University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Gridders Conclude Successful 2001 Season
7/29/2004 8:00:00 AM | Football
1-2-02
2001 SCHEDULE
(11-3, 6-1)
Aug. 30 WAYNE STATE (MI) 34-14
Sept. 8 at 1-A Iowa State 0-45
Sept. 22 at 1-A Ball State 42-39
Sept. 29 #2 YOUNGSTOWN STATE* 30-11
(Family Day)
Oct. 6 at Southwest Missouri State* 27-3
Oct. 13 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS* 19-14
(Homecoming)
Oct. 20 at #12 Western Illinois* 17-14
(KFXA-KFXB TV)
Oct. 27 at Illinois State* 14-42
Nov. 3 INDIANA STATE* 34-13
Nov. 10 at #6 Western Kentucky* 24-23
Nov. 17 CAL POLY 31-13
Dec. 1 at #3 Eastern Illinois+ 49-43
Dec. 8 #16 MAINE+ 56-28
Dec. 15 at #1 Montana+ 0-38
*Gateway Conference Game
+NCAA 1-AA Playoff Game
THE COACH: UNI head coach Mark Farley (Northern Iowa '86) finished his first season as a head coach with an 11-3 mark. Prior to being appointed the Panthers' head coach, he served as the linebackers assistant and punt block/return specialist at Kansas from 1997-2000. A former UNI player from 1983-86 and a co-Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1985, Farley then was a Panther graduate assistant from 1986-88 and an assistant from 1989-96, coaching linebackers and special teams while also serving as Strength and Speed Coordinator, and recruiting coordinator one year.
Farley was named Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year and AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year. He sits atop the Gateway Conference with the best record of all rookie coaches. He placed third behind Lehigh's Pete Lembo and Montana's Joe Glenn is this year's Eddie Robinson Award balloting, receiving 16 first-place votes, the most of any candidate.
PANTHERS RETURN TO 1-AA ELITE: The Northern Iowa Panthers are back where they belong. After advancing to the 1-AA playoffs seven consecutive seasons, from 1990-96, and having made nine appearances total, UNI returned to the field after missing out the past four years.
The Panthers were picked to finish a lowly fifth in the eight-team Gateway Football Conference despite recording three 7-4 and one 8-3 campaigns the previous four years. But with a new head coach on the sidelines and the graduation of several all-Americans, including quarterback Ryan Helming, no one was expecting the Panthers to storm through the season in such fashion -- no one except the Panthers themselves.
First-year head coach Mark Farley brought passion and belief back to Cedar Falls. UNI started the year with a redshirt freshman at quarterback, a junior college transfer at backup and a running back who didn't play at all last season. Tom Petrie led the Panthers to a 6-2 mark before being sidelined with sprained shoulders sustained against Illinois State. William Rainey Harper Junior College transfer Griff Jurgens took over for Petrie, leading the squad to the last three regular-season victories and the Gateway championship in a thrilling 24-23 win at sixth-ranked Western Kentucky. He finished 5-1 as the Panthers' starter.
In all, the Panthers defeated five ranked 1-AA teams and 1-A Ball State, which went on to defeat Motor City Bowl-bound Toledo later in the year.
UNI was led defensively all season by Gateway Defensive Player of the Year, Buck Buchanan Award candidate and first team all-American, senior linebacker Adam Vogt. Senior defensive back Brent Browner had a team-high six interceptions and blocked three field goals and one PAT.
Junior tailback Adam Benge set school playoff records against Eastern Illinois with 177 yards rushing and four TDs. He rushed for over 100 yards in eight of the 14 games.
The Panthers finished the season ranked fourth in both the Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today final 1-AA polls.
PANTHERS ADVANCE TO 5TH 1-AA SEMIFINAL GAME: Northern Iowa, by virtue of its 56-28 win over 16th-ranked Maine in the UNI-Dome on Dec. 8, advanced to its fifth 1-AA semifinal playoff game in history, going up against no. 1 ranked and first seed Montana in Missoula. Of the four previous semifinal matchups, UNI had lost three times to the eventual national champion, as was the case this time around.
UNI won just its second road playoff game in history when it out-lasted third-ranked and fourth seed Eastern Illinois 49-43 in Charleston. UNI's 49 points scored tied a school playoff record. Junior tailback Adam Benge set school playoff records when he rushed for 177 yards and four TDs on 29 carries. Mackenzie Hoambrecker made five-of-six PATs, setting a school playoff record with his six attempts, and tying the mark for success.
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UNI FOOTBALL AD 1
UNI set four school playoff records in its defeat of 16th-ranked Maine in the quarterfinals in the UNI-Dome, including its 56 points scored. Hoambrecker was successful on all of his six PAT attempts, setting school playoff marks for made and tying his previous mark set a week earlier for attempts. Senior strong safety Ken Harris returned a 47-yard interception for a TD with 6:12 left in the game for the final score, setting a new standard for interception return yards.
Junior quarterback Griff Jurgens threw for a career-high 299 yards and two TDs on 12-of-26 passing with two interceptions. He was seven-of-10 on third-down conversions, passing for 232 yards. The Panthers, in fact, converted their last eight third-downs in the game.
Benge rushed for 114 yards and TDs of three, 63 and five yards, giving him his eighth 100-yard-plus game of the season.
Sophomore linebacker Casey Tierney only recorded three tackles, but he had one sack for seven yards, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. His sack and forced turnover all occured on the same series, when UNI was leading 42-28. Five plays later, UNI enlarged the margin to 49-28 on Benge's five-yard run.
UNI ran into a buzz saw at no. 1 ranked and first-seed Montana in the semifinal game. The Grizzlies went up 3-0 on a 36-yard field goal with 9:03 left in the first quarter after the Panthers first held them with no score. UM missed on a 50-yard field goal attempt with 10:29 left in the first, but UNI's Brent Browner was flagged for roughing the kicker, which gave UM a first down on UNI's 18, which led to the first score. UNI quarterback Griff Jurgens fumbled on the Panthers' 30 yard line and less than one minute later, UM went up 10-0. Jurgens injured his knee with 33 seconds left in the first period, and the game never was in hand after that.
Redshirt freshman Tom Petrie came into the game in relief of Jurgens, completing 10-of-21 passes with no interceptions for 178 yards. Sophomore Richard Carter rushed for 55 yards on 13 carries and senior tight end Ryan Hannam caught four passes for 22 yards. Senior linebacker Carlos Dallis recorded 17 total tackles, including 13 solos.
Montana gained 378 yards, 296 rushing, to UNI's 249 yards, including only 70 yards on the ground.
UNI WINS FIRST GATEWAY TITLE SINCE 1996: Northern Iowa won its first Gateway Conference title since 1996, defeating sixth-ranked Western Kentucky 24-23 Nov. 10 in Bowling Green. In all, UNI has won or shared the conference title 10 times in the league's 17 years.
Junior Mackenzie Hoambrecker's 28-yard field with one second left on the clock, his second winning field goal of the season with virtually no time remaining, capped a come-from-behind victory that saw the Panthers trailing 23-14 with 5:38 left in the game. He was named the Gateway Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week.
