GAME THREE || THURSDAY, SEPT. 19, 2019 || 7 PM
WINONA, MINN. || ALTRA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION STADIUM
UIU PEACOCKS VS. WSU WARRIORS

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THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa will travel to Winona, Minn. to compete against the Warriors of Winona State University in this week's NSIC Thursday Night Football Game of the Week presented by Midco. Both teams are coming off a loss in week two and will look to get back on the winning track with a victory. The match up could come down to special teams play on Thursday as the Warriors boast one of the top kick and punt return groups in the Northern Sun and UIU's two punters have put together one of the top averages in the nation.

LIVE OPTIONS... The game will be broadcast live on the Midco Sports Network, not available in Iowa, and on AM 950 KOEL. The game can be streamed through the NSIC app on Roku and Amazon Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android televisions. Live stats and a webcast are also available online at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
 
THE SERIES... The Warriors carry a 13-2 advantage in the all-time series with Upper Iowa including an 11-2 record since Upper Iowa moved up to NCAA Division II, but the Peacocks have won two of the last four meetings. Last season, Upper Iowa capped off Hall of Fame Weekend in style by scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter to rally from a two-score deficit and upset the No. 11 Warriors of Winona State University. The Northern Sun South Division shootout featured a little bit of everything with big plays from both teams in every phase from special teams to defense to offense. The win marked UIU's first win of the season, the first win over Winona State at Harms-Eischeid Stadium and the first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since Upper Iowa moved to NCAA Division II. UIU's first win over WSU came in 2015 in Winona, Minn. UIU defeated WSU 35-21 behind the play of quarterback Dimitri Morales, who was responsible for five touchdowns. In 2016, Winona State scored 17 points in the third quarter and forced three UIU turnovers inside the Warriors 25-yard line to post a 27-13 decision.  While in 2017, the No. 25 Warriors defeated the Peacocks 37-7 to open the NSIC South Division slate; WSU returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the game.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS BREAKDOWN… The Warriors possess one of the best return games in the Northern Sun Conference. Winona State ranks 4th in the NSIC and 29th in the nation in kick returns with a 25.5-yard average. Isaiah Hall leads the Warriors with a 28-yard average on kick returns. The Warriors have only returned one punt this season, but Jake Balliu brought the kick back 15 yards. On the other hand, UIU's two punters, Jonathon Argueta-Herrera and Mitchel Siech, have posted the top average in the conference and the 4th best average in the nation at 42.1 net yards per punt. Their punts are traveling even further with a 47.3 average in total punt yards while the coverage team is holding returners to just a 5.2-yard average. Herrera has punted 4 times with a 43.2 yard average against Augustana University, while Siech punted 6 times for a 50 yard average against Concordia University, St. Paul. The matchup of team strengths could go a long way in deciding the outcome on Thursday.
 
LUCKY 13… Junior wide receiver Alex Stevens broke out last Saturday with 7 catches for 81 yards and 3 touchdowns from quarterback Jake Schuman. The wide receiver caught some tough passes and held on through big hits to push the Peacock offense. Stevens leads a deep wide receiver group that has caught 38 of Schuman's 40 completions. Stevens has pulled in 11 catches, while Brandyn Tulloch and Tre'dious Thomas have pulled in 8 apiece, Bralin Simon has 6 catches and DJ Emsweller has 5 grabs. Through two games, UIU has picked up 427 yards through the air and 142 on the ground. Matt McDonald leads the runners with 96 yards on 30 carries.
 
FOUR TACKLERS IN DOUBLE FIGURES… Mitchel Siech leads the UIU defense with 14 tackles including 2.5 for loss and also intercepted a pass on the sideline last Saturday against the Golden Bears. Isaac Barrett has recorded 12 tackles, while Brody Bazile has 11 after a team-high 7 stops against CSP. Michael Sparkman has 10 tackles including a team-high 8 solo stops. Samson Tufui and Erik Hansen combined for a sack of the Concordia-St. Paul quarterback, while Laith Smith forced a fumble that Austin Buck jumped on to recover. The Peacock defense has 14 tackles for loss led by Smith's 3, Siech's 2.5 and Kyle Domin's 2.