5 Iowa college football storylines: Upper Iowa looks to continue recent home success

Upper Iowa is approaching a calendar year without losing at home. Cornell’s Mason Dew emerges as starting QB. Wartburg heads to Loras before showdown with Central and more. Here are five storylines in small college football:

Upper Iowa looks to remain unblemished at home

The Peacocks have enjoyed success at home, winning three straight games at Harms-Eischeid Stadium in Fayette dating back to last season. They host Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University Saturday. The Bearcats are 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and are no pushover, losing both conference games by a total of four points. All three of Southwest Baptist’s losses have been by one score and a total of 11 points. The Bearcats have allowed 30 points per game, giving up 26 or more in four contests. Upper Iowa’s offense could be poised for a big day. The Peacocks have one of the league’s best passing combinations and face the conference worst pass defense that surrenders 343.7 yards a game through the air. Two-time all-GLVC receiver Mante Morrow has produced another impressive campaign. He leads the GLVC with 587 receiving yards (97.8 per game) and is tied for the conference lead with 33 receptions. His eight touchdown catches is second, one shy of Southwest Baptist’s Kamau Ransom. Morrow could surpass 2,000 career yards and 25 TDs receiving Saturday. He has 1,951 yards and 24 scores on 131 catches.

Quarterback Darryl Overstreet Jr. has passed for 1,411 yards and 11 TDs. He is tops in the league with a 73.8 completion percentage, connecting on 121 of 164 attempts. Former Montezuma standout Eddie Burgess remains to be a regular target. The senior tight end has 25 catches for 290 yards and a TD. Burgess has 1,330 career yards and 15 TDs.

Upper Iowa Coach Jason Hoskins is in his fifth season at the helm. He has steadily improved the Peacocks program. Upper Iowa won just one game in 2021 and 2022 and went 3-8 in 2023. Hoskins turnaround took hold last season, going 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the GLVC. The Peacocks were selected third in the conference preseason coaches’ poll. They are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the GLVC. The other loss came in the season opener to Drake.

Mason Dew emerges as Cornell’s QB1

Mason Dew hadn’t thrown a college pass before this month. The sophomore quarterback made one appearance last season but didn’t record a single statistic. He actually contemplated leaving the program and wasn’t at the first day of fall camp. Dew returned to the Rams and has been all-in from his first day back, according to Cornell first-year head coach Curt Ritchie.

“He came back so we're just glad to have him back,” Ritchie said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked. We just got to accept it and move on.”

Dew made his first appearance in a 26-19 win over Beloit, passing for 174 yards and two TDs. In last week’s hard-fought 22-14 loss to Ripon, Dew got the start and passed for 189 yards and a score without an interception. Dew remains the No. 1 guy under center. He will face a tremendous test against Midwest Conference co-leader Monmouth (Ill.) College. The Fightin’ Scots are 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. Monmouth is the league’s top passing defense, allowing 128.8 yards per game. They have more interceptions (5) than TDs allowed (4) and lead the league with 13 sacks this season. The Rams are tied for fourth in the conference with a 2-2 mark. They are 2-3 overall.

Possible trap game for Wartburg? Unlikely

Wartburg is approaching an American Rivers Conference showdown with co-leader Central next week. Before that possible quasi-title game, the Knights (6-0, 4-0 A-R-C) travel to Loras (1-4, 1-2) Saturday. The Duhawks are coming off their first win over the season, beating Nebraska Wesleyan, 31-28. Wartburg handled University of Dubuque, 33-7, setting the conference win streak record with its 30th straight conference game and breaking the old mark of 29 in a row by Central from 1983-87. The Knights could be looking ahead to the Dutch. The series with Loras couldn’t be much more one-sided, though. Wartburg has won 19 straight meetings. Some of the Loras players weren’t born to see a win over the Knights. The Duhawks’ last win in the series came in 2004. Wartburg has scored 38 or more points against Loras in 12 straight games.

Will Drake special teams shine again?

Kicker Harry Balke helped the Bulldogs survive San Diego last week, booting a 55-yard field goal as time expired in a 19-16 road victory. Balke also made a 43-yard kick to open the fourth quarter. Balke was named Pioneer League and Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week, hitting the longest game-ending field goal in the FCS since 2022. Balke is 8 of 9 this season and has 15 extra points for 39 points this season. Drake (3-2, 0-2) hosts Davidson (1-5) Saturday in a non-conference game. Davidson has won the previous two meetings. The last was a 48-14 win over the Bulldogs in 2022.

Eastern Iowa duo contribute to No. 13 UW-Platteville

Former MFL MarMac prep Carver Blietz-Bentien and former Iowa City West player Ashton Honore are contributing to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville defense. Blietz-Bentien, a linebacker, is fourth on the team with 19 total tackles and is tied for second with three pass breakups. Honore, listed as a defensive lineman, is tied for third with 2.5 tackles for loss and third with two quarterback hurries. Honore also has nine total tackles and an interception. The Pioneers (4-1, 1-1 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) were ranked as high as No. 6 in the NCAA Division III rankings and host No. 4 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Saturday.

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