SMSU Football Defeats UIU

On Oct. 24, the Mustangs traveled to Upper Iowa University (UIU) to take on the Peacocks. Southwest Minnesota State University had won 9 of the last 11 matchups against UIU coming into the game, including a homecoming victory last year.

UIU won the opening coin toss and elected to receive the opening kick-off. The Peacocks drove down the field with the help of some 15 yard personal foul penalties from the SMSU defense for an opening drive touchdown, but did not make the extra point, making the score 6-0 in favor of the Peacocks.

The Mustangs received the ball and showcased their fast paced offense, getting a play off nearly every twenty seconds. As the Mustangs were driving down the field, they were halted by another personal foul penalty for a high low block on a defender. The offense was not able to recover and was forced to punt the ball away.

The defense made up for it, however, and the Mustangs drove down to the 20-yard line of the Peacocks, but Ashanti Payne had the ball punched out of his grasp and the Peacocks recovered.

Cornerback Andrew McReynolds then intercepted a pass from UIU to give the ball back to SMSU in excellent field position. The Mustangs offense capitalized of the field position when Redshirt Quarterback Blake Gimbel fired a 27-yard strike to Raphael Lawson-Gayle to make the score 7-6 Mustangs.

The Peacocks then received the kick-off and returned it 70 yards deep into Mustang territory. The defense held the Peacocks out of the end zone, however, and forced UIU to kick a field goal making the score 7-9, Peacocks taking the lead.

The Mustangs then drove all the way down to the UIU second yard line. Running back Davontay Stevens ran it in for a score, putting the Mustangs back on top, 14-9. After another field goal by the Peacocks to make the score 14-12, the defense held tough once again just before halftime.

When the Peacocks punted the ball back to SMSU, McReynolds misjudged the punt and fumbled on the SMSU 1-yard line, which was recovered by the Peacocks.

In the next play, the Peacocks ran the ball in from a yard out, making the score 14-19. The Mustangs received the second half kickoff and scored on a 3-yard pass from Gimbel to Dalton Jones.

Gimbel finished the game with 42 completions on 56 attempts for 454 yards and 4 touchdowns in the 34-19 win. His 454 yards places him in 8th in school history for most passing yards in a single game.

The offense put up many big plays and points and the defense stopped the Peacocks cold in the second half, not allowing a single point to improve the Mustangs to 6-2, and 10-2 in the last 12 meetings with UIU.