GAME FIVE || SATURDAY, OCT. 3, 2015 || 6:00 PM || AG DAYFAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUM#1 MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO AT UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY
LIVE OPTIONS
LIVE STATS || LIVE WEBCAST || AM 950 KOEL || NSICSCORES.COM
WEEKLY NOTES
UPPER IOWA || MINNESOTA STATE || NORTHERN SUN || TWO DEEPS
THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Peacocks nearly upset #25 Minnesota Duluth on the road last Saturday taking a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but dropped the decision 28-24. The schedule won't do Upper Iowa any favors this week as the #1 Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato visit Fayette for a night game under the lights at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. The Mavericks and Peacocks boast two of the best defenses statistically in all of NCAA Division II so Saturday night's battle should be a hard-hitting affair. The teams combine for a 7-1 record this season as MSU owns a three-point win over Minnesota Duluth in the season opener as the difference in the records. In cross-division games this season, the NSIC South Division went 24-8 against the North.
THE SERIES... The Mavericks have won all nine meetings in the series which began in 2004 and 2005 when Upper Iowa was moving up to NCAA Division II and then restarted when Minnesota State gained membership in the Northern Sun Conference prior to the 2008 season. The Peacocks have struggled in each of the nine meetings to score averaging just 9.6 points per game against the Mavericks. Last season, UIU took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter, but Minnesota State, who finished as the NCAA Division II National Runner-up in 2014, scored 38 unanswered points to roll to a 45-14 win.
BOBCAT HALL OF FAMER... Head Coach
Tom Shea had quite a trip last weekend from a Hall of Fame banquet on Friday night to a near-upset of #25 Minnesota Duluth on the road on Saturday night. Peru State College inducted Shea, along with three individuals and one team into their Athletic Hall of Fame. Shea (1988-90) served as the coach of the 1990 Peru State NAIA National Championship Football team – the only Bobcat football team to reach that pinnacle of success. After his team won the national championship, he was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. During his three years as the Bobcat head coach, Shea was 35-17-1 and Peru State twice won the Nebraska College Conference. In his six seasons at Upper Iowa, he has turned a team that went 2-9 in 2008 before his return to a group that posted back-to-back winning seasons for the Peacocks for the first time since 1963 and 1964.
BASEBALL REUNION... The Upper Iowa baseball program is hosting a reunion this weekend for all baseball alums with special attention paid to the 1996 squad, which will be honored at halftime today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1996 NCAA Division III Regional Championship to qualify for the World Series. The team, who was coached by Rick Heller and
Mark Danker, posted a record of 37-14 including a 20-1 mark against Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams and claimed the IIAC regular season and conference tournament titles to reach the NCAA Tournament. After going 3-0 in the regionals, the Peacocks defeated Marietta College 6-5 in 13 innings and nearly defeated the eventual champion, William Paterson College, in the second round of the World Series, but lost 2-1 in 10 innings. Upper Iowa was eliminated from the World Series in a 3-1 loss to California Lutheran University, who finished as the national runner-up.
POSSESSION IS NINE-TENTHS OF THE LAW... Minnesota State and Upper Iowa understand possession downs in football. The Mavericks and Peacocks are holding opponents to the lowest conversion rates in the NSIC on third down. MSU is allowing just 23% of their opponent's third downs to be converted, while UIU is giving up a new set of downs on just 24.6% of their opponent's third downs. When it comes to possessing the ball, UIU has taken it a step further leading the nation in turnovers lost with just one fumble lost on the season. The Peacocks are 6th in the country in turnover margin (+8) thanks to seven interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries. Both defenses have been stingy this year allowing the two lowest point totals to their opponents as well. The Mavericks are allowing just 7.5 points per game (2nd NCAA DII), while the Peacocks have allowed 13.3 per contest (12th NCAA DII).
PEACOCKS IN THE RANKINGS... DIMITRI MORALES - 28.3 Completions per game (1st NCAA DII, 1st NSIC), 64.6% Completion Percentage (28th NCAA, 4th NSIC), 7 Passing TD's (46th NCAA, 5th NSIC), 1,216 Passing Yards (13th NCAA, 2nd NSIC), 62 Points Responsible For (35th NCAA, 4th NSIC), 328.5 Total Offense/game (15th NCAA, 1st NSIC)... ALEX WAHL - 40 Tackles (47th NCAA, 5th NSIC), 22 Solo Tackles (5th NSIC), 6.5 Tackles for Loss (38th NCAA, 3rd NSIC)... TATE THOMPSON - 1 Punt Return TD (T-1st NCAA, T-1st NSIC), 2 Interceptions (T-38th, T-2nd)... DARIUS COHEN - 2 Interceptions (T-38th, T-2nd NSIC)... JARRED EDMONDS - 4 Rec. TD's (23rd NCAA, 3rd NSIC), 317 Receiving Yards (5th NSIC), 5.5 Receptions/game (8th NSIC)... TREY MACTAGGART - 293 Receiving Yards (7th NSIC), 5 Receptions/game (10th NSIC)... JALEN AMIS - 209 Receiving Yards (23rd NSIC), 8 Receptions/game (8th NCAA, 1st 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.
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