The Jamestown football team is ready to get their season underway on the road against Upper Iowa University on Saturday, August 29.
This will be the first and only non-conference contest for Jamestown on the season. It is a new era for Jimmie football as
Tom Dosch steps into the head coaching role after Brian Mistro assumed position of Athletic Director. This will be Dosch's second stint as head coach after he lead to Jimmies to a 25-17 record from 2004-07 including a couple of appearances in the NAIA National Tournament.
Game Information
The Teams
The Jimmies return a strong core of talent from last year's team on both sides of the ball. Quarterback
Cole Hentges and wide receiver
Nate Burke will be back in the Orange and Black after each earned Second-Team Offensive All-Conference honors in the NSIC North Division last year. Hentges completed 138 passes for 1575 yards with 13 touchdowns while also leading UJ in rushing yards with 641. Burke was Hentges's top target with the senior notching 31 catches for 621 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, five of the top six leading tacklers from last season will be coming back.
Zach Mueller leads the pack with 66 tackles plus a recovered fumble in 2025. Tanner Chafee is coming back for his fifth year after his previous season consisted of 24 tackles and three interceptions. Other key returners include
Evan Smith and
Trayten Johnson who will also lead the Jimmies defensively.
Upper Iowa will be a tough test for coach Dosch and the Jimmies squad with the Peacocks coming off of arguably their best season in program history. In 2025, Upper Iowa had the most wins in program history and their first-ever postseason win in the Albanese Candy Bowl. The Peacocks finished third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and were selected to finish third again in the 2026 preseason poll while also receiving votes in the AFCA preseason poll. The Peacocks also went 5-0 at home in 2025.
While Upper Iowa loses their starting quarterback Darryl Overstreet Jr., Jayden Gordon will return as the leading rusher from 2025. Gordon notched 717 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Only one wide receiver will make his way back to Fayette in Waylon Bolibaugh, leaving a position where transfers will likely fill in the role. The defensive line will be anchored by Demontay Mack who finished the season as an All-GLVC Honorable Mention with 27 tackles, a team-high eight sacks, and two recovered fumbles. Also returning is leading tackler and another All-GLVC Honorable Mention, Evan Dorn who was fifth in the conference with 92 tackles.
Saturday's game will mark the first-ever matchup on the gridiron between the Jimmies and the Peacocks.
Team Stats (2025 Season)
|
Jamestown |
Upper Iowa |
| Record |
1-9, 1-9 NSIC |
9-3, 6-2 GLVC |
| Postseason Results |
N/A |
37-28 Win vs. Hillsdale (Albanese Candy Bowl) |
| Points / Game |
21.8 |
33.1 |
| Opp. Points / Game |
36.8 |
19.7 |
| Rushing Yards / Game |
139.3 |
184.4 |
| Passing Yards / Game |
205.8 |
247.2 |
| Total Yards / Game |
345.1 |
431.6 |
| Interceptions |
7 |
12 |
| Fumbles Recovered |
8 |
4 |
| 3rd Down Conversion Rate |
43.7% (66-151) |
46.5% (67-144) |
| Red Zone Scoring Rate |
71.9% (23-32) |
74.5% (41-55) |
After Upper Iowa, the Jimmies will venture back home for their home opener and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opener on Saturday, September 5 at 1 p.m. against Sioux Falls.
