GAME FIVE || SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, 2017 || 1 PM
WINONA, MINN. || MAXWELL FIELD
UPPER IOWA PEACOCKS AT #25 WINONA STATE WARRIORS

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THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa will head north on Saturday for their shortest road trip of the season. The Peacocks and #25 Warriors of Winona State University posted a combined 7-1 record in their NSIC cross-division games with the lone blemish coming on a home loss by the Peacocks to the #21 University of Minnesota Duluth. Winona State's perfect 4-0 record came thanks to wins against #25 Bemidji State University, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead and Minot State University. This week's game will have live stats, and can be seen online via a live webcast option or through the Stretch Internet app on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple or Android TV. In eastern Iowa, you can listen to the game on AM 950 KOEL.
 
THE SERIES... The Warriors own a 12-1 advantage in the all-time series with Upper Iowa including a 10-1 mark since UIU moved up to NCAA Division II. The Peacock win came by a 35-21 score the last time Upper Iowa visited Maxwell Field at Winona State in 2015. Former quarterback Dimitri Morales was responsible for five touchdowns in the victory. Last season, the Warriors avenged their loss with a victory on Homecoming Weekend in Fayette. Winona State scored 17 points in the third quarter and forced three UIU turnovers inside the Warriors 25-yard line in the 27-13 decision.  The two teams locked up in quite a shootout five seasons ago with WSU edging their hosts 45-42 in another Homecoming game at Harms-Eischeid Stadium.
 
NSIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK... Junior quarterback Brent Lammers is the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week. Lammers had a hand in five of UIU's eight touchdowns to lead Upper Iowa to a 58-14 win over the UMary. Lammers led the Peacock offense to 548 yards of total offense including 288 and 3 touchdowns through the air. The Manchester, Iowa product also added 37 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Through the first four games of the season, Lammers has thrown for 930 yards (45th NCAA/3rd NSIC) and 6 touchdowns (62nd NCAA/5th NSIC) with a 61.3 completion percentage (48th NCAA/4th NSIC) and has rushed for 200 yards (15th NSIC) and 3 scores (9th NSIC) with a 4.2 yard/carry average. His 282.5 yards of total offense per game lead the Peacock offense and are the 25th highest total in NCAA Division II and 3rd in the NSIC.
 
LACES OUT... Seniors Brady Beuschel (kicker) and Nate Skare (punter) are enjoying a great start to their final seaosn in Peacock blue and white. Beuschel leads the team in scoring with 28 points on 19 extra points and 3 field goals. The Juda, Wis. product owns the career marks in both field goals (19) and extra-points (92). Skare has averaged 41.3 yards per punt over the first four games, which ranks 21st in the country and tops among all NSIC punters. The Spring Valley, Minn. native has a long of 57 yards this year and has gone over 50 yards on five other punts. Skare has placed 12 of his 22 kicks inside the 20-yard line and forced a faircatch on four kicks.
 
BLOCK PARTY... Defensively, Upper Iowa has blocked five kicks this season, which is the most in all of NCAA Division II. The tally is fueled by three punt blocks by Keith Schwickerath (2nd NCAA DII/1st NSIC); all three punt blocks have resulted in Upper Iowa touchdowns including two at the University of Minnesota Crookston and one at Northern State University. Austin Buck and Jojo Simpson have also blocked kicks for UIU.
 
POSSESSION IN NINE-TENTHS OF THE LAW... The Peacocks are converting on 40.3% of their third down opportunities this season, which is the 5th best rate in the Northern Sun. UIU is even better when they go for it on fourth down. Upper Iowa has moved the chains on 66.7% of their fourth down tries. The fourth down conversion rate is 23rd in the nation and best in the NSIC.
 
IT'S A PASS, IT'S A RUN, IT'S A TOUCHDOWN... UIU is averaging 240 passing yards a game, which is 5th best in the conference, and 211 rushing yards per game, which is 4th best in the Northern Sun. Together, the Peacocks are gaining 451 yards of total offense per game; the 31st highest mark in all of NCAA Division II and the 2nd most in the NSIC. With all those yards, it's not hard to see how the Peacocks are averaging 38.5 points per game. The offense doesn't get to take all the credit though as special teams and the defense has accounted for four touchdowns, one in each game.
 
DISRUPTIVE DEFENSE... While the Peacock offense is averaging nearly 40 points a game, the defense has only allowed 17 points a game, which ranks 6th best in the Northern Sun. In addition to the team's five blocked kicks, the Peacocks have recovered 6 fumbles; a mark that sits 10th in the country and 1st in the conference. This season, the UIU defense has only allowed 282.3 yards per game, while registering 3.25 sacks per game. Both averages are the 19th best mark in the nation and 2nd in the Northern Sun. Jojo Simpson leads the defense from the trenches with 1.3 tackles for loss and .75 sacks per game, while senior Tate Thompson is growing in his new role as middle linebacker after playing safety his whole career with UIU. Thompson recorded 9 tackles last Thursday against UMary locking up the middle of the field against the Marauders.