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MARSHALL, Minn. – Cody Condon's 3-yard touchdown reception with 4:15 left in the game lifted Southwest Minnesota State to come-from-behind 28-24 victory over Upper Iowa on Saturday night in Marshall.

SMSU (3-5, 3-4 NSIC) trailed 24-14 midway through the third quarter, but scored the game's final 14 points to earn just its second victory in 13 games in the last two seasons when trailing after three quarters.

UIU (3-5, 2-5 NSIC) was led by running back Chris Smith, who rushed for a career-high 230 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries. 

Warren Matthews paced SMSU with 104 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries for his fifth career 100-yard rushing game.  He also moved into ninth on the school's all-time rushing list with 1,365 yards.

J.J. Bobrowicz led the SMSU defense, which forced a pair of UIU turnovers, with a career-high 12 tackles with one tackle for loss and one forced fumble. 

UIU finished the game with 501 yards of offense, including 304 yards rushing and 26 first downs.  SMSU ended the game with 323 yards of offense and 14 first downs.

Trailing 24-14 midway through the third quarter, SMSU started its comeback with a key six-play, 60-yard drive to cut the deficit to three following a 1-yard touchdown run by Matthews with 5:58 on the clock.  SMSU picked up a big third-and-six conversion during the drive with a Tyler Peschong 8-yard pass to Britt Wickett, moving the ball down to the UIU 48-yard line.  On the next ensuing play, Matthews broke free for a 46-yard run down to the UIU 2-yard line and would score two plays later.

Both teams exchanged punts on the next two possessions, before the SMSU defense forced another UIU with just under seven minutes left in the game to set up the game-winning drive.

Starting at the SMSU 20-yard line with 6:37 remaining in the game, Peschong began the game-winning drive with a 26-yard pass to Tyler Erickson.  On second-and-five from the UIU 49-yard line, Peschong lofted a pass to Gannon Moore who sprinted down the sideline for a 45-yard reception down to the UIU 4-yard line.  Two plays later, Peschong capped the drive with the 4-yard pass to Condon to give SMSU a 28-24 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, UIU's Jesse Hubbard broke free for a 34-yard return to give the Peacocks first down at the UIU 49-yard line.  Three plays later, UIU faced second-and-eight from the 18-yard line, but a holding penalty moved the ball back to the 28-yard line with just under two and a half minutes left in the game.  The SMSU defense then came up with the biggest plays of the game as Da'Ronte Smith intercepted Cole Jaeschke at the 10-yard line and returned it 40 yards to midfield. 

The Mustang offense was able to pick up a first down and run out the clock to seal its fourth straight victory over Upper Iowa.

SMSU opened the game's scoring taking advantage of an UIU fumble inside the UIU 10-yard line.  Adam Iverson and Bobrowicz sacked UIU quarterback Cole Jaeschke and forced a fumble that was recovered by Iverson at the 9-yard line.  SMSU then converted a third-and-goal with Peschong completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Kosminskas with 12 minutes and 24 seconds left in the quarter to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead.

UIU answered just four plays later with Smith, who earlier in the drive broke free for a 53-yard run, scored on a 4-yard run to tie the game at 7-7 with 10:49 remaining in the quarter.

SMSU came back with its own impressive drive on its next possession, driving 40 yards on just five plays with Peschong scoring on a 14-yard run midway through the quarter to regain the lead at 14-7.

The Peacocks would tie the game with 4:36 remaining in the second quarter on a Jaeschke 9-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Hefty.

UIU then took its first lead of the game, set-up by a 61-yard run by Smith, moving the ball down to the SMSU 7-yard line with first-and-goal.  The Mustang defense though held strong and forced the Peacocks to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Steven Sandoval on the final play of the half.

Smith rushed for 178 yards on 17 carries in the opening half and racked up 307 yards of offense. 

SMSU continues NSIC South Division play next Saturday with a 4:30 p.m. road game versus Winona State University (4-4, 4-3 NSIC).