The Peacock football team scored on both sides of the ball and used a 21-point third quarter to run away with their first win of the season on Saturday. Upper Iowa improved to 1-3 with a 35-7 victory over Minot State University (1-3) in the teams' final Northern Sun Conference cross-division game. UIU owned the ground game at Harms-Eischeid Stadium racking up a 338-110 advantage in rushing yards thanks to three 100-yard rushers.
Minot State got on the scoreboard first when Jarvis Mustipher crossed the goal line on a 14-yard bruising run. The score came midway through the first quarter, but was the Beavers final points of the game.
Upper Iowa was quick to answer with a 4-play drive on the ensuing possession. The quick strike lasted just 42 seconds and was capped off by a
Derrick Portis 42-yard touchdown run. The Peacocks added their second touchdown midway through the second quarter when
Dimitri Morales rushed from his quarterback position 29 yards to the end zone. The play could have ended inside the 5-yard line, but Morales realized the tackle attempt rolled him on top of the defender and popped up to dive over the goal line.
The Peacocks were looking for a third score before halftime, but Morales was intercepted at the edge of the end zone on a pass to
David Esswein. UIU settled for a 14-7 lead at the break.
Despite a slow start to the third quarter, Upper Iowa ran away in the final 5 minutes of the frame thanks to 21 points in a 4-minute span. The scoring rampage started on Portis' second rushing touchdown of the contest; the second score came from 23 yards out. Just 22 seconds later,
Tanner Thompson intercepted a Beaver pass at the 30-yard line and returned it to the house pushing the home team's lead to 28-7. The final score of the game came on a 2-play, 84-yard drive that featured a 73 yard run by Morales and an 11-yard touchdown run for
Ryan Parmely.
Minot State threatened to score late in the game, but
Jordan Rommes intercepted a pass inside the 5-yard line with less than a minute to play.
The home team defense kept pressure on the MiSU quarterback all afternoon and recorded 4 sacks and a number of knockdowns and held the Beaver rushers to 110 yards.
Zach Gardner was all over the field registering 12 tackles from his middle linebacker spot added a pair of tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Tristan Beyer,
Darius Cohen and Rommes all added 6 stops apiece, while
Nate Roemer and
Keith Schwickerath notched a sack each.
Garrett Johnston jumped on the only fumble of the game for UIU's blackshirts.
The Peacocks had three individuals over 100 yards rushing on the afternoon; Morales accounted for 133 yards and a score on 8 carries, while Portis ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts and Parmely notched 100 yards and a score on 12 runs.
Morales threw for just 90 yards on 9 completions and
Brent Lammers played in the fourth quarter completing both of his attempts for 16 yards. Esswein led the receiving corps with 4 grabs for 49 yards and
Jalen Amis added 3 catches for 47 yards.
Upper Iowa is on the road next week for their first NSIC South Division game of 2016. The Peacocks travel to Southwest Minnesota State University on Oct. 1. UIU will take on the Mustangs under the lights in Marshall, Minn. at 6 p.m.
