GAME ONE || Saturday, September 6, 2014 || 3:00 PM
Fayette, Iowa || Harms-Eischeid Stadium
Minnesota State University Moorhead at Upper Iowa University
 
Live Options
Webcast || Live Stats || Listen Live on KOEL AM 950
 
Notes
Upper Iowa || MSU Moorhead || Northern Sun Conference || Two Deeps
 
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Peacock football program will host the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 3 p.m. for the 2014 season opener.  Upper Iowa has posted a 6-2 mark against the NSIC North over the last two seasons which includes a 51-33 win in Moorhead, Minn. two seasons ago.  Both teams come in with high-powered offenses that feature a balance of run and pass.  The Peacocks are led by eight seniors on the offense side of the ball including All-NSIC running back Chris Smith, tight end Lucas Hefty, wide receivers Keaton Hosch, Shay Gutman and Derek Giesking, quarterback Cole Jaeschke and left tackle Casey Beck.  UIU's defense, led by defensive lineman Jevell Rollins, linebackers Alex Wahl and Tyler Fisher, safety Jeff Arends and corner Chayz Holt, will have to work hard to contain the Dragons' offense spearheaded by quarterback Jake Hodge, wide receiver Adam Jiskra and running back Zayne Medhaug.
 
THE SERIES... The Peacocks have won three of their five meetings with the Dragons since Upper Iowa's move up to NCAA Division II prior to the 2006 season.  Upper Iowa has won the last two contests thanks to a 51-33 victory in Moorhead in 2012 and a 45-31 win in Fayette in 2011.  UIU lost their first two games in Moorhead in 2007, 31-28, and in 2010, 28-24, but claimed the inaugural match up in 2006 with a 36-13 victory at home.
 
TAKE A KID TO THE GAME & EDUCATOR APPRECIATION DAY… Area kids, as well as educators, will be admitted free to the game, while UIU alumni educators in attendance will receive additional special recognition during the 3 p.m. game vs. Minnesota State University Moorhead. 
 
A HEFTY HANDFUL... Lucas Hefty was named to four preseason All-American teams including D2Football.com, Lindy Sports, Beyond Sports College Network and the USA College Football.  The senior tight end was named to the NSIC South Division First Team and the Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-Super Region #3 squad last season.  He caught 65 passes for 846 yards (51st in NCAA) and 10 touchdowns (33rd NCAA). In addition to Hefty's pass catching duties, he was also a big part of the blocking schemes for Chris Smith's success on the ground. His touchdown catches, receiving yards, 5.9 catches per game (49th NCAA) and 76.9 receiving yards per game (59th NCAA) all ranked fourth among Northern Sun Conference receivers. Hefty also added three two-point conversions to his scoring total this season averaging 6 points per game. In his three years with UIU, the Traer, Iowa native has pulled in 113 passes for 1,476 yards and 19 touchdowns.
 
CAN'T MISS CHRIS... Chris Smith 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.  Smith, an NSIC South Division First Team performer, is Upper Iowa's leader in rushing yards in a season and career,.  His 1,706 rushing yards in 2013 eclipsed the old mark of 1,426 set by Mike Hatten during the 2000 season.  The Brown Deer, Wisconsin product's 16 touchdowns also rank as the second highest mark in a season in program history.  Smith rushed for over 200 yards in four games and averaged 155.1 yards per game on the ground. For his efforts, Smith was named to the regional ballot for NCAA Division II's Harlon Hill Award, the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in NCAA DII.  As a true freshman, Smith was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in 2011 when he ran for 1,212 yards and 9 scores.  Over his three seasons in Peacock blue, he has tallied 3,203 yards surpassing the former record holder for career rushing yards, T.C. Hicks.  Hicks racked up 3,198 yards from 2004-07.  Smith and Hicks are the only two Peacocks to go over 3,000 yards in a career.
 
CHECKING THE REARVIEW MIRROR… The Peacocks finished their 2013 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 3-4 mark in the NSIC South Division. The six wins mark the first time the team has put together a winning season at the NCAA Division II level since becoming an official member prior to the 2006 season. This past campaign was just the 16th time a football team at UIU has reached the 6-win mark in the program's 119-year football history. The Peacocks, who have only had four winning seasons prior to 2013 since 1966's 8-2 campaign, wrapped up just their 35th winning season in their history.
 
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 2:30 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE DRAGONS…
The Dragons are coming off of a season where they went 4-7 overall, including 4-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division. MSUM finished third in the division race and went 4-2 in its last six games.
 
While the Dragons only have 10 seniors, they do return experience, with 10 starters returning on offense and nine on defense. Leading the offense is junior wide receiver, Adam Jiskra, who had 67 catches for 1,014 yards and 12 touchdowns (all team highs) as he earned All-NSIC North Division first-team honors. Junior quarterback Jake Hodge returns after throwing for 2,518 yards and 24 touchdowns. Hodge was second-team All-NSIC North Division last season.
 
Sophomore wide receiver Cory Ambrose was second-team All-NSIC North Division after catching 56 passes for 916 yards and six scores last season. Junior running back, Zayne Medhaug, also a second-team All-NSIC North Division selection, rushed for 431 yards and three scores while catching 42 passes last season. MSUM also returns a trio of three-year starters on the offensive line:  senior Kasey Groettum and juniors Bennen Bierman and Troy Peterson.  MSUM also returns junior tight end Myles Montplaisir.
 
MSUM averaged 31.8 points per game a year ago and rushed for 174.2 yards per game. The Dragons threw for 285.5 yards per game and averaged 459.7 total yards of offense per contest.
 
The Dragon defense is led by a pair of all-conference honorable mention performers from last season in junior linebacker Chris Lee and sophomore defensive lineman Ryan Dahleen. Lee led MSUM with 80 tackles and shared the team lead with Dahleen with 10.5 tackles for loss. Dahleen led MSUM with six sacks to go with 36 tackles.
 
MSUM also returns junior cornerback Chris Binford, who had 74 tackles and 12 pass breakups last season, and sophomore defensive back Jesse Beilke, who had 73 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Aaron Bohl also is back after recording 66 tackles a year ago.
 
The Dragons allowed 41.5 points per game a year ago. Teams rushed for 255.7 yards per game against MSUM and threw for 241.4. Teams compiled 497.1 yards per game a year ago against MSUM.
 
Sophomore Michael Schwichtenberg is back after averaging 35.3 yards per punt last season.  He placed 10 punts inside the 20-yard line. Schwichtenberg also will handle the kicking duties for the Dragons this season.
 
The Dragons had seven players who earned All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors a year ago, and all seven return.
 
That includes junior wide receiver Adam Jiskra, who was a first-team selection a year ago. Also returning for the Dragons are junior quarterback Jake Hodge (All-NSIC second team), junior running back Zayne Medhaug (All-NSIC second team), sophomore wide receiver Cory Ambrose (All-NSIC second team), junior linebacker Chris Lee (honorable mention), junior offensive lineman Troy Peterson (honorable mention) and defensive lineman Ryan Dahleen (honorable mention).
 
MSUM is 1-2 in season openers under Head Coach Steve Laqua. In 2011, the Dragons beat Robert Morris, 28-17. They have lost their past two openers, falling to Wayne State, 49-6 in 2012 and Augustana, 41-28 in 2013.