GAME TEN || SATURDAY, NOV. 5, 2016 || 12:00 PM
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. || BOB YOUNG FIELD
UPPER IOWA PEACOCKS AT #4 SIOUX FALLS COUGARS

THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa will head west to Sioux Falls, S.D. to square off with the No. 4 Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday afternoon. The Peacocks are coming off a win over the Wayne State Wildcats on Senior Day last weekend at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. After leading the majority of the game, the defense made a fourth-down stop with just second remaining to preserve a 35-30 win. UIU defeated Sioux Falls in 2013, but have struggled with the Cougars over the last few seasons. Upper Iowa features a solid rushing attacks, and will look to balance their time in the air with a ground game that is averaging over 193 yards per game. USF averages 341 yards on the ground.

THE SERIES... Sioux Falls holds a 3-1 lead in the series which began just four seasons ago. The Cougars have raced out to huge leads the last two years en route to controlling victories including a 45-21 win in Sioux Falls in 2014 and a 69-20 decision in Fayette last year.  Three years ago in Fayette, Chris Smith set the new single-season mark for rushing yards in a season; and more importantly, the yards and his three touchdowns of 3, 18 and 59 yards fueled UIU to victory, 30-28, over the Cougars. In 2012's wild shootout in South Dakota, which was the first-ever meeting between Upper Iowa and Sioux Falls, the nationally-ranked Cougars jumped all over the Peacocks early taking a 37-0 lead. But UIU quarterback Cole Jaeschke put the team on his right arm and rallied the Peacocks with the greatest passing performance in Upper Iowa history. He threw for 606 yards on 43 completions on 78 attempts, all three setting Peacock records. Sioux Falls held on for a 54-41 win in the series opener.
 
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 1,659 yards and 19 touchdowns led by Portis (706 yards/7 TD) and Parmely (524 yards/5 TD). Upper Iowa is averaging 193.3 yards per game on the ground, while only allowing 131.9 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.

SENIOR SURGEON... Dimitri Morales kept adding to his strong passing performance over the last few weeks last Saturday and threw for 265 yards and 3 scores to push his season totals to 1,991 yards and 16 touchdowns. Morales through for 312 passing yards two weeks ago in his return to the field.  Five Peacocks have reaped the majority of those yards and touchdowns including Jalen Amis (63 catches for 748 yards and 1 TD), Jarred Edmonds (48-531 and 7 TD), Trey MacTaggart (39-450-3), Skyler Lehman (28-327-3) and David Esswein (26-311-2). UIU's passing offense averages 275.0 yards/game and ranks 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 pre-game show is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. 

SECOND NCAA SUPER REGION THREE FOOTBALL RANKINGS RELEASED... The NSIC has three teams ranked in Super Region Three. Sioux Falls (9-0) remained second while Minnesota Duluth (8-1)  dropped a spot to fifth. Bemidji State (7-2) moved up a spot to eighth while Winona State (8-3) dropped out of the top ten. 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.