SIOUX FALLS – Utilizing a strong rushing attack, big plays on defense and special teams, the University of Sioux Falls Football Team (8-3, 5-1 NSIC South) closed the regular season with a 42-21 win over Upper Iowa on Senior Day and won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division title on Saturday at Bob Young Field. 

With its 459^th all-time victory, the Cougars captured its second-ever South Division title (2016) with a 5-1 mark. USF's only divisional loss this year was a heartbreaker to Winona State, 14-10. The victory also gave USF a 39-11 record in home NSIC games with its 76^th win at Bob Young Field. In addition, USF moved to 8-1 all-time against Upper Iowa with its seventh straight win. 

"Any time you can win eight games in a season, win a South Division title, and have a playoff conversation in week 11 that is a success. You have to give our players, coaches, and the guys who put it out on the line. They had a good effort and I am excited to finish the way we did," said USF Head Coach Jon Anderson, who recorded his 32^nd win in 46 games at USF. "I challenged our guys to bring out the juice in the second half. We had a great punt block and a couple of touchdowns to get it going and we were able to close it out," he said. 

To win a Division crown on Senior Day, also resonated with the fifth-year head coach, who has a deep respect for his 13 seniors. 

"Senior Day is always special and this group is certainly that," said Anderson. "They had to fight through a year of not playing football and had to make tough decisions on coming back and waiting it out. They did some great things for us. There are some great football players – some great leaders and just people who are really valued in the locker room. Anytime we can honor people like that it is a good thing," Anderson said of the seniors, which Harvey Enalls, Dorian Fedrick, Chris Hill, Josh Lanasa, Zach Lyons, Nate Durfee, Dominic Pegley, Lee Pitts, Ty Smith, Tavian Tumbleson, David Vargas, and Joey Wehrkamp along with student assistant coach Andrew Johnson, who played three years for the Cougars.  

Cougars, who lead the NSIC in rushing, totaled 238 yards on 39 carries for 6.10 yards per carry. Overall, USF averaged 5.79 yards on 62 plays for 359 yards.  Leading the way was redshirt sophomore running back Landon Freeman, who had eight carries for 152 yards and a TD. Freeman, who averaged 19.0 yards per tote, has 827 yards on just 87 carries for a 9.5 yards per carry, and nine TDs in his debut season with USF. Freeman recorded his fifth game over 100 yards this season and his second in three weeks. Junior running back Thuro Reisdorfer had 22 carries for 78 yards and a TD.  Reisdorfer, who sits 10^th on USF's career rushing list with 2,366 yards, has 1,114 yards on 174 carries for a 6.4 average and 10 TDs. He now has 29 career TDs with 23 by rushing. In addition, he is just one of five backs to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and he did that this year in just 10 games for a league-high 111.4 yards per game.  

Redshirt quarterback Adam Mullen completed 15-of-23 passes for 121 yards and two TDs. He now has 2,103 passing yards and 16 TDs in his debut season. The receiving corps was led by redshirt freshman Carter Slykhuis with four catches for 27 yards and a seven-yard TD run, the second of his career. Tight end Hunter Schneider had three catches for 19 yards and caught a six-yard TD pass. Also, Tanner Beaton had three catches for 29 yards while Dominic Pegley had two receptions for 16 yards with a 10-yard TD pass. In addition, Pegley blocked his NCAA-leading third punt of the season to set up a third-quarter TD.  

On defense, Cameron Alfaro led USF with seven solo tackles and two pass breakups. Dorian Fedrick had six tackles and a tackle for loss while linebacker Harvey Enalls and Cody Jantzen both registered five tackles. Enalls now has 182 tackles in his stellar career at USF. Senior Joey Wehrkamp had a sack and has 9.5 on the season and with a TFL has 15 this year for losses of 78 yards. He now has 17.5 sacks in his career, ninth all-time at USF and his 33 TFLs is 10^th all-time. Wehrkamp, who also recovered a fumble, also ranks in the top six of both categories in the league. Also for the Cougars, defensive back Connor Aldrich picked off the first interception of his career. 

As for Upper Iowa, they had just 336 total yards on 81 plays. Quarterback Marcus Orr completed 16-of-33 passes for 182 yards and three TDs. 

Scoring Summary 
On the first drive of the game, Freeman had a 50 yards run for a TD as the Cougars took a 7-0 lead with 12:42 to play in the first quarter. Freeman's TD culminated a six-play, 82-yard scoring drive that used 2:11.  

UIU tied the score on Orr's 23-yard pass to Alexander Stevens in a drive that covered 78 yards in 12 plays in 5:18. Then USF took the lead at 5:30 of the second quarter when Pegley hauled in a 10-yard pass from Mullen for a 14-7 advantage. USF moved the ball 75 yards on 12 plays in 5:43. 

After Pegley's blocked punt set up USF deep in UIU territory, Reisdorfer scored on a one-yard run with 12:38 to play in the third quarter as USF led, 21-7. 

After Aldrich recorded his first career interception, Freeman had a 48-yard run to set up a six-yard TD throw from Mullen to Schneider for a 28-7 lead with 9:31 left in the third quarter. USF moved the ball 65 yards in six plays while using 2:23 off the clock.  

The Peacocks added their second score on a seven-yard pass from Orr to Cole Ewald to draw within 28-14 at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter. After Wehrkamp recovered a fumble, USF added to its lead when Slykhuis had a seven-yard run for a 35-14 advantage at the 1:20 mark of the third quarter.  

When USF's Masaeo Wooden forced a fumble by UIU's Keontae Luckett, Grant Rice recovered at the UIU 24-yard line. That score set up USF's final TD a seven-yard run by Dylan Rudningen with 9:06 to play in the game. It was Rudningen's first career rushing TD.  

UIU closed out the closing when Alexander Stevens caught his second TD pass from Orr for 15 yards with 2:29 to play in the fourth quarter.