THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Upper Iowa football team will suit up for a regular season game for the first time in 656 days on Thursday when they welcome the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota Duluth to Harms-Eischeid Stadium for the 2021 season opener. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 23 in the AFCA Preseason Coaches' Poll. UIU Head Coach Jason Hoskins, who took over the program in December of 2019, will take the sideline for the first time as the head coach. Thursday's contest is the Frontline Heroes Appreciation Game sponsored by the Fayette County Farm Bureau and their Farm Strong initiative. All frontline and healthcare workers will get free admittance to the game and UIU will be recognizing a number of groups and individuals that played an important role in keeping all our student-athletes and staff healthy and safe throughout the pandemic.
 
LIVE OPTIONS... The game will be broadcasted live on AM 950 KOEL and will air on KCRG-TV 9.2, although it will be delayed until 9:30 p.m. The game can be streamed through most mobile devices at NSICNetwork.com/UIUPeacocks or through the NSIC Network app on Roku and Amazon Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android televisions. Live stats, live audio and more are all available online at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
 
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Upper Iowa will not be printing gameday programs this season. Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program at any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans both at our games and those at home listening to or watching the action. QR Codes will also be located around the stadium to scan with your cell phone's camera that will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.
 
THE SERIES... The Bulldogs own a 7-1 record against the Peacocks since Upper Iowa moved up to NCAA Division II prior to the 2006 season. In their last meeting, the Peacocks earned an upset win in Duluth over the Bulldogs, who were receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Top 25 at the time and carrying a 12-game winning streak at home. The Peacock defense lived by the adage "bend don't break" in the 23-13 win. Upper Iowa allowed 359 yards of total offense to the Bulldogs, who pushed the ball into Peacock territory seven times in the game. But UIU forced six turnovers including a pair of fumbles and four interceptions to end six Bulldog possessions including three on Upper Iowa's half of the field. Prior to UIU's win in 2019, the Peacocks played the Bulldogs close in 2017 at home losing 33-21 and on the road in 2015 in a 28-24 loss. In 2015, the squads had to fight through the fury of Lake Superior, which unleashed a thick fog prior to the game making visibility a major issue throughout the whole contest. The fog was constant from mid-afternoon through the end of the game and made it hard on players and fans alike. After falling behind 18-0 at halftime, Upper Iowa rallied with 24 points in the second half taking a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. UMD scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than four minutes to play and UIU's final drive stalled at midfield as the team fell despite a great effort.
 
ERIK THE RED... Erik Hansen returns to the Peacock defensive line this season prepared to lead his troops against the high-powered offenses of the Northern Sun Conference. The Burlington, Ill. native just earned a spot on the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Second Team after registering 47 tackles including 32 solo stops, 18.5 for loss and 12.5 sacks in 2019. He also forced and recovered a pair of fumbles. His 12.5 sacks ranked as the fifth-highest total in the nation, while his 18.5 tackles for loss ranked fourteenth in all of NCAA Division II. Following the breakout year, Hansen was named to the Don Hansen All-America Third Team, the Don Hansen Super Region Four Second Team, the D2CCA All-Super Region Four Second Team, and the All-NSIC South Division First Team.
 
LUCKY 13... On the offensive side of the ball, the Peacocks return a veteran group of pass catchers led by Alex Stevens (#13). The senior wide receiver pulled in 102 receptions during his sophomore and junior seasons for 1,464 yards and 15 touchdowns. Stevens earned NSIC South Division Honorable Mention honors following the 2019 season.
 
CAPTAINS NAMED... The players voted and selected four captains for the upcoming season. The four on-field leaders are Lane Canny, Erik Hansen, Terrell Powell and Zach Wegmann.
 
ABOUT THE #23 BULLDOGS... UMD returns four, 5th-year redshirt seniors. Quarterback John Larson, wide receiver Johnny McCormick, linebacker Nate Pearson, and defensive end Dan Monson will all be tasked with leading a young UMD roster. On offense, Larson and McCormick will look to reignite the Bulldogs. In 2018, the Bulldogs posted an impressive 40.83 points per game, while also notching an average of 446.8 yards per game. The strong offensive showing helped UMD to an overall record of 11-1. On defense, both Pearson and Monson have paid their dues. Together, the two defenders have tallied a total of 148 tackles and 40 tackles for loss. UMD offensive lineman Brent Laing was been named to the 2022 Senior Bowl Watch list and the D2Football.com Preseason All-America First Team. The 6-4, 285-pound Laing has been a mainstay on the Bulldogs offensive front for the past two seasons. Returning 5th-year running back Cazz Martin will be a key contributor in the offensive success for UMD in 2021. As a transfer in 2019, Martin led the Bulldogs in both rushing yards with 662 and rushing touchdowns with seven. Additionally, Martin posted an impressive average yards per carry of 8.7 yards. Backup running back Wade Sullivan also returns after a productive 2019 season with UMD. During all eleven games in 2019, Sullivan tallied a total of 646 yards and six rushing touchdowns on the year.