GAME NINE || SATURDAY, OCT. 29, 2016 || 1:07 PM
FAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUM
UPPER IOWA PEACOCKS VS. WAYNE STATE WILDCATS
THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa will host the Wildcats of Wayne State College on Senior Day in Fayette. The 18 Peacock seniors will be honored prior to the game in Harms-Eischeid Stadium. UIU is looking to extend their current win streak over the Wildcats to four and take a lead in the all-time series. Upper Iowa and Wayne State have always matched up well since the series began in 2006. Both teams boast solid passing attacks, but Upper Iowa will look to balance their time in the air with a ground game that is averaging over 185 yards per game. Mother Nature has decided to smile on northeast Iowa during the last Saturday in October with temperatures in the upper 60's predicted for gameday.
THE SERIES... Upper Iowa tied the all-time series with their come-from-behind, overtime victory in Wayne, Neb. last season with each program claiming 5 wins in the 10-game history. Upper Iowa has won three straight over the Wildcats and the last two have come thanks to big quarters. In 2014, the Peacocks scored 29 in the second on the way to a 58-29 win, and a season ago in Wayne, the Peacocks used 17 points in the fourth quarter to rally and tie the Wildcats and added 10 more in a pair of overtime periods to win 34-31 when Brady Beuschel knocked in a game-winner from 34 yards. The two teams began playing each other in 2006. UIU won the first meeting, 24-14, to claim their first-ever NCAA Division II and NSIC victory.
SENIOR FAREWELL… The Peacocks are honoring 18 seniors prior to today's final home game of the 2016 season. The group of young men are part of Upper Iowa's return to success having posted winning seasons in three consecutive years from 2013-15. They include Darius Cohen (DB), Marcus McCoy (DB), Jalen Amis (WR), Jacob Wrage (WR), Trey MacTaggart (TE), David Esswein (WR), Brian Steffensmeier (OL), Jalen Groth-Chambers (OL), Joe McCaffery (RB), Vincent Otdoerfer (RB), Alex VanGerpen (RB), Cameron Vinsand (P), Kolter Freidhof (QB), Dimitri Morales (QB), Joe Busch (DL), Jeremy Bacon (LB), Zach Gardner (LB) and Matt Sharp (LB).
IN THE TRENCHES… Upper Iowa has found success in the ground game this season on both sides of the ball. The Peacocks are ranked 44th nationally and 5th in the NSIC in rushing offense and 48th and 4th in rushing defense. With the ball, UIU has relied heavily on a balanced attack between their two sophomore backs, Derrick Portis and Ryan Parmely, as well as their two quarterbacks Dimitri Morales and Brent Lammers. The quartet of runners have accounted for 1,407 yards and 17 touchdowns led by Portis (542 yards/7 TD) and Parmely (512 yards/4 TD). Upper Iowa is averaging 186.5 yards per game on the ground, while only allowing 128 yards/game to their opponents. The tough play on defense is due in large part to leaders at every level including Zach Ries, Joe Busch, Jojo Simpson and the rest of the defensive line, Zach Gardner, Adam Lytle, Mitchel Siech, Eric Munoz and the other linebackers, as well as Tanner Thompson, Darius Cohen, Marcus McCoy, Jordan Rommes, Nick Corley and Jordan Wymer on the back line.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL... Dimitri Morales returned to the field last Saturday and threw for 312 yards and 3 scores to push his season totals to 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Brent Lammers has added 479 passing yards. Five Peacocks have reaped the majority of those yards and touchdowns including Jalen Amis (53 catches for 581 yards), Jarred Edmonds (44-485 and 6 TD), Trey MacTaggart (32-409-2), Skyler Lehman (28-327-3) and David Esswein (25-300-2). UIU's passing offense averages 324.9 yards/game and ranks 38th nationally and 6th in the conference.
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 and UIUTV webcast pre-game show is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. UIU's game will be broadcast on KCRG 9.2, but will be shown after the ACC match up between Boston College and North Carolina State University. Estimated broadcast time for UIU's game is between 2:30 and 3 p.m.
FIRST NCAA SUPER REGION THREE FOOTBALL RANKINGS RELEASED... The NSIC has four teams ranked in Super Region Three. Sioux Falls (8-0) ranks second while Minnesota Duluth (7-1) is fourth. Bemidji State (6-2) is ninth and Winona State (8-2) tenth. The NSIC, the Great American Conference (GAC), the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) make up the NCAA Super Region Three. Seven teams from the four regions will earn a spot in the NCAA DII Football Playoffs with the number one seed in each region receiving a first round bye. The NCAA DII Football selection show is set to air on NCAA.com on Sun., Nov. 13. Beginning in 2016, the football committee will seed the four teams that advance to the semifinals of the championship so that the #1 seed will play the #4 seed and the #2 seed will play the #3 seed. All seedings will be determined using the current selection criteria.
