THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK FOOTBALL... The Peacock football team opens their home slate with a mid-afternoon kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 10. Upper Iowa will host the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead as part of Hall of Fame Weekend in Fayette. The opening kick is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. in Harms-Eischeid Stadium. Both teams are coming into the contest looking for their first win of the season.

LIVE OPTIONS... Fans that can't be in Fayette for the opening weekend have several options to follow along in real time. Live stats and a webcast are available through links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live. In addition, 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. The game will also be broadcast live on Eastern Iowa's CW 9.3 along with the broadcast duo of Joe Stasi and Josh McGehee.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS… Upper Iowa has partnered with HomeTown Ticketing for all six of this season's football games at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at UIUPeacocks.com/Tickets or by paying cash at the North or South Gate. Upper Iowa students and Peacock faculty and staff have been notified on how to access their free passes to the games and may enter through either the North or South Gates with their scannable pass either printed or on their mobile device. Fans that are claiming a football, cheer or dance guest pass must sign in at the East Gate between Pattison Soccer Field and Harms-Eischeid Stadium. Fans are encouraged to stay ahead of the curve this season with the HomeTown Ticketing Fan App available on all mobile device platforms.
 
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Digital gameday programs are available to fans in the stadium or at home for Saturday's game. Fans can access the interactive gameday program at any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. 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... After last year's win by the Dragons on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, MSU Moorhead took a slim 5-4 lead in the all-time series. MSUM has scored three-straight wins by five points or less to break a three-game winning streak by Upper Iowa. The Dragons' last three wins over the Peacocks have come by five (33-28 - 2021), four (17-13 – 2018) and two points (23-21 – 2016). Upper Iowa had won three-straight prior to the close losses including a 44-36 win in Fayette in 2014, a 51-33 victory in Moorhead in 2012, and a 45-31 win in Fayette in 2011. UIU lost their first two games in Moorhead in 2007, 31-28, and in 2010, 28-24, but claimed the inaugural match up in 2006 with a 36-13 victory at home.

LAST TIME THEY MET… Last season in Moorhead, the Peacock football team took a double-digit lead for the second straight week, but came away on the short end of a final score. Upper Iowa led 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter, but fell to MSU Moorhead 33-28. A trio of fourth-quarter touchdowns and a safety allowed the Dragons to score 23-straight points and rally for the win. Upper Iowa rushed for 149 yards behind Keontae Luckett's 85 yards and two scores and Willy Camacho's 76 yards. Camacho ended the game with 170 all-purpose yards adding 39 receiving yards and 55 kick return yards. Marcus Orr passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Peacocks held the Dragons to negative-seven yards rushing on 22 carries, but surrendered 412 yards through the air.
 
THE ULTIMATE PEACOCK… RJ Knaack will be wearing No. 0 this week for the Peacocks in his linebacker position. The Peacock football players voted and chose Knaack as the Ultimate Peacock for his work ethic, dedication to developing his skills and pride in being a Peacock student-athlete. In game one, Knaack recorded six tackles including five solo stops and one tackle for loss.
 
WEEK ONE REWIND... The Wolves kept their guests off the scoreboard and posted a 30-0 win at Dacotah Bank Stadium to even the all-time series at five wins a piece. Northern State's defense was the top unit on the field holding the Peacocks to 156 total yards including just 24 rushing yards. The Wolves blocked a punt in UIU territory, registered three sacks, and forced two interceptions including one in their own endzone when Upper Iowa was threatening as the first half closed. In the end, the Peacocks converted eight first downs in the game. The Peacock defense was on the field for nearly 38 minutes on the night and defensive back Zacarius Murray was busy recording nine tackles, while Cejai Parrish and Trevor Thompson each notched seven stops and Knaack picked up six. Desean Phillips caught three passes for 50 yards with one swing pass going for 48 yards. Phillips added eight yards on the ground. Isaiah Gray had two catches for 19 yards, while Cole Ewald got loose in the secondary for a 60-yard gain on his only catch of the game. Willy Camacho ran for 17 yards on eight carries and hauled in one quick pass for no gain.
 
DRAGON INVASION… (Courtesy of MSU Moorhead Sports Communication) MSU Moorhead registered a 27-14 home loss to the University of Sioux Falls in week one. Four turnovers were costly for the Dragons as they led to 21 Cougar points. Sophomore quarterback Tommy Falk threw for 207 yards and a touchdown in the game. Junior fullback Hayden Boll rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown in the game while redshirt freshman wide receiver Gage Florence caught five passes for 65 yards. Junior receiver Ryan Bieberdorf caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. On defense senior linebacker James Eggert had a team-high 11 tackles while junior defensive back Jake Bettcher had nine tackles. Junior defensive lineman Jackson Faller and sophomore linebacker Marcus Gulley had interceptions in the game. MSUM was outgained by USF 484-209 in total yards including 175-2 on the ground.
 
ON THE HORIZON… Upper Iowa is on the road next Saturday, Sept. 17 in Duluth, Minnesota. The Peacocks and the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota Duluth are scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff at James S. Malosky Stadium.