The Panthers finished the regular season Nov. 17 with a 31-13 win at home against Cal Poly. That victory gave UNI a 9-2 regular-season mark, its first nine-win campaign since Terry Allen's 1996 squad went 10-1. That season also was the last time a UNI squad qualified for the 1-AA playoffs. In addition, that also was the last season a Panther squad went undefeated at home (8-0), a feat also accomplished this year with a 6-0 record in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers have gone undefeated at home six times since 1990.
UNI FOOTBALL AD 2
Sophomore Richard Carter rushed for 122 yards on 20 carries against the Mustangs, including a 21-yard TD run. It was Carter's third 100-yard game this season and for his career. Ironically, all three efforts have come in the same game when teammate Adam Benge has rushed for 100-plus yards. Benge rushed for 111 yards against CPU, becoming UNI's first 1,000-yard rusher since Jeff Stovall turned the trick in 1996. Benge now has 1,383 yards. He now has 14 100-yard rushing games in his career.
Junior Ben Sanderson got the game off on the right foot when he returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a TD. That was the first UNI kickoff return for a TD since Tyree Talton ran one back 97 yards versus Eastern Illinois in the 1996 1-AA playoffs. He also ran a punt return back 45 yards and racked up 164 total return yards.
Sophomore defensive end Matt Mitchell recorded three of UNI's season-high six sacks against Cal Poly. Mitchell ended up with five tackles in the game and was instrumental in the Panthers' defensive effort that held CPU to 39 yards rushing and just 285 total yards.
UNI MADE 10TH TRIP TO 1-AA PLAYOFFS: This was the 10th trip to the NCAA 1-AA playoffs for Northern Iowa, and the first since 1996, when the Panthers received their seventh consecutive berth. UNI now has advanced to the semifinals five times and has lost to the eventual national champion four times. In 1-AA playoff games, UNI is 9-2 at home and 2-8 on the road.
1985 First-round bye 29-7 McNeese State
17-14 Eastern Washington 7-19 Youngstown State (Semis)
33-40 Georgia Southern (Semis) 1993 21-27 OT @Boston University
1987 31-28 Youngstown State 1994 20-23 @Montana
49-28 Arkansas State 1995 35-34 @Murray State
41-44 OT @Northeast Louisiana (Semis) 24-41 @Marshall
1990 3-20 @Boise State 1996 21-14 Eastern Illinois
1991 38-21 Weber State 38-35 William & Mary
13-41 @Marshall 14-31 @Marshall (Semis)
1992 17-14 Eastern Washingtoon 2001 49-43 @Eastern Illinois
56-28 Maine
0-38 @Montana (Semis)
DOING A FLIP-FLOP: Northern Iowa did somewhat of a flip-flop this year in terms of its offensive attack. The Panthers averaged 191.4 yards rushing and 164.9 yards passing. That's the largest rushing average since the team averaged 204 yards in 1988, and the fewest passing yards since averaging only 154.7 yards through the air in 1988.
FROST KEY IN WIU VICTORY: Junior punter/kicker Derrick Frost played a key role in the win over 12th-ranked Western Illinois. He punted eight times for 317 yards, including a then career-long 62 yarder, for a 39.6 average. In the first half, he averaged 41.4 yards on five punts. He placed four punts within the 20, including placing punts on the 11, seven and five yard lines. He also had three kicks for 65 yards each that went out of the end zone. WIU started no better than their own 20 yard line twice on any of its 10 possessions.
Frost finished the season with a 39.6 average on 62 punts and had 19 placed inside the opponents' 20. His longest was 65 yards.
GOOD STARTS: Of current Gateway teams, a league team has started conference play 4-0 18 times, including Northern Iowa this year. All finished second or better in the league standings. Fifteen of the 17 teams earned playoff berths, with 12 winning the GFC title. UNI started 5-0 in 1985, 6-0 in 1987 and '94, 5-0 in 1995 and '96, and won the league crown each time.
GATEWAY OPENERS: Northern Iowa is 12-5 in Gateway Conference openers. UNI lost 34-14 at Southern Illinois last year in the league opener. The Panthers never had opened the conference slate against Youngstown State prior to this year. UNI now has won the most times in conference openers.
BROWNER SHINES ON SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior defensive back Brent Browner was a shining star on UNI's special teams. He blocked a Ball State 26-yard field goal attempt with 4:25 left in the game. If the kick had been successful, it would have broken a 39-39 tie. UNI went on to win the game on Mackenzie Hoambreckers' 33-yard field goal as time expired.
Browner also blocked Iowa State's Tony Yelk's 31-yard field goal attempt with 14:54 left in the game and he blocked a 28-yard attempt in the first game against Wayne State. Against Indiana State, he blocked an extra point attempt. He also led the team with six interceptions.
UNI FOOTBALL AD 3
STEPPING IN FRONT: UNI had seven different players who intercepted at least one pass this season. Senior strong safety Ken Harris' 31-yard interception return against Ball State set up a UNI TD scored seven seconds later, giving the Panthers a 24-12 lead with 4:38 left in the first half. He also swiped one at Eastern Illinois that led to a 45-yard field goal a little over two minutes later that put UNI up 10-7. His 47-yard interception return for a TD against Maine set a school playoff record for longest interception return and ended all scoring in the game. Brent Browner finished with six interceptions to lead the team. He had two in the regular-season finale against Cal Poly. His sixth interception in the EIU end zone came with 5:35 left in the game. His interception with less than one minute left against Southern Illinois preserved UNI's 19-14 win. Daryon Brutley also had two interceptions, and Carlos Dallis, Terrell Morgan and Matt Mitchell each had one.
PANTHERS TAKE OPENER: Northern Iowa won its fourth straight season opener Aug. 30, defeating Division II Wayne State (MI) 34-14. UNI now is 52-44-7 in season openers.
BENGE MAKES GOOD ON RETURN: Junior tailback Adam Benge (Ankeny, IA) made good on his first game following a self-imposed one year's absence when he rushed for 103 yards, including a two-yard TD, on 16 carries against Wayne State. His score with 2:30 left in the first quarter put the Panthers up 14-7. He rushed for 161 yards on 17 carries against Youngstown State, scoring once. He was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week for his effort.
He had his sixth 100-plus rushing game when he gained 111 yards on 23 carries against Cal Poly. As mentioned, that effort put him over the 1,000-yard plateau with 1,066 yards, the first 1,000-yard rusher since Jeff Stovall accomplished that feat in 1996. His 177 yards at Eastern Illinois was a school playoff record and his 114 yards against Maine gave him his eighth 100-yard game of the season.
Benge sat out last season for personal reasons. In 1999, he started 10-of-11 games and was the team's leading rusher with 166 carries for 778 yards and nine TDs. He rushed for over 100 yards in three games in 1999 and twice in 1998.
PETRIE LEADS UNI TO VICTORY IN CAREER START: Redshirt freshman quarterback Tom Petrie (Plymouth, MN) became UNI's first freshman to start at quarterback dating back to at least 1949. He responded well against Wayne State, completing 12-of-25 passes with one interception for 214 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 15 yards on 33 carries. He led UNI to a 6-2 record before ceding the starting role to junior Griff Jurgens due to shoulder injuries sustained in the eighth game at Illinois State.
PETRIE NAMED FINALIST OF DOPKE.COM FRESHMAN OF YEAR, NAMD GFC FRESHMAN OF YEAR: UNI freshman quarterback Tom Petrie was named one of eight finalists for Freshman of the Year by Dopke.com at the 1-AA level.
