GAME SIX || SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015 || 6:00 PMFAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUM || HOMECOMING 2015CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL AT UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY
LIVE OPTIONS
LIVE STATS || LIVE WEBCAST || AM 950 KOEL || NSICSCORES.COM
WEEKLY NOTES
UPPER IOWA || CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL || NORTHERN SUN || TWO DEEPS
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... After a pair of losses to nationally-ranked opponents, the Peacock football team welcomes the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears to Fayette for their 2015 Homecoming weekend. Over the last two Saturdays, Upper Iowa dropped a four-point decision, 28-24, to #25 Minnesota Duluth and then lost to #1 Minnesota State, 38-10, despite a 10-7 lead for UIU at the break. The Golden Bears have struggled in their last two games being outscored 47-7 at home versus Bemidji State and 51-7 by Winona State on their Homecoming weekend last Saturday. Both teams come in searching to find success on the ground to balance their respective offenses. Alex Carr leads the way for CSP with nearly 47 yards per game, while
Derrick Portis is averaging 64 yards per game. The defense for Upper Iowa will need to take the lead and set the tone as the Golden Bears have yet to put points on the scoreboard in the first quarter this season.
THE SERIES... Upper Iowa earned their first win over Concordia two seasons ago on Homecoming weekend in Fayette during the 2013 campaign. The Peacocks held on for a 28-24 victory after the Golden Bears couldn't reach the end zone from a first and goal in the last minute. CU won the previous seven match ups with UIU and claimed last year's tilt by three points in overtime. The annual meeting has occurred since 2006. CU and UIU have locked up in six close games in their nine meetings. The Peacocks lost 20-17 in 2007 and 23-14 in 2008 before dropping a wild 57-56 double overtime game in Fayette in 2009. The 2011 contest marked the fourth game decided in the final quarter in the series; Concordia claimed a come-from-behind, one-point win, 20-19, after scoring 13 points in the final four minutes of the game. The two teams have been separated by a total of seven points the last two years with each team defending their home field with a victory.
WHAT'S YOURS IS MINE AND WHAT'S MINE IS MINE... The Peacock defense has created 11 turnovers through the first five games of the season including 8 interceptions and three fumble recoveries to rank as the 4th highest total in the Northern Sun. Despite four second half giveaways last week against #1 Minnesota State, the team is ranked 21st in the nation and 1st in the NSIC in turnover margin having only handed the ball over five times (20th NCAA, 3rd NSIC).
NO LAUNDRY ON THE FIELD... Referees at UIU games this fall haven't had to drop many flags on the field. The Peacocks have only been called for 30 penalties which ranks as the 5th lowest total in the conference resulting in an average of 6 penalties per game, the 29th best average in NCAA Division II.
TACKLING THE ISSUES... Upper Iowa's black shirts on defense have been hitting hard this season. Led by the trio up the middle of linebackers
Alex Wahl and
Cole Stephen and defensive lineman
Jevell Rollins, the Peacocks have recorded the most tackles for loss in the Northern Sun and 32nd most in the country with 7.8 per game. Wahl and Rollins are both averaging 1.7 per tackles for loss per game (31st NCAA, 3rd NSIC). Wahl and Stephen lead UIU in total tackles with 46 and 44, respectively, which puts them both in the top ten among defensive players in the Northern Sun.
PEACOCKS IN THE RANKINGS... DIMITRI MORALES - 27.2 Completions per game (3rd NCAA DII, 1st NSIC), 61.5% Completion Percentage (40th NCAA, 6th NSIC), 8 Passing TD's (57th NCAA, 7th NSIC), 1,406 Passing Yards (20th NCAA, 2nd NSIC), 68 Points Responsible For (45th NCAA, 6th NSIC), 303.0 Total Offense/game (22nd NCAA, 3rd NSIC)... ALEX WAHL - 46 Tackles (76th NCAA, 6th NSIC), 24 Solo Tackles (9th NSIC), 8.5 Tackles for Loss (31st NCAA, 3rd NSIC)... TATE THOMPSON - 1 Punt Return TD (4th NCAA, T-1st NSIC), 2 Interceptions (T-73rd, T-3rd)... DARIUS COHEN - 2 Interceptions (T-73rd, T-3rd NSIC)... JARRED EDMONDS - 4 Rec. TD's (43rd NCAA, 3rd NSIC), 332 Receiving Yards (8th NSIC), 4.8 Receptions/game (11th NSIC)... TREY MACTAGGART - 326 Receiving Yards (12th NSIC), 5 Receptions/game (8th NSIC)... JALEN AMIS - 274 Receiving Yards (22nd NSIC), 8 Receptions/game (6th NCAA, 1st NSIC)... NATE SKARE - 37.8 yard Punt Average (7th NSIC)... BRADY BEUSCHEL - 66.7% Field Goal Percentage (45th NCAA, 4th NSIC), 1.2 Field Goals Made/Game (28th NCAA, 4th NSIC), 6.4 Points/Game (13th NSIC).
RADIO... Upper Iowa Peacock football can be heard throughout the remainder of the 2015 season courtesy of AM 950 KOEL.
THE BROADCAST TEAM... Play-by-play announcer, and Upper Iowa alum, Joe Stasi is in his 13th consecutive season as the "Voice of the Peacocks" and 15th overall. For the fourth consecutive year he is joined on the broadcast by Zach Carlyle, a recent graduate (2015) of Upper Iowa. The pre-game show is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
