Bulldogs hold early lead but fall at Upper Iowa

With a week off after an emotional win in Indianapolis, the Bulldogs fell on Saturday, 21-19, and Truman’s football team no longer controls its own destiny within the GLVC.

Truman falls to 2-4 (2-1 GLVC) and travels to Quincy on Saturday.

The ‘Dogs traveled to Fayette, Iowa, for a rematch of what was a 48-21 blowout last year at Stokes Stadium. The UIU Peacocks also had Playoff aspirations and really, that was the performance that vaulted Truman into the final Regional slot.

In Saturday’s game, the Bulldogs took the opening lead. Madden Irving continued his phenomenal season with a two-yard touchdown rush, and Diego Perez added a field goal early in the second quarter to make the game 10-0 in the ‘Dogs favor.

The Peacocks scored on a prolonged drive, then scored on a fumble recovery, and all of a sudden the game was 14-10.

Perez kicked a 43-yarder to end a 10-play drive with two minutes remaining in the half.

In its first possession in the third, Upper Iowa went down the field on an 84-yard drive and punched it in from two yards out. The Peacocks elected to kick the extra point to make it an eight-point game at 21-13.

Truman’s Luke Allen caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Hair with 4:36 remaining, but the ‘Dogs couldn’t convert the two-point attempt to tie the game. The ‘Dogs forced a punt, but Hair threw a pick and Truman’s day was over.

Hair had a rough day, finishing with one of the only three-interception games of his career. He finished 18-for-30 and 228 yards, and on his 10 statistical rushing attempts, gained only 21 yards. Irving was also stifled – 12 attempts for 43 yards with a long of five yards from scrimmage. The Peacocks had the Bulldogs bottled up unlike last year’s game at Stokes, where the ‘Dogs ran free for much of the second and third quarters.

A statistical anomaly, 10 different receivers caught Hair’s 18 completions. No Bulldog had more than three – Irving, and Jackson Overton’s three receptions went for only nine yards.

Truman, despite being 2-4, still has an outside shot for the GLVC title if fate rolls its way when Indy and Upper Iowa face off in Fayette on Nov. 14.