Joining him on the list were RB Ryan Fuqua of Portland State, QB Donald Carrie of Alcorn State, QB Ryan Leadingham of Scramento State, QB Jeremy McDowell of Southeast Missouri State, RB C.J. Hudson of Eastern Kentucky, WR Fre Amey of Sacramento State, and defensive specialist Sid Haugabrook of Delaware.
Petrie also was named the Gateway Football Conference Freshman of the Year.
UNI IN THE DOME: UNI is 129-31-1 (.804) in the UNI-Dome since the building opened in 1976. The Panthers were 5-1 at home last year, losing 44-41 to Western Illinois in the last game of the season, snapping a seven-game home winning streak. The Panthers have the best home field winning percentage in the Gateway Conference with a 42-7 record. UNI was 6-0 at home this season. The Panthers have gone undefeated at home in a season six times since 1990.
The Panthers had a 25-game overall home winning streak heading into the 1992 1-AA semifinal game against Youngstown State, which the Penguins snapped with their 19-7 win. Prior to a Sept. 24, 1994, loss to McNeese State, UNI had won 29 straight regular-season games in the Dome dating back to the 1989 season opener, lost 22-14 to Mankato State.
POLL TALK: UNI was ranked as high as 18th in the pre-season polls, where The ESPN/USA Today poll had the Panthers spotted. They were ranked 23rd in The Sports Network Poll and 25th in the Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette Poll. The Sports Network's Top 10 had Georgia Southern winning it all, followed by Montana, Western Kentucky, a new member of the Gateway Conference; Delaware, Appalachian State, Furman, Hofstra, Youngstown State, McNeese State and Lehigh. Western Illinois was ranked 13th and Illinois State 16th.
At the end of the 2000 season, UNI was ranked 21st by The Sports Network, 19th by ESPN/USA Today, and 15th by Don Hansen.
The Panthers improved one spot to sixth in the Sports Network poll at the end of the regular season. Montana was ranked first, followed by Georgia Southern, Eastern Illinois, Furman, and Lehigh. The rest of the top 10 was Grambling State at no. 7, followed by Appalachian State, Hofstra and McNeese State. Western Kentucky was 11th and Youngstown State fell to 12th.
UNI FOOTBALL AD 4
UNI was ranked fourth in both the Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today final 1-AA polls.
The Sports Network ESPN/USA Today
1. Montana 1. Montana
2. Furman 2. Furman
3. Georgia Southern 3. Georgia Southern
4. NORTHERN IOWA 4. NORTHERN IOWA
5. Lehigh 5. Lehigh
6. Appalachian State 6. Appalachian State
7. Sam Houston State 7. Hofstra
8. Grambling State 8. Sam Houston State
9. Eastern Illinois 9. Eastern Illinois
10. Maine 10. Western Kentucky
11. Hofstra 11. Grambling State
12. Western Kentucky 12. Maine
13. McNeese State 13. McNeese State
14. Northwestern State 14. Northwestern State
15. Youngstown State 15. Northern Arizona
16. Northern Arizona 16. Youngstown State
17. William & Mary 17. William & Mary
18. Eastern Kentucky 18. Eastern Kentucky
19. Harvard 19. Villanova
20. Villanova 20. Rhode Island
21. Rhode Island 21. Harvard
22. Florida A&M 22. Florida A&M
23. Tennessee Tech 23. Tennessee Tech
24. Pennsylvania 24. Pennsylvania
25. Tennessee State 25. Portland State
UNI IN THE POLLS WEEK-BY-WEEK
The Sports Network USA TODAY/ESPN
Pre-Season 23rd 18th
Sept. 3 24th UA
Sept. 10 28th UA
Sept. 17 UA UA
Sept. 24 27th UA
Oct. 1 18th 15th
Oct. 8 15th 14th
Oct. 15 14th 11th
Oct. 22 11th 9th
Oct. 29 16th 15th
Nov. 5 15th 13th
Nov. 12 8th 8th
Nov. 19 7th 8th
Nov. 26 6th UA
Final 4th 4th
GFC RANKED VERSUS RANKED: There have been 37 times in which two Gateway teams ranked in the top 25 played one another. This year, the home team recorded a 23-14 record, while the higher-ranked team had a 21-16 mark. UNI has played in five of those games when the two teams have been ranked in the top 10, and has a 3-2 record in such contests. The third-ranked Panthers defeated fifth-ranked Southwest Missouri State in the Dome in 1996, 38-31; no. 3 UNI defeated no. 8 Western Illinois at home in 1996, no. 10 Illinois State defeated third-ranked UNI 47-28 in Normal in 1999, no. 9 Youngstown State defeated no. 6 UNI 29-20 in Cedar Falls in 1999 and 14th-ranked UNI defeated 12th-ranked Western Illinois 17-14 in Macomb on Oct. 20.
UNI FOOTBALL AD 5
UNI played six ranked teams this season, defeating then second-ranked Youngstown State 30-11 in the Dome, then 12th-ranked Western Illinois 17-14 on the road, sixth-ranked Western Kentucky 24-23 on the road, third-ranked Eastern Illinois 49-43 on the road, 16th-ranked Maine 56-28, and lost 38-0 to no. 1 Montana in the 1-AA semifinals.
SQUEAKERS: When UNI defeated Western Kentucky 24-23 on Nov. 10, it marked just the second time in league history in which there were two one-point decisions on the same day. In all, there have been 27 games decided by one point. UNI has more one-point wins in Gateway games than any other team, and the Panthers are 7-3 in those contests.
ROAD WEARY: The league's road record in conference play this season was 14-14. UNI and Western Kentucky managed three wins on the road (3-1). In four of the past five seasons, the conference champion has needed a perfect road record to win the conference title. The Panthers were 2-0 on the road in 1996, 2-1 in 1995, 3-0 in 1994, and 3-1 in 1993.
VOGT PLACES 4TH IN BUCHANAN AWARD BALLOTING, NAMED LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR: Senior linebacker Adam Vogt (Manchester, IA) was added to the candidate list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in 1-AA, and he finished in fourth place in the balloting behind James Madison's Derrick Lloyd, Montana's Vince Huntsberger and Furman's Will Bouton. Vogt also was named the Gateway Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Vogt was UNI's leading tackler with 160 total stops, including 93 solos, third high in season tackles dating back to 1975 behind Joe Anderson's 170 tackles in 1981 and Peter Burns' 163 stops recorded in 1992. He recorded 12 tackles for loss, second-high on the team, and had four pass deflections. In the final NCAA defensive rankings, he ranked 11th in the nation in total tackles and was tied for eighth in solo tackles. He ranked third in the Gateway in tackles during regular-season competition. He had a season-high 19 tackles against 1-A Ball State.
SOLIDAY MADE OFFICIAL "PAYTON WATCH": UNI senior wide receiver Jake Soliday (Mansfield, OH) was officially placed on The Sports Network's "Payton Watch" list at the beginning of the season. He was one of 16 players selected for the original list, and one of five receivers. With UNI's more balanced offensive attack this season, he was removed from the candidate list late in the year. The Payton Award is given annually to the top offensive player in 1-AA football. This is the 15th year the award has been presented. UNI quarterback Ryan Helming placed fifth in last year's balloting for the award.
