GAME THREE || SATURDAY, SEPT. 16, 2017 || 1 PM
ABERDEEN, S.D. || SWISHER FIELD
UPPER IOWA PEACOCKS AT NORTHERN STATE WOLVES
This Weekend in Peacock Football... Upper Iowa is on the road for their week three matchup with the Wolves of Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. at 1 p.m. The Peacocks are 1-1 coming off a home 33-21 loss to the #21 University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, while the Wolves are also 1-1 after a 37-7 loss to the #9 University of Sioux Falls Cougars on the road. Both teams earned wins in week one. Live stats and a live webcast on computer or through the Stretch Internet app on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple or Android TV, as well as an audio broadcast on AM 950 KOEL will be available for the game.
The Series... The Peacocks and Wolves met four times from 2006-09 including a pair of games at each team's home stadium, but have only seen each other twice in the last seven seasons. Northern State earned 26-20 and 55-35 wins over the first two years, but Upper Iowa bounced back with 31-26 and 42-35 wins to even the series at two wins apiece. After a three-year break in the series, UIU traveled to Aberdeen, South Dakota in 2013. The Peacocks forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter and scored the go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion with 35 seconds to play to win 24-17. UIU made it four in a row with a home win, 17-6, to open the 2015 season. UIU's defense held NSU to only 12 first downs and 235 yards of total offense, while the Peacock offense moved the chains for 24 first downs and 419 yards of offense.
Big Play Offense… Upper Iowa has scored nine touchdowns in their two games this season and the Peacocks are scoring from a distance. Five of UIU's touchdowns have come from outside the 30-yard line including three from 55 yards or more. All three touchdowns against #21 UMD came from beyond 34 yards as the team never got into the redzone against the nationally-ranked Bulldogs. The longest scoring strike this season came on a 63-yard hookup between
Brent Lammers and
Brandyn Tulloch on a slant over the middle.
Quick Strike… Time of possession did not finish in favor of Upper Iowa last Saturday as UMD held the ball for nearly 41 minutes, but the Peacocks got their lead going into the fourth quarter by making the most of their time with the rock. UIU scored their three touchdowns in a total of a minute and nine seconds. The team is averaging less than two minutes per scoring drive. The 1:43 average per scoring drive encompasses all ten scores (nine touchdowns and one field goal). Only four of UIU's scoring drives has lasted longer than two minutes.
The "Rath" of Keith… Senior linebacker
Keith Schwickerath is leading the defense through the first two games of the season. The Garner, Iowa product was named the NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week after week one when he blocked two punts which UIU scooped and scored on including one on his own. Over the first two weeks, Schwickerath leads the defense in tackles with 22, which ranks 31st in the nation and 3rd in the Northern Sun. UIU's defense has been strong on third down holding their opponents to a 30.6% conversion rate, the fourth best rate in the conference. Thanks to Schwickerath's two punt blocks and a pair of blocks by
Austin Buck and
Jojo Simpson, Upper Iowa leads the nation in blocked kicks with four on the season.
Nothing "Skare" About his Foot… Senior punter
Nate Skare has been excellent in the first two games of 2017. His 43.2-yard average per punt ranks as the 10th highest average in the country and is the top mark among all Northern Sun punters. Skare has sent 14 punts into the air for a total 605 yards; he has topped 50 yards on four occasions with a long of 57 yards. He has pushed five of his punts inside the 20-yard line to set up the Peacock defense for success.
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 12:30 p.m.
