GAME SEVEN || SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 2016 || 12:00 PM
ST. PAUL, MINN. || SEA FOAM STADIUM
UPPER IOWA AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL
THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa will look to get there second win of the season on the road this Saturday when they visit Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, Minn. Both the Peacocks and Golden Bears are 0-2 in the NSIC South, but one will emerge with their first division win of the season. Upper Iowa will look to get their balanced offensive attack going, while Concordia-St. Paul will lean on their defense to force turnovers and set their offense up in good field position. The match up to watch this weekend is between Concordia's quarterback Ron Johnson and running back Darius Chapes versus the Peacock front seven which includes a pair of true-freshmen in
Mitchel Siech and
Eric Munoz.
THE SERIES... Upper Iowa has posted wins in two of the last three meetings with Concordia University, St. Paul including a 28-24 win in 2013 and a 52-20 victory a season ago; both wins came at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. In 2014, the Golden Bears rallied for a 37-34 overtime victory at Seafoam Stadium in St. Paul when Tom Obarski tied the game with a 52-yard field goal and then won the game for CSP with a 42-yard field goal in overtime. Concordia won the first seven match ups in the series since 2006. CU and UIU have locked up in six games where the margin of victory was four points or less. The Peacocks lost 20-17 in 2007 and dropped a wild 57-56 double overtime game in Fayette in 2009. The 2011 contest marked another down-to-the-wire decision in the final quarter; Concordia claimed a come-from-behind, one-point win, 20-19, after scoring 13 points in the final four minutes of the game. In last year's blowout victory for UIU,
Dimitri Morales threw for 460 yards with 5 touchdowns while the team outgained CSP 598 to 120 in total offense.
GETTING A HAND ON THE BALL… The Peacocks have blocked 5 kicks, which rank 3rd in the country and 2nd in the Northern Sun, this season including three field goals, an extra point and a punt.
Zach Ries and
Joe Busch have registered a pair of blocks each to tie for the 6th highest total in the nation and top marks in the NSIC, while
Alex VanGerpen got his hands on a punt against Minot State.
KEEPING THE LAUNDRY OFF THE FIELD… Upper Iowa has been penalized 30 times this season through the first six games ranking as the 18th fewest penalties in the nation and 3rd fewest in the conference. The 30 penalties have added up to 230 lost yards, the 9th fewest in NCAA DII and second least in the NSIC.
A TALE OF TWO RED ZONES… The Peacocks have had different results in the red zone this season depending on whether they have the ball or their opponents. Upper Iowa is holding their opponents to a 60% success rate of scoring in the red zone, which is the 13th lowest percentage in the nation and 2nd lowest in the Northern Sun. The Peacocks have allowed 11 touchdowns and 4 field goals in their opponent's 25 trips inside the 20-yard line. Conversely, UIU has only converted 52% of their trips into the red zone (last in the NSIC) with 10 touchdowns and one field goal in their 11 trips inside the 20.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES… Upper Iowa has been getting behind the line of scrimmage with success this season. The Peacocks are 40th nationally and 5th in the conference in sacks/game and 44th in the nation and 2nd in the NSIC in tackles for loss/game. UIU has recorded 17 sacks and 47 tackles for loss led by
Jojo Simpson with 8 tackles for loss (64th NCAA/2nd NSIC) and 4.5 (42nd NCAA/3rd NSIC),
Zach Gardner with 5.5 tackles for loss (8th NSIC) and 3.5 sacks (63rd NCAA/6th NSIC) and
Zach Ries with 6.5 tackles for loss (9th NSIC) and 1.5 sacks.
Nate Roemer and
Joe Busch each have added a pair of sacks as well.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE FROM THE 909… Senior
Dimitri Morales is completing an average of 25.8 passes/game (8th NCAA DII/2nd NSIC) and has connected 42 times in a game twice this season. The quarterback from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. has thrown for 1,414 yards (48th NCAA/6th NSIC) in five games for an average of 282.8 yards (20th NCAA/4th NSIC) with 10 touchdowns through the air. Morales continues to fight through interceptions though with 13 on the year; the Peacock signal caller will need to limit any giveaways against a Golden Bear defense that has scored two defensive touchdowns already this season.
YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS… Jarred Edmonds caught his 5th touchdown pass (46th NCAA/7th NSIC) last Saturday at home against Winona State. The Peacocks passing attack ranks 38th nationally and 6th in the NSIC. Joining Edmonds (35 catches for 406 yards) on the outside are
Jalen Amis (34 for 438),
Trey MacTaggart (20 for 170 and 1 TD),
Skyler Lehman (26 for 298 and 3 TDs) and
David Esswein (19 for 226 and 1 TD).
DOUBLE-EDGED ATTACK… Sophomore running backs
Derrick Portis and
Ryan Parmely have both found success out of the Peacock backfield. Parmely ran well in games one and two amassing 185 yards and added a 100-yard effort against Minot State and 71 yards against Winona State a week ago to reach his 370-yard (14th NSIC) total. The Delhi, Iowa native has added 13 receptions for 67 yards. Portis returned from an injury in week three to rush for 139 yards at MSU Moorhead, 114 versus Minot State and 143 at Southwest Minnesota State before sharing duties last week and picking up another 85 yards against Winona State. The 481 total rushing yards rank 67th nationally and 9th in the NSIC, while his per game average of 96.2 ranks 41st in NCAA DII and 7th in the conference. His 7 scores rank 7th best per game in the Northern Sun. In his two seasons with UIU, Portis has rushed for 986 yards in 14 games.
THE BROADCAST TEAM... Play-by-play announcer, and Upper Iowa alum, Joe Stasi is in his 14th consecutive season as the "Voice of the Peacocks" and 16th overall. This week he will be joined by
Zach Carlyle, graduate of Upper Iowa with an undergraduate degree in sports communications and currently pursuing his masters in sports administration. Carlyle serves as the Sports Communication Graduate Assistant and enters his sixth season on the call with Joe Stasi. The AM 950 KOEL pre-game show is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