Soliday showed he belonged on the list when he came out in the Panthers' opener against Wayne State to catch six passes for a career-high 152 yards and two TDs from 66 and 30 yards. He finished as UNI's leading receiver with 56 catches for 907 yards and eight TDs.
He was named the Gateway's Special Teams Player of the Week and The Sports Network's National Special Teams Player of the Week Oct. 13 following the Southern Illinois game after returning a punt 73 yards, his first return for a score in his career, putting UNI up 10-0 in the second quarter. In all, he returned four punts for 107 yards and caught five passes for 74 yards. His return marked the first for a TD since Sept. 4, 1999, when Mike Furrey scored on a 62-yard return against McNeese State. He returned a punt 49 yards for a TD against Indiana State.
PRE-SEASON PICKS: UNI senior wide receiver Jake Soliday was a pre-season honorable mention all-American selection by The Sports Network. He also ranked as 1-AA's sixth-best receiver pre-season by that organization.
Don Hansen had senior linebacker Adam Vogt a pre-season second-team choice, with Soliday, junior offensive lineman Chad Setterstrom and junior defensive tackle Robert Hamre third team selections, and senior tight end Ryan Hannam, junior tailback Adam Benge and senior defensive back Brent Browner named honorable mention pre-season picks.
STARTERS RETURNING: Based on the final lineup of the 2001 season, the Panthers return 16 starters next season, including the punter and kicker, with seven on offense and nine on defense. On offense, the starters include kicker Mackenzie Hoambrecker, tackles Ben Deike and Chad Setterstrom, guard Brodie Brelsford, center Ryan Ozbun, wide receivers Reid Seitz and Marlus Mays, quarterback Griff Jurgens (or Tom Petrie), and tailback Adam Benge (or Richard Carter). Defensively, the Panthers return punter Derrick Frost, ends Jason Boehlke and Matt Mitchell, tackles Terrell Morgan and Robert Hamre, and outside linebackers Carlos Dallis and Casey Tierney.
IN THE GATEWAY: In a poll of sports information directors, head coaches and media, UNI was picked to finish fifth, the lowest pre-season pick since it was picked fifth in 1989, Terry Allen's first year as head coach. The Panthers went on to tie for second in the league that year.
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UNI FOOTBALL AD 6
2001 GFC Standings GFC Overall Pre-season Poll (1st-Place Votes/Pts)
Northern Iowa 6-1 11-3 5th (0/127)
Youngstown State 5-2 8-2 2nd (12/202)
Western Kentucky 5-2 8-4 1st (14/213)
Western Illinois 4-3 5-5 3rd (1/166)
Southwest Missouri 3-4 6-5 6th (1/110)
Indiana State 2-5 3-8 8th (0/36)
Illinois State 2-5 2-9 4th (1/139)
Southern Illinois 1-6 1-9 7th (0/51)
GCAC PRE-SEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: UNI had eight players selected to the Gateway Conference pre-season team, including wide receiver Jake Soliday, offensive lineman Chad Setterstrom, defensive lineman Robert Hamre, linebacker Adam Vogt and return specialist Michael Lewis, along with honorable mention picks, kicker Mackenzie Hoambrecker, tight end Ryan Hannam and defensive back Brent Browner.
2001 HONOR ROLL
Gateway All-Conference
1st Team 2nd Team Honorable Mention DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR
PK Mackenzie Hoambrecker RB Adam Benge LB Carlos Dallis LB Adam Vogt
OL Chad Setterstrom DB Brent Browner OL Ben Deike
WR Jake Soliday DB Daryon Brutley DB Chris Stimmel BRUCE CRADDOCK GATEWAY
LB Adam Vogt DL Robert Hamre COACH OF THE YEAR
TE Ryan Hannam Mark Farley
DL Terrell Morgan
RS Jake Soliday
Gateway All-Newcomer Team FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
DB Daryon Brutley QB Tom Petrie
QB Tom Petrie
Gateway Academic All-Conference
1st Team 2nd Team Honorable Mention
TE Ryan Hannam DT Robert Hamre OG Ross Bohner
WR Jake Soliday WR Brad Richtsmeier
FS Chris Stimmel OC Matt Trump
LB Adam Vogt
2001 Verizon District VII Academic All-American 4th Annual 1-AA Athletics Directors Association Academic
DB Chris Stimmel All-Star Team Chris Stimmel
LB Adam Vogt Adam Vogt
2001 Buck Buchanan Award 2001 Eddie Robinson Award
LB Adam Vogt, 4th Head Coach Mark Farley, 3rd
Associated Press 1-AA All-Americans Sports Network All-Americans
1st Team 1st Team
LB Adam Vogt PK Mackenzie Hoambrecker
LB Adam Vogt
2nd Team 3rd Team
PK Mackenzie Hoambrecker OL Chad Setterstrom
UNI FOOTBALL AD 7
STAT TALK: Here's how Northern Iowa ranked in the final Gateway Conference statistics. National 1-AA rankings are given in parentheses. Statistics are for regular-season games only.
Scoring Offense 5th (T58th) Individual Rushing Adam Benge-3rd (33rd) Richard Carter-7th (67th)
Scoring Defense 3rd (T33rd) Passing Average Tom Petrie-4th
Pass Offense 4th (95th) Pass Efficiency Tom Petrie-6th (74th)
Pass Defense 4th (35th) Total Offense Tom Petrie-5th (93rd)
Pass Efficiency 5th (T81st) Receptions Per Game Jake Soliday-4th (82nd)
Pass Defense Efficiency 3rd (42nd) Ryan Hannam-8th
Rushing Offense 4th (27th) Receiving Yards/Game Jake Soliday-4th (82nd)
Rushing Defense 3rd (76th) Interceptions Brent Browner-T2nd (T35th)
Total Offense 5th (73rd) Punt Returns Jake Soliday-3rd (17th)
Total Defense 3rd (60th) Kickoff Returns Adam Benge-9th (55th)
Kickoff Returns 5th (43rd) Punting Average Derrick Frost-4th (22nd)
Punt Returns 3rd (20th) All-Purpose Running Adam Benge-2nd (28th)
Net Punting 3rd (32nd) Jake Soliday-9th
Turnover Margin 5th (T47th) Field Goals Per Game Mackenzie Hoambrecker-1st (T4th)
3rd Down Conversions 1st PAT Kicking Percentage Mackenzie Hoambrcker-2nd
Field Goals 2nd
PAT Kicking 2nd
CAPTAINS: The 2001 team captains for the Panthers included senior defensive back Brent Browner (Davenport, IA), senior tight end Ryan Hannam (St. Ansgar, IA), senior fullback Mark Moothart (Cedar Falls, IA), senior linebacker Adam Vogt (Manchester, IA), and senior offensive guard Matt Zehr (Fort Dodge, IA).
STILL TOPS IN THE STATE: UNI has been the top Division I program in the state of Iowa since 1985, compiling a 147-56-1 record (.723) heading into this season. UNI's 2001 11-3 record marks the 13th straight season it has won at least seven games. That stretch has seen the Panthers compile an impressive 114-44 record. Against Gateway opponents, the Panthers are 78-23-0 (.772), leading the league in wins.
The Panthers finished the decade of the '90s as the fourth-winningest 1-AA program, with 89 victories.
