GAME ONE || SATURDAY, SEPT. 7, 2019 || 1 PM
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. || KIRKEBY-OVER STADIUM
UPPER IOWA PEACOCKS AT AUGUSTANA VIKINGS

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THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... Upper Iowa is looking to exercise the demons from a season ago that saw Augustana rally from a 24-0 deficit in the season opener in Fayette to claim a 48-45 victory from the Peacocks. Kickoff for the NSIC South Division clash is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
 
LIVE OPTIONS… Fans that can't make it to the game can listen on AM 950 KOEL, follow the game online through live stats and a webcast at UIUPeacocks.com/Live, or stream the game live through the NSIC app on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple or Android TV.
 
MAKE PLANS TO VISIT FAYETTE… This season, the Pea­cocks will play at Harms-Eischeid Stadium in Fayette six times. The home slate includes battles with Concordia University, St. Paul for Hall of Fame Weekend, Southwest Minnesota State University, Northern State University for Homecoming Weekend, the University of Minne­sota Crookston for Service Appreciation Day, the University of Sioux Falls and Minnesota State University, Mankato for Senior Day.
 
THE SERIES... Augustana owns a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series with Up­per Iowa, but UIU has won two of the last five meetings. The Vikings won the first seven match-ups with the Peacocks after the series began in 2005. UIU put an end to that streak and earned their first win over the Vikings in 2014. The Peacocks found themselves trailing and in a familiar position with Augustana heading into the final quarter two sea­sons ago in Fayette, but this time Upper Iowa wrote a different ending to the sto­ry. The Peacocks scored 15 unanswered points in the final quarter to rally and pull ahead of Augie by six points. UIU's defense stood up on the Vikings' final drive coming up with an interception, their sixth of the day, in the end zone. After UIU's first win in the series, Augie claimed a 41-20 win in Sioux Falls and a 54-35 victory in Fayette. Two seasons ago, Upper Iowa posted their second win over the Vikings, but first victory in Sioux Falls with a 21-20 decision. UIU trailed in the fourth quarter, but scored a go-ahead touchdown and held on with key stops down the stretch to preserve the win. Last season, the Peacocks raced out to a 24-0 lead after just 10 minutes of play in the first quarter. By halftime, the Vikings had stormed back in front 35-31. UIU pulled within three points, 48-45, late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the go-ahead points on the board in their final possession.
 
NSIC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL... The Northern Sun Conference Football Coaches picked UIU to finish eleventh overall and seventh in the NSIC South Division. Minnesota State was selected by the league coaches as the overall and south division preseason favorite in the NSIC for 2019. The Mavericks received 14 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and amassed 224 points, 16 points ahead of Minnesota Duluth (208), which garnered the other two first place votes and was the unani­mous choice in the north division. Sioux Falls was third with 187 points while Wi­nona State was picked fourth overall with 182 points.
 
FINAL LOOK BACK AT 2018... The Pea­cock football team will look to bounce back into a winning season in 2019. Af­ter posting 6 wins in a season four times from 2013-17, UIU finished the 2018 campaign with a 3-8 mark overall and a 1-6 record against the NSIC South Divi­sion. Upper Iowa, led by 11-year Head Coach Tom Shea, posted wins against No. 11 Winona State (34-33), (RV) Bemi­dji State (27-24) and the Minot State (44-9). Four of UIU's losses came by seven points or less including three home de­feats against Wayne State (42-35), MSU Moorhead (17-13) and Augustana (48-45). The final close loss for UIU came on the road at Southwest Minnesota State in a 21-20 decision.
 
ALL-NSIC PERFORMERS... Five Peacocks were selected to represent Upper Iowa on the All-Northern Sun Conference team including returners Mitchel Siech (LB) and Alex Schneider (OL), who both earned a spot on the honorable mention list. The Peacock offense, which fea­tured the third best pass offense in the NSIC with 258.6 yards/game, will have to overcome the graduation of All-NSIC South Division First Team Quarterback Brent Lammers, while the defense will be without graduates and All-NSIC per­formers Jesse Hynek (DL) and Jordan Rommes (LB).
 
GIVE ME THE BALL... Offensively, the Peacocks return a young and experi­enced group on the offensive line led by Schneider and a talented collection of receivers on the outside led by Alex Ste­vens, an NSIC Player to Watch, Brandyn Tulloch, Bralin Simon and DJ Emsweller. The four returning wideouts pulled down 173 catches for 1,951 yards and 12 touch­downs in 2018.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE... Defensively, NSIC Player to Watch Mitchel Siech will lead a group of young linebackers, while Isaac Barrett, Daniel Ruffin Jr. and Michael Sparkman return in the secondary. Along the defensive line, the Peacocks will rely on several players including returners Erik Hansen, Adam Robison, Christian Ruff and Laith Smith.
 
TEE IT UP AND LET IT FLY... Kicker Jon­athon Argueta-Herrera returns for his sophomore season to handle both the punting and place kicking duties for the Peacocks. The young Peacock made all eight of his field goal attempts and 31 of his 32 extra point attempts, while punt­ing 73 times with a 37.5 yard average.
 
THE BROADCAST TEAM... Play-by-play announcer, and 1991 Upper Iowa alum, Joe Stasi is in his 17th consecutive season as the "Voice of the Peacocks" and 19th overall. This week he will be joined by Warren Reyerson on AM 950 KOEL. The pre-game show is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.