The Peacocks scored only 7 points through the first three quarters, but Upper Iowa scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to tie Wayne State and then outscored the Wildcats 10-7 in the two overtimes to win their sixth game of the season. UIU's
Brady Beuschel converted a 30-yard field goal with a minute and a half to play and then knocked the game-winning kick from 34 yards in the second overtime to secure the Peacocks' third straight winning season with a 34-31 victory. UIU is now 6-4 overall and 3-3 in NSIC South play, while WSC is 4-6 overall and 1-5 against the NSIC South.
Both teams came into the game with backup quarterbacks due to injuries and the pair of true freshmen combined to throw for 623 yards and 7 touchdowns. Taylor Reedy spread his yards and scores out over the entire game, while UIU's
Brent Lammers saved his fireworks for the fourth quarter and overtime. Lammers threw for 272 yards and 4 touchdowns and added 62 yards on 18 carries.
After Upper Iowa took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter on a Lammers to
Derrick Portis 39-yard pass, the Wildcats scored 17 points with a touchdown in the first quarter, one more just seconds before halftime and a 41-yard field goal at the beginning of the third quarter.
UIU used a 7-play, 47-yard drive highlighted by a 17-yard rush by Lammers and capped off by a
Jalen Amis touchdown reception from Lammers from 11 yards away, to pull within three points, 17-14, with under 10 minutes to play. The scoring drive snapped a 12-possession drought that included nine punts.
Wayne State reestablished their 10-point lead, 24-14, on their next possession thanks to a 42-yard hookup between Reedy and Marcel Dunson with 6:50 to play.
Lammers and the Peacock receivers went to work on the ensuing drive covering 78 yards in 10 plays while just 1:36 came off the game clock. The drive resulted in a third touchdown pass for Lammers as he found
Trey MacTaggart for a 5-yard score. The freshman hurler completed seven of his nine passes including three to Amis and two to
Jarred Edmonds.
Trailing 24-21 with 5:06 to play, the Peacock defense needed a quick turnaround to get the ball back into the hands of the offense. UIU's blackshirts delivered with a three and out that took just over a minute off the clock and forced a punt to take over at their 42 yard line.
Upper Iowa converted four first downs on their drive including a fourth and one dive up the middle by Lammers. After reaching the redzone, the Peacock drive stalled, but Beuschel hit his 12th field goal of the season from 30 yards to knot the score at 24-24 with 1:36 to play. Both teams had the ball one time before time expired, but couldn't break the tie as the game moved to overtime.
The Peacocks took the ball first and used just three plays to score a touchdown on as Lammers and MacTaggart connected for the second time on the day. Wayne State answered with a touchdown of their own, but had to convert on a pair of fourth downs including the scoring play from the five-yard line when Reedy found Jonathan Parks in the end zone.
The Wildcats took the ball first in the second overtime period. On the second play for WSC,
Nick Corley intercepted a pass over the middle to give Upper Iowa a shot at the win with their possession.
The Peacocks rushed the ball three times for nine yards and Beuschel knocked in a 34-yard field goal for the win. The kick marked Beuschel's 13th trifecta of the year, which ties the UIU season mark set by Steven Sandoval in 2011.
While the UIU offense took a while to get going through the first three quarters, the Peacock defense was doing their best to keep the Wildcats from getting away.
Cole Stephen recorded a game-high 13 tackles, while
Darius Cohen recorded 11 stops including 10 solo tackles. Thirteen Peacocks registered at least three tackles in the game.
Lammers spread out his passes to six different receivers , but none more than the Amis. The junior transfer from Butte College pulled in 12 catches for 115 yards and one touchdown. Amis now has 94 catches this season setting a new record for both Upper Iowa and the Northern Sun Intecollegiate Conference for receptions in a season. The former record holder for both was
Derek Giesking, who set the mark at 93 last season.
Upper Iowa will close out the regular season next week at home on Senior Day in Fayette. The Peacocks will host the University of Sioux Falls at noon on Nov. 14 at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. The #8 Cougars dropped their highly-touted matchup with the #7 Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato, 44-3, earlier on Saturday.
