GAME THREE || SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 || 6:00 PMFAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUMUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON AT UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY
LIVE OPTIONS
LIVE STATS || LIVE WEBCAST || AM 950 KOEL || NSICSCORES.COM
WEEKLY NOTES
UPPER IOWA || MINNESOTA CROOKSTON || NORTHERN SUN || TWO DEEPS
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa enters the weekend with a 2-0 mark after wins over Northern State University and the University of Mary. The Peacocks have won eight straight games against the NSIC North Division and are undefeated (7-0) against the Golden Eagles of the University of Minnesota Crookston. UIU will put both streaks on the line this Saturday in Fayette as they welcome UMC to Harms-Eischeid Stadium for a showdown under the lights. Minnesota Crookston lost to Wayne State College, 58-16, in the season opener and then hosted the #15 University of Sioux Falls last week falling 45-21. The Golden Eagles gave the nationally-ranked Cougars all they could handle in the first half trailing 28-21 at the break, but USF closed the door in the second half with 21 unanswered points.
THE SERIES... Upper Iowa is undefeated in their seven meetings with the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston, but the two teams have only met once since 2011's match up. Their one meeting since UIU's 31-21 victory in Crookston in 2011 came in the 2013 season opener for both teams. The Peacocks dominated the match up to the tune of a 47-0 shutout in Crookston to kick off the first of two successive winning seasons. As potent as the offense was two seasons ago, the Peacock defense set the tone on the night pitching the team's first shutout since Sept. 14, 1994 when UIU shutout the Spartans of the University of Dubuque 30-0. UMC's offense gained only 61 yards of total offense while being held to -43 yards on the ground. The Peacocks outgained the Golden Eagles 565 to 61 in total offense.
PANTHER TO PEACOCK... Peacock quarterback
Dimitri Morales transferred to UIU from the Chaffey College Panthers in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The junior signal caller has picked up right where his predecessor,
Cole Jaeschke, left off by picking apart a pair of NSIC North defenses to open the 2015 campaign. Morales leads all of NCAA Division II in completions with 34.5 per game and is second in the nation in passing yards with 795. He is connecting with his receivers and backs at a clip of 65.7%, which ranks 23rd in the country and 2nd in the conference. Thanks to some extra yards on the ground, he is 7th in the nation and 1st in the NSIC in total offense with 405.5 yards per game.
FOUR SCORES AND FIVE PICKS AGO... The Peacock defense has played well through the first two weeks of the season allowing only four scores; two touchdowns and two field goals. The 22 points allowed ranks 17th in the nation and 1st in the NSIC, while their 5 interceptions are the 8th most in the country and also lead the NSIC.
Tate Thompson's two picks last week rank him 7th in the nation, while
Darius Cohen,
Marcus McCoy and
Alex Wahl all have an interception as well. Upper Iowa has been stout on third down this season allowing just a 21.9% conversion rate to the Wolves and Marauders, which ranks 9th nationally and 1st in the conference. UIU has been stingy in the redzone as well giving up points on only 25% of the opponent's possessions (6th NCAA, 1st NSIC).
GOOD HANDS TEAM... Jarred Edmonds,
Trey MacTaggart,
Jalen Amis,
Cameron Lee and
David Esswein have combined for 719 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 60 catches. Amis leads the way with 18 grabs, which ranks 7th nationally and 1st in the NSIC, while MacTaggart has the high in yards with 253, which is 13th best in the country and 2nd in the conference. Edmonds' three touchdowns, all of which came in the second quarter against U-Mary, are the 11th highest tally in the nation and 2nd in the Northern Sun.
