SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (5-3, 5-3 NSIC), which leads the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and ranks sixth nationally in rushing, will host Upper Iowa (3-5, 3-5 NSIC) at 1 p.m., Saturday (Oct. 27) at Bob Young Field.  KWSN will be the game sponsor.

#COUGARS END TWO-GAME LOSING STREAK -- A week ago, the Cougars ended a two-game losing streak by rolling to a 55-21 win at Minnesota State Moorhead (5-3, 5-3 NSIC) at Alex Nemzek Field.  In the victory, junior running back Gabriel Watson set a new school game record with 320 yards on 19 carries with five TDs. As a result he was named NSIC Player of the Week for a third time and also named the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week. With that total, Watson broke Hall of Fame running back David Ruter's game record of 33 carries for 315 yards and four TDs in a blizzard during a first round playoff game in 1996 when USF when its first national title.  USF took a 20-7 lead over MSUM after one quarter. At halftime, USF extended the lead to 48-21 as Watson had 269 yards rushing and four TDs. In addition, Nate Johnson returned a kickoff 85-yard for a TD just five seconds before halftime. In the second half, USF scored the only points on a 13-yard Watson TD run.

With the win, USF extended its series lead to 4-0 against the Dragons. Meanwhile, Upper Iowa dropped a 34-14 decision at St. Cloud State on the Huskies' homecoming. UIU trailed 14-7 at halftime before SCSU scored three straight touchdowns to take a 34-7 lead. Late in the third quarter Brent Lammers connected with Skyler Lehman on a two-yard TD pass. Lammers threw for 322 yards and two TDs. SCSU held a 448-to-383 yards advantage in total offense.

#HOW THINGS STAND - Entering the game with UIU, USF ranks first in the NSIC and sixth in NCAA DII in rushing yards per game at 292.9. USF is led by a veteran offensive front, including All-American Trey Pipkins, and the nation's top running back in Gabriel Watson. In rushing and scoring stats, Watson ranks first in DII in six categories and in the top three in nine statistical categories.  He leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,517 on 181 carries with an DII-best 21 touchdowns.  

USF ranks third in the NSIC and 24th in DII in scoring at 36.4 points per game. Led by Caden Walters, who has 1,390 passing yards and the league's second-best efficiency ranking at 161.7, USF ranks second in the NSIC and 13th in DII with 476.9 total yards per game. The Cougars rank fourth in the NSIC and 30th in DII by allowing 114.5 rushing yards per game. USF is second in scoring defense in the NSIC at 20.5 points per game.   

#OFFENSE MAKING IMPACT  - SETTING GAME PER PLAY MARKS -- USF has already accumulated more rushing yards than in 2017 with a 2,343-to-2,283 margin. USF, which is averaging a league-best 6.5 yards per carry, has 2,343 yards on 359 attempts. A year ago, USF averaged 4.1 rushing yards per carry with 555 attempts for 2,283 yards.  USF is also nearing the total offense total from a year ago. USF has 3,815 yards, or 476.9 yards per game, which ranks second in the NSIC and 13th in NCAA DII. 

A year ago, USF had 4,573 yards in 12 games on 875 plays. In 518 plays this year, USF has averaged 7.4 yards per play, which is the best mark since the program moved to NCAA DII. In 2016, USF averaged 7.0 yards per play in winning the NSIC title for the first time in school history. Also of note, USF has averaged 9.0 yards per play three times, which had not been accomplished previously at the DII level. USF had tied the school total offense mark of 9.1 per play (SCSU, 2016) in the 51-13 "Key to the City" win over Augustana on Sept. 22 and had 9.0 yards per play in the 56-14 home win over Minot State on Sept. 29. However against MSUM, the Cougars rolled up 583 yards in total offense on 57 plays for a school record 10.2 yards per play.

COO TRACKS -- USF is 59-15 (.797) all-time in the NSIC. USF is 66-22 (.750) all-time in NCAA DII with a 35-11 mark against South opponents and 24-4 vs. the North. The Cougars are 30-8 in road NSIC games and 29-7 in home NSIC games. In North Division road games, the Cougars stand 11-3 and are 12-1 at home against NSIC North teams. USF has an 18-6 mark against South opponents at home and is 17-5 on the road. USF clinched their 24th straight winning season with a win over Wayne State on Oct. 12, 2017. It is a streak which is unmatched in D2 and the fifth-longest streak across all divisions. The string of success began with an 8-3 season for legendary head coach Bob Young in 1994.

Since moving to DII in 2011, the Cougars have scored 3,117 points in 88 games or 35.42 points per game. USF has scored in 159 straight games which is a streak that dates to a 55-0 loss to Carroll College in 2005.  

