Michigan Tech running back Jake Rueff looks upfield as he turns with the ball during a game against Upper Iowa Saturday at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Despite being nationally-ranked at No. 24, Saturday was not the Michigan Tech Huskies football team’s day as they fell to Upper Iowa, 21-14, at Kearly Stadium for Homecoming.

Michigan Tech (3-1) saw the defense record three turnovers and carried a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, but six penalties for 70 yards, along with a 21-point outburst in the second quarter by Upper Iowa (2-1), proved to be too much to overcome.

Penalties were also an issue for the Peacocks, who racked up 96 penalty yards from 10 flags, but the offensive output of 345 yards in 70 plays and just two punts on the day was enough to spoil the Huskies’ three-game win streak. The Peacocks also nearly doubled the time of possession in the first half, holding the Huskies to just 10:34 minutes on offense.

“Overall, we did not play Michigan Tech football. We had way too many mistakes, took some terrible penalties and put ourselves in bad situations,” Huskies coach Dan Mettlach said. “Give Upper Iowa credit, I thought they executed better, they were more physical than we were and this game just didn’t go our way, and a lot of that was self-inflicted.”

Upper Iowa started the game on offense and made it down to the Huskies’ 36-yard line before linebacker Porter Zeeman got a punchout on Eddie Burgess, recovered by captain defensive back Dante Basanese. Basanese would also account for an interception on the following Upper Iowa offensive drive on third and nine before the offense took eight plays to trek 55 yards in 3:46, capped with an 11-yard rush from quarterback Alex Bueno.

The Peacocks answered on their next possession, eating up 6:29 off the clock to go 75 yards in 15 plays with quarterback Darryl Overstreet Jr. connecting with standout wide receiver Mante Morrow for a 19-yard touchdown to tie the contest with 12:08 to go in the first half.

The road team scored on its next two possessions with Overstreet Jr. finding tight ends Burgess for a nine-yard touchdown grab and Logan Rasauer from one yard out just before halftime, making it 21-7 in favor of the opposition.

Out of the break, the Huskies looked poised for a comeback by utilizing the run game to spark the offense with Jake Rueff accounting for eight rushes totaling 39 yards with two offsides called on the Peacocks before Bueno connected with wide receiver Bryce Kurncz for a 13-yard receiving score to make it 21-14 following the extra point by kicker Avery Kucharski.

However, the offense sputtered down the stretch despite getting help from the defense with a third quarter fumble by the Peacocks recovered by Nolan Schopp with 4:22 to go in the stanza.

The Huskies failed to convert on fourth down at the start of the fourth quarter despite getting two chunk plays off a 24-yard deflected pass caught by Nic Nora and a 29-yard run by Rueff. Michigan Tech was held without points after being stuffed on fourth and two at the Upper Iowa eight-yard line. With 2:40 to go, the Huskies got on offense again but had to punt away and a three-and-out, allowing the Peacocks to run the clock out for a 21-14 decision.

Bueno finished the day 11-for-22 for 89 yards and a touchdown, with Nora leading the receivers with 34 yards on three receptions. Rueff had 18 carries for 81 yards.

Linebacker Chase Koch led the team with 11 total tackles.

Up next

The Huskies will enter the bye week with a 3-1 non-conference ledger before opening GLIAC play on the road at Wayne State on Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.