Truman State took control early and never looked back, putting together a balanced, physical performance to beat Upper Iowa 48–21 at Stokes Stadium. The Bulldogs jumped ahead with a pair of turnovers that resulted in two Diego Perez field goals in the first quarter, 28 and 38 yards, and used steadier offense and opportunistic defense to pull away over the final three quarters.
After the two before mentioned field goals, Upper Iowa responded early in the second with a 10-play, 85-yard drive capped by Mante Morrow's eight-yard touchdown catch, but the Bulldogs answered quickly.
Truman's second-quarter sequence showed how the game would be decided: a seven-play, 55-yard march finished with Dylan Hair finding Jackson Overton for a 19-yard touchdown, giving Truman the lead. Upper Iowa then regained the lead on a 34-yard pick-six by Tade Parsons, but Hair and the offense closed the half with a four-play, 48-yard drive with Hair himself finishing it on a seven yard run near the end of the half to put the Bulldogs up 20–14. Those opening 30 minutes contained the game's swings, but Truman's ability to answer quickly kept the momentum on its side.
The second half was all Bulldogs. Truman opened the third on a methodical six-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Gerard Grewe's two-yard touchdown catch. Later in the quarter a seven-play, 81 yard possession, highlighted by a 55-yard Denim Cook burst, set up a goal-line situation, and Hair squeezed a completion to Nathan Ryan for a short touchdown to extend the lead to 34–14. A series of clean possessions and a steady rushing attack allowed Truman to control the clock and the field position. In the fourth, 10-play and seven-play drives produced consecutive touchdowns from Cook (eight yards) and Elijah Stevens (five yards) that pushed the advantage to 48–14.
Upper Iowa's lone late score, a four-yard Overstreet rushing touchdown after an 11-play drive, made the final 48–21, but the Bulldogs put together two strong halves.
Key Stats
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Final Score: Truman State 48, Upper Iowa 21
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Total Offense: Truman 430 yards (210 rushing / 220 passing); Upper Iowa 301 yards
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QB Dylan Hair: 23-of-27 passing, 207 yards, 3 TDs; 8 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD
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RB Denim Cook: 15 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD (long of 55 yards)
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WR Jackson Overton: 6 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD
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WR Gerard Grewe: 5 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD
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WR Nathan Ryan: 1 reception, 1-yard TD
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K Diego Perez: 2-for-2 on field goals (28, 38 yards)
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Defense: 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery; held UIU to 4-of-11 on third downs
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Red Zone: Truman 8-for-8 on scoring chances
Up Next:
Truman (3–3, 2–1 GLVC) will look to carry this balanced performance, a powerful rushing attack led by Denim Cook, efficient quarterback play from Dylan Hair, and a defense that forced multiple turnovers, into homecoming weekend against the Quincy Hawks next Saturday at 1:30 PM. The Bulldogs have won the last eight straight games against the Hawks. Stay tuned for all Truman State homecoming festivities!
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