For the first time since 2015, USF has scored at least 50 points in a game three times. In 2015, USF accomplished the feat four times.

Senior offensive tackle Trey Pipkins has been named to the Senior Bowl Watch List and two preseason All-American Teams - D2Football.com and The Podyum.

Captains for the 2018 season include Pipkins, senior wide receiver Michael Maxwell, junior safety Tucker Stout and senior All-NSIC defensive end Logan Dykstra.

Five-time All-American Dennis Gardeck, who helped lead the 2017 Cougars to the playoffs, has earned a spot on the Arizona Cardinals NFL roster. Gardeck was All-NSIC, a Harlon Hill and Cliff Harris finalist and NSIC Newcomer of the Year after accumulating 75 tackles, 14 tackles and 21 tackles for loss.

#USF OWNS 5-1 SERIES LEAD OVER UIU -- The Cougars stand 5-1 all-time vs. Upper Iowa and have four straight wins. In 2017, USF defeated the Peacocks, 19-7, as Jason Towns had 201 all purpose yards and Kyle Campiotti had a 67-yard interception return. In 2016, the USF took a 51-7 decision as Luke Papilion threw for 269 yards and a TD while Max Mickey had 92 yards rushing and two TDs. Papilion threw for 331 yards and three TDs while Solomon St. Pierre and John Tidwell had interception touchdown returns for USF in a 69-20 win over UIU in 2015. The Cougars took a 45-24 decision in 2014 at Bob Young Field. Papilion threw for 287 yards and three TDs as USF led, 24-0, at half. USF had a 282-to-36 advantage in rushing yards. UIU took a 30-28 decision in 2013 at Harms-Eischeid Stadium as Chris Smith ran for 258 yards and three TDs. Carrington Hanna had 298 yards pass and two TDs to lead USF. In 2012, USF outscored UIU, 54-41, at Bob Young Field. In the high scoring affair, Kristian Porter racked up 108 rushing yards and two TDs. USF QB Taylor Perkins charted his sixth game of the season with three or more passing TDs and finished 15-of-25 for 230 yards and three TDs. Jeremiah Oates had 162 yards receiving. Cole Jaeschke threw for 606 yards and five TDs to lead UIU.

#USF HAS BEST RUSHING GAME OF SEASON IN NSIC - USF has the single-best team rushing performance in the NSIC and eighth-best total in NCAA DII in 2018 with 444 yards on 56 carries against Minot State on Cougar Days on Sept. 29 at Bob Young Field.

#BREAKING DOWN THE PEACOCKS -- The Peacocks stand 3-5 overall and 1-3 in divisional play. Head Coach Tom Shea directs UIU, which is ninth in scoring in the NSIC at 25.5 points per game and allows 27.5 points per game (10th ,NSIC) on defense. They are fifth in the NSIC in total offense (396.8 yards per game) but 10th in total defense (393.1 yards per game). Against the rush, UIU ranks 13th in the NSIC at 172.0 yards per game. Quarterback Brent Lammers ranks second in the NSIC in total offense (294.5 ypg). With Lammers already throwing 371 passes (202 completions) in eight games, look for the visitors to put the ball in the air. The Peacocks have five receivers with at least 26 receptions on the season. Brandyn Tulloch leads UIU with 46 receptions. UIU has wins over Winona State, 34-33, and Bemidji State, 27-24, at Harms-Eischeid Stadium in Fayette, Iowa. They also defeated Minot State, 44-9, in Minot. They have lost to Southwest Minnesota State, 21-20; Concordia St. Paul, 34-7; Augustana, 48-45; Minnesota State Moorhead, 17-13 and St. Cloud State, 34-14.

#WATSON NAMED DII NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK --  Gabriel Watson, who broke the University of Sioux Falls Football's game rushing record with 320 yards and scored five touchdowns in a 55-21 win over Minnesota State Moorhead on Oct. 20, was named the D2Football.com DII National Player of the Week. Watson was also selected the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Offensive Player of the Week for the third time.

Against MSUM, Watson set or tied four USF records as the Cougars ended a rare two-game losing streak with a 55-21 road win over Minnesota State Moorhead. Watson also set a school mark of 269 rushing yards by halftime and finished with a program-best game record of 320 yards on 19 carries with five touchdowns, which tied the school DII mark held by Luke Papilion (240 yards rushing, five TDs, vs. Northern State, 2013). Watson played just two series in the second half and had six carries for 51 yards in the third quarter.

He broke the school rushing mark with his final carry of the game, which was a 12-yard burst late in the third quarter. USF Hall of Fame running back David Ruter had set the rushing game mark with 315 yards on 33 carries and four touchdowns against U-Mary in a first-round playoff win (Nov. 23) in 1996 when the Cougars won their first-ever NAIA national title.

