yards for one of the Beavers' two scores on the day.  The offense for MSU is led by quarterback Zac Cunha, who threw for 158 yards and a touchdown last week against the Cougars.
 
THE SERIES... The Peacocks won the teams' only match up two seasons ago in Fayette.  Former UIU Head Coach Paul Rudolph led the Beavers back to Fayette during their first season of NSIC competition.  The Beavers returned the opening kick for a touchdown, but Upper Iowa responded with a quick strike from Cole Jaeschke to Keaton Hosch to tie the game and later took a 16-7 lead into halftime after Hosch added a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown.  Lucas Hefty caught a touchdown pass with 2:59 on the clock in fourth quarter to give the home team a 12-point lead.  Upper Iowa held on for the 26-22 win.
 
FOUR SCORE AND A WEEK AGO... Chris Smith found the endzone four times in last week's win over MSU Moorhead.  The four touchdown runs were a new career-high for Smith in a game and pushed his career total to 30 touchdowns.  He now sits in third place all-time at UIU behind Warren Pierce (34, 1964-66) and Wesley Bell (31, 1997-98).  Smith's 134 yards were 28th best in the country, while his four rushing scores was the highest mark in the nation.  Coming into the season, the senior from Brown Deer, Wis. had pulled in 23 receptions.  Last Saturday, Smith caught 7 passes for 34 yards and could have had an eighth for a touchdown if not for a holding penalty.  He was named to a pair of preseason All-America teams including Beyond Sports College Network and USA College Football.  The senior running back was named to the Don Hansen All-America Second Team after earning All-Super Region #3 first team honors a year ago. 
 
"GUT"S OF A BURGULAR...  Senior wideout Shay Gutman recorded 12 catches for 130 yards and one score.  He had two sensational catches in the endzone, but only one counted as the Peacocks got called for holding on his diving grab in the second quarter.  The dozen catches tie the third most in UIU's history; Gutman did it himself once before at Sioux Falls in 2012.  Gutman is ranked 4th in the country in receptions and 25th in receiving yards.  With the 130 yards, Gutman surpassed the 2,000-yard mark and now has 2,088 receiving yards in his career.
 
"COLE" SEPTEMBER FORECASTED… Senior quarterback Cole Jaeschke completed 38 passes last week, the most completions in the nation, for 371 yards, which was the 12th highest total across NCAA Division II.  The 38 completions and 64 attempts are both the second most all-time at UIU behind his own marks of 43 completions in 78 attempts at Sioux Falls in 2012.  His two touchdown passes added to his program record for scores thrown in a career; he now has 64. 
 
BREAKING DOWN THE "WAHL"...  Redshirt junior linebacker Alex Wahl was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 16 tackles, three of which added up to a loss of 15 yards for the Dragons, last Saturday.  Wahl, who had nine solo stops, also recorded a quarterback sack and forced a fumble.  Both the sack and fumble came in UIU territory; the sack came on fourth down from the Peacock 35-yard line and the fumble came when the Dragons reached the UIU 27-yard line.  His 16 tackles rank as the third most in the nation after week one, while his solo tackles and tackles for loss are both ranked 13th in the country.
 
RADIO...  Upper Iowa Peacock football can be heard throughout the 2014 season courtesy of AM 950 KOEL.
 
THE BROADCAST TEAM... Play-by-play announcer Joe Stasi is in his 12th season as the "Voice of the Peacocks." For the third consecutive year he will be joined on the broadcast by Zach Carlyle, a senior sports communication major at UIU.  The pre-game show is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 
About the Beavers… (Courtesy of Minot State University Sports Information)
RUMBLIN', BUMBLIN', STUMBLIN': It was one of the lone bright spots for Minot State's defense, but it was an extremely bright one at that. Minot State junior Thomas Bryson (DL, Layton, Utah) scooped up a fumble caused by Aaron James (Jr., LB, Oklahoma City, Okla.) and raced 63-yards untouched for a touchdown on Sioux Falls' first possession of the second half. It was the longest rumble return in 10 years for the Beavers and the third return TD for MISU in the past five games dating back to 2013 as Brandon Boston (So., DB, Richmond, Texas) had a 59-yard interception return for a score last year against Minnesota Crookston and Leon La Deaux (Sr., WR, Port Orchard, Wash.) returned a kick 98 yards for a TD against MSU-Moorhead last year.
 
TACKLING MACHINE SET TO A LOT: Minot State senior linebacker Casey Weinmann (LB, Selz, N.D.) finished with a 10-year high in school history 19 total tackles Saturday. He had 15 solo stops, which would have broken his total tackle personal best, and added four assists. Weinmann now has 199 tackles in his career for the Beavers.
 
RUNNING WOES: The Beavers ground game only finished with a total of 24 yards rushing in the loss Saturday and never got on track. Leading rusherJarvis Mustipher (So., RB, Melbourne, Fla.) could only gain 33 yards in the contest. Minot State also gave up five quarterback sacks to cut into the rushing total.
 
SACK ATTACK: Minot State got to the University of Sioux Falls quarterbacks four times Saturday in the season opener, finishing with over 20 percent of the team's total of 19 quarterback sacks during the entire 2013 season. Thomas Bryson (Jr., DL, Layton, Utah) led the way with 1.5 sacks, while Levi Freidt (Sr., DB, Minot, N.D.) and Aaron James (Jr., LB, Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished with one each. Defensive back Bryce Broome (So., Port Orchard, Wash.) joined with Bryson to earn a half sack in the first quarter.
 
SOUTH WINNING NSIC: Minnesota Duluth and the University of Mary were the only NSIC North teams to earn a win last week during the first week of North-South crossover play. The teams continue to cross over for the next three weeks before getting into divisional play.
 
FROM KELLIE TO MINOT: THANKS: Minot State University will again have a fireworks display following the home opener as the Beavers are 1-0 in fireworks games since joining NCAA Division II. The Beavers outlasted Augustana College in triple overtime for the win last year as fireworks on the field provided by Wayne Peters were followed by a display brought to you by State Farm's Kellie Thorman. The fireworks are a part of Minot State's Community Appreciation Night.
 
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
5-6: The number of touchdowns by Sioux Falls in the Beavers opening game in the red zone. USF converted nearly every time, while Minot State did not have a play in the red zone on offense.
 
6: Number of underclassmen Minot State starts on its 28-man two deep roster for offense, defense and special teams. The offense has the most with four, including two redshirt freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line.
 
709: Yards given up by Upper Iowa in the win, yes win. The Peacocks allowed 295 rushing yards and 414 passing yards, but overcame all of that to defeat MSU-Moorhead Saturday. The teams combined for 199 total plays.