The Peacock football team fell to 3-5 on the season after a 34-14 loss at St. Cloud State University on Saturday. The Huskies used stingy goalline defense and an offensive outburst in the third quarter to celebrate their Homecoming Weekend with a victory. SCSU improved to 6-2 on the season with the win in the final NSIC cross-division game of the season. 

Upper Iowa seemed to get the start they wanted on Saturday afternoon. After picking up three first downs on the opening possession, UIU's drive stalled near midfield, but a punt pinned SCSU at their own 20-yard line. Three plays later, Tanner Thompson intercepted Dwayne  Lawhorn's first pass of the game to set up the Peacocks with a first down at the SCSU 28-yard line. The Peacocks moved the ball to the St. Cloud 3-yard line on third down. The home team stuffed a pair of UIU runs and took over at their own 2-yard line. 

St. Cloud State took the momentum of the big stop and claimed a 98-yard scoring drive that took only 6 plays and 2:20 off the clock highlighted by a 42-yard connection between Lawhorn and Tanner Tiege.

With less than a minute to play in the first quarter, Upper Iowa took over at their own 20-yard line. The Peacocks launched a 13-play, 80-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7. Quarterback Brent Lammers completed seven passes to four different receivers on the drive including a 3-yard hook up with Alexander Stevens for the score.

SCSU retook a 14-7 lead on the ensuing possession on Lawhorn's second passing touchdown. The Peacocks had the equalizer within their grasp as halftime drew close. After picking up 52 yards to start their drive, the Peacocks had a first and goal from the Husky 6-yard line. On third and goal a pass to Stevens was stopped just short of the goalline.

On fourth down, the Huskies penetrated into the Peacock backfield and tackled Lammers behind the line to end the threat.

The Huskies scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the third quarter to take a 34-7 lead in the frame. The drives were capped off by back-to-back Lawhorn-to-Sam Hartman passes on fourth and the subsequent first down, a Gregory Lewis touchdown run and Lawhorn's second touchdown connection with John Solberg.

Lammers found Skyler Lehman on a 2-yard touchdown pass before the third quarter ended capping off a 8-play, 79-yd drive.

In the fourth quarter, the defenses took over and did not allow a drive to go from more than 19 yards with the exception of Upper Iowa's final drive of the game.  The Peacocks moved the ball to the St. Cloud State 25-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs after a fourth down pass was incomplete.

Upper Iowa threw the ball for 322 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game, but only managed 61 yards on the ground on 34 attempts.On the other sideline, St. Cloud State threw for 269 yards and ran for a 179 picking up 65 more yards of total offense.  
SCSU's

Gregory Lewis ran for 167 yd and a touchdown, while Lawhorn threw 4 touchdowns on just 15 completions to lead the Husky offense.

Lammers threw for 310 yards and 2 scores and added 12 yards on the ground. Stevens hauled in 10 catches for 75 yards and a score while Brandyn Tulloch added 8 grabs for 57 yards and Skyler Lehman nabbed 5 catches for 37 yards, DJ Emsweller had 4 catches for 68 yards, while Keagan Pinter and Bralin Simon each had 3 catches for just over 40 yards apiece.

Nic Patterson continued to lead the defense with 10 tackles including one for a loss, while Thompson added 7 tackles and an interception.

Upper Iowa will head out on the road again next week when they travel to Sioux Falls, S.D. to lineup against the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls. Kick off is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.