The Peacock football team found a way to get it done on Saturday night at Harms-Eischeid Stadium against the Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul. Upper Iowa held a two-score lead with nine minutes to play, but a late touchdown by the guests got them back in the game, 34-29. CSP then drove down the field late, only to be stopped on a fourth-down try, and UIU held on for a hard-fought, 34-29 victory. The win marks the first of the NSIC South division schedule for Upper Iowa, as they improve to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in division play. Concordia-St. Paul drops to 1-5 on the year, and 0-2 in south action.

Saturday night was Salute to Service Night in Fayette, as the team honored the men and women that serve our country and the sacrifices they make. A pair of Peacock players, Tristan Beyer and Jesse Vizzini, are active members in the military, as they serve in the Iowa National Guard.

The first half featured 97 total plays between the teams, and a total of 345 yards, but the score was 14-7 Upper Iowa. Both teams had opportunities to find more points, but were unable to convert. The Peacocks could not have asked for a better start to the game, as the defense forced a stop on the first possession. UIU then took over and marched on a 15-play, 73-yard drive that ended in a touchdown Brent Lammers three-yard touchdown run. Lammers had another spectacular day on the ground, as he finished with a game-high 162 yards rushing.

After the 7-0 start, both teams exchanged a drive that ended in a turnover on downs. The defenses started to play better, as the next four possessions ended in punts. It looked as though the game would stay 7-0 going into halftime, but the UIU defense got a key turnover to give themselves a chance at more points. CSP quarterback Ron Johnson kept the ball on a run play, and the Peacock defense forced a fumble that Jojo Simpson recovered at the visitor's 24 yard line. Upper Iowa then moved the ball into the end zone in an unconventional manner. Ryan Parmely rushed up the middle for 11 yards, but was stripped of the ball from behind at the two-yard line. The ball went into the end zone, where Skylar Lehman wisely jumped on it for the touchdown. The Peacocks took a 14-0 lead at that point, and had all the momentum.

CSP got some of that momentum back just before halftime, when they marched on an 8-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that ended in a Johnson pass to Marcus Gustaveson for a 12-yard score. UIU held a 14-7 lead at the break, despite trailing by a minute in time of possession.

The third quarter was kind to Concordia-St. Paul, as they were able to take advantage of a couple of miscues by the Peacocks, and turned them into points. A punt started the half for the Peacocks, and on their second possession, Brady Beuschel, UIU's all-time leader in point-after attempts and field goals, missed a 35-yard field goal to keep the game at 14-7. Two possessions later, Peacock punter Nate Skare had his punt blocked that was recovered at the 15-yard line. CSP converted that turnover into a touchdown a play later, on a double-reverse run for Jake Tanner. The Golden Bears missed the extra point try with a bad snap, and UIU held onto a 14-13 advantage.

CSP capped off a 9-play, 57-yard drive with a 30-yard field goal from Jonas Schenderlein to take their first lead of the ballgame moments later, capping off a 9-7 third quarter for the visitors. The Golden Bears led 16-14 going late in the third quarter, with the Peacock offense looking for answers in the wet conditions. The rain held off in the final quarter and a half, and all of a sudden, both offenses started to get into a rhythm.

UIU's offense found that rhythm through the air, and it specifically started with the connection of Lammers and Jarred Edmonds. Edmonds finished with just four catches on the night, but tallied 70 yards and two big scores for his offense. The first touchdown occured with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter to reclaim the Peacock lead. UIU led 21-16, as both teams headed to the final 15 minutes.

CSP found a rhythm of their own. Johnson and Gustafson found their connection in the fourth quarter, as they capped off a six-play, 65-yard drive with a 15-yard connection for a score to go up 22-21 early in the frame. A two-point attempt failed as Tate Thompson picked off the pass, and the lead remained one for the visitors. Trailing by six, the Peacocks used all three phases to reclaim the lead for good.

After a punt from the Golden Bears, Lammers and the offense moved the ball through the air on an eight-play, 88-yard drive that was capped off with a 14-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to Edmonds. The senior has now hauled in a team-leading five touchdowns on the season. The two-point conversion failed, but the Peacocks claimed the lead back, 27-22. After the ensuing kick, Upper Iowa's defense forced a critical punt that would change the game. Vizzini, caught the ball on the run at his own 18 yard line, and made a few Golden Bears miss on his way to an 82-yard touchdown return to open up a 12-point lead. The punt return is the first return for a score all season for the Peacocks, and the first career return for Vizzini. UIU held a 34-22 lead at that point, but the game was far from over.

Concordia-St. Paul rallied late, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Gustaveston, their third hookup of the night. CSP trailed 34-29, and would get one more chance on offense. The visitor's final opportunity came with great field position, as they started at the Peacock 42-yard line with 3:30 remaining. The drive lasted seven plays, but stalled at the UIU nine-yard line after a turnover on downs. The home team's defense came up with the late play to preserve the win.

Lammers finished 10-of-21 through the air for 174 yards and two touchdowns, and added 162 on the ground and a score as well. For the game, the Peacocks rushed 54 times for 245 yards, marking the third straight game UIU rushed for 200 or more yards. The lowest total on the ground this year came in week three at Northern State, when they finished with 140 yards. Parmely added 79 on Saturday on 22 carries. Edmonds led the way throug the air, and Vizzini made three key grabs for 43 yards as well.

Defensively, Thompson led the way in the middle with eight tackles, including two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Nic Patterson added seven stops, as did Jordan Rommes, and Mitchel Siech tallied six tackles as well.

Overall, UIU outgained their guestss 419-384, but the key was a special teams touchdown and a key fumble that led to a score as well. Turnovers plagued the Peacocks a week earlier at then-No. 25 Winona State, but Saturday night turnovers were on Upper Iowa's side.

The Peacocks return to Harms-Eischeid Stadium for the second straight week next Saturday, Oct. 14 for a date with the No. 5 Mavericks of Minnesota State University at 5 p.m. Next Saturday is Ag Day at the stadium, and if fans cannot make it to Fayette, they can watch the game on UIU TV or in eastern Iowa on KCRG TV 9.2.