THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL…
Upper Iowa opens the 2017 season on the road in Crookston, Minn. to square off with the Golden Eagles of the University of Minnesota Crookston on Thursday afternoon. The Peacocks are coming off a 3-8 campaign in 2016, and was picked 11th overall and 7th in the NSIC South Division. Junior quarterback Brent Lammers returns for his first full season as the starter, after playing in six games last year and completing 52% of his passes for 488 yards. The Peacock defense returns a plethora of talent, including NSIC Player to Watch Jojo Simpson. The junior defensive lineman anchors a defense that returns seven starters from 2016.

THE SERIES... Upper Iowa is undefeated in their eight meetings with the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston, but the two teams have only met only twice since 2011's match up. UIU won 31-21 in Crookston in 2011, and then dominated in northwest Minnesota to open the 2013 season, 47-0, to kickoff the first of three straight winning seasons. The two teams met in 2015 in Fayette, with Upper Iowa claiming a 45-3 win. The Peacock defense has dominated the Golden Eagles, allowing just three total points, -46 yards rushing, and 265 total yards. UIU has outgained Minnesota Crookston 999 to 265 in total offense in the last two meetings.

NSIC PRESEASON POLL RELEASED… Upper Iowa was picked 11th overall and 7th in the south division in the Northern Sun Preseason Coaches' Poll. Minnesota State University, Mankato was selected by the league coaches as the overall and south division preseason favorite in the NSIC for 2017.  The Mavericks received four first place votes and amassed 213 points, four points ahead of Minnesota Duluth (209), which garnered seven first place votes and was the coaches' top choice in the north division.

PLAYERS TO WATCH... Upper Iowa's Jojo Simpson (DE) and Jarred Edmonds (WR) are NSIC Players to Watch this season. Simpson was an All-NSIC 2nd Team performer in 2016 as a sophomore recording 32 tackles including 21 solo stops.  The Cedar Rapids, Iowa product made 11.5 tackles for loss (8th NSIC) including 5.5 sacks (12th NSIC).  Simpson also intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown at Concordia University, St. Paul. Edmonds returns to lead the offense on the outside after starting all 11 games last season and pulling in 55 receptions for 592 yards and a team-high 7 touchdowns. Edmonds started 2016 with a bang catching 19 passes for 291 yards and 3 scores in the first two games of the season.

DEFENSIVE EXPERIENCE… In addition to Simpson and Edmonds, Upper Iowa will return two more All-NSIC performers this season including Jordan Rommes (SS/Honorable Mention) and Zach Ries (DT/HM) along with Tate Thompson, Tanner Thompson, Mitchel Siech, Jordan Wymer, Nate Roemer and a host of experienced players to lead the defense.

WHO'S BACK?... On offense, UIU will rely on juniors Brent Lammers (QB) and Ryan Parmely (RB) to offset the receiving corps led by Edmonds. Special teams for the Peacocks will remain consistent with Nate Skare, a 2015 All-NSIC performer, handling the punting and Brady Beuschel back to kick. Skare averaged 38.3 yards per punt and stuck 12 inside the 20-yard line, while Beuschel has converted 16 field goals in his first two seasons and knocked in 73 of his 77 point after attempts.

THE BROADCAST TEAM... Play-by-play announcer, and Upper Iowa alum, Joe Stasi is in his 15th consecutive season as the "Voice of Peacock Football" and 17th 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 seventh season on the call with Joe Stasi.  The AM 950 KOEL pre-game show is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

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.

 

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ABOUT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON…

NSIC Pre-Season Picks... The University of Minnesota Crookston football team was picked to finish 16th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches' Poll released Mon., July 31 by the conference office. The Golden Eagles were slotted eighth in the NSIC North standings.
 
New Coaching Staff... Minnesota Crookston enters their first season under Head Coach Mark Dufner, a long-time assistant coach for the Golden Eagles, in 2017. Dufner will look to put the University of Minnesota Crookston on a positive trajectory after going 0-11 last season. The Golden Eagles will have new coordinators on both sides of the ball with returning staff member Levi Bullerman taking over as defensive coordinator and returning staff member Dave Volk sharing the offensive coordinator duties with new addition Michael Orts. assistant coaches Levi Bullerman, Dave Volk, Tom Miller and Sam Smith return for UMC
 
Offensively... On the offensive side of the ball, the Golden Eagles will look to the program's all-time leading receiver Adam Connette (Sr., WR, Corona, Calif.), an NSIC Player to Watch. Connette will look to put a stamp on an already great career as he heads into his senior season. Last season, he had 72 catches for 760 yards with five touchdowns.
 
Defensively... On the defensive side of the ball, UMC will look towards Ali Alkhatib (R-Jr., LB, Rosemount, Minn.), who is also an NSIC Player to Watch. The Rosemount-native was second on the team with 77 tackles last season. He led the team with 11 tackles for loss and added one sack on the year.