For the second straight week, the Peacock football team took a double-digit lead, but came away on the short end of a final score. Upper Iowa led 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter, but fell to the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead 33-28 on Saturday afternoon to fall to 0-4 on the season, while MSU Moorhead improved to 2-2.
 
Following the game, Head Coach Jason Hoskins said, "We didn't execute down the stretch. We played good football for three quarters, but we made too many errors in the last 15 minutes of the game. You can't do that and expect to win. We have to keep preparing. The last couple of weeks we have put ourselves in position to win late in the second half. Now we just have to make the plays at the end of games."
 
After the Dragons opened the game with a 29-yard field goal on their first possession, the Peacocks answered on their first opportunity with the ball. Upper Iowa put together an 11-play, 72-yard drive to score a touchdown. UIU's opening drive was fueled by three third-down conversions on completions between Marcus Orr and three different receivers to keep the ball. The drive ended with a 3-yard hook up between Orr and DJ Emsweller. Fabien Guillen's extra point put UIU ahead 7-3.
 
The Peacock defense forced a turnover on downs by the Dragons when RJ Knack sacked the MSUM quarterback on fourth and two handing the ball back over to the UIU offense. Upper Iowa continued their success on possession downs converting two third downs and two fourth downs mixing runs and passes to get past the first-down marker each time. On fourth and goal from the 2-yard line, Keontae Luckett hit the edge and scored his third touchdown of the season. Guillen converted the extra point again to move UIU ahead 14-3.
 
Midway through the second quarter the Dragons pulled within four, 14-10, after a seven-play, 89-yard drive to was highlighted by a 33-yard pass and a 29-yard touchdown reception with four minutes to play in the half.
 
Upper Iowa took the ensuing kickoff and marched down the field looking to add points to their lead before halftime. Willy Camacho ran for 36 yards on the drive and added a catch for 13 yards setting up fourth down from the MSUM 14-yard line with less than 10 seconds to play. Guillen's 31-yard field goal attempt missed and UIU settled for a 14-10 lead at the break.
 
Luckett took over in Upper Iowa's second drive of the third quarter needing just three carries to eat up 63 yards of turf. With 28 yards on his first carry and 33 yards across the goal line with his third carry, Luckett scored his second touchdown of the day and returned UIU to an eleven-point advantage 21-10 after the extra point.
 
UIU's 21-10 lead held into the fourth quarter, but only two plays into the final quarter. The Dragons capped off another short-play drive that covered 70 yards for a touchdown and successful two-point conversion to pull the home team within three, 21-18.
 
After a three-and-out for the Peacock offense, the Dragons drove the ball down to the UIU 15-yard line. The Peacock defense held tough and forced a field goal attempt by MSUM. DJ Green Jr. got penetration and blocked the field goal, but an Upper Iowa defender attempted to return the deflection, but fumbled the ball and by the time UIU recovered they were at the one-yard line to start their drive. UIU's first snap went out of the endzone for a safety. The two points brought MSU Moorhead within one, 21-20, but more importantly gave the home team the ball back without the Peacock offense ever taking the field.
 
The Dragons scored touchdowns on their next two possessions sandwiched around a Peacock three-and-out to race out to a 33-21 lead.
 
Upper Iowa got the ball back with just over three minutes to play and Orr completed eight out of nine passes on the drive to four different receivers to push the ball 75 yards in nine-plays for a touchdown. Orr found Emsweller for the second time in the end zone for the 15-yard touchdown.
 
After the score, UIU used an onside kick, but the Dragons recovered and ran out the clock for the win.
 
Upper Iowa rushed for 149 yards behind Luckett's 85 yards and two scores and Camacho's 76 yards. Camacho ended the game with 170 all-purpose yards adding 39 receiving yards and 55 kick return yards. Orr passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns, both to Emsweller, who caught 6 passes for 46 yards. Alexander Stevens also caught 6 passes for 63 yards, while Camacho and Xavier Saldana each pulled in four passes and Lane Canny added three.
 
Defensively, the Peacocks held the Dragons to negative-seven yards rushing on 22 carries, but surrendered 412 yards through the air. Green Jr. led the team with 7 tackles, while Knack and Joey Rattin were credited with 6 tackles apiece. Knack had three tackles for loss including a sack, while Erik Hansen was credited with 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Terrell Powell made an interception in the second straight game and added five tackles.
 
Next week, the Peacocks will take on the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University for Homecoming. Upper Iowa and Southwest Minnesota State will kickoff at 3 p.m. in Harms-Eischeid Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 2.