A junior from Piedmont, Calif., Watson scored on runs of 79, 31, 2, 74 and 13 yards in USF's victory. He also had runs of 33, 18, 17 and 13 yards during the game. With his performance against the Dragons, Wagon raised his per carry average a full yard from 7.4 to 8.4 per carry.

Watson now leads NCAA DII in six rushing or scoring statistical categories. Behind a veteran offensive front, which includes preseason All-American Trey Pipkins, Watson leads DII with 1,517 yards on 181 carries and a DII-best 21 rushing touchdowns. Watson, who set a school record with his eighth straight 100-yard rushing game against MSUM, has accumulated five runs of 50 yards plus (81, 79, 74, 67, 54), and 16 carries of 30 yards or more in 2018. In addition, he has had 19 runs of 20 yards or more with 45 carries of 10 yards or more. He leads DII with 189.6 rushing yards per game.

With three regular season games to play, Watson ranks seventh all-time in rushing for a season at USF with his 1,517 yards. He is just nine yards behind USF Hall of Fame running back Mike Dvoracek, who had 1,526 rushing yards in 2004. USF's all-time single season mark is held by former eight-time All-American Max Mickey with 1,764 yards in 2016. Watson is 463 yards away from the NSIC mark for rushing yards in a season, which is held by Tyler Tonderum of SMSU with 1,979 in 2013.

With his nation-best 21 TDs this year, Watson is tied for fourth all-time for a season at USF with Ryan Lowmiller (2009) and USF Hall of Fame running back Nick Kortan (2002). USF's all-time season rushing touchdowns record is held by Ruter with 29 in 1998. Aside from running and rushing TDs, Watson leads NCAA DII in rushing averaged at 189.6 yards per game; scoring per game at 15.8 points; total points scored with 126 and total TDs with 21. He is second in all-purpose yards with 192.63 per game and third in yards per carry at 8.4.

Watson's 100-yard rushing games - 2018
Concordia St. Paul -- 27 carries 200 yards, 3 TDs
@ Winona State -- 29 carries for 172 yards, TD
Southwest Minnesota State -- 19 carries for 193 yards, 2 TDs
@ Augustana -- 23 carries for 140 yards, 4 TDs
Minot State -- 15 carries for 205 yards, 2 TDs
Bemidji State -- 27 carries, 126 yards, 3 TDs.
St. Cloud State -- 22 carries, 161 yards, TD
MSU Moorhead -- 19 carries, 320 yards, 5 TDs

USF Season Rushing Leaders - All-Time
1. Max Mickey          2016    1,764
2. David Ruter         1996    1,726
3. Nick Kortan          2001    1,678
4. Nick Kortan          2002    1,606
5. Mike Dvoracek    2005    1,603
6. Mike Dvoracek    2004    1,526
7. Gabriel Watson 2018    1,517

Season Rushing TDs --  All-Time
1. David Ruter         1998    29
2. Mike Dvoracek    2005    23
3. Nick Kortan         2001    22
4. Ryan Lowmiller    2009    21    
4. Nick Kortan          2002    21
4. Gabriel Watson    2018    21
   
#WALTERS 13th IN DII IN PASS EFFICIENCY - Junior quarterback Caden Walters ranks second in the NSIC and 13th in NCAA DII in passing efficiency at 161.7.  He has completed 93-of-146 passes for 1,390 yards with 11 TDs and five interceptions. With a 63.7 percent completion mark, Walters leads the NSIC and ranks 19th in DII. He is averaging 173.8 passing yards per game.  He threw for a career-high 244 yards against Augustana in the 51-13 "Key to the City" victory on Sept. 22. He had a streak of 61 straight passes without an interception end in the second half of the loss at Bemidji State.  This season, he has a low of 127 yards passing and a high of 244 yards passing (Augustana). He had a career-high four TDs (12-of-17-196 yards) in a win over Southwest Minnesota State.

#DEFENSE AND TURNOVERS -- USF's defense has a tradition of creating turnovers, playing shutdown defense and scoring TDs. In the DII era, USF has scored 40 TDs on defense and special teams with 27 on defense. Junior cornerback Parker Gregston scored USF's 39th special teams/defensive in the past seven years with his 75-yard interception return for a TD in the second quarter of the USF win over Augustana on Sept. 22. With Nate Johnson's 85-yard kickoff return against MSUM, USF added its 40th TD at the DII level. So far in 2018, USF has a turnover differential of plus-eight (16-to-10) , which provides USF with a .63 average per game and a No. 33 ranking in NCAA DII.