Box Score

FAYETTE, Iowa – Southwest Minnesota State University Blake Gimbel passed for a career-high 454 yards—the ninth highest in team history—to lead SMSU to a 34-19 victory over Upper Iowa University on Saturday night.
 
SMSU improves to 6-2 NSIC, 2-2 NSIC South, while UIU, drops to 5-3 NSIC, 2-2 NSIC South. The victory keeps SMSU in the thick of both the NSIC overall and NSIC South Division standings, trailing Minnesota State and Sioux Falls by one game overall and MSU, USF and Augustana by one game in the South.
 
SMSU will host Minnesota State next Saturday, Oct. 31, starting at 1 p.m.
 
Gimbel finished the game completing a school record 42 passes on 56 attempts, while recording his first career 400-yard passing game and third career 300-yard passing game.
 
Raphael Lawson-Gayle caught six passes for a career-high 141 yards and one touchdown for SMSU, while Nate Huot tied a career-high with 10 receptions for 96 yards and on touchdown.
 
SMSU, which ranked fourth in the NSIC in rushing, was held to just 22 rushing yards on 31 attempts. Davontay Stevens finished with 43 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Stevens also caught three passes for 36 yards and one touchdown.
 
SMSU finished the game with 476 yards of offense, while the SMSU defense limited UIU to just 329 yards, its second lowest output all season. The SMSU defense shutout UIU in the second half in helping SMSU rally from a five-point halftime deficit. The UIU offense had five punts, a turnover on downs and one interception in seven, second half possessions.
 
Tyler Flud helped pace the SMSU defense with 12 tackles, including two sacks and one pass break-up. Jonathan Cross and Donovan Woods each added nine tackles, while Alex Burton and AJ Page both racked up seven tackles and two tackles for loss.
 
Upper Iowa started the scoring in the opening quarter on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brent Lammers to Jalen Amis to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Lammers, was making his first career start in place of injured starter Dimitri Morales. The PAT was missed keeping the score 6-0.
 
SMSU took its first lead of the game late in the opening quarter as Gimbel fired a 23-yard touchdown pass to Lawson-Gayle to make the score 7-6 following a PAT by Austin Wells. The drive was set up by an interception by Andrew McReynolds setting up the Mustangs near midfield.
 
UIU went back out in front on the first play of the second quarter following a 26-yard field goal by Brady Beuschel to make the score 9-7.
 
Following punts by both squads, SMSU took over near midfield to begin its next scoring drive to move back in front. Gimbel completed four passes moving the ball down to the 2-yard line, before Stevens plowed across for a touchdown to give SMSU a 14-9 lead with seven minutes and 22 seconds left in the second quarter.
 
UIU trimmed the margin to 14-12 with 3:55 remaining following a 34-yard field goal by Beuschel.
 
The Peacocks took advantage of a costly SMSU turnover later in the half to regain the lead. On an UIU punt, SMSU fumbled inside the 5-yard line and the Peacocks recovered at the 1-yard line. Derrick Portis scored one play later to give UIU a 19-14 halftime advantage.
 
Following a punt by UIU on its first drive of the second half, SMSU went back out in front on its opening drive of the half, taking advantage of UIU penalty. After a touchdown pass to Stevens was called back because of a penalty, SMSU was facing third and 19 from the UIU 29-yard line. Following an incomplete pass, UIU was called for a personal foul to give SMSU a first down at the UIU 14-yard line. Four plays later, Gimbel tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Jones to make the sore 21-19 with 9:42 left in the third. It was the first career touchdown for Jones.
 
The game remained a two-point game until the fourth quarter when SMSU converted a huge third-down conversion to add to the lead. Pinned at their 3-yard line following an UIU punt, SMSU later faced third and nine from the 9-yard line, Gimbel completed a pass to Lawson-Gayle, who broke free for an 82-yard reception down to the UIU 9-yard line.
 
After SMSU was called for a penalty, Gimbel completed a pass over the middle to Stevens in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown strike and after the PAT, SMSU held a 28-19 lead with 9:06 remaining.
 
On UIU's next drive, the SMSU defense came through big time to turn the Peacocks on downs. Facing fourth and one from their own 35-yard line, UIU elected to go for it, but SMSU's Caleb Leichtnam ripped the running back for a 1-yard loss to give SMSU the ball back.
 
SMSU would take advantage of the big stop and score seven plays later as Gimbel connected on a 16-yard touchdown to Nate Huot, on fourth-and-four, to push the margin to 34-19 following a missed two-point try.
 
UIU had one last chance to cut into the lead, but on fourth and nine from the SMSU 20-yard line, Leichtnam recorded his team-leading fourth interception of the season to seal the victory.
 
The victory was SMSU's eighth straight over UIU since 2008 and secures the program's 10^th winning season in history.