OT NO WAY: UNI is 1-4 in overtime games. The Panthers are 1-1 at home in OT. Two of those extra period games were during the 1-AA playoffs, and the Panthers lost both of those games -- 27-21 at Boston University in 1993, and 44-41 at Northeast Louisiana in 1987.
HALFTIME LEAD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF: UNI's double overtime loss to Western Illinois in 1997 and the 20-17 loss in overtime to McNeese State in 1998 were the only times in the decade of the '90s when the Panthers surrendered a halftime lead (UNI led WIU 9-0 and MSU 7-0). Prior to that, UNI had a 53-0 regular-season record when leading at the half.
Last year, UNI led third-ranked Youngstown State on the road, 17-14, at the half, but went on to fall 28-24 in the last 1:17 of the game. UNI was 8-0 this year when leading at the half.
BRING 'EM ON: UNI was 95-54-3 (.630) against 2001opponents heading into the season. The only team on this year's regular-season schedule where UNI had a losing record was 1-A Iowa State. The Cyclones now lead the series 15-3-3.
PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS: This year was the first meeting between Ball State and Northern Iowa. The Panthers have had some success against current 1-A teams. Most of the success has come in the last 15 years, now with an 8-10 mark against 1-A teams since 1985.
The Gateway Football Conference has 22 1-A wins since 1985, and the league was 2-5 this season.
TURF VS. GRASS: Only one of last year's games was played on natural grass -- at Cal Poly. Over the past 10 years, UNI now is 14-15 on natural grass following the loss at Iowa State and the wins at Ball State, Western Illinois, Western Kentucky and Eastern Illinois this year. UNI was 0-4 on natural grass in 1997, 0-1 in 1998, 2-1 in 1999, and 1-0 in 2000; and it is 25-13 on artificial surfaces on the road.
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UNI FOOTBALL AD 8
DRIVING THE BALL: UNI's offense generally has been big on third downs, while its defense also has been up to the task. The Panthers converted nearly 42 percent (65-155) of their third downs in 2000, including 77 percent (10-13) against Indiana State. Defensively, UNI kept opponents to 34 percent (55-164) in third down conversions. Four times during the season, UNI held opponents to less than 25 percent in third-down conversions, including just one-for-nine against 1-A Boise State and two-for-12 versus Southwest Missouri State. UNI finished this season 89-of-208 on third-down conversions (.428), and the opponents were 78-of-194 (.402). Here's how UNI stacked up this year in third-down conversions.
UNI Opp
Made-Att. (Pct.) 6-18 (.333) Wayne State 4-13 (.308)
4-14 (.222) at Iowa State 5-14 (.263)
6-12 (.500) at Ball State 7-14 (.500)
4-12 (.333) Youngstown State 8-14 (.571)
6-12 (.500) at Southwest Missouri State 6-15 (.400)
7-16 (.438) Southern Illinois 8-18 (.444)
7-18 (.389) at Western Illinois 6-16 (.375)
8-17 (.471) at Illinois State 6-11 (.545)
6-14 (.429) Indiana State 2-10 (.200)
9-16 (..563) at Western Kentucky 9-16 (.563)
5-15 (..333) Cal Poly 2-16 (.125)
6-16 (.375) at Eastern Illinois 5-11 (.455)
10-13 (.769) Maine 5-14 (.357)
5-15 (.333) at Montana 5-12 (.417)
OUT OF THE SHOOT: UNI scored early and often in 2000. UNI outscored its opponents 36.1 to 27.7. It had a 9.9 to 7.2 average advantage at the end of the first quarter, a 12.5 to 8.1 advantage in the second quarter, a 22.4 to 15.3 advantage at the half, and a 7.6 to 5.9 advantage in the third quarter. The Panthers were outscored only in the fourth quarter, 6.6 to 6.1.
Against Wayne State this year, the Panthers went up 24-7 in the first quarter, led 27-7 at the half, the third quarter went scoreless, and both teams managed seven points in the fourth quarter. UNI led its opponents in first-quarter scoring, 8.4-5.5; trailed 9.1-5.4 in the second quarter, had a 7.4-5.5 edge in the third quarter, and led 5.8-4.1 in the final period.
2001 PLAYERS OF GAME
Offense Defense Special Teams
vs. Wayne State QB Tom Petrie (Plymouth, MN) OLB Casey Tierney (Alta Vista, IA) Jake Soliday (Mansfield, OH)
vs. Iowa State TB Richard Carter (Lansing, MI) DE Matt Mitchell (Waupaca, WI) Michael Lewis (Beloit, WI)
vs. Ball State TE Ryan Hannam (St. Ansgar, IA) DE J. Boehlke (Germantown, WI) Nick Matsen (Newton, IA)
OT Chad Setterstrom (Northfield, MN) Derrick Frost (St. Louis, MO)
Mackenzie Hoambrecker (Daven port, IA)
vs. Youngstown TB Adam Benge (Ankeny, IA) OLB Carlos Dallis (Columbus, OH) Levi Lyle (Keota, IA)
vs. SMS OT Ben Deike (Marshalltown, IA) FS Chris Stimmel (Tiffin, IA) Derrick Frost (St. Louis, MO)
vs. S. Illinois WR Jake Soliday (Mansfield, OH) DT Robert Hamre (Bloomfield, IA) Jake Soliday (Mansfield, OH)
vs. W. Illinois WR Marlus Mays (Kansas City, FS Chris Stimmel (Tiffin, IA) Derrick Frost (St. Louis, MO)
MO)
vs. Illinois State None None None
vs. Indiana State TE Ryan Hannam (St. Ansgar, IA) DT Robert Hamre (Bloomfield, IA) Jake Soliday (Mansfield, OH)
vs. W. Kentucky QB Griff Jurgens (Chatham , IL) DT Terrell Morgan (Milwaukee, WI) Justin Jansen (Grinnell, IA)
vs. Cal Poly RB Richard Carter (Lansing, MI) Adam Vogt (Manchester, IA) Ben Sanderson (Cedar Rapids, IA)
-over-
UNI FOOTBALL AD 9
2001 STARTING LINEUPS
WSU IASU BSU YSU SMS SIU WIU ILS INS WKU CPU EIU UM
WR Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday Soliday
Seitz Seitz
OT Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike Deike
OG Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Jongeje. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf. Brelsf.
C Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun Ozbun
OG Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr Zehr
OT Bohner Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter. Setter.
TE Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam Hannam
Walter Walter Walter Walter
WR Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays Mays
QB Petrie Petrie Petrie Petrie Petrie Petrie Petrie Petrie Jurgens Jurgens Jurgens Jurgens Jurgens
FB Moot. Moot. Moot. Moot. Moot. Moot. Moot.
