GAME TEN || SATURDAY, NOV. 4, 2017 || 11:07 AM
FAYETTE, IOWA || HARMS-EISCHEID STADIUM
UPPER IOWA VS. #13 SIOUX FALLS || SENIOR DAY 2017
THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa wraps up their home schedule on Saturday as they host the #13 Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls at Harms-Eischeid Stadium for Senior Day 2017. The Peacocks are coming off a home win over the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs last week, 31-20, behind a rushing attack that totaled 365 yards and four touchdowns. Sioux Falls is winners of three straight, including a victory in the "Key to the City" game against the Augustana Vikings last week, as they used their defense to hold on 21-14. Upper Iowa searches for its rst seven-win season since 1997, when the program nished 7-3 at the NCAA Division III level. UIU's only three losses this season have come to nationally ranked opponents.
SENIOR SENDOFF... Twenty-one Peacocks will be suiting up for the final time at Harms-Eischeid Stadium on Saturday. From kickers to linemen to receivers and runners to linebackers and linemen, UIU will have big holes to fill after these young men were a part of 21 wins over the last four years. The seniors being recognized today are
Brady Beuschel,
Tristan Beyer,
Blake Bodenstein,
Erik Cunningham, Matt Danielson,
Wayne Doerscher,
Jarred Edmonds,
Ryan Eiche,
Isaac Freese,
Kris Ihde,
Gunner Mohs,
Emmanuel Otoo,
Zach Ries,
Nate Roemer,
Keith Schwickerath, NateSkare,
Quintin Taylor, Taylor Thompson,
Austin Vaughn,
Jesse Vizzini and
Ross Westphal.
RUSHING RYAN... Ryan Parmely was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Peacock rushing attack last Saturday. The Peacocks rushed for 365 yards against Southwest Minnesota State and the junior from Delhi, Iowa accounted for 250 yards. His two scores came on nearly identical runs inside the 10-yard line starting left and then bouncing back to a hole on the right side of the line. Parmely's 250 yards and 2 touchdowns came on 43 carries and the yardage is the fourth-best, single-game total in Upper Iowa history. The last time a Peacock ran for any more was in 2013, when Chris Smith accounted for 258 yards against Sioux Falls. Smith owns the top three marks in program history. Parmely also put his 250 yards to the top of the single-game high marks in the Northern Sun Conference; prior to Saturday 229 yards by Nate Gunn of Minnesota State. The total number of carries is also a single-game high in the NSIC in 2017.
THE SERIES... Sioux Falls holds a 4-1 lead in the series which began just five seasons ago. Last year in Sioux Falls, S.D. the #4 Cougars jumped out in front of Upper Iowa on the first play of the game and never looked back. UIU got within 14-7 before USF rattled off 37 straight points to close out the game. The Cougars have raced out to big leads the last three years en route to victories including a 45-21 win in Sioux Falls in 2014 and a 69-20 decision in Fayette in 2015. Three years ago in Fayette, Chris Smith set the 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 and NSIC records. Sioux Falls held on for a 54-41 win in the series opener.
ON THE WINNING SIDE OF THINGS... With last week's win over the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State, the Peacocks secured their fourth winning season in the last five years under Head Coach
Tom Shea. The 27 wins over the last five years are the most in program history since a five-year span from 1962-66 that produced 32 wins. The six victories this season mark the 19th time a football team at UIU has reached the 6-win mark in the program's 122-year football history. The Peacocks, who had only five winning seasons between 1966 (8-2) and 2013 (6-5), secured their 38th winning season with the 31-20 victory over SMSU.
NEW FACES ON COACHING STAFF... The Peacocks and Head Coach
Tom Shea announced a few new coaches to the staff in 2017, including new offensive and defensive coordinators.
Justin Wyatt has been promoted to the defensive coordinator position, while still coaching the defensive line. UIU brought in new offensive coordinator
Mitchell Kleinschrodt, who enters his first season at Upper Iowa, to call the plays and coach the quarterbacks.
Chance Alberswerth enters his first year at UIU as the linebackers coach, while
Mike Caniglia,
Ryan Hansen, and
Andy Merfeld return to the staff from 2016.
NSIC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK...
Offensive POW: #41
Ryan Parmely - Upper Iowa
RB, 6-0, 215, Junior,?Delhi, Iowa / Maquoketa Valley HS
Defensive POW: #92 Evan Perrizo - Minnesota State
DE, 6-5, 275, Senior,?Eden Prairie, Minn. / Eden Prairie HS
Special Teams POW: #12 Stuart Vanden Heuvel - Sioux Falls
P/K, 6-2, 207, Senior, Watertown,Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran HS
THE BROADCAST TEAM... Play-by- play announcer, and 1991 Upper Iowa alum, Joe Stasi is in his 15th consecutive season as the "Voice of the Peacocks" and 17th overall. This week he will be joined by
Zach Carlyle, a 2015 graduate of Upper Iowa with an bachelor's degree in sports communications, who is currently pursuing his masters in sports administration. Carlyle serves as the Sports Communication Graduate Assistant and enters his seventh season on the call with Joe Stasi. The AM 950 KOEL pre-game show is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
