Upper Iowa lost their final game of the season at home on Saturday afternoon in Fayette to the #17 Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls.  The NCAA Division II playoff-bound Cougars won the game 69-20 thanks to multiple touchdowns in each of the three phases of the game.  With the victory, USF finished the season 9-2 and will most likely claim one of the seven spots in the NCAA Super Region Three Playoffs.  Upper Iowa closed their 2015 campaign with a 6-5 record for the third straight year marking the first time the program has posted a trio of consecutive winning seasons since 1962-64.
 
Prior to the game, Upper Iowa recognized their 10 seniors including Dakota Basten, Ryan Bubulka, Derek Hurschman, Jake Johnston, Joe McCaffery, Cody Nilges, Brandon Rogers, Jevell Rollins, Cole Stephen and Alex Wahl. 
 
Sioux Falls scored three offensive touchdowns, two special team touchdowns and a defensive touchdown and added a field goal in the first half to control the first 30 minutes and take a 45-7 lead into the break.  The scores came in bunches as USF scored their first 21 points within a five minute timespan on a touchdown pass, a blocked punt return for a touchdown and an interception return for a score.  After a UIU score cut the margin to 21-7, the Cougars scored on an 88-yard kick return by K. Groeneweg and then added 17 more unanswered points on a pair of offensive touchdowns and a field goal.  Upper Iowa's lone scoring drive in the quarter came at the beginning of the second quarter when Brent Lammers found Jalen Amis for a 5 yard touchdown. 
 
Upper Iowa took the opening drive of the second half 85 yards in 13 plays and Lammers once again capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to Amis; this time from 12 yards away.  Sioux Falls added four more touchdowns including a second pick-six before the home team mounted one last scoring drive.  Brandon Rogers replaced an injured Lammers in the fourth and scrambled into the endzone to cap off a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a touchdown. 
 
UIU held a 28-19 advantage in first downs on the day and forced a pair of turnovers on downs by the Cougars, but the non-offensive touchdowns were too much to overcome.  Sioux Falls outgained Upper Iowa by 30 yards in total offense (491-461), but 5 turnovers (4 interceptions, 1 fumble) limited the  Peacocks' opportunities on the afternoon and the Cougars took advantage scoring 56 of their points off turnovers.
 
Amis led the offense with 14 catches for 123 yards and the two scores.  His 108 catches this season are the new record mark for both Upper Iowa and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  Trey MacTaggart added 8 grabs for 44 yards, while Jarred Edmonds pulled in 5 passes for 51 yards.  Cameron Lee accounted for 31 yards on his 4 receptions.
 
Lammers rushed for 50 yards and threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns, but did throw three interceptions, while Rogers, who was a quarterback through his first three seasons at UIU but changed to tight end this season, completed 7 of 11 passes for 73 yards and added 22 yards and a score on the ground. McCaffery added 45 yards on the ground to lead the running back group.
 
Wahl, who finished his career at UIU with 313 tackles, led the defense with 13 tackles including 5 tackles for loss, while fellow seniors Stephen (2.5 TFL) and Rollins (3 TFL) each posted 7 tackles along with freshman Jordan Rommes.  Hurschman and Tate Thompson both recorded 6 tackles.

Senior bios read prior to the game can be found below.

Our first senior is a 6-4, 245-pound defensive lineman from Cascade, Iowa.  After spending time on the offensive line, Dakota Basten moved to the defensive line last season recording 29 tackles in his 21 games played with 3.5 tackles for loss including a pair of sacks.  Dakota will graduate with a degree in marketing and graphic design and is being met by his parents Dan Basten and Dawn Reisdorf and his sister Danielle Beck.
 