TB Carter Benge Benge Carter Benge Benge Carter Carter Benge Benge Carter Carter Benge
DE Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Banks Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Boehlke Boelke
DT Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre Hamre
DT Banks Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan Morgan
DE Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell
OLB Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis Dallis
MLB Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt Vogt
OLB Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney Tierney
CB Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley Brutley
FS Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel Stimmel
SS Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris
CB Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner Browner
(vs. Montana: WR Soliday, OT Deike, OG Brelsford, C Ozbun, OG Zehr, OT Bohner, TE Hannam, WR Mays, QB Jurgens, FB Moothart, TB Benge, DE Boehlke, DT Hamre, DT Morgan, DE Mitchell, OLB Dallis, MLB Vogt, OLB Tierney, CB Brutley, FS Stimmel, SS Harris, CB Browner)
2001 OFFENSIVE LINEMEN PLAYERS OF WEEK (winning grade=80%)
vs. Wayne State OG Matt Zehr Graded out 90% in 82 snaps, 0 sacks, 1-Pluf Block
OT Ben Deike Graded out 82%
OG Brodie Brelsford Graded out 80%
vs. Iowa State OG Matt Zehr Graded out 86%
OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 80%
vs. Ball State OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 93% with 1-Plus Play and no sacks
OT Ben Deike Graded out 83%
vs. Youngstown State OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 92% in 69 snaps, 1 Pancake Block, 0 sacks
OT Ben Deike Graded out 87%
OG Matt Zehr Graded out 86%
OG Brodie Brelsford Graded out 84%
OG Ross Bohner Graded out 83%
OG Kris Jongejeugd Graded out 83%
OC Ryan Ozbun Graded out 80%
vs. Southwest Missouri OT Ben Deike Graded out 90% in 67 snaps, 0 sacks, 1-Plus Block
OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 87%
OG Kris Jongegeugd Graded out 82%
OC Ryan Ozbun Graded out 81%
OG Brodie Brelsford Graded out 80%
vs. Southern Illinois OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 94%
OG Kris Jongegeugd Graded out 90%
OG Brodie Brelsford Graded out 87%
OG Matt Zehr Graded out 86%
OG Ross Bohner Graded out 86%
UNI FOOTBALL AD 10
OT Ben Deike Graded out 81%
OC Ryan Ozbun Graded out 81%
vs. Western Illinois OT Ben Deike Graded out 93%, Participated in 74 snaps, 0 sacks, 1 plus play
OG Brodie Brelsford Graded out 86%
OG Matt Zehr Graded out 84%
OG Ross Bohner Graded out 80%
vs. Illinois State OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 88%
OG Matt Zehr Graded out 83%
OC Ryan Ozbun Graded out 81%
vs. Indiana State OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 94%, Participated in 66 snaps, 0 sacks
OG Matt Zehr Graded out 90%
OT Ben Deike Graded out 86%
vs. Western Kentucky OT Chad Setterstrom Graded out 97%, 0 sacks
OT Ben Deike Graded out 93%
OG Brodie Brelsford Graded out 86%
OC Ryan Ozbun Graded out 81%
OG Matt Zehr Graded out 80%
v. Cal Poly All 10 players recorded winning percentages
UNI RANKS 23RD IN ATTENDANCE: The Panthers ranked 23rd in the nation in average 1-AA attendance through games of Oct. 20, averaging 11,734, which was third-high in the Gateway Conference behind Youngstown State and Western Illinois.
Overall attendance in the league was on record-pace, according to the league office. The Gateway averaged 9,704 fans this season, one of the all-time single-season bests. The Gateway established league records for toal attendance this year (404,187), and a per-game record (10,104) during 2000.
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LAST TIME IT HAPPENED IN A GAME -- Individual
Two Rushed for 100 Yards: Adam Benge, Richard Carter vs. Cal Poly, 111 yds, 122 yds, 11-17-01
One Rushed for 100 Yards: Adam Benge vs. Maine, 114 yds, 12-8-01
One Rushed for 200 Yards: Jeff Stovall vs. Southern Illinois, 248 yds., 10-26-96
Passed for 200 Yards: Griff Jurgens vs. Maine, 299 yds, 12-8-01
Passed for 300 Yards: Ryan Helming vs. Western Illinois, 360 yds., 11-18-00
Passed for 400 Yards: Ryan Helming vs. Southwest Missouri State, 410 yds., 10-28-00
Last 300-Yard Total Offense: Ryan Helming vs. Western Illinois, 355 yds., 11-18-00
Received for 100 Yards: Ben Sanderson vs. Maine, 110 yds, 12-8-01
Received for 150 Yards: Jake Soliday vs. Wayne State, 152 yds., 8-30-01
Received for 200 Yards: Mike Furrey at Western Illinois, 286 yds., 11-13-99
Scored 2 TDs Rushing: Adam Benge vs. Maine, 3 TDs, 12-8-01
Scored 3 TDs Rushing: Adam Benge vs. Maine, 3 TDs, 12-8-01
Scored 4 TDs Rushing: Adam Benge at Eastern Illinois, 4 TDs, 12-01-01
Scored 2 TDs Receiving: Jake Soliday vs.Maine, 2 TDs, 12-8-01
Scored 3 TDs Receiving: Eddie Berlin vs. Prairie View A&M, 3 TDs, 11-11-00
Scored 4 TDs Receiving: Dedric Ward vs. Western Illinois, 4 TDs, 9-29-95
Kicked 3 Field Goals: Mackenzie Hoambrecker vs. Prairie View A&M, 3 FGs, 11-11-00
Kicked 4 Field Goals: Matt Waller vs. Southwest Missouri State, 4 FGs, 9-17-94
Kicked 5 Field Goals: Brian Mitchell vs. Idaho, 5 FGs, 9-28-91
Kicked 50+ Field Goal: Mackenzie Hoambrecker vs. Western Illinois, 51 yds., 11-18-00
Kickoff Return for TD: Ben Sanderson vs. Cal Poly, 87 yds, 11-17-01
Punt Return for TD: Jake Soliday vs. Indiana State, 49 yds., 11-3-01
2 Punt Returns for TD: Dedric Ward vs. St. Cloud State, 46, 42 yds., 9-7-96
Interception Return for TD: Ken Harris vs. Maine, 47 yds, 12-8-01
Fumble Recovery for TD: Ken Harris vs. Youngstown State, 9-29-01
Safety: Panther Team Safety vs. Prairie View A&M, 11-11-00
Intercepted 2 Passes: Brent Browner vs. Cal Poly, 11-17-01
UNI FOOTBALL AD 11
Intercepted 3 Passes: Tyree Talton at Iowa, 9-9-95
LAST TIME IT HAPPENED IN A GAME -- Team
Rushed for 200 Yards: Dec. 1, 2001, at Eastern Illinois, 241 yds.
Rushed for 300 Yards: Sept. 29, 2001, vs. Youngstown State, 300 yds.
Passed for 200 Yards: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 299 yds
Passed for 300 Yards: Nov. 18, 2000, vs. Western Illinois, 360 yds.
Passed for 400 Yards: Oct. 28, 2000, vs. Southwest Missouri State, 410 yds
Had 400 Yards Total Offense: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 480 yds
Had 600 Yards Total Offense: Nov. 9, 1991, vs. Indiana State, 650 yds.
Scored 30 Points: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 56 pts
Scored 40 Points: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 56 pts
Scored 50 Points: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 56 pts.
Scored 60 Points: Nov. 11, 2000, vs. Prairie View A&M, 60 pts.
