GAME THREE || SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 || 6:00 PMFAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUMBEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY AT UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY
Live OptionsWebcast || Live Stats || Listen Live on KOEL AM 950 NotesUpper Iowa || Bemidji State || Northern Sun Conference || Two Deeps
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Peacock football program improved to 7-3 against the NSIC North Division since the 2012 season with a dominating win at Minot State, 49-3, last Saturday. The Peacocks will be back at home for a game under the lights against Bemidji State University. The Beavers come into the game having lost their first two matchups of the season, at Wayne State, 41-14, and versus Sioux Falls, 52-19. Bemidji State's offense is led by quarterbacks Jordan Hein and Ryan Shields, who have combined for 512 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, with a quarterback efficiency rating of 100.3. Upper Iowa will look to improve on their 2-0 start and remain undefeated through three games for the first time since 1990. The Peacocks are one of 46 teams in NCAA Division II with a 2-0 record including five members of the high-powered Northern Sun.
AG DAY... Upper Iowa University is extremely proud to call Northeast Iowa home. Join us as we extend a Peacock salute to area farmers, ag-businesses, FFA students and all who have a hand in maintaining the amazing farmland that surrounds us. Local implements and farmers will have equipment on display and a petting zoo for the kids will be on site as well.
THE SERIES... The Beavers have won all five meetings since the Peacocks moved up to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Conference. Bemidji State took the first four meetings in dominant fashion claiming both meetings in the HHH Metrodome in 2006 (44-20) and 2007 (56-28). The teams did not meet in 2008 and 2009, but BSU posted wins in Bemidji, 51-12 in 2010, and in Fayette, 48-7 in 2011. In their last meeting (2012), Upper Iowa took a 23-19 lead on the road late in the fourth quarter, but the Beavers rallied with a touchdown to go up 25-23. The Peacocks had one last shot at the win, but a few different factors went into a miscue on a 46-yard field goal attempt and the home team held on for the win.
MR. TOUCHDOWN... Senior
Chris Smith has found the end zone seven times this season, which is the highest total in the nation through the first two games. He is currently in second place all-time in career touchdowns with 33. He trails Warren Pierce by one touchdown; Pierce scored 34 times from 1964-66. Smith's 235 yards are 24th best in the country and second in the NSIC.
COLE'S ON A ROLL… Senior quarterback
Cole Jaeschke has thrown for the 7th most completions in the nation with (57) with a 62.6 completion percentage (39th NCAA). His 626 passing yards are ranked 19th among NCAA DII signal callers, while his 658 yards of total offense are 17th best in the country. His four touchdown passes add on to his program record for scores thrown in a career; he now has 66.
IT'S A GUT FEELING... Senior wideout
Shay Gutman has pulled down 16 catches for 206 yards and two scores. His dozen catches in week one tie the third most in UIU's history; Gutman did it himself once before at Sioux Falls in 2012. Gutman is ranked 17th in the country in receptions and 32nd in receiving yards. With his 206 yards, Gutman surpassed the 2,000-yard mark and now has 144 career receptions and 2,164 receiving yards. He is currently fifth on the all-time receptions list trailing the leader Dwayne Croker (2004-07) by 50 and the all-time receiving yards list trailing the record holder Jackie Bridges (1989-92) by 478 yards.
FEELING DEFENSIVE... Redshirt juniors
Alex Wahl, who will wear #37 for the remainder of the season, and
Jevell Rollins are leading the Peacock defense through two games. After allowing big yards to MSU Moorhead in week one, Upper Iowa limited Minot State to just 248 yards of total offense and 3 points. UIU's blackshirts have registered 3 interceptions (27th NCAA), 6 sacks (29th NCAA) and 19 tackles for loss (22nd NCAA) while holding the opponents to just one field goal (13th NCAA) in the redzone through the first two games. Wahl's 21 tackles (43rd NCAA) and 12 solo stops (48th NCAA) lead the team, while Rollins' 5 tackles for loss are the 12th highest total in the nation.
Jeff Arends has two interceptions which ranks 5th in the country, while
Chayz Holt has defended 6 passes which is the second-best tally in NCAA Division II.
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.
LAST WEEK FOR THE BEAVERS... (Courtesty of BSU Sports Information) The University of Sioux Falls used a pair of defensive touchdowns late to snuff out Bemidji State University's second-half comeback attempt and power through to a 52-19 NSIC victory, Saturday at Chet Anderson Stadium.
The Beavers used a spark of quarterback Ryan Shields (So., Roseville, Calif.) off the bench to score 19 unanswered points and virtually erase a 24-0 first half deficit and come within five points (24-19) midway through the third quarter. The sophomore led BSU to 170 yards and two scores through the air and another 28 yards and a touchdown plunge on the ground, but the Cougars capitalized on a pair of BSU miscues to bounce back and dominate the final 15 minutes of play en route their first ever victory in Bemidji, Minn.
BSU got on the board with 9:22 left in the third quarter. After a 17-yard scamper by Shields, the quarterback hit Juwaan Richard (So., WR, Schaumburg, Ill.) in stride and the 2014 NSIC Player to Watch ran 52 yards to the endzone. Following a quick three-and-out forced by the Gang Green defense, Shields connected with newcomer Blake Holder (Fr., WR, Steamwood, Ill.) for an 81-yard touchdown strike. Another three-and out by the Cougars set up eight-play, 41-yard drive capped by BSU's Jonathan Albercrombie's (Fr., RB, Cedar Hill, Texas) four-yard touchdown run with 3:55 left in the third quarter.
USF opened the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive to halt to BSU's scoring run.
Trailing 31-19, BSU's Shields was poised to engineer his fourth scoring drive of the second half. He used 11 plays to march the Beavers 60 yards to the Cougars' 15 yard line, but Cameron Ostrom stepped in front of a short pass and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown. Instead of the Beavers finding the endzone to again come within a touchdown, 31-26, the pick six extended USF's lead to 20 points after a successful two-point conversion and the Beavers would never recover.
Sioux Falls would intercept a seconds Shields pass on the Beavers' ensuing possession, and 2:23 later, the Cougars used 31-yard pass from Luke Papilion to Josh Angulo to go up 46-10.
Six seconds and two plays later, an errant snap would fly over the head of Shields and Devin Flesher scooped up the loose ball in the Beavers' endzone to bring the score to 52-19 in favor of USF.
Shields finished the game completing 12 of 29 pass attempts for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also added 34 yards on eight rushing attempts to match Albercrombie to pace the team in rushing. Shields replaced starting quarterback Jordan Hein (Fr., Perham, Minn.) late in the second quarter after he completed just 3 of 14 pass attempts for 33 yards, while throwing two interceptions.
Nephi Garcia helped the Cougars pile up 477 yards of total offense, logging 134 of USF's 203 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. Papilion passed for 186 yards and a score on 17 of 27.
Connor Quinn (Jr., LB, Geneva, Ill.) paced the BSU defense for the second consecutive game. The junior collected 13 tackles, including eight solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Dylan Valentine (Sr., S, Temecula, Calif.) added nine tackles a fumble recovery and an interception.