Our second senior is a 6-9, 330-pound four-year starter on the offensive line for the Peacocks.  Ryan Bubulka has played in 37 games for Upper Iowa and was a major factor in clearing lanes for the Peacock offense that has rewritten the record books the last four-plus seasons.  Ryan will earned his bachelor's degree in communication last spring and is currently pursuing an MBA at Upper Iowa.  He is being met by his parents Andrew Bubulka and Robyn Colburn along with his brother Drew and his sister Emily.
 
Our next senior is a 6-1, 230-pound linebacker from Elgin, Illinois.  Derek Hurschman has played in 21 games in his two years with UIU recording 33 tackles including 5.5 for loss and 4 sacks almost all of which came this season.  Hurschman also blocked a kick at Augustana two weeks ago.  Derek will graduate with a degree in psychology and is being met by his parents Alan and Agnus Hurschman.
 
The fourth senior today is a 6-1, 225-pound tight end from Maynard, Iowa and West Central High School.  Johnston has been a part of the program since 2011 and has played in 16 games recording 6 tackles on special teams.  Jake will complete a degree in financial management this year and is being met on the field by his parents Craig Johnston and Jobyna Eastman.
 
Our next senior is a 6-0, 215-pound running back who came to UIU from North Liberty, Iowa.  Joe McCaffery has played in 31 games over the last three seasons rushing for 214 yards and a touchdown while picking up 28 receiving yards on 3 catches.  He has also registered 16 tackles on special teams over the years.  Joe is earning a degree in accounting and will be met by his parents Bill and Angela McCaffery.
 
The next senior came to Upper Iowa from nearby Tripoli High School, where he caught a ton of passes for the Panthers.  Nilges spent two seasons as a tight end for UIU pulling in 6 catches for 40 yards and a touchdown before switching sides and trying his hand as a defensive lineman.  Over the last two years, Nilges has recorded 28 tackles including 5 for loss with 1.5 sacks.  Cody is completing his business management and finance degree and is being met by his parents Paul and Linda Nilges.
 
The seventh senior is a 6-2, 240-pound tight end from Machesney Park, Ill. who spent his first three seasons with the Peacocks as a backup quarterback.  Brandon Rogers returned for his final season as UIU's starting tight end this year catching 7 passes for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns.  As a quarterback, he threw for 188 yards and two scores and ran for 70 yards and a touchdown.  Brandon will graduate with a degree in fitness and wellness.  He is the son of Carla and Robert Westhoff and will be met by wide receivers coach Robert Arnheim.
 
Our eighth senior is a 6-2, 285 defensive lineman that was named to the All-NSIC team following his junior season.  A native of Milwaukee, Wis., Jevell Rollins has played in 39 games on the line making 142 tackles including 71 solo stops.  Rollins recorded 42.5 tackles for loss accounting for 127 yards including 7.5 sacks in his time in Peacock blue and white.  He also forced two fumbles and blocked a kick.  Jevell will graduate with a business management degree and is being met on the field by his mom Verna Gainer.
 
The next senior is a 6-1, 225-pound linebacker from Manchester, Iowa and West Delaware High School.  Cole Stephen has played in all 44 games for Upper Iowa over the last four seasons recording 163 tackles with 83 of them coming on his own.  Stephen has 15.5 tackles for loss and has forced and recovered a fumble.  His lone sack came this season against Southwest Minnesota State.  Cole will graduate with a degree in business management and finance.  He is the son of the late Brad Stephen and is being met on the field by his parents John and Amy Bernau.
 
Our final senior is a 6-2, 235-pound linebacker from Elgin, Ill.  Alex Wahl has played in 38 games for the Peacocks over five seasons due to an injury early in his career.  Wahl has been outstanding as the Peacock middle linebacker recording 300 tackles with 176 solo stops.  He has 48.5 tackles for a loss of 178 yards including 36 over the last two seasons.  Wahl has also added 13 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries and a pair of interceptions.  He was named to the All-NSIC team and two different All-Region teams following his junior campaign that saw him register 127 tackles.  Alex will graduate with a degree in business management and is being met on the field by his parents John and Theresa Wahl.