Had 3 TDs Rushing: Dec.8, 2001, vs. Maine, 4 TDs
Had 4 TDs Rushing: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 4 TDs
Had 5 TDs Rushing: Dec. 1, 2001, at Eastern Illinois, 5 TDs
Had 6 TDs Rushing: Sept. 17, 1988, vs. Morgan State, 7 TDs
Had 2 TDs Passing: Dec. 8, 2001, vs. Maine, 2 TDs
Had 3 TDs Passing: Nov. 18, 2000, vs. Western Illinois, 3 TDs
Had 4 TDs Passing: Nov. 11, 2000, vs. Prairie View A&M, 5 TDs
Had 5 TDs Passing: Nov. 11, 2000, vs. Prairie View A&M, 5 TDs
Had 6 TDs Passing: Nov. 20, 1999, vs. Southwest State, 6 TDs
Had 20 First Downs: Dec. 1, 2001, at Eastern Illinois, 23
Had 25 First Downs: Oct. 28, 2000, vs. Southwest Missouri State, 31
Had 30 First Downs: Oct. 28, 2000, vs. Southwest Missouri State, 31
CAREER CAPSULE
TB Adam Benge, 5-11, 191, Jr. Ankeny, IA (Ankeny HS)
2001 Season Highlights
*2nd Team All-Conference
*Gateway Offensive Player of Week Sept. 29
*Don Hansen National Football Weekly Gazette Tri-National Player of the Week Dec. 1
*UNI's 1st 1,000-yard rusher since 1996
*School playoff-record 177 yards rushing and four TDs vs. Eastern Illinois
*Eight 100-yard rushing games
*Ranked third in league and 33rd in 1-AA in rushing, ninth in the Gateway and 55th in 1-AA in kickoff returns, and second in the conference and 28th in the nation in all-purpose running
Career Rushing Statistics
Year Gs Att. Yds. Avg. Avg./Gm TDs Long
1998 6 108 427 4.0 71.2 5 25
1999 11 166 778 4.7 70.7 9 71
2001 14 241 1,383 5.7 98.8 16 63
Career Receiving Statistics
Year Ca Yds. Avg. Avg./Gm TDs Long
1998 12 121 10.1 20.2 0 25
1999 21 172 8.2 15.6 0 31
2001 10 44 4.4 3.4 0 10
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UNI FOOTBALL AD 12
TB Richard Carter, 5-4, 190, So. Lansing, MI (Sexton HS)
2001 Season Highlights
*Ranked seventh in the league and 67th in 1-AA in rushing
*Three 100-yard rushing games
Career Rushing Statistics
Year Gs Att. Yds. Avg. Avg./Gm TDs Long
2000 10 106 584 5.5 58.4 3 31
2001 14 223 957 4.3 68.4 8 48
WR/PR Jake Soliday, 6-1, 193, Sr. Mansfield, OH (Mansfield Senior HS)
2001 Season Highlights
*Early-season Walter Payton Award candidate
*Gateway Conference Special Teams Player of Week, The Sports Network National Special Teams Player of the Week Oct. 13
*1st Team All-Conference
*1st Team Gateway Academic All-Conference
Career Receiving Statistics
Year Gs Ca Yds. Avg. Avg./Gm TDs Long
1998 11 20 232 11.6 21.1 1 28
2000 11 62 955 15.4 86.8 9 46
2001 14 56 907 16.2 64.8 8 66
LB Adam Vogt, 6-3, 231, Sr. Manchester, IA (West Delaware HS)
2001 Season Highlights
*Buck Buchanan Award candidate, finishing 4th
*Gateway Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year
*1st Team All-Conference
*1st Team Gateway All-Academic
*1st Team Sports Network All-American
*1st Team Associated Press All-American
*Verizon District VII Academic All-American, 1-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star
*Ranked 3rd in the Gateway in tackles, 11th in 1-AA in tackles, tied for eighth in solos
Career Defensive Statistics
Year Gms UT AT TT TFL Sacks FF FRec Blk PBU Int
1998 10 11 3 14 2-3 1-4 0 0 0 0 0
1999 11 13 6 19 6-37 3-21 0 0 0 0 0
2000 7 48 35 83 2-7 4-27 1 1 0 4 0
2001 14 93 67 160 12-24 0-0 1 0 1 4 0
QUOTING FARLEY: At the end of the 2001 season, UNI head coach Mark Farley had the following comments.
"It was a great season, but it was a tough day (at Montana). Everything we had impressed upon our team all week, we didn't execute out there. We ran into a very good football team. We knew they were a good football team. To win at Montana, you have to come out and do something positive early and withstand the initial blow. Probably the two most critical points in the game was no. 1, we stopped them on defense, then we roughed the kicker. We stopped them on a 50-yard field goal, that would have been the best field position on the day for our team, and we roughed the kicker. We came back, stopped them again, and gave up only three points. That was positive for our defense, because we stopped them at two critical points. And then, the offense went out, fumbled the ball two or three plays later, they got the ball, and when you do those two things in that type of situation in the heat of the battle, you're going to get yourself in trouble in a hurry. They went down and scored on us, put us down 10, and then we lost our quarterback. All those things add up. The difference was in the first half was when we were taking away the things they wanted to do offensively, their quarterback rushed for almost 100 yards on scrambles. We covered the things we wanted to cover, but he went and made plays and we didn't make tackles...It came down to speed, we could not catch him, and they did a good job within their environment, so be it. We didn't keep our composure in certain situations which we needed to do -- win, lose or draw, and those are the things we need to continue to work on."
-over-
UNI FOOTBALL AD 13
"Reflecting on the season, the last quarter, I was trying to watch the environment, I was trying to watch what would put us over the top, tried to find out the answer, to get us through this semifinal game. There's a lot of answers, there's still a lot of things we need to do, because we need to make some adjustments if we want to finish this what we've always started before. I've been very fortunate as a first-year coach, that everything that could happen did happen. When we got beat, we got beat soundly. We got beat by a state school (Iowa State), we got beat by an 0-7 football team (Illinois State), and we got beat by the no. 1 team in 1-AA. All three times, if we could learn from all three of those experiences and grow from each one of them, we can progress this time table ahead of course -- if we learn from them. If we don't learn from them, then it's our fault.
"We have to create the environment that we played in. We have a great environment. We can win a national championship at Northern Iowa, there's no doubt in my mind after (Montana), because we have the Dome that can create the kind of environment that we play in (at Montana). We want to bring out the best in our football team and not the worst in the other, and that's the kind of people we have in Iowa. The community has the support, we have the administrators, and we have the type of people that we can do that here. We just have to improve our team speed, that was a critical point in that football game, and we also have to recruit character and quality people from top to bottom, because when it comes right down to it, sooner or later you have to go to an environment (like Montana), whether it's Montana, or it was Marshall or Northeast Lousiana, it doesn't matter, they're all going to come along sooner or later. We have to be able to handle that kind of adversity and withstand to win it all.
"The other thing is we have to schedule right, because to win a national championship, you have to have that home seed. It's hard to go on the road. Those are the things that we have to take a long, hard look at. This probably hurts me more so than a lot of other people, because this University is very important, and I truly want to see us get over this semifinal game and fortunately, we're ahead of schedule, but still there is a major leap there -- you have to jump a canyon to get over that semifinal game. But we can do it here.
"I want to give our staff all the credit in the world. In eight months, they took a football team that had five walkon starters on it, a freshman quarterback, a backup quarterback, a running back who hadn't even played last year and a defense that wasn't very productive last year, turned it around, and somehow found a way to get the most out of this football team.
"It was good to have all the (former) Panthers involved this year. I want to say thank you today to all the supporters in the Cedar Valley and all the Panthers here. It's been a great season, it's been a great run.
