FAYETTE, IOWA – The University of Minnesota Crookston football team fell 45-24 to Upper Iowa University Sat., Oct. 19 at Harms-Eischeid Stadium in Fayette, Iowa. The Golden Eagles scored their most points of the season but would ultimately come up short on the road. The Peacocks outscored Minnesota Crookston 28-10 in the second and third quarters to earn the victory.

Upper Iowa improves to 1-6 with the victory, while Minnesota Crookston drops to 0-7.

Minnesota Crookston was led by a strong game from Jalin Scott (Sr., QB, Houston, Texas). Scott had three passing touchdowns, as he was the first Golden Eagle to hit that mark since 2015. He finished the day 15-of-21 for 247 yards through the air. Scott also added 36 yards on the ground. Scott was able to keep plays alive with his feet and make great throws for Minnesota Crookston.

His top target was Nathan Coy (R-So., WR, Sun Prairie, Wis.), who had perhaps his best day as a Golden Eagle with four catches for 86 yards with two touchdowns. Jonattan Mudd (Sr., WR, Gardena, Calif.) finished with three grabs for 74 yards, while Shonte Smith (Sr., WR, Pacoima, Calif.), had three catches for 49 yards, including his second career touchdown catch.

The Golden Eagles had 312 yards of offense with 247 through the air and just 65 on the ground.

Defensively, Austin Steele (R-So., LB, La Crosse, Wis.) guided the team with 10 tackles. LaDerek McCray (Sr., LB, McComb, Miss.) added eight tackles. Tysen White (Fr., DB, McFarland, Wis.) finished with eight tackles and a sack. Will Cross (R-Sr., LB, Turtle Lake, Wis.) chipped in five tackles with two tackles for loss, while Austin Erdmann (R-Fr., DL, Little Falls, Minn.) also had a tackle for loss.

Alex Folz (Fr., Spring Grove, Minn.) was strong on special teams, as he returned for carries for 139 yards for an average of 34.8 yards per return with a long of 58. As a punter, Folz averaged 39.1 yards per punt with two punts over 50 yards.

Upper Iowa had 408 yards of offense with 195 through the air and 213 on the ground.

The Peacocks looked to Zach Reader, who was 15-of-21 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Alexander Stevens with five grabs for 124 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Matt McDonald paced Upper Iowa with 13 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Levon Bellemy added 15 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Peacocks had six sacks on the game led by two from Erik Hansen.

Upper Iowa marched the ball down to the Minnesota Crookston nine on their first drive led by a 26-yard pass from Reader to Stevens. Minnesota Crookston's defense stopped the Peacocks there as they forced a 26-yard field goal by Jonathan Argueta-Herrera. The field goal put Upper Iowa ahead 3-0.

Minnesota Crookston answered on the following drive as they went 69 yards on nine plays guided by a 17-yard pass from Scott to Mudd. The Golden Eagles would get seven points as Scott found Coy for an 11-yard strike to put Minnesota Crookston ahead 7-3.

Upper Iowa answered on the following drive as they ended a 56-yard, six play drive with a two-yard touchdown run by McDonald to regain the lead 10-7.

The Peacocks opened the second half at the Minnesota Crookston 37 after a costly personal foul penalty by the Golden Eagles. Upper Iowa took advantage of the field position, as Reader found Stevens for the 37-yard touchdown pass to push the advantage out to 17-7.

After a defensive stop, Upper Iowa found themselves with great field position again after just a 17-yard punt by Folz. The Peacocks took advantage as they scored on a two-yard touchdown pass from Reader to Lane Canny to extend the lead to 24-7.

A Minnesota Crookston defensive stop mid-way through the second quarter gave the ball back to the Golden Eagle defense. Minnesota Crookston was able to march the ball down the field led by a 40-yard completion from Scott to Mudd. Minnesota Crookston utilized a 32-yard field by Jared McLemore (So., K, Lucas, Texas) to slice the Upper Iowa advantage to 24-10.

The Golden Eagles would go into the locker room trailing 24-10.

Minnesota Crookston had 143 offensive yards in the first half with eight first downs. Scott led the way, going 7-of-10 through the air for 107 yards and a touchdown. He added 14 yards on the ground. His top target was Mudd, who was grabs for 57 yards. Coy added two catches for 27 yards.

The defense was propelled by McCray and Steele with five tackles.

Upper Iowa was guided by Reader, who went 10-of-14 in the first half for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Stevens was his top target with four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. McDonald led the running game with eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Erik Hansen led the way with four tackles and two sacks.

Upper Iowa opened the second half with a 47-yard touchdown run on third down by McDonald as they pushed their lead out to 31-10.

Minnesota Crookston opened the next series off with a 44-yard kickoff return by Folz to give Minnesota Crookston the ball at their own 48.

The Golden Eagles took advantage as Scott scrambled around and avoided tacklers and delivered a strike to the end zone, finding Coy for the 52-yard strike to cut the lead to 31-17.

Upper Iowa got the ball into Golden Eagle territory on the following drive, but White came up with a big sack on third down to give the ball back to Minnesota Crookston.

The Golden Eagles would be unable to answer on the offensive end, as they gave the ball back to Upper Iowa.

Upper Iowa responded as Bellemy went in for a two-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 38-17 for the Peacocks.

The Peacocks widened the gap to 45-17 early in the fourth quarter with a six-yard touchdown run by Bellemy.

The Golden Eagles looked to respond on the following drive as Folz returned the kickoff 58 yards to the Upper Iowa 40. Minnesota Crookston was unable to take advantage after the kickoff return as they were stopped on first down, giving the ball back to the Peacocks.

Minnesota Crookston would come up with a stop on the third down, as they forced the punt and got the ball back but with just seven minutes left in the game.

The Golden Eagles didn't give in as they went 92 yards on eight plays led by a 12-yard completion to Boyce Harr, and a 17-yard catch by Mudd. The drive was completed as Scott scrambled and Smith made a diving catch in the end zone for the 33-yard touchdown. The grab cut the lead to 45-24 with 4:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota Crookston attempted the onside kick, but Upper Iowa came up with the recovery.

Upper Iowa was able to run out the clock as they took the 45-24 win.

Minnesota Crookston will return to the Red River Valley to take on No. 3 Minnesota State University at 6 p.m. at Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.