"All our young players got all that extra practice time. Being on the scout team is one thing, but they've been practicing actually a month longer, if you include Thanksgiving week, than anyone else in 1-AA or most of our competitors. Tom Petrie, a redshirt freshman quarterback, had to line up under center in the worst and most hostile environment you'll ever have to play in (at Montana), and he was as calm as you would ever expect. I was more nervous than he was when he walked out there, and he was calm and executed, and to have him experience that at the age he is, that will only help us because he'll be back in that environment someday, whether it be there or someplace else. He will know how to respond, as will all the other players. The youth of our team, to experience that, the youth of the coach to experience that, will only help us. We can learn from this.
"We'll miss a lot of these seniors when they walk out the door, because when you lose a Ryan Hannam, and an Adam Vogt and a Chris Stimmel, there's a lot of heart in those seniors, but that's college football.
"This was very much an overachieving football team. If you would have told me in two-a-day camp where we would be at the end of the season -- I was worried we wouldn't get to seven wins, because there was a fear there we didn't have enough speed, talent to go across the board. They overachieved, they went through a lot of adversity as a group, they did everything we asked them to do. They responded, we went to eight games on the road, to do what we did with eight road games was a phenomenal feat for this football team. One thing that upsets me is how we responded (at Montana), because we hadn't done that all season, and that's the only thing we need to correct, because that will happen again in an adverse situation. That's not the first time Montana has drawn the worst out of this football team."
-naj-
REVIEWING 2001
Wayne State (MI) 7 0 0 7 14
NORTHERN IOWA 24 3 0 7 34 Attend. 9,210
UNI won its fourth straight season opener, defeating Divison II Wayne State (MI). UNI took a 24-7 first-quarter lead off of Jake Soliday's two TD receptions from 66 and 30 yards, a two-yard TD run by Adam Benge, and a 20-yard field goal by Mackenzie Hoambrecker. WSU got on the scoreboard first with 7:54 left in the first quarter on a 28-yard pass play, then finished all scoring with 4;19 left in the game on a 40-yard blocked punt return. UNI's other scores were a 21-yard field goal by Hoambrecker with 56 seconds left in the first half, and a three-yard run by Levi Lyle with 9:08 left in the game. UNI now is 52-44-7 in season openers.
WSU UNI WSU UNI
First Downs 5-8-2 12-6-3 Penalties 8-69 8-82
Rushes 20-95 48-192 Punts-Avg. 6-40.8 5-37.0
Passing 41-19-3 28-13-1 Possession 24:33 35:27
Passing Yards 163 222 Third-Downs 4-13 6-18
Total Offense 61-258 76-414
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0
NORTHERN IOWA 0 0 0 0 0
Iowa State 17 21 7 0 45 Attend. 47,092
This was the Panthers' largest margin of defeat and its first shutout since losing at 1-A Iowa in the first game of the 1997 season, 66-0. UNI suffered through seven turnovers -- five interceptions by redshirt freshman quarterback Tom Petrie, one by Griff Jurgens, and Petrie lost one fumble. The last time the Panthers came close to that many miscues was back on Nov. 13, 1999, at Western Illinois, when UNI lost 46-27. ISU turned the ball over only once, a fumble returned 11 yards by defensive tackle Terrell Morgan. To be fair, two of Petrie's interceptions were not all his doing. He threw a Hail Mary pass that was intercepted in the end zone at the end of the first half, and one other attempt was tipped into an opponent's arms. UNI ended the game with more time on the clock (30:53-29:07), had one more first down and compiled 299 yards (183 rushing) to ISU's 337 yards (249 rushing). Sophomore Richard Carter had 82 yards on the ground in 15 carries. Senior tight end Ryan Hannam led the team with three catches for 28 yards, while Jake Soliday had two catches for 50 yards. Michael Lewis returned five kicks for 101 yards,with a long of 26. Mackenzie Hoambrecker missed a 52-yard field goal with 5:47 left in the second quarter.
UNI ISU UNI ISU
First Downs 10-6-1 9-6-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Rushes 41-183 45-249 Punts-Avg. 6-35.8 6-47.3
Passing 30-10-6 18-9-0 Possession 30-:53 29:07
Passing Yards 116 88 Third Downs 4-14 5-14
Total Offense 71-299 63-337
NORTHERN IOWA 7 17 15 3 42
Ball State 12 13 14 0 39
This game represented the third straight win over a 1-A opponent from the Mid-American Conference. Redshirt freshman quarterback Tom Petrie redeemed himself from the previous game, completing 15-of-26 passes with no turnovers for 213 yards and two TDs. He threw an eight-yard toss to Jake Soliday with 6:31 left in the half to put the Panthers up 17-12, and his 23-yard pass to marlus Mays with 4:38 left in the half gave UNI a 24-12 lead. To cap it off, he drove the Panthers 69 yards in the final four minutes, connecting on three-of-four passes for 35 yards while running for another eight yards on the winning drive. UNI's defense was knocked around quite a bit despite the win, giving up 453 yards and 39 points inthe first three quarters, but the Cardinals were held to just 53 yards and no points in the fourth quarter. UNI's defense turned three BSU turnovers into 21 points. A Cardinal fumble with 8:12 left in the second half was recovered by sophomore left end Jason Boehlke on the BSU 34, and less than two minutes later, UNI regained the lead at 17-12. Senior defensive back Ken Harris' interception in the second period put UNI up 23-12, and senior corner Daryon Brutley returned a BSU fumble four yards for a TD with 9:24 left in third quarter, tying the game at 32.
Junior kick Mackenzie Hoambrecker was the Gateway's co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort. He made all four PAT attempts and two field goals, including the game-winning 33-yarder as time expired. His 44-yarder with 10:30 left in the second quarter drew UNI to within two points, 12-10. The two teams set a stadium record for combined points in a game with 81.
UNI BSU UNI BSU
First Downs 6-11-2 18-13-3 Fumbles-Lost 2-2 4-2
Rushes 32-124 56-235 Punts-Avg 5-31.2 3-30.7
Passing 26-15-0 32-20-1 Possession 22:38 37:22
Passing Yards 213 271 Third Downs 6-12 7-14
Total Offense 58-337 88-506
#2 Youngstown State 0 3 0 8 11
NORTHERN IOWA 10 0 13 7 30 Attend. 12,518
UNI won its 12th Gateway Opener in 17 tries, defeating second-ranked Youngstown State in the annual Family Day game. The last time UNI defeated a team ranked as high as second was in 1998 when it downed second-ranked Western Illinois 10-6. The Panthers now have beaten a No. 1- or 2-ranked team five times. UNI jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Mackenzie Hoambrecker with 8:47 left and ona 20-yard pass from Tom Petrie to Marlus Mays with 53 seconds left. YSU's Jake Stewart kicked a 49-yard field goal with 6:30 left in the half to make it 10-3 at intermission. The Panthers scored on a 23-yard fumble return by Ken Harris with 9:01 left in the third, on a four-yard run by Richard Carter with six minutes left and on a two-yard run by Adam Benge with 14:19 left in the game to make it 30-3. Jerald Burley scored on a five-yard pass from Jeff Ryan and the two-point conversion pass was good with 11:16 left to make the final score 30-11. UNI gained 414 yards, including 300 rushing. The last time UNI gained 300 yards rushing was on Nov. 21, 1998, versus Division II Winona State with 310 yards.
Benge was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 161 yards on 17 carries with the one TD. Petrie completed 12-